Quest Baits Blog

Hi all – I’m delighted to report my PB UK common at 37-8. I’ve been after this fish for a couple of years and as you can see from the photos it’s a truly stunning fish.

The estate lake I’m fishing is very weedy and it can be difficult to find areas to put a bait on. I’m always looking out for areas in the weed that are clearer than others, but with the weed already thick in front of me finding what I was looking for took some time. I found a couple of areas I was reaonably happy with but after 24 hours I’d not had a bite and not seen any signs of fish showing anywhere. continue reading…

By Elie Godsi

Here is a scenario I see time and time again wherever I fish. Carp anglers find a spot they like the feel of with their marker floats, like a gravel patch or a gap in weed. Then they check out the actual condition of the bottom of the lake around their marker float by casting their actual fishing rods, rigs and all, to the spot they have identified. Then they pull back – with the rigs they are about to bait up with, all along the bottom. Why would anyone do that? continue reading…

Aps wrote:

Hi, I just watched the long distance casting video (part 1) with the legend that is Mark Hutchinson, and I am slightly confused!  In the video under reels he is using a shimano ultegra 5500 xtb and he mentions;

“Add a washer for better line lay !”

Can you please explain, how and why he does that?

Hi Aps – good question! It is easy to see how Hutch’s advice could be a little confusing.

When you buy most new reels you will find a bag of extra metal washers inside the box. If you take off the spool from the reel you will see that the washers will go onto the metal spindle the spool sits on and you can slide the washer down so sits at the bottom. Then the spool goes back on in the same way it came off.  continue reading…

Ian Hillier asks;

“Hi my question is what is the best knot to tie a fused flurocarbon leader to a
flurocarbon main line and is it safe to do so?”

Hi Ian

I’ve been using fluorocarbon mainlines and leaders for several years and really rate them highly. I prefer fishing slack lines and feel confident with the presentation you get with the line and leader pinned to the lake bed.

I would personally always use a palomar knot with flourocarbon. Strangulation knots weaken the line and are a waste of time. I use the palomar knot for tying hooks, swivels and yes, leaders to flourocarbon mainline.

It doesn’t matter what type of leader material – leadcore, safe zone, fluorocarbon - providing there is a solid loop in the end. This knot is so easy to tie and has never let me down in literally decades of using it.

Elie

Minus 5 and still out there!

It’s been a long time since we had a cold spell with prolonged sub zero temperatures like we had earlier this year. Apparently the start of December 2008 was the coldest since 1970. The older I get the more I feel the cold, especially in my fingers and toes and unlike in the love song, it isn’t pleasant at all. In fact it’s miserable. Fishing in these conditions can be demanding and I know that if I don’t keep warm I won’t enjoy being ‘out there’ and more importantly, I won’t fish well. So here are some tips about staying warm this winter. 

Clothing: with the development of modern fabrics there is no excuse for not keeping your core temperature up. It is vital to use a layering system of clothes right across your whole body. The base layer should be skin tight and made of a non absorbent material which wicks sweat away from your body.  Any dampness in any part of your clothes will lose heat and feel much colder. The next layer should be warm and also non-absorbent – most modern fleeces will do. The top or outer layer should be breathable and waterproof. As a top layer I love my Sundridge Igloo Suit (Mark 2) made up of a bib and brace and a jacket. I have yet to fish anywhere where, used in a correct layering system, this wasn’t plenty warm enough. It’s not cheap but you get what you pay for.

Remember to put these layers on as you need them. A good layering system will keep you dry even if you get sweaty carting your gear round to your chosen swim, but there’s no point having more layers on than you need. Even a good wicking system has its limits though so I always take a change of base layers and a spare pair of warm socks (and snow boot liners if I’m using them) so that if they get too damp then I can put a dry one on while the other one dries out.

Hand and foot warmers: I love these little packets of heat and would be lost without them. If you haven’t used them before then you are seriously missing out. Simply open the packet, expose to the air and the chemicals packed inside the sealed bags start to warm up. I keep one hand warmer in one pocket and swap it from side to side and from hand to hand. The foot warmers come in pairs and you simply stick them to your socks under your toes and put your boots back on. Both the hand and foot warmers take the edge off really cold days. They only cost about a quid and each one will last several hours.

Bivvy heater: this year I decided to buy a little portable bivvy heater. Having shopped around I found this Sunngas Cartridge heater for £8 on line including postage! It works off the same propane/butane gas canisters I use for my cooking. The tight flame in the middle has a metal guard around it and it’s very stable. But as it’s a flame system USE IT CAREFULLY! If it toppled over it could melt your groundsheet or worse so I put mine on a low metal bivvy table. It only takes a few minutes to warm a bivvy up with the door down; I put my heater on for a while before I go to bed and turn it off before I climb into my bag. Luxury! On really cold days I might put the door down for a bit and get really warm.

Hot water bottle: I simply don’t know why more anglers don’t take one of these fishing with them. Think about it – we go fishing next to thousands of gallons of water! I have a large spare camping kettle which I use to boil lake water with. The piping hot water bottle goes into my sleeping bag ten minutes before I do. There’s not many better feelings while fishing on a cold winter night than climbing into a warm sleeping bag.

So there you have it – just a few tips and some of the things I do to take the edge of those cold winter days and nights. Go out there, stay warm and enjoy!

Wishing you a fish filled 2009. May all your bites be one toners!

Merry Xmas to one and all.

Elie Godsi

Phil Parker put the following question about ‘proper’ size 2 man bivvies that will accommodate him and his fishing wife – plus all the gear we typically carry with us.

“On the subject of Bivvys, why do manufacturers make them so low. I’m not the tallest of people but I am finding it difficult to do any kind of adequate manoeuvring unless I’m sitting or laying down especially if the heavens open up. My two man bivvy is exactly not that, more of a one and a half, especially as I have to share with my fishing wife. The only one I have seen is more of a tent than a bivvy and that is the Rod Hutchinson geo 2.2 super tent. This seems to have masses of room, especially for storage. Can anyone recommend anything on the market which has a substantial height and capacity for storing the plethora of gear I carry including a carp fishing wife?”

continue reading…