With gardening abandoned for today, due to the stormy conditions, I’m off down the lake. These two job’s are the perfect combination, as the right conditions favour both, but don’t really interfere with each other.

I headed off in the rain to the Priory lake, way too confident that no one else was this crazy, doh! One car was already in the car park and 2 people were fishing the end I was interested in. After a walk about, it was clear that it would be best to head over to the School Lake. Hopefully, there would be less anglers on it. I did need to solve the question about the area on the Priory Lake being so appealing for the carp. There had to be other areas they frequented, but it wasn’t the conditions today for that.

I arrived at the School Lake, I did very nearly go home instead. It was like a tropical storm driving over here, but I continued and found only one other angler fishing. They were quite close to the car park, as it would’ve been horrendous when he arrived. I headed past him and up to my favourite margin areas and found that there had been part of a tree removed. This gave me more access to my margin spot from the other side and the ability to use a second rod more easily without compromising my fishing. This is why a lot of the time, I only use one rod.

With the additional space, I’m able to fish a lovely spot on the far margins and also under an overhanging tree – once the pads die back more.

My right hand rod was just for the far margins with a PPS wafter and a few 20mm Catalyst boilies spread about, to get the carp looking about when they move along this bank. My left hand rod was the opposite side of a small bush where I’ve done very well from previously. I used only one rod on the floor or simply casting across from the other bank, which I did on quite a few occasions last year, with great success.

It clear Autumn is under way as the Robins are about more.

It was just after 11 am when the right hand rod bobbin pulled up to the top and then ripped off. The carp was doing it’s best to get into any available pads on the far margins. However, I’d walked back about 10 feet, it had no chance and proceeded out into open water. It was kiting towards this bank pretty quickly, with some side strain applied, I avoided my margin rod, it was then off into the pads to my right. I don’t think so, I hung on, it turned just in time and the rest of the fight was under the rod tip, with a few lunges to find some sanctuary, it was in the net.

Happy with that and still a few hour’s to go. I was really hoping for another bite, but with only 20 minutes before I’ve got to pack up and head home, it looking like it just the one today. I’m not going to complain, it’s been a hard few week’s fishing and a carp on the bank was well overdue.

With the last rod on the floor (up the margins), the reel screamed into life and I was into a real battle to avoid the overhanging bushes. It then suddenly belted right and very nearly got in the pads, but then it decided that open water was better. This was also the better option for me, I gently played the fish out under the rod tip, until I slid it over the cord.

Wow, I had resided myself to only one carp, just goes to show you that it can all change in a split second.

Until next time

Richard