Tag Archives: Boilies

Click on the image slider below to open a full gallery of the carp tackle department at local independent fishing tackle shop, Phil’s Bait & Tackle at Sutton-in-Ashfield. Phil’s has a large carp fishing & specimen fishing department with large stocks of: carp rods, carp reels, carp bait (boilies, freezer baits, pellets, particles, flavours, glugs, oils, etc.), carp luggage, terminal tackle, hooks, leads, mainline, hooklinks, bite alarms, rod pods, metalware, landing nets, bivvies, bedchairs, unhooking mats, cookware and many carp accessories. Brands stocked include: Fox, Korda, Nash, Shimano, Avid Carp, Daiwa, ESP, JRC, Korum, Chub, Spomb, Dynamite Baits, Mainline Baits, Sticky Baits, Nashbait, Bait-Tech & Solar. Their dedicated carp showroom was expanded in 2019 and features their largest ever range of quality carp tackle and carp fishing accessories, which is open to browse and try out the latest carp gear and there’s always someone on hand to provide advice. Phil’s Bait & Tackle also has a large and very well stocked coarse, specimen, match & pole fishing department. Other services offered by Phil’s include a full range of repair & spares services, including: rod & pole repair service, pole elastication, rod re-ringing, reel servicing, spare parts for some other tackle …

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Over the closed season, I readied myself for the impending re-opening of the rivers by reading various books and magazine articles by very successful Barbel anglers. My main focus was Summer river tactics, because this is the time of year that sees me make most of my Barbel sessions; short after-work ones mainly. This has an added advantage of taking me to some fantastic, natural places. The type of habitats barbel frequent are some of the most breathtakingly beautiful swims imaginable (Tidal Trent excepted!) and there is no better time to appreciate rivers as when they’re in full bloom, in the height of Summer. Many of the articles I read took what I’d regard as a “romantic” angle on Barbel fishing. They talked of shallow, clear, weedy, fast, intimate rivers (which I’m lucky enough to regularly fish two of, in the Dove and Derwent); with each writer discussing a slightly different approach to the same sort of conditions. I get taken in by these angling “romance writers”, just as I do when I watch A Passion For Angling. I suppose this is how, in an ideal world, I’d love all fishing to be; solitary man pitting his wits against nature, …

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With the fluctuating river levels and a generally unreliable Summer once again, I found that river sport started fairy slowly and has been very inconsistent since. I have been experimenting with new venues and stretches of river I hadn’t fished before and, despite my catch rates being disappointing, I’ve learnt about features I didn’t know existed and found some promising areas which I’m sure will come into their own during the colder months. One evening, I even spotted a shoal of around 20 good barbel moving in very shallow water, but seemingly not feeding. Opting to take the “fish where the fish are” approach, I stealthily crept up to the river and cast a lobworm a little upstream of three individuals I could see. They did not appear to be spooked by the bait entering the water, so I slowly backed away from the skyline, and touch-legered expectantly for a good half-hour, without a nibble. As darkness approached I put out a second rod and opted for more conventional barbel tactics using pellets and boilies, but still no success! It had been quite a spectacle and privilege to watch these fish in the clear rapids, but despite my best efforts …

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By mid-August, I am usually well into my stride catching river fish, especially barbel. This year, however, I’ve struggled to even get a bite! The problem with becoming confident in certain methods, baits and even venues, is that it’s easy to become set in your ways with your approach. The old adage “If it aint broke, don’t fix it” springs to mind. But what happens when it is broke, and your tried and trusted methods fail you time and again? It’s so easy to dwell on glories past, sticking with the same setup in the hope that it will work eventually. The truth is, conditions change, swims change, fish can become wary of certain rigs and baits. If you find yourself struggling, you must start ringing the changes until you find something else that works. Two chance meetings earlier in the month inspired me to get out of my recent rut, and I’m so relieved! With very few bites, and a single measly 10 ounce chub to show for several after-work river sessions, I knew I had to change something. My initial focus, along with trying a variety of different swims, was to change my baits until I found one …

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