With the end of the Airfield Lake season and our baiting campaign, we were well pleased to get back into the double gravel swim. We had a long discussion about our other options last week and spoke about it yesterday.

I was well happy when my WhatsApp pinned me that Ian was setting up in double gravel as the conditions were very similar to last week. I arrived just before noon and instantly set about spombing my bait out, just as Ian was doing the same. We both put out about 4 kilos of Classic Corn Boilies, at very similar ranges, quite well spread out, we were going to be fishing 20mm Classic Corn wafters.

As always the first night can be a bit tricky, but recently we have both been catching, fingers crossed this will be the same.

For the first time in some time, the first night passed by carp free for both of us. It’s quite normal for this to happen, as we like to put out a lot of bait on the first night and only top it up as we feel the need. Over the years, the carp have been put off by too much spombing, but in the last couple of sessions, it’s been less of a problem.

The weather change is due to come in today – from the southwest, the wind is picking up and the pressure is dropping, along with a few rain showers. We are perfectly positioned to reap the rewards, once the carp get on the munch again.

Fingers crossed as always, it will be today.

Sometime around 1040, the left-hand rod was away and I was into what felt like a nice carp. It was on the surface and heading out to sea! I just had to let it go, until it was the right time to start gaining ground. It nearly picked up Ian’s lines, but with some knitting going on, it was all free and heading off down toward my margins. This is where I played it out until it was ready for the net.

It’s a perfect start, with a daylight fish, which is always nice to get. I soon had the rod out again, hoping for my next bite, not to be too far away.

My right hand rod ripped off about 1515 and unfortunately was bumped off on a boulder, something that’s not happened for quite some time.

Ian’s left-hand rod was away twice in an hour at 2130 & 2210 resulting in

Not bad going I must say, with any luck the carp have finally moved in on the baited area this afternoon and evening.

I got in a few action shots with the help of the moon and Ian’s green light, all looking very atmospheric.

Just before 0030, my left-hand rod was away, a pretty straightforward fight was played out and the carp was soon in the net.

Very happy with that after losing one earlier to that hook pull. It’s always nice to get the next one in the net and without any issues. A fresh 20mm Classic Corn wafter was put on and after sharpening the hook point, as I like to do, I was soon back in the bag, the temperature was really starting to drop at night now.

My next take was around 0330 to my left-hand rod again, a similar fight to my last carp, I did nearly hook up my other line, but quickly got the rod underneath the other one. I love to have my rod tips high, just makes life so simple.

I didn’t weigh the carp this time and estimated it about 13lb, sometimes it is about getting them back in the water quickly.

That rod was soon sorted and I was in the bag again, warming up nicely.

That was the last of the action during the night, which wasn’t bad going. I have another 24 hours to go, fingers crossed that a few more come our way. The wind (with any luck) will actually finally pick up and a band of rain is due this morning, this should bring on the carp.

The wind has definitely picked up and the rain arrived for a few hours. Let’s hope this stirs them into life before the afternoon sunshine. I’m looking forward to some sunshine as we have steak, chips, mushrooms, and onions for lunchtime and I don’t really want to eat or cook it in the bivvy.

My next take was about 1130 to my right-hand rod. This one was like playing a torpedo and very nearly picked up Ian’s right-hand rod, but I managed to avoid it and turned the carp away, back along the margins and into the net.

Some of these carp have huge tails, which give them an extra amount of power. It makes them fantastic carp to play, despite the size!

As this was possibly our last session for the year on here, plus Ian only fishes day’s over the winter months. So, Ian had sorted out some nice steak, I had brought the Weber and mushrooms, onions, and chips, so we could have a cracking lunch.

It did look good and tasted just as fabulous as well. We were lucky with the weather as it was forecast to rain but held off until after lunch. However, it eventually arrived and rained on and off over the following hours. This was a real shame because sitting out on possibly the last night would have been just perfect. By 1600 hours, it was feeling pretty cold outside and I was forever hopeful we would get the chance to get a couple more carp this afternoon/leading into the early evening. With our recent success over the dark hours, it would round things off nicely.

Instead of spombing, I sticked some 20mm Classic Corn Boilies over all the rods, as we didn’t really wish to spook anything out there feeding.

Just love rainbows over water, when you can get the reflection in the water, it’s even better

Morning! It was a bleep-free night for me, I’ve not slept so well on the bank for weeks. Ian on the other hand managed an 18lber around 11pm last night.

He was kind enough not to wake me, I was also surprised that I didn’t wake up because I generally do, I must have been very tired.

As it is very possible our last morning on here, I put two fresh baits out at first light this morning, just as something different to try, as you never know here.

