MJL

Awesome report guys. Those fish are absolutely gorgeous. Really getting the itch to get out soon.

Stunning specimen! Great catch

Absolutely beautiful pieces of steel. WTG!

I use Stanleys Ice Off paste applied the night before.

I find it works well till it drops to about -12. Also helps if the smallest guides on the tip of the rod are size 8 or 10. The match style guides found on factory Ravens, Frontiers or Loomis' ice up real easy - A great excuse for building a custom rod

I was always told to put my faith in 2 things

1. The Lord

and

2. Shimano or Daiwa spinning reels

I've seen a few Okuma baitrunners end up in the drink because the baitrunner somehow malfunctioned when the carp took. I briefly owned 1 quantum hypercast II for about 5 months. Within 3 months the trigger mechanism for the bail wore out and at 5 months my first chrome chinny of the year smoked my drag (Literally). Smoke could be seen coming out from underneath the knob and the first washer on the spool was very warm to the touch. After that, the drag was very jerky and pretty much shot.

You get what you pay for. Still using my Shimano Stradic from 1999 and it works like new.

Awesome report Snag

Absolutely brilliant report Mike

With all your trips, I'm wondering if you actually work for a living?LOL If so, what do you do and where can I apply?!LOL

Can't wait for the 2nd part

siglon F 10lb gold/yellow color ..... Raven come's in a 1000yd spool @ the same price as most lines with 330yd spools for a reason ...Sorry to bash it as a lot of guys luv the stuff it seems, but the factory Raven rep told me himself when he saw me pick up that 1000yd spool off the shelf... "put it back down , and pick up the siglon !! I rep them and get it for free, and still don't use it " ....Never tried it and probably never will after that reliable source gave me his honest opinion...

Ironic thing is I've never had a positive experience with Siglon lines apart from their leader material and now exclusively use either Raven or Maxima (8-10). I've tried a few different spools of Siglon in lb tests ranging from 6-12lb. I found it didn't matter about the breaking strain of the line, all of them suffered from poor knot strength and poor abrasion resistance - To put things in perspective, I was breaking 10lb mainlines bringing in 6 inch baby rainbows (or at least trying to). Had every conventional knot break - from simple clinch and blood to trilene, grinner and polomar - And yes I do lubricate my knots. Odd bad spool? Perhaps but I bought their lines over the last 6 years from various local retailers. Definitely put me away from Siglon lines. Been using Raven since 2002 and in terms of performance consistency, I've never had any noticeable problems with any of the spools other than if you go below 6lb on a centrepin, you'll find it stretches and digs in.

Awesome hauling C&C!

Check out the number of guides on a high priced rod vs a low one, cheap rods are always short on a couple of guides. Also I find the cheap rods to the really wobbly and flimsy.

There has been a recent trend towards developing new guides and guide spacings to improve the efficiency of rods. Many companies (low and high end) use the Fuji concept guide spacing charts as a reference when putting guides on their rods. The 'Fuji doctrine' is “use the least and smallest guides necessary.” The theory behind it is to reduce the amount of weight on the rod (especially at the tip) which improves casting performance and the recovery of the blank. Similarly, guides (however slick the ceramic or wire inserts are), they increase friction on the line and theoretically reduce casting distance. Of course there are instances when the Fuji concept is less efficient as is the case with extreme distance casting where larger diameter (but lightweight) guides are better to match spool sizes on wide-spooled distance casting big-pit reels.

For every small incremental increase in performance, there is an exponential increase in price.

I am guilty of owning (or have previously owned) fly rods, float rods and carp rods valued in excess of $650. I’m a sucker for the marketing – Rods built for the extreme angler LOL.

For rods, most high-end companies – By high end I’m talking about rods in excess of $150 – Strive towards the same goal as every other company. Make it lighter, stronger, faster and more sensitive than its competition and predecessor models.

A lot of the cost of high end rods has to do with R&D and labour involved in building them. Most high end rod blanks nowadays come from the US (Sage and Loomis are in Washington State) or the UK (Zziplex, Century, Harrison and House of Hardy (Sans Greys or Chub)). Labour isn’t cheap however the quality standards are more strict than in say China or Korea – Century Composites (Based in Scotland) are actually ISO certified.

From my own experiences as a rod builder (and obviously a field tester of rods which weren’t mine) and speaking to a couple friends in the composite industry, designing and manufacturing uber high modulus graphic and carbon (as seen on more expensive, higher performance rods) is not easy. High modulus graphite – despite being lighter, more sensitive and less prone to softening over time (due to lower resin levels) – has one huge inherent weakness…It is brittle.

Finding the right balance between sensitivity and strength and making it better than its competition is difficult. Simply rolling more high modulus (low resin) graphite around the mandrel or adding an outer layer of carbon weave (as seen on many carp rods) theoretically increases strength but it also adds weight to the blank and reduces the casting performance and feel – Hence the need to find the right balance between super high performance materials and high strength materials. This research costs $.

Beyond the blank, many companies used stepped up components on their higher end rods compared to their value rods. Fuji Alconite guides VS Fuji Hardloys. Fuji SIC guides VS Fuji Alconites. Fuji Titanium framed SIC guides VS Fuji Stainless SIC guides and the progression continues onto cosmetic components like cork and reel seats. Better warranties may also be factored into the price of the rod as well.

