Julian Cundiff On Winter Tactics
Jules discusses winning methods, forgotten colours, hot mixes and whether going lighter in the winter actually makes any difference
Over the years, have you come across many winning methods for the colder months?
“To be honest, what thirty-five years of constant winter carp fishing has taught me is that one size does not fit all. Unless I know the water like the back of my hand, I simply copy and fine-tune what’s working, not what should be working. My ego is not dented by others inventing that particular wheel.”
Can you remember a particularly rewarding winter? If so, why do you think everything fell together so well?
“I guess that would have been on Catch 22 in the late nineties. That taught me the first lesson. They loved the scalded-pellet approach, so I fine-tuned it and used a smaller size of pellet ball. I could cast this further, out to 70 yards-plus where the carp sat during the day. I ended up catching day and night, rather than just at night.”
And can you remember a particularly harsh winter when everywhere seemed to shut up shop? If so, did you learn much from it?
“The early days, 1987–1992, were always like that, as I was not experienced enough to recognise where they supposedly hid in winter. Once I’d twigged that obvious point, I realised it was me and not them when it came to results. It may feel) like they shut up shop, but when you find them, they are catchable. Iced-up waters are usually the only ones that stop me trying.”
How mindful are you of colour in winter, both for hookbaits and background feed?
“As with the first question, nothing surprises me. On some waters, they have to be bright, but on others, that’s the kiss of death. When it comes to colour, I find that orange takes some beating. It’s a forgotten hue compared to pink, yellow or white. Tuttis anyone?”
Do you ever incorporate heat in any of your background feed? Terry [Hearn] swears by adding hot water to his pellets, and Nick [Helleur] rates his hot mix—bread crumbs, casters and mini pellets.
“When I’ve fished waters with deep margins, I’ve found that adding hot water to my mush really helps. Crushed hemp, liquidised sweetcorn, Carnation’s evaporated milk with some hot water creates a wonderful, visual cloud—used as is, that effect soon dissipates.”
Do you believe that going lighter with your end tackle helps in the winter months?
“Not really. Back in the day, I always felt that it was more about a smaller hook being a sharper one. Now, my hand-sharpened Twister size 5s are just as sharp as the size 8s I used to use. I prefer to concentrate on making the end tackle and main line less conspicuous in the clear-water conditions.”
