Talk to any angler and they can expound for hours on the joys of carp fishing, whatever the time of year, but summer has got to be a favourite time. It's tranquil, relaxing and exciting all at the same time. Here are some tips to help make your carp fishing even more enjoyable.

? Summer is a good time to try out new baits, rigs and ideas of your own

? If you are a regular at a particular water, study the fish movements to see if you can establish any patterns that might give you a clue as to where to fish on future occasions

? Look for obvious feeding grounds, for example, beneath overhanging trees and amongst weed beds

? Carp are very active in the summer months, enjoying the sun as much as we do, so eventually they will give themselves away

? Try choosing a bait which is similar to the natural foods that are around in abundance at this time of year, such as fruit and nuts

Winter

The once plentiful natural food will disappear during winter, so carp will try to gain as much weight as possible to help them survive the harsh weather. As with any cold blooded animal, low temperatures will slow them down a great deal, so it's a good idea to locate the carp before you set up and start fishing.

As far as baiting is concerned, try to adopt the little and often approach, offering about 15-30 baits over a session. Loose feed these a couple at a time at regular intervals of about 30 minutes and try not to spread the bait around too much. As in the summer, it's a good idea to try using bait which is similar in flavour to what is around naturally. Swan mussel and crayfish are still active at this time of year so if your venue contains these, try something like this.