Wade Stalking

from Globetrotter on Carp.net bbs 11Mar 2001 11.36 AM

Wade-stalking is carried out along the margins of rivers and lakes, or where large open plateaux or ‘flats’ enable you to wade out to present a bait to the carp. You will be doing close-encounter battles with very strong fish, so ultra-powerful tackle needs to be used if you want to consistently land the largest specimens. This does not mean that strong, short and stiff rods should be used. It is essential to cushion the blows of the thrashing tail but maintain steady pressure to keep it out of lilies or other snags without danger of ripping the hook out. For this reason, a rod with a very parabolic action should be used – leave the fast taper, tip-action rods at home. It is rare to cast when wade-stalking, and the correct technique is to quietly wade towards your quarry until you can slowly lower the bait from the rod tip. This is why I prefer to use a long rod (my trusty Globetrotter Supreme rod is perfect for the job), so that a bait can be gently lowered in front of a basking carp.

Hooks need to be ultra sharp, of thick wire and extremely strong. The Pro Gold Label SS Penetrator hook size No.2; the Penatrator Two size 2, or for hook & hold situations under the rod tip I will sometimes also use the Ashima Super Heavy Carp size 1 or 2.

Lines need to employ extreme-abrasion resistance properties, but also allow some stretch to provide a ‘buffer’ during the first explosive power of a carp once hooked. I use Pro Gold nylon in 22lb test, Game-On resin impregnated nylon in 20 and 30lb test, or in extreme situations when I must stop the carp and roll it on its back immediately after hooking and not give an inch of line – I use the Spiderwire Spectra 2000 braid in 50lb test. The High tech braids have very little stretch, which places tremendous strain on the hook-hold, but the all-through power curve of the Supreme rod cushions every lunge, even when you clamp down on that once-in-a-lifetime fish.

When the carp are in gin-clear waters I will often just freeline the bait and watch for takes; but if the water is cloudy or the carp are hidden by surface plants or weeds, I will use a tiny float (such as a 2bb Crystal Waggler) as a visual indicator. If I spot a carp basking just under the surface, the float is quickly slid higher up the line so that it does not scare the fish as I lower a bait towards its big, rubbery lips.

When the carp are laying in weeds, or reed beds, but the water is too deep for wading, I use a boat, dinghy, canoe or kayak to reach the fish. It can be difficult to control a small boat without turning the whole area into an eruption of exploding carp as they exit the weed beds…but with patience and a great deal of control with the paddle, it is amazing how close you can get to the carp. Flat calm is best, but try to use a breeze to your advantage, stop paddling and let the wind guide you quietly over the fish – using the paddle as a rudder. Then gently lower the anchor so that it holds you in position within a rod length. Use a rope instead of a chain tied to the anchor (or large rock).

In some cases, especially when the carp are moving sub-surface through open clearings between rushes and lilies, it is better to tie up to the reeds and then wait for them to swim past. The carp will rarely take a static bait in these situations, but a freeline bait cast in front of the swimming carp that is timed to intercept them at the same swimming level is almost always taken with relish.

Contacts for the equipment so far mentioned can be found at: Email: rob@game-online.co.uk or [URL=http://www.game-online.co.uk] for the Globetrotter Supreme rods and Game-On nylon. Look at the 'hooks' post on this forum for Gold Label line and hooks. Spiderwire Spectra 2000 can be bought at Wal Mart or Cabellers catalogue in USA.

There are a thousand other things to talk about with Wade-Stalking, but I’d better stop now or we will never get to discuss other techniques! Over to you chaps….