Hi mate, thanks for your amazing comment, that's really fantastic to hear and very motivating! It’s a complicated sport but my advice is always to keep it as simple as possible and focus on what matters. All the best with your journey. Cheers, Matt.

Same here, your videos are on another level :)

I still don’t get back reeling why do you do it and when should you do it

Hi mate, thanks again for commenting and for your support. Great to hear you're going to give backwinding a go. It will take some getting used to but I’m sure you’ll enjoy the benefits. Feel free to share the channel with other anglers, we're always happy to welcome new people on the channel! Cheers, Matt.

Welcome back mate (we publish about once a month so maybe you've missed a couple)! Very well said and glad you're also a fan of backwinding.

Cool! It takes a bit of getting used to but for me it was worth it.

Thank you 😊

Hi guys! Thanks very much and thanks for the comment! 😃

Thank you very much Steve 😊

Nice 👍

That's great to hear mate, thanks, and keeps us motivated 😊

Thanks Stephen, good to read about your experience 👍

Hi Andy, one of things I love about fishing is that there is no age barrier to the sport. You can start at a very young age and still be fishing in your 90’s. I’m in my early 50’s and the boy inside me wouldn't recognise the modern world of carp fishing for sure. I’m very grateful for those early years of float and feeder fishing for silvers. It taught me so much and I think many modern carp anglers are missing out on all that.

Ha ha, that’s great to hear mate! We have quite a few couples that love the venue. The place is perfect for total relaxation and the house is very nice (we actually live there ourselves in the winter). You wouldn’t have much choice in terms of dates for 2023 though as we’ve only got one summer week left! If you want to discuss a trip in more detail, find me on FB (Matt Collins) or at matt@frenchcarpandcats.com 😊

Great to hear mate. The big thing for me is that sometimes the carp uses the lead to throw the rig out on a lead clip, sometimes we don’t even know it’s happening! The takes on a running rig are usually savage, they sometimes come back towards you, so I just wind down and lift into them. Good luck mate!

Great to hear mate, well done!

Hi Darren, nice to hear from you! Very busy here too but we're not complaining! I’m glad that you liked the video. Wow a session on Church, how exciting! Best of luck on your session. I’m back out river carping this week 🎣

@@matthewcollinsangler you got plenty of bookings Matt,yes it's my 50th this year so I've got a few things planned.How far from you is the river you fish

@@darrenfox1879 Ah, yes that's a big one, I hit 51 this year. Glad you have some exciting plans. The section of river I know the best is 30 minutes away from my home (40 minutes from the lake) . I'd like to be closer but then I’d be even further from the lake which is not an option. If you’re over this area then you'd have to let me know! Might be able to give you a steer in the right direction on the river 😉

@@matthewcollinsangler nice one pal thanks ,I'll have to get over looks amazing 😃

Hi Louis, interesting to hear, yes, I've had similar experiences too with different rod lengths. Glad you enjoyed the video, have a go for yourself and see what you think 😊

Great to hear Clive, really glad it helped. Cheers, Matt

Thanks very much 😊

Thanks very much mate, appreciate the feedback 👍

Great to hear that the video can help you in your fishing Michael, all the best for your season 😊

Thanks mate 😊

Great to hear mate 👍

Thank you 😊

Thanks Damon 😊 I think because there's so many session videos out there, we like to be a bit different and the tutorials do so well but hey, I may do a session video again, thanks for the reminder!

Great to hear Michael, thanks ☺️

Thanks mate and all the best with your channel 😊

Hi Alex, great to know that we inspired you to give backwinding a go for sure! It takes practice but I believe it’s something any angler can learn. I’m sorry to hear that your last session was not successful but to be honest a 3 day blank is nothing! I’ve blanked for 12 days or more on multiple occasions! I actually consider blanking to be a good sign (as long as you can catch a few when conditions improve lol). A bit of blanking keeps the carp fishing real. If I caught every time I went then it means I’m not challenging myself as an angler and if I’m not challenging myself then I’m not learning and I’m not getting better! Catching carp after spawning is much harder than in the early season. We certainly see that at our lake. I’m on a massive string of blanks myself. Early season on the river I was catching well and I couldn't miss but post spawning my timing and location has been off and it’s not worked out. I haven't changed my approach in the slightest. The only cure for blanking is to pick yourself back up and try again. I wish you all the best with you next session. Cheers, Matt.

@@matthewcollinsangler Thank you Matt, your words definitely help to put this "defeat" in perspective. I only have a few opportunities for a longer session during the year, so of course I put myself under pressure. You can probably understand, I'm certainly not the only one with such problems. Patience is the key, I guess.

@@herrjanssen8531 Patience and persistence Alex 😊

@@matthewcollinsangler Hi Matt, I'm at the bank since yesterday and this time I am far more lucky. I caught a grass carp of 31kg (monster in the net and sling!!) and a "nice" mirror of 27 kg which is my PB, as you can imagine. Both times I tried backward winding and in the meantime I think it is really working for me! I'm surprised how smoothly the play was, even though the mirror pulled straight into a large group of water lilies... Thank you once again for encouraging me to give it a try! Cheers, Alex

@@herrjanssen8531 Hi Alex, wow! That’s awesome mate! Congratulations on the new PB, that's two very large carp. Thanks for having the faith to try out a new technique on such important fish 👊 Really glad it’s working out for you and thanks for letting me know!

Great to hear mate, thank you! We've got quite a large catalog of videos now for you to go through and we'll continue to publish about once a month 👍

@@matthewcollinsangler I've watched them all and am still looking forward to new ones. They are very informative and detailed. Without all that advertising and commercial sales talk. Greetings from Belgium

Great to hear, thanks 👍

Thanks mate 👍

Hi Richard, I’ve heard of this technique of keeping the rod low during the fight. TBH I don’t think it makes a difference for specimen carp fishing with 3lb rods.