The sun is up and it’s looking gorgeous, with the autumn colours.

That was it no more fish for me, I left Ian still packing up, as I need to get home, hopefully, he may bag just one more before home time. He certainly did get another one a 14lber, that was a nice finish 4 carp each.

Until next time

Richard

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We all have nightmare sessions and it’s only right that I share this with you all, as it goes to show that it doesn’t always go right for everyone.

It had been nearly a month since I’d seen Ian, plus it is the first May Bank Holiday weekend and you never know how many people will turn up. So, after a long discussion about the weather, the possibility of the carp spawning, and information gleaned from other syndicate members. The first port of call was going to be the Daisy Field Swim and would take it from there. I arrived just after 8 am and took a drive and walkabout. I then headed over to that swim, there wasn’t a great deal showing, in fact, I spotted no carp. I was not really sure what to do other than follow our gut.

So, that’s what we did. We’ve four nights ahead of us and could easily move after the first two (if we felt the need). I was fishing the left-hand side as it really required casting out 30 plus wraps to get into the best areas of the lake. I had a few options to my right, but I was very mindful of the Island Swim being occupied over the weekend and this can cut you off from the fish.

I soon located the area I had found on my Deeper Page.

I thought I would hunt around a bit more with the marker rod, looking for a likely spot with a depth of over 4 feet, to avoid any swan issues. This can be tricky on both counts in this very shallow lake.

Once that was done, I got about 10 Fox spombs over each area, I find this is best for this sort of range. I got the coffee pot on and ate my pasty, that Ian had kindly got on his way here this morning.

I had to pop home late afternoon to take my daughter and friend to their after-school club and then head back down the lake again.

I was soon back and the rods were on the money again. A few glasses were had as the setting sun disappeared behind the trees.

My first take was on my left-hand rod. I’d forgotten how long it takes to get a carp in at that distance, plus the odd knock of a boulder never helps! Eventually, the fish was netted and on the scales.

That’s a nice start and I will hopefully go on to catch some more over the next few nights, unlike the last trip before the holidays, when one was it for my three night’s effort. I’ve just heard another carp crash out, as I’m writing this, fingers crossed.

It was a bit fresh in the night and I probably shouldn’t have changed to my summer sleep bag, just yet.

What a lovely view I get out of my doorway and the prospect of a lovely day could be on the cards. The forecast for the coming days is highs of 15 degrees and the lowest night is 4 degrees, that’s tonight, then it’s up to 7 degrees. The pressure is pretty high, but it’s been like that for some time and the carp I’m sure will have adjusted.

The morning passed by with a cracking mixed grill breakfast, recasting, and trying to find a better spot in Ian’s swim that could be a better option, but alas we couldn’t find anything much better.

I had the pleasure of trying to get more bait out on the spots before I had a few glasses and kicked back for the afternoon and evening and enjoyed another lovely sunset.

It was soon time to settle down for some TV, as once that sun had dropped it was heading for the predicted 2 degrees and a frost. I was halfway through my film and the left-hand rod burst into life, I was soon there and picked the rod up, just as the fish jumped out the hook on a boulder. I was absolutely gutted.

I got the rod back and shared my disappointment with Ian. I headed back to my bivvy and watched the rest of my film.

It’s another sunny day is on the cards, that’s not been forecasted. However, the wind is due to charge to the southwest for the next two nights and the night temperatures are going up 8 degrees and with both those charges, hopefully, this will increase our chances.

Finally, something in our favor and the forecast is correct about the weather – it’s blowing South West and quite strong. With this, my confidence had grown, so, I’ve top up the swim with more bait.

With any luck, this change will bring the carp more on to the feed. Night temperatures are getting a lot higher and with any luck a bit of cloud cover, there is even the possibility of rain tomorrow afternoon. It’s looking pretty good, only time will tell if we’ve got this right. It had been a poor start, which can be put down to the incorrect weather forecast. The real surprise is how clear the water is and the low level of the water, it’s just not rained for some time.

Some things are certainly meant to test our patience, just after 9 pm, the left-hand rod was away more or less 24 hours after my last take. This one stayed on for a little bit longer before it bumped off, I’d forgotten how unforgiving this lake can be.

Unfortunately, this is something we’ve all become accustomed to fishing the Airfield Lake. Knowing this still doesn’t make it less painful to lose the second carp of the trip. I’ve clearly found a feed spot, I just need to get them to the bank. The only option I’ve come up with is to move my set up to a different position and get the rod tips higher or position them at a different angle, so the line is in a different position on the lake bed. I’ve not fished this swim at this range before and I need to understand how to avoid these obstructions, I’ve done this in many of the swims on this lake and it works very well.

