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Blackcurrant Specials! Posted by Tony Welch

In this article Cornish carper, Tony Welch talks about how and why he likes to make his own special Blackcurrant flavoured hook-baits!

Several years ago I was sat up a tree watching carp feeding on the Cell boilies that I was flicking into the lake one at a time. It was very relaxing just sat there swaying backwards and forwards in the branches in the light breeze on a warm sunny spring day. I watched as these lovely dark leney mirrors came in over the boilies and picked them off one by one. The carp would actually place its mouth around the bait hard on the bottom, lift up to right itself and swallow the boilie. Not one was ejected, sucked in or blown out, they just scoffed them all until I ran out of the pocket full of boilies I had climbed the tree with! I remember thinking to myself at the time these fish would be suckers for a chod rig presented bait, fished only an inch or so off the bottom.

I decided to fish the closest swim I could to these fish but that was still some 150-200 metres away. I was hoping as darkness fell they would move toward me and I'd have a chance. I cast out 3 chod rigs with a line of Cell boilies scattered between the hook baits. I wanted to attract the carp to my hook bait as quickly as possible so decided to use a white coloured hook bait for high visability and a flavour combination which I had dabbled with previously, with success.

That night didn't produce a take but I knew first light to 11am was the key time and sure enough I had a take on each rod producing some lovely dark mirrors to over 25lb. I continued to use this tactic and had plenty of success on this lake but the highlight for me was catching the iconic 'Birthmark' from Manor on the linear complex. This recepie is a winner and I've caught using these baits everywhere I've gone. They even saved my blushes at a Total Carp feature where I was blanking up until 20 mins before the photographer turned up!

What you need is: An egg, Polaris Pop up mix, Tru colors white - 1 teaspoon, Sweet Ade - 2ml, Response Scopex - 2ml and the awesome Response Blackcurrant - 4ml

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