One of the problem with fishing with anglers like Brian and Martyn Skoyles is that the things they are good at, they are VERY good at, and when it comes to surface fishing they are a step beyond VERY good.

Now I have caught carp off the surface and will try when the mood takes me but to be honest on overnighters I neither had the inclination nor perfect floater tackle to do it. But if I am going to improve as an angler I need to concentrate on the areas I am weak on so it was time to bite the bullet, go cap in hand to Brian and let the ‘man who can’ put me right.

One evening later I’d studiously watched him flavour chum mixers, learning how to tie a reverse hair for the hook bait and most important of all plundered his tackle store so that I was armed with line, hooks, hook lengths and floats. Luckily I had already been sensible enough to equip myself with what I was told was the perfect surface rod and reel combination. The rod was a Daiwa Infinity Advanced Barbel which at 12’ long and with a test curve of 2.25 lbs was perfect for carp fishing with lines of 6-12 lb. The reel was a Daiwa Caldia X which had a silky smooth clutch ideal for playing big carp on light line. Coupled with Daiwa Sensor Clear in 8lbs, a Korda Interceptor floater controller and Gamakatsu Size 10 Long Shank I knew I had the gear and hoped I had the idea…

The Caldia X the perfect floater fishing reel

Perfect conditions on the Sunday night saw me giving the World Cup a miss and instead walking round the banks of the local syndicate lake. It was still and muggy and plenty of carp were cruising round basking in the sun and taking flies off the surface and snails off the lilies. I eventually decided which swim I would do the night in and as I started to set up camp trickled in some Chum Mixer dog biscuits to see if I could get a reaction. Within 20m minutes I had them taking chummies off the surface and by the time the overnight gear was assembled the surface was criss crossed by carp competing for the biscuits.

Some of the mixers were soaked in the famous Skoyles's blend of Nutrabaits attractors

The controller rod was already set up in its own sleeve and with the hook lengths pre-tied on the rig bin all I had to do was loop it on, add a hook bait and get it right. Well thanks to Brian I did in fact get it right. Using his tips and the perfect tackle for surface fishing I fished both surface baits and standard bottom baits on the Infinity / Basia combination. Two nights fishing gave me fourteen carp with seven being over the magical twenty pounds. Yes right place right time but with the perfect tackle the fishing was oh so much easier. Get it right, get on top and your dreams may come true.

Julian Cundiff