Personally I like to use a rod of thirteen or fourteen foot in length
This type of fishing is very specialised and originated at places like Drayton Reservoir and Arrow Valley lake. Big lakes such as these often require the angler to fish at distance and when the fish are up in the water the approach can result in some huge catches of carp. I must be honest at this stage and admit that I haven’t done a lot of this style of fishing so far. My first taste of fishing with a big carp missile came at Drayton in the Sensas final a couple of years ago. As I was in Ireland until two days before the event I didn’t get time to practise the method. If I had, I feel sure I would have won the event as I learned a lot as the competition went on. That day I finished fourth with forty-three pounds of carp, all taken on the big float set around three-foot deep. Subsequent practise sessions saw me take catches in excess of a hundred pounds several times. The first thing to remember if you are going to try this style of fishing is that you must use a strong rod capable of casting the big float in excess of fifty yards. A lot of anglers use feeder rods for this as they are designed to withstand the pressure of launching heavy weights a long way. Personally I like to use a rod of thirteen or fourteen foot in length. In my opinion the best way to attach the float to the line is with a swivel attached to a short length of power gum. At one end attach the float and at the other a strong hi-tech hooklength (I prefer the MAP Carptek). For best results use soft groundbait fired out around the float.
With warm weather on the way, it’s a method that will be catching a lot of fish soon!!