This trip has become a complete nightmare, I’ve just lost my third fish of the trip and it felt like a much bigger fish, it was on for at least two minutes and I was slowly gaining ground. I knew roughly where it was heading and I stayed on the highest point of the swim. I kept gently pumping away, walking slowly backward bringing the carp ever closer and this is when the fateful hook pull happens. My hooks are extremely sharp and the same pattern that I continually use with the odd issues on here (as explained above), but three in a row this is really taking the biscuit.

With the rod back on the spot, the only option tomorrow is to move the rods. I can’t do it tonight as they would be too close to Ian’s setup and would cause him an issue and could risk him losing a carp. I’m simply going to have to wait and hope I fare better on my next take. It seems crazy to have to endure this, or even except this as part of fishing here. To an outsider looking in you wouldn’t believe its possible. In front of me, there are various gullies that drop down to 3.5 feet or some just touch 4 feet, however, you get plagued by birdlife and the only way around this is by fishing in 5 feet of water and that’s 30 wraps out. It brings me the takes and at the moment, this frustrating run of hook pulls and I’m currently wondering if I would be better off blanking. There’s a part of me that’s pushing forward and will not give up until I solved this issue as I’ve clearly found a pukka feeding spot.

I’ve finally got one in the net, no doubt a lot smaller than the others I lost, but it’s a fish, and the hook hold needed forceps to get the hook out. It just goes to show how luck must play some part in fishing. I’m definitely a lot happier as I’ve now nearly landed 50% of the takes, amazing how statistics make things look and feel better. I’m absolutely shattered, hopefully, I can get a cat nap this afternoon – when the rain is due.

Ian has taken a wise choice and is heading home – he has admitted defeat. Hopefully, the weather will be more accurate next time.

I’ve taken action, moved my rods up the bank and closer to my bivvy. This is in the hope I can get to them quickly, keep that line up in the water (and the carp more), and stop them bumping out the hooks on the bottom. I could use a Heli-safe setup, but I really don’t like dropping the lead, as it would need to be on every take. I personally feel that’s littering the lake bed which I something I’m not prepared to do on a regular basis. I prefer safety clips that only drop the lead in a real safety situation for the carp, rather than a needs most to land a fish.

Since the weather change, the carp have certainly been more active, getting three takes last night goes to show you, and there’s still activity out there this morning. The next 24 hours conditions are looking very favorable, so there’s a good chance of a few more carp. Now that I’ve had a take on the right-hand rod, the direction where to stick both rods definitely needs thinking about more today before tonight comes.

The rain arrived a lot earlier than we thought, but Ian all but his rods in the car and is planning on sitting in my bivvy until he feels it’s home time. The carp are still splashed about, so there’s a good chance of a blank saver coming his way.

Just after 11 30 am, my left-hand rod was away and I put my new plan of action into effect. I grabbed the rod and slowly walked backward, only to have to give more line out to the fish, it had an incredible amount of power, and I gained control (and of my thoughts – after you had three hook pulls in a row, it can be hard not to think of the past issues). I walked backward again, only to yet to give more line out, I gained control again and this time managed to walk backward and forwards a couple of times to gain line from the fish. It finally started to kite left, which is away from the real danger area, I finally started to relax and believe that it was going to be possible to get my third carp in the net.

It was now heading towards the corner, towards the reeds and a post sticking out into the water. This carp is a very crafty carp, fully aware of its surroundings and any chance to get rid of the hook. I slowly turned the carp and brought it towards the waiting net, finally, it was in there. I breathed a very big sigh of relief, as this carp felt a similar size to the previous ones I’d lost.

That was one hard-fighting carp. The tails on these things are like paddles and feel unstoppable sometimes. With that rod back out, I rebaited the other rod before the rain arrived, now they were both on the same spot and hopefully would give me another chance over tonight until I pack up at noontime tomorrow.

The rain has really set in for what feels like it could be for the day. Ian headed off when there was a lull in the rain. Hopefully, at some point, the rain will die down and I can get outside for some well-needed food, if not it will be inside cooking this afternoon.

The rain has very nearly passed and I’ve got the food on, I can’t wait anymore, the only downside I’ve found so far is cooking outside the bivvy in the rain.

The rain returned before 2100 hours, it’s due to be about most of the night and tomorrow morning, it also looks like a wet pack up for me as well as Ian today. He did get his kit mostly in the car before it arrived, something I may not be able to do. Let’s hope tonight brings me more success and less pain than last night.

Another wet start to the day and a very disappointing night, not a single beep. I’ve got a feeling that the guys to my right and left are fishing out to the corners of the island and with the shallower waters than the previous years I may well have been cut off from the carp.

