March Update


I kicked off March on the club lake with a lovely 25lb mirror during a quick overnighter. After a less-than-productive trip on Meadow Lake, it was just what I needed—my first carp of the month, and nice and early too. From that point on, the plan was clear: commit as much time as possible to Meadow Lake before it closed on the 31st of March until the 16th of June.

The weather throughout the month was very much up and down. There were some genuinely pleasant, sunny days—proper spring teasers—which made a welcome change after what feels like a long, drawn-out winter. But on the flip side, we had persistent cold northerly winds, and even when it swung southerly, there was still a sharp chill in the air. Conditions were far from consistent and certainly not straightforward.

Fish-wise, considering those conditions, I actually did better than the same period last year on Meadow Lake, which was very encouraging. One thing that made a real difference was the addition of my new bivvy heater. (daytime use only)  Staying warm has always been a challenge for me, and since my heart attack, winter fishing has been particularly tough. This year, though, it made a noticeable difference—not just physically but mentally—and allowed me to stay sharper and more focused at the bank.

I also squeezed in a night on the Airfield Lake. It wasn’t part of the original plan, but after looking back through my old records and seeing I’d only ever had one March carp from there, I felt it needed addressing. Unfortunately, it didn’t come right on this occasion, but it was still worth the effort.

The highlight of the month came during a three-night session towards the end. I had four bites, landing three fish, which is a cracking result at any time of year—let alone in March under those conditions. The early part of the month saw very little angling pressure due to the weather, but as the end of the season approached, more anglers started to appear.

The captures for the month were strong:

  • 3 x 20lb+ carp
  • 1 x 37lb 2oz common
  • 2 x doubles

Compared to previous years, it’s been an exceptionally productive March—definitely something to build on moving forward.

A big part of that success, I believe, came down to my baiting approach. I relied heavily on the Nutrabaits test bait boilies, Boilie Bites, and PVA bags, combined with Jurassic Particles hemp and buckwheat. Interestingly, I hadn’t used particles through the winter for over 20 years. It’s funny how you move away from things over time and forget just how effective they once were. Revisiting that approach has definitely paid off.

My final push on the Airfield Lake was a tough one—full moon, high pressure, and those cold northerly winds again. It wasn’t quite the ending I’d hoped for, but that’s fishing. You take the rough with the smooth.

Now with April underway, I’m hoping to carry that momentum forward, with improving weather and more consistent conditions. A bit more warmth and sunshine should only help.

Until next time,
Richard

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Trip 8 Carp Fishing – 2026


After a less-than-successful trip earlier in the week — largely due to factors beyond my control — I felt the need to get myself back down to the lake and reset things a bit. This time, though, I decided to avoid the syndicate water and head to the club lake instead.

The plan was simple. Arrive at 0700 hrs, the earliest time you’re allowed on the water, have a good look around, hopefully spot a carp or two, and get set up quickly. Ideally, I wanted to nick a bite before 1100 hrs, as that seems to be the window when the fish are most active. After that, they often appear to switch off until mid-afternoon, usually somewhere around 1430 hrs.

There’s a handy vantage point on arrival where you can stand and scan most of the lake before committing to pushing the barrow in either direction. I’d barely been there a minute when two carp crashed out in open water. That was enough confirmation for me — I grabbed the barrow and headed straight for a swim that had already produced on a couple of my recent day sessions.

The Fox Frontier went up first, mainly because space in that swim is a little tight, and it’s easier to get the shelter sorted before anything else. After that, it was the bedchair, the barrow bag, and my Wallop Tuff Boxx tucked neatly inside. Once the essentials were in place, the rods were sorted.

Fresh Nutrabaits hookbaits went on, paired with Castaway PVA mesh bags loaded with a mixture of pellets and boilie bites. Each rod was flicked out onto the spots, and with everything fishing nicely, I finally sat back, brewed up, and slowly organised the rest of the kit.

At 1204 hrs, the left-hand rod suddenly came to life — four sharp bleeps and the tip hooped round instantly. I was fishing, locked up, so I was on it straight away. What followed was an entertaining scrap which, at first, had me convinced it was a small mirror. But when the fish eventually slipped over the cord, it turned out to be a much better carp than expected — a 25lb mirror.

An absolutely superb result. My first carp of March, and a really lovely looking fish too.

Once the photos were done and the carp safely returned, the rod went straight back onto the spot with another small mesh bag. Before casting out, I’d already taken a walk round to the neighbouring swim. I catapulted a decent helping of Jurassic particles — hemp and buckwheat — just off the edge of the dead pads where I was fishing. The idea was simply to keep a little bit of activity in the area without overdoing it.

The afternoon passed quietly apart from a single interruption from a Tench. The warm sunshine from earlier in the day gradually disappeared, and there was a noticeable chill creeping into the air. It was forecast to drop to around 7°C overnight, which in early March isn’t terrible, but it did make me question whether staying the night was the right call. The following day was forecast to reach 11°C with drizzle, so I hoped the cloud cover might help keep the temperature up and perhaps keep the fish moving.

With that in mind, I prepared a few larger mesh bags for the night. They’re perfect for dropping out of the back of the bait boat — enough bait to create a tight little pile, but not so much that it disappears too deeply into the silt.

Sometime in the middle of the night, the middle rod was away. Unfortunately, the fish managed to find some old, dead lily pads and quickly snagged me up. After about five minutes of steady pressure and waiting things out, the line suddenly started pulling again, and I managed to regain contact. Slowly, I began gaining line back, but just as it felt like things were turning in my favour, the hook pulled. A bit of a shame, although I couldn’t really tell how big the fish was. In my experience, the bigger carp tend to shed the hook much quicker when they find something to kite through.

I was up again at 0700 hrs, repositioning the left-hand rod tight to the snags for the few hours I had left before packing up. I was hoping to dodge the incoming rain, although another carp would have been more than welcome — not wishing to get greedy, of course.

Morning, however, felt completely different. I could see my breath; the wind had swung round and was blowing straight into the bivvy, and it definitely didn’t feel like prime conditions anymore. All I could really do was sit it out and hope.

In the end, I stayed until 1200 hrs, when it was clearly time to reel in and call it a day. The morning bite I’d been hoping for never materialised, but it’s hard to complain.

Two bites, a cracking 25lb mirror on the bank, and another reminder that sometimes a quick change of venue is all it takes to get things moving again.

Until next time.

Richard

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