With all this said about high cost/high performance rods, I still think there are high performing rods and blanks in the market at value prices. To the average or beginning angler, IMHO, other than being lighter, they probably won’t even notice much of a difference in performance between the average $60 rod on a BPS shelf or a Loomis GLX and both rods would serve them well.

I know exactly how much I’ve spent over the years and it doesn’t bother me one bit. I’m primarily a steelhead/carp angler so compared to different types of fishing, the cost isn’t too bad – No boat, no need for an SUV to pull it, no need to spend $ on a load of lures, etc.

I’m not an impulsive buyer and know exactly what I want (or what I’m looking for) from the shop before I walk in. For the big ticket items, I do research and a cost/benefit analysis before I spend my money. I do have a vice for high-end tackle – Sage fly rods, Custom Harrison carp rods, Custom float rods + centrepins. I own fair bit of tackle for my steelhead and carp fishing but each outfit gets fished hard every season and I never find the need or desire to upgrade (which if you ask most people, ends up costing more). For my carp fishing, I take comfort in knowing that I only spend $10 on 80lbs of corn for bait which lasts me a season – I get most of my boilies for free nowadays from friends who smuggle them in from the UK.

IMO there are worse things to spend your hard earned $ on. For me, I don’t smoke (never have). I don’t drink alcohol. I don’t drink coffee or energy drinks (which most people I know rely on several times a day). I don’t gamble more than $5 every 3 months when my friends get together to play a game of poker (which according to my own records, I’m up $10). Unlike a cigarette or a beer, my fishing tackle will last more than 1 shot and I always have the option to pass it along to kids or grandkids down the road. I consider my fishing tackle as a long-term investment for happiness.

Great reportage + pics there Spinnerdoc. Carp can be caught throughout the year and even through ice (if you're lucky ) . I'm sure there will be more fish to come before the end of the year.

As for colour, smaller carp (Usually 3lbs and under) and ones that come out of muddy/murky water tend to be more silvery or pale in colour. I find in some places (Especially gin clear rivers) they even change colour and become darker in autumn and winter. You may also catch fish with fiery red/orange tails VS the normal dark brown colour - perhaps it has something to do with their diet or the environment they live in. As you fish more and more different waters across Ontario, you'll start to notice the differences from fish to fish.

Don't worry about not owning high-end Euro-tackle. IMO, first learning about carp behaviour is key before taking the plunge into buying new carp tackle.

Brilliant report and pics Mike

You skunking on steel is almost like CCMT or Bly not getting a PB on every trip...It boggles the mind!

This is slightly off topic, but Solo, why do you prefer 5" centerpins to others??? The only cp I have used is my Islander which is 4.5" and I am curious the difference in diameter makes in performance and weight.

 

Thanks Mike,

 

Paul

A 5" diameter reel will generally retrieve more line per rotation of the spool than a 4" or 4.5" reel. Good for catching up with fast running steel at the end of the line.

In my case I often dream about catching record steel from the Kispiox or the Skeena. When I wake up I realize I'm reviving a monster eel instead.

Wouldn't be surprised if it was someone's escaped pet. Back in the late 90's I remember hearing about cougar sightings (of the feline type) in the Hwy 7 and Mccowan road area in Markham. If you're going to be hiking in areas where cougars have been sighted, I'd recommend going along with someone...Especially someone who runs slower than you.

Sweeter brownies than what the girl guides offer.

Well done

Unbelievable reportage

Big Congrats Cliff!

Is there ever a trip where you or Bly don't catch a PB? Who do I have to sell my soul to get those kind of results.

Great report Fidel with awesome pics to boot.

On another note...I just got the message you left on my cell a week and a half ago from late August (I think). I think I need a new cell or a different plan.LOL

Bass Pro carries Simms wading jackets. My dad got the Freestone jacket for under $250 including tax (I think they might have been clearing them out for the newer model). I got my Simms Classic guide jacket from Wilson's in Toronto. Can't remember exactly how much I paid but it wasn't cheap. I've worn it all times of the year for the last 5 seasons and it has served me well under very hard use. It's still going strong with no signs of rips, tears or leaks. Gore-tex is probably the best thing you could ever invest in.

If you're keen on strictly sticking to fishing in Scarborough, Rouge and Bluffers are the two more popular areas. Bluffers used to get a good run of browns and the odd steel cruising around this time of year. Haven't fished bluffers for browns in almost a decade but from what I've been told by the locals, you still see a few fish cruising around the rocks.

Great report!

In all the years I've been carp fishing, I don't think I've ever seen a carp angler harvest his own bait

If the fish in the area are primarily small fish (pan sized to 5lbs) and you're looking for action, sweetcorn from the can can't be beat (perhaps bread would be my second choice). In fall, I find fish favour corn less than in spring and summer and prefer food with more protein in it.

WTG to the both of you!

Big Congrats Jerry!

I've seen people hook into them while salmon fishing the Niagara and saw some small ones landed in the rivers near Quinte. I think next year I might buy a new musky outfit and try my hand at catching one.

WTG