Hi Sean, tbh I think you might be barking up the wrong tree. Have a watch of my video on rig length: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/j8x5rJZ8ydmYaY0.html Most of my rigs are 7” long so unless you’ve got some really good reason to swap (based on the topics covered in the video), I wouldn't bother. What I would seriously consider doing is switching from a lead clip to a running rig. I avoid using lead clips whenever possible unless the water is weedy and I need to dump the lead. Watch my video on lead clips: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/l5yHfJmKltXDiJ8.html If the water isn't weedy and you want to try something different that very few anglers use and therefore few carp see then check this system out: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/l6imjdx5p6ndcXk.html Hope that helps 😊Cheers, Matt.

Hi Joshua. No need to spend big money on rods mate. My favourite set of rods are actually the 9ft nash Dwarfs in a 3lb TC. They are very similar to the xtractors and I absolutely love mine! If chumming is banned then I would still go for the 3lb Test Curve or even the 3.5 TC rods. The size of the carp is less important than what casting loads you are going to put through the rods. I’d use medium sized solid PVA bags 100% on a water like that. It’s the perfect way of getting a small but powerful parcel of food out to the fish. A decent sized PVA bag can easily weigh 4oz (115g). If you don’t need to cast far then 3lb would be fine but if you need to smash it out at range then 3.5lb TC is the way to go. Hope that helps. Cheers, Matt

I only switched a couple of years ago and I prefer it. Hook pulls are virtually non-existent for me nowadays. Cheers, Matt.

Hi Simon, for the last two years I’ve been using the Nash Bullet in both 12lbs (0.33) and 20lbs (0.40). It’s low stretch, with good abrasion resistance and casts very well. I tested the 12lbs fished straight through (i.e. no leader) and I was amazed at how well it casts. I was able to punch a 3oz pear with a baited rig 90 yards on my 9ft Dwarfs so it should be good for 110 easy. I’d probably go with 3.5oz leads. I found the knot strength to be underrated when tied with a uni knot to a lead free leader. Using the uni knot I got passes on a 13lbs deadlift on the 12lbs version. Watch this video to see this: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/jc-heJemmJuxe2w.html If you have to use a swivel and tubing I’d use the half blood knot (5 turns) but test every knot as it normally takes me a few goes to get a really strong one. For some reason I don’t understand, it seems to be easier to get a stronger knot to a lead free material like Cling-On than to a swivel. If you are a strong caster then there’s the 15lbs (0.37) version. That will give you more safety margin. The downside with the bullet is you’ll find it goes curly and stays curly with the casting loads. I just cut a few metres off when it gets too bad. Hope that helps, Matt

@@matthewcollinsangler thankyou very much much appreciated, would you say its a mono with least amount of stretch just because iam use to a braided leader matt, just going back to mono feels strange Al.ost like it's going to snap with fee stretch lol,thanks again

@@maggiecarper Hi Simon, having made the swap back and forth a few times I totally get where you are coming from. You’ll get used to it. Unfortunately no line manufacturer actually states or specifies stretch so without buying every spool of line on the market and doing your own science, that’s an impossible question to answer lol. What I can say is that stretch is proportional to line diameter so a fine line will definitely have more give in it. The trouble is for distance you need a low diameter lol. The only way forward is to give it a go and see how you get on. To the best of my knowledge the 12lbs Bullet will get there and do the job you need it to do. Use a short (50cm) lead free leader and a small bait (15mm). This will reduce drag and enable you to use a lead that won’t push the Bullet beyond its capabilities. Best of luck, Matt.

It's both really. I tried backwinding to reduce the number of hook pulls I was having on a particular water and it worked. The bonus is that it also reduces line twist.

Hi Alan, I assume that you are using mono? I would recommend a size 8 Nash Chod Twister. Very strong for a small hook. Cheers, Matt.

@@matthewcollinsangler thanks matthew for fast reply

Wind quickly to catch up with the carp.

Well I fished semi locked up because it hooks the fish better, so for me the bait runner facility does nothing for me. I tighten the clutch when I connect to the fish so that I can backwind as I prefer the amount of control it gives me and it eliminates line twist. I know it’s not for everyone but it works for me.

It´s to avoid line twist.

They might well be s but 25 plus years of match fishing- plus it gives 100% control plus I dont want dont ANY twist at all- a clutch is set at a certain setting backwinding means all the control is mine- - old habits that have always worked will always work - to me its not even a thought its how you play a fish the control is instant, no faffing about changing the clutch- as it will make at least one run giving all then it will see the net and try again- same as some think it's normal - to me backwinding, is natural - line twist is easy to remove ( PVA & stone) but I still dont want it- landing a fish damage free is what really matters !

Hi mate, I get it, I fished off the clutch for years. A few years ago I was suffering hook pulls on the river and a very good angler suggested I try backwinding. I did and it solved the hook pull problem! Over time I realised that I prefer it. I virtually never suffer from a hook pull and I don’t get line twists so there are lots of positives for me. At the end of the day it’s a personal choice. Either way, enjoy your fishing. Cheers, Matt.

Always interesting to hear your experience Lee. I agree 100% it’s all about control and minimising the damage to the carp during the playing process. Great stuff. Cheers, Matt.

@@matthewcollinsangler just last week I see someone using a clutch & the line was flying off yet he was still winding - its education & debates ( & uploads like yours) creating them can only get benifit everyone 👏👏👏

That is wonderful to hear, thank you 🙏