I woke up Friday morning to find it raining and had prospects of gardening equaled zero.
So, I rearranged my appointments and was free to head off fishing. Unfortunately, this would mean a pretty hard working week next ‘weather permitting, the forecast was still all over the place for Monday and Tuesday. The joys of gardening as a job, but so much better than my shipping days. Ian had arrived the day before and as we both fancied a change of scenery, he headed over to the double gravel swim area. This gave me plenty of options to be social. After studying my Fish Deeper page and the coming weather conditions, I pitched up next to Ian. I cast one rod as close to the island in front of us as possible and the other to the right of my swim.

The far rod was baited up with 10 small spombs and the close in rod was heavy baited. Both spots I fished a small Classic Corn Wafter with a 12mm PPS pop up on, in conjunction with a long mono hook link and a size 4 Turn Point Hook ronnie rig style, I’ve been using this for the past few year’s, with great success.

As always, the first night has not produced a carp for me, and Ian is on his second night had a carp.  Just over the 14lb mark at just before 6 am this morning

The forecast for today is very promising and rain is due overnight, it’s looking even better.

I got the Deeper out and started to hunt for a better area to fish.  I found a pukka spot on Ian’s side of the swim.

Which he stuck a rod on and hopefully would produce a take tonight.  Unfortunately, there was nothing like this infront of me. 

Just as the sun was setting, my right-hand rod finally rattled off, this rod had been out since yesterday morning and it was just after 10 pm some 24 hours+ since I cast out.  Sometimes, you have to be patient and have confidence that all is well with your rig and bait.  At first, it tried its hardest to head off down the right-hand margin.  Luckily, I had my wellies on as I had to stand carefully on the margins without getting a boot full of water.  I sunk the tip and avoided the overhanging tree branches that it was under (and desperately fought hard to make contact with).  Eventually, I gained ground and the carp was under my rod tip, all I needed to do was play the fish out.

16lb 6oz Common

Happy with that.  Hopefully, something else will come along before the rain tonight.  They just don’t like it.  It’s due to stop around 4 am, so there’s every chance around dawn time.  The night passed with not much rain, the wind had picked up and swung around to the northeast.  The conditions look amazing for an early morning take, but by 8 am I was still waiting and wondering if it would happen.

After looking at the forecast and finding out there is a large, long-lasting rain front moving across – starting late morning until the early hours of tomorrow morning.  I just don’t know what to do at this moment in time.  I really need to think about it.  I know they don’t feed in the rain, but they will when it stops.

I’m right in the teeth of the weather, but my bivvy is hidden nicely out of the wind behind the tree’s.  Time to think.

I made my mind up and home it would be.

Until next time

Stay safe

Richard