Ian not catching to my right and no signs of carp there, it would make sense, strange as it’s not happened before, however, the water level hasn’t been this low at this time of the year, since I can remember. The carp may just not be venturing right down here yet, it will be very interesting to see where they spawn this year.

You’re always learning with fishing and adapting to the situation, you can never stand still and sit on your hands. This is why I love it so much and it constantly keeps me coming back for more. This lake is forever changing, it gets frustrating at times, but it’s never the same each season and because of that I don’t believe I will ever get bored of the place.

I’ve three hours left before pack-up time and I plan to be gone by noontime – which is about an hour after I had the mirror yesterday. Hopefully, I can winkle one more out before I’m off, the conditions are similar to yesterday morning.

We’re all done with the exception of the rods and it’s not looking good for a carp this morning. The only thing I did differently last night was no bait, I didn’t feel the need and both rods were on the same spot. This is something I’ve done many times before on here, and it’s paid dividends, I did my best, I turned around a poor start into not a bad 4 nights out and I will be back soon. I have 3 more weekends before the next school holidays when we will be away camping in Wales for our normal week’s trip and it will certainly be good to get back there again. Let’s hope they don’t spawn before then as that will put another spanner in the works.

I hope you enjoyed reading this and have taken something positive from this article, as that’s my main point.

Until next time

Richard

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Fishing for carp is certainly a hard task in the Winter. In reality, it only starts in January for me as December is mild these days and I always take the holiday season off with the family. I then start full-on in January.

This year I will be concentrating my efforts on Meadow Lake and hope the lockdown days are over. It will be nice to have another go, as maybe it’s time to find another winter water, but it will need to have the right appeal. I will still stay a member here as I love the Airfield Lake so much and I also have the School Lake for those short days I so love doing this time of year.

My approach is small food items, not too much until I locate them and they are up for a feed. I then pile it in. I have to bear in mind that if others are fishing and they will soon work it out as well. You may have to be a bit sneaky and arrive before they do or even set up in the dark, but once you’ve had your fill, it’s nice to step away and let other enjoy themselves.

I spend a lot of the dark hours up and about and then have a good lie in the next morning. Some people think I’m missing out on the carp showing themselves at first light, but I’ve already located them and moved swim or my rods. Sometimes, I may need to wait until another angler has gone home, I do find it hard moving swims in the Winter, despite my reduction in the tackle I take, so I may just take note and fish in that area next time in out (generally the following week). I’m lucky with this lake, as a number of swims have parking behind them.

If you get the opportunity, prebaiting works very well in Winter, but stick to a few boilies here and there, and if you can walk around the lake a few times a week, even better.

Finding a trusted fellow angler is also a perfect solution, especially if you don’t fish the same nights as each other and you pool your information. This definitely will help you and they get some carp on the bank.

I’ve written about keeping warm in winter, staying comfortable is a very important part of winter fishing and I feel that can be a key part. I get very cold feet and I’ve spent numerous Winter’s trying to solve this issue. My issue is that I live in wellies a lot and my feet freeze in them. So, I’ve taken to when I’m in the bivvy putting my feet on a dog thermal mattress, this has helped a lot, it keeps your feet off the ground a few inches and away from the cold floor.

Setting up in the dark can take its toll on you over the years and it did finally for me. It’s the constant setting up and packing away in the dark hour, it’s really hard going. A couple of years back, I started to do two nights, this made the setting up in the day feel a lot more worth it for me again and that really paid off over the last few winters. However, with missing out on last winter (due to the lockdown), I’m finding it a lot more of a struggle this year, as the Christmas break is just around the corner, sometimes it is worth having a break, resetting the clock and going full-on again once all the festivities have passed If you can get a few fish under your belt the motivation will pour out.

Another way, I’ve found to deal with the lack of motivation is to consider the 23rd December as the shortest day, once that has passed, you’re back in the swing of it, Spring is ever closer, use the Christmas/New Year holidays as a natural break. After a few years of doing this, I began to realize that Winter is very short, the crowed lakes will be back again sooner than you were hoping for and you will be longing for those long Winter nights!

I hope this gives you a bit of motivation to get out over the winter months, when the carp look stunning and the rewards are certainly out there, with the empty banks.

Until next time

Richard

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The next issue of Talking Carp M agazine is available online for free.

Use my code for 10% discount

The discount code applies to the entire order when purchasing the Deeper Sonars PRO, PRO+, PRO+ 2, CHIRP, CHIRP+, CHIRP 2, CHIRP+ 2. The code is valid in all countries.

CODE = DEEPER-H-9OCSF

Get 30% off WW5KFTK @checkout

➵  UK’S BIGGEST FISHING PARTICLE SUPPLIER