As I mentioned last week, I had all my carp gear set up ready to go and was just waiting for the right time. I had also listened to some advice I was given about going at different times of the day and decided to go late afternoon and into the evening. It is not always easy for me to go then as my wife is not in good health and I have to cook the dinner but I cooked at midday and made sandwiches for the evening. Going later in the day meant that I wasn’t in a rush and had time to prepare some method mix and put everything in the car in good time. I took my carp rods as well as a stalking rod and my float rod, just in case.
I left at about four in the afternoon and it is only a few minutes to the lake especially now they have stopped the water leak and re-surfaced the road in the village. When I arrived the car park looked full but I just managed to find a space. As I had plenty of time I decided to have a look at the water and see if there was room. It was quite windy but not cold so I thought that a swim with the wind blowing towards me, would be the right one to fish. I was lucky that most of the anglers seems to be on the other side of the lake so I went back for my gear and chose a swim which had some shelter from the wind and an island about 20 yards away. I don’t usually cast towards islands as I invariably overdo it and end up in the trees, losing my hook length, but I thought that the fish would be swimming between the bank and the island and so I might be in with a chance.
I had two rods, one with a method feeder using a pink wafter, fishing not far out, close to the reed bed and one fishing mesh bags a bit further out towards the island. I soon got the method rod out, then filled up a mesh bag with Robin Red pellets of different sizes which I was trying for the first time, using a 15mm drilled pellet for hook bait. I had a bit of a problem with my alarm on this rod, but a change of battery seemed to do the trick. With both rods out, I had chance to sit down and relax, no float to watch this time! I re-cast the rods every 10 minutes or so, which kept me occupied, I had no indication that there were any fish around, no line bites, no fish rising, none slurping in the margins. Then my method rod started to twitch, the bobbin slowly rose and fell, but it didn’t develop into a bite and I was left, wondering if it was a fish or the wind doing it.
I was beginning to think that this was going to be another blank session when the mesh rod indicator started beeping and the rod danced around. Fortunately, the bait runner was doing its job and the rod didn’t get pulled into the water before I got hold of it. I picked it up struck and knew I was into a fish. I could tell it was a reasonable one but wasn’t sure what it was as it wasn’t shaking its head in the usual carp fashion. Perhaps it was a big tench as I’ve had them out of this water before. It put up a decent fight and I was careful to steer it away from the reeds when it made for them, and to bring it back when it went the other way. I played it carefully, not wanting to lose it, but soon had it, near the bank where I could see that it was a carp, a mirror. Reaching behind me I got the net and put it in the water then the carp was off again and it was another few minutes before I landed it. I left it in the net in the margin while I got sorted out, which gave the fish time to recover, as when I put it on the mat, it started flapping about. It looked half decent so I thought I would weigh it and it came in at 14lb, which is my largest carp so far. Not wanting to keep the fish out of water for too long, I quickly got it back in where it rested in my net for a few moments before swimming off. I then had a breather feeling happy that I had caught, especially a personal best although I know there are much bigger fish in this water and I can do better!
The rod was soon out again and I was sitting down and getting into the routine of filling the method feeder and mesh bags and casting out again. I hadn’t had any luck with the method feeder near the reeds so decided to cast it a bit further out. I also changed the wafter to a pineapple boilie on the basis that if one thing wasn’t working it was worth trying something else. Time passed the sun was going down, I put on a sweatshirt and decided it was time for a bite to eat. This was the signal for ducks to converge in my swim as soon as they spotted my sandwiches, but I hardened my heart and didn’t throw them my crusts, hoping that they would get bored and swim away, which sort of worked.
Then I saw and heard a small group of birds swimming in the distance, making a cry that I’d never heard before, so I got out my phone and opened the Merlin app which listened for a few seconds then told me they were Great Crested Grebes. As far as I can remember this is the first time I’ve seen or heard those birds. Another hour went by and I was wondering if I was going to catch again when the method rod indicator beeped and I was into another fish. I could tell at once this was a carp, it was going like a train first one way then the other. I let it take some line but was wary of letting it get into the reeds. This fish put up a better fight and I thought it was bigger than the first until I saw it come to the surface when I could tell it was a smaller common. It took me longer to bring this fish in and when I got it into the net, I left it next to the bank for it to recover and for me to position the mat and get ready to pull it out. I lifted the net, no fish! I couldn’t believe it, I was sure that I landed it and with the net handle well on the bank and the top of the net out of the water it couldn’t have swam out, I had lost it! I picked up the rod, reeled in the slack and could feel that it was still on, right under the rod tip! I soon had it in the net properly this time and pulled it up onto the mat. It had got some of its strength back while it was resting and started to flap about all over the place and I had to wait until it calmed down before getting the hook out and taking a photo. It was a beautiful looking fish, I quickly weighed it, 9lb, a smaller fish than the first, but a harder fighter. I soon put it back and he was away, I re-baited and cast out again, hoping for a third fish.
This was not to be, I fished for another hour or so without any sign and about 8 o’clock decided to pack up and go home, happy with two nice fish in just over three hours. I had done what I had planned to do and had caught a P.B. so all in all not a bad session!
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