Scott Lloyd: 'What I have learned'

Scott Lloyd first started appearing in everyone’s social feeds back in 2014. His success rate on Linch Hill’s Christchurch was so outrageous that at one stage he pretty much owned the Sticky Baits’ Facebook page! Then last year he ruled the roost on the complex’s largest lake, Stoneacres, catching a total of 35 fish in 162 nights fishing, ending with his dream (at the time) fish, Bitemark at a whopping 45lb 12oz. And then we had his finest result yet: The Burghfield Common at a simply mind-boggling 62lb 8oz. Here, he imparts words of wisdom picked up from his carp fishing journey which spans over two decades.

1. Location

“Obviously rule number one in fishing. Don’t be lazy, go and find the carp. I spend most of my time looking for fish; a lot of people forget they have tails. It is about having that motivation to go and find the fish. When you find them, don’t rush into a decision. You may see one from up a tree, scarper down and grab your gear, but that fish may have just been caught and is sulking in the weed. Observe them for a while and then make a plan.”

2. Patience

“Knowing when to dig your heels in is something I have had to do at times. I get bored easily and want to go looking for them, but at times it pays to sit on your hands. If you are in the zone and the fish have drifted off, wait and see if they come back. If it is a spot that they are visiting regularly, they will often come back. Knowing when to sit on your hands can be hard but is something I have gleaned in the last couple of years.”

3. Blend it in

“Once you have found the fish, it is all about that last 6ft. I have always fished clear pits and after seeing my tackle from the boat, I religiously change my leaders, hooklink and so on, depending on the bottom of the lake. Unless I really know what the bottom looks like, I prefer to use something a lot darker, like a weed or silt colour, as it blends in better on most lakebeds. If the water is really clear, I have found myself using fluorocarbon leaders a lot more in my fishing.”

4. Travel light

“I have trimmed my gear down as much as I can, but still make sure I have everything I need to face a variety of situations. I may need to use Zigs, solid bags, fish off the top; I need to have it all. I am always sorting my gear so that I don’t carry any unnecessary items with me. I can fit pretty much everything I need in my rucksack and it is neatly arranged so that I can tackle any situation I am faced with.”

5. Do your own thing

“I don’t fall into the trap of the going method or certain styles/ways on lakes. I don’t take too much advice off people. I use what I am confident in and if it doesn’t work, adapt to how you think it will change your fortunes for the better. I have been told all sorts in the past, but it is worth just taking it in with a pinch of salt and learning for yourself your own interpretation of the situation.”

6. Good bait

“I have learned to fish bits and bobs in the spring and then really up the levels of bait once they spawn. I was lucky to watch the carp from both boats and trees and their reaction to Krill, especially after spawning, is nothing short of mind-blowing. The fish have to eat to gain back their weight and they have to eat lots of natural food to do it, so they seek food that it good for them and they like eating. I have learnt to bait areas and try not to tell anyone.”

7. Logging spots

“I log it all, from spots to captures. I even try and log other angler’s captures and include the weather and moon phases. You can build a picture of what particular conditions seem to be best, what time of year certain fish tend to get caught. If the lake is quiet, have a walk round and lead up some areas. It has saved me doing it when I move onto fish as I already have the clips for certain areas that I had previously found.”

8. Braided main line

“I have to say that I am a massive convert. It does everything that I want, helping me get drops, receive those twitchy bites and it is bulletproof. The amount of times that I have had a bite that I wouldn’t have known about with mono is scary!”

9. Aggressive and balanced rigs

“I always use the ‘Noodle Rig’ for my fishing on the clean bottom. It is extremely aggressive and I have watched fish from trees get away with all sorts in the past, but they find this rig very hard to deal with. It needs a balanced bait with it for it to work properly, which is either a Krill wafter or a tiger nut. It catches the clumsy ones and the tricky fish that feed very subtle and sneaky too.”

10. Spots in spots

“I have watched carp come over large clean areas from the trees. They won’t just harvest the whole spot, they do prefer certain parts of it. Being able to identify those from a boat or tree is easy, but not so with a leading rod. I like to find the spot with a marker and then have a cast around it with a bare lead, to see if I can get a better drop around it. Finding those sweet spots has certainly helped me catch more carp.”