The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

I have been trying to find some information on old Carp fishing, e.g what Bs line they would use and what rigs? Everything seems to be 15lb or heavier these days. Has anyone got any thoughts or facts on this? Thanks guys

Who was about then? Rod Hutchinson, Jim Gibbinson, Ritchie McDonald, or earlier than that? Forgot George Sharman and Kevin Maddocks!

i remember sitting for hours with what i thought was freelined cat food and really after1 hour was a crust pad and a piece of biro tube ( to stop the the line cutting through the catfood)_ rigs? that was the hook!

I started my carp angling life in 1977. Most used 8. - 10lb line on the waters I fished but that was way before heavy leads were in use which required heavier breaking strains to keep cracking offs to a minimum.
I would free line or use a very light running paternoster with only just enough lead to be able to reach the fish. It needed to be as light as possible because our hooks were still buried in the bait back then which was usually paste, meat, corn, black eyed or pinto beans or sometimes chick peas and we had to strike the hook home. Bumping into another carp angler was a special event. How things have changed.

Everyone used 6lb Bayer Perlon and rigs hadn't been invented. Happy days :-)

George Sharman's Carp and the Carp Angler book is the most up to date and informative one you will get for pre hair rig days and give you a perfect insight to how it was when there were so few of us.

I think the 6lb Bayer was used for distance work SS, people like Rod Hutchinson swore by 10 Sylcast - he reckoned it was what they towed oil rigs with it was so robust and actually had a breaking strain of around 17lbs. Of course back then most rods were under 2.25TC .

Sorry to be nit picky Dave but it was good old 11lb Sylcast Hutchy used to rave about. It was always in the odd numbers in the Sorrel he used before the black. 7, 9. 11 and 15lb.
I had a fish out of Savay on 5lb Maxima with a 18lb shock leader to reach them. These days we don't need to drop so fine with larger reels etc.

The original Hutchinson Big Pit rods were 2lb test curve and we're animals at the time Lol. There aren't many modern carp rods as soft as that now.

Shaun Harrison wrote:Sorry to be nit picky Dave but it was good old 11lb Sylcast Hutchy used to rave about. It was always in the odd numbers in the Sorrel he used before the black. 7, 9. 11 and 15lb.
I had a fish out of Savay on 5lb Maxima with a 18lb shock leader to reach them. These days we don't need to drop so fine with larger reels etc.

You are right of course Shaun - my head couldn't decide if it was 10 or 12 I used 9lb if I recall.... pretty horrible line but tough.