I have fished for an awfully long time, and even nowadays, I still look forward to the autumn. The vistas and ever-cooling temperatures are what draws me to love this time of year; for me, there’s nothing better than cosying up in a nice warm sleeping bag on a crisp autumn night, of course, next to a lake, canal or river.

Over the years, anglers seem to have highlighted autumn as one of the best months for angling, in particular for carp. This may well have been the case in times gone by, but I personally feel the last few years have seen a change.

With more and more carp anglers using quality bait year-round, as they should, the carp no longer need to have a crazed feeding spell as soon as temperatures plummet. Instead, they tend to graze all summer long and get their weight back to full health much sooner. It is because of this change in behaviour, I have adopted my approach from the older school, fill it in method, to a far more subtle one.

I treat autumn more like early spring; the water isn’t too cold, the fish are up for a bit of food, but you can most certainly overdo it. Of course, location is still as key as any time of year, but I place a lot of importance on my baiting approach once I have found a few fish.

I tend to come geared up for all eventualities, especially if I am not sure how many carp or indeed nuisance species are present. If the venue I am targeting is relatively free of roach, tench, bream and such like, I like using a mixture of small items almost like a groundbait. The mix is made up from Krill Powder, chopped boilies, Bloodworm pellets and corn, with the addition of some Calanus Liquid or Hemp Oil. Not only does it create a nice fine layer of food on the lakebed, it also provides very little in the way whole food items and is therefore more readily accepted by the carp. On anywhere with a large population of nuisance fish, I just use boilies. Krill Active is great as it can be used in small quantities so as to not fill the fish up too quickly, but still offer maximum attraction.

In terms of hookbaits, I carry a variety with me at all times. I normally go with boosted up bottom baits for most of my fishing as I just like to keep things simple. If a situation arises where I have to use a pop-up, such as in low lying weed, then I normally have a tub, but it isn’t my instant go-to choice.

If I can, I sometimes use something a bit different on the hair too, such as two bits of corn or a piece of Pepperami. Now, many people who have followed my older writings will know I have been a fan of the old Rammi for a number of years. It is such a great alternative hookbait and can often single out some really rare visitors to the bank. It is certainly worth a try on any venue.

Ever since adopting the softer approach to autumn angling, my results have vastly improved. Even more so this year, with me having restricted time to go abroad for my fishing, I have been flitting around the canals and a little syndicate. Through late September and right through October, I enjoyed some great sport. It certainly made my life simple, and enjoyable, and I am sure it will for you too!