Tip of the month:June
Just like most of the gravel pits over here in the UK, the lakes at Abbey can get quite weedy through the summer months. Rowing boats are allowed during this time to assist in landing fish, but if you haven't got one to take with you, don't worry because there are a number of things you can do to ensure you land the vast majority of carp you hook.
The correct choice of line is one of the most important things to consider, and as there is no long distance casting required at Abbey, a strong abrasion resistant line such as 15lb GR60 will ensure you don't lose a big fish to a unecessary breakage.
It's important too that a fish hooked close to weed isn't allowed to get up a head of steam. The average size of the carp in Heron and Fox is getting bigger all the time, and once they are on the move can be hard to stop. By fishing your reels Baitrunner or drag system a bit tighter than you would for normal open water fishing, you can slow up the carps' initial run and give yourself a better chance of getting the fish under control before it realises what's going on.
If a hooked fish does make the weed, a rig set up so the lead comes off gives you a much higher percentage of getting it back out again. There are lots of ways to do this so just use the one you are most confident with. Also remember to be patient with a weeded fish. If everything has gone solid then rather than piling on lots of pressure straight away, put the rod back on the rest and let the carp make the next move. Sometimes it can take a while for them to do anything, but in most cases they will start moving again and this is the time to exert some heavy pressure to ensure they don't get back in the weed.
The correct choice of line is one of the most important things to consider, and as there is no long distance casting required at Abbey, a strong abrasion resistant line such as 15lb GR60 will ensure you don't lose a big fish to a unecessary breakage.
It's important too that a fish hooked close to weed isn't allowed to get up a head of steam. The average size of the carp in Heron and Fox is getting bigger all the time, and once they are on the move can be hard to stop. By fishing your reels Baitrunner or drag system a bit tighter than you would for normal open water fishing, you can slow up the carps' initial run and give yourself a better chance of getting the fish under control before it realises what's going on.
If a hooked fish does make the weed, a rig set up so the lead comes off gives you a much higher percentage of getting it back out again. There are lots of ways to do this so just use the one you are most confident with. Also remember to be patient with a weeded fish. If everything has gone solid then rather than piling on lots of pressure straight away, put the rod back on the rest and let the carp make the next move. Sometimes it can take a while for them to do anything, but in most cases they will start moving again and this is the time to exert some heavy pressure to ensure they don't get back in the weed.