november-2026-big-carp-part-1 - Flipbook - Page 71
BIG CARP / ON THE WATER
NOVEMBER 2026
A HARDWICK SURPRISE
FROM THE WATER
THE SPECIAL ONE There are certain carp that haunt you, fish you stalk
for days. And then there are the fish that surprise you entirely the hidden
gems that rarely see the bank, possessing characteristics so unique they
stop you in your tracks. My recent session on Hardwick and Smiths at the
famous Linear Fisheries complex produced exactly that: a stunning, heavily
scaled mirror carp that seemed entirely unknown to both me and the local
bailiff. This is the story of how an unexpected change in tactics brought
a true rarity to the net. THE STRATEGY: The session began as a mobile
affair. Over the course of the trip, I moved three times, chasing showing fish
and trying to pin down their feeding areas. Mobility is often key on busy
day-ticket waters, but as the session drew to a close, I settled into a swim I d
earmarked for the final two nights. I decided to alter my usual approach for
the first night in this new spot. Instead of deploying my standard spod mix,
I committed to a boilie-only approach, intending to fish "match the hatch"
hookbaits over the top. My bait of choice was Mainline s Essential Cell. To
give the freebies an edge, I washed them out slightly, pouring boiling water
over the fresh baits a tactic that softens the baits and releases those vital
attractors quickly into the water column.
BIG CARP
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