With only 2 nights available to fish before the school holidays – we are off camping in Wales.  I was down the lake as early as possible on Sunday.  This was about avoiding the heavy rain showers that had been around for the past week.  There had been a good blow on the lake leading up to the weekend from the southwest and a day of calmness yesterday.  However, this afternoon it was due to pick up again for a few hours.  I was hoping that some fish may have moved out of this part of the lake and would be tempted to get back over here.  With still no signs of spawning, there is every possibility they are held up close by.

I decided that after last week’s success, I would go back in the same swim again.  Normally when Ian isn’t fishing with me, I generally go where he normally fishes.  This is simply to stop the likelihood of another angler going in there.  The particular swim I fish on the island, involves landing all fish with your waders on in the lake and out past the ‘tideline’!  Understandably, this is not everyone’s cup of tea at 3 am!

But this time, I felt I really needed to be here.  After quickly setting up the bivvy and getting the bait out (which was fun in the strong winds), I was happy with how it all went and I got the baits out pretty accurately as well.  I was still using the same combination of small CC wafter with a 12mm PPS pop-up.  This balances perfectly on a Ronnie rig set up without the need for putty.

I can only hope for similar results to my last trip on here.  And as long as no one goes in Ian’s spot, I’ve got the option of kicking a rod more to the left – if the carp start showing that direction.

Fingers crossed, once the rain had passed, the carp would come on the feed in the early hours of the morning.  Unfortunately, it didn’t pan out quite like that, not a single bleep all night.  There was a period where the wind died down, I did hear the odd fish crashing out and I was pretty hopeful at that point.  We will have to see how the morning goes, as that can produce the odd take.

With a sudden break in the weather at 11.30 am – not the best time of the day to bait up, but you have to sometimes take what you are given and just roll with it.

The baits are all perfect and an extra 10 medium spombs on the spot, I was all set for the next 24 hour’s and a bite would be nice.

The rain finally died away just after 6 pm and there may be a chance of a bite later on tonight.  Just after 7 pm, the right-hand rod was away with my first carp of the trip and it was heading away to the left of my swim.  I had to hold the rod as high up as possible, I could feel the carp trying to find a boulder or two.  It continued on its way and I found myself heading out into the open water with my waders on, around the front of the tree to my right, in order to stop the fish getting onto the snags to my right.  It was trying its hardest, I slowly gained ground and walked slowly back towards my swim to retrieve the net.  I played the carp out in the margins.

Happy with that and just over the 14 lb mark.  The rod was back on the spot, it was definitely time for tea and oh yes, yet more rain!  I think I may have picked the wrong two nights to fish this week.

Just after 05.30 am, my first take of the night happened.  This was later than expected.  This carp was a lot better behaved than the last one and allowed me to slow coax it back from the open water straight into the net without any dramas.

18lb 12oz Common

It was a lovely wake-up call this morning.  As I was in deep sleep at the time, it took me a few moments more than normal to react, I knew there’s a reason I fish open water more these days as I get older!

I got the Kettle on after getting the rod back out and sat watching the sunrise over the forest.

My next take was about 8 am and didn’t go so well.  After much effort trying to get the carp back from behind a boulder, it had gone round, but after 10 minutes, the inevitable hook pull occurred.  This was a shame, I’d been doing so well at not losing any last week and this trip.  It’s just a factor you have to consider fishing this particular water.

It was time for another brew after a fresh bait was put on.

Pack-up time soon rolled around and I had to get home and get started sorting out the camping gear for the family’s trip to Wales over the Half Term week.  There is the possibility of nice weather.

Until next time

Richard