Looking Back Over 2015 Part 9 of 10
With the success of the previse session of looking back over the year’s, I’ve decided to go back even more. This series off podcast will feature 2015 grouping multiple trips in one long podcast, from pike to carp fishing and easy lakes, to the big water I love to fish so much.
Trip No 91 Carp Fishing (2015)
Just the one rod as normal, with a couple of handfuls of chopped up Bait-tech Poloni Boilies and a godman angling mesh bag filled with my new winter mix (which I am playing around with).
As 1330 approaches, I am starting to scratch my head a bit, as this is my third trip in a row where I have blanked along this bank. A bit of a rethinking is needed I feel. I have a week from fishing soon, this may or may not help the rethinking. Whilst the kid’s are off school for the Christmas I will not get any trips out, so perhaps Pike fishing may be getting closer.
The freezer is stocked up with dead baits and I have a few bottles of Bait-tech Predator Plus all set.
I am out this coming Sunday for the night and at the moment with no fish showing, I’m a bit lost on where the fish may be. Perhaps tomorrow’s trip and a chat with some Syndicate members on Sunday morning will throw up some options.
Unfortunately another trip, turned out to be a blank, definitely slowly down.
Till next time
Richard
Trip No 92 Carp Fishing (2015)
Two rod’s as well today (makes a pleasant change), I have flicked one to the right of me along a nice tree lined margin.
And catapulted a couple of pouch full’s of chopped poloni boilies in the area. I like to spread my bait about a bit, get the fish moving around looking.
The other rod is going to be used as a roving rod, hopefully when I spot some fish. In the meantime, I have cast across the bay to the other margins.
After about an hour, I spotted my first carp and reeled in and put a small Godman Pva mesh bag on and flicked it into the area where the fish showed itself.
Unfortunately, this trip resulted in another blank but seeing a fish top was good news and hopefully a pointer to where to fish Sunday night.
Till next time
Richard
Trip No 93 Carp Fishing (2015)
I have picked a bay area, that is a bit sheltered from the strong and fresh S/W wind as I don’t feel confident that the carp will be on the full front of the wind. This is the same swim I fished last session and spotted a fish, when I left on Friday afternoon, there where a few people fishing the main part of the lake. I arrived a bit earlier then normal, hoping for a chat with them but the complex was empty. Good or bad sign? I will never know. Anyway, with all that bait going in, in that area and being by far the coldest area of the lake, I felt this had to be my best option.
The right hand rod was cast nicely up against some overhanging trees, I was able to walk round and bait up easily over the top with chopped poloni boilies with a couple of groundbait balls.
The other rod was flicked out with a string on, for the first 3 hour’s as I wanted to watch the water for any fishy signs. By 1530, it was time to get the marker rod out and do some feature searching and I found a night bar that come up a foot. It was in between two nice silt bed’s and this was the area I finally settled for. There was also a nice shelf down to the 11ft margin, this I will save for later on in the Winter. I spombed out five balls of groundbait and poloni boilies, which were all chopped up. I sat back, got the tea on and settled into those long Winter nights.
The night passed with a couple of bream and two carp crashing nearby and a very hopefull me thing it’s going to go off soon. But by 0530, I was starting to wonder if it would, it had been a warm night and the wind was dying down a lot.
Unfortunately, reel in time came to fast and with no carp on the bank, I was off home and not out until next Sunday.
Till next time
Richard
Trip No 94 Carp Fishing (2015)
After a walk round and a chat with the other angler’s on the lake. I was told that there had been no fish out all weekend and the going was still very hard. As I had not been down since my last Sunday night session, I was not completely sure where to go – back in the same swim as before (as no one had fished in there for the last two nights) or there was the point swim which was free, it had produced fish for me before. It would be a rough night with the wind picking up again but it did feel good over there. However, I had some thinking to do, there had been a lot of bait put in other areas of the lake.
For the first few hours, I was going to single hook bait it until I had come up with a plan for the night.
Questions
Single hook bait
Margins
Open water
Bait up or not
Groundbait
Some thinking was needed.
The decision had been made, I was going to stick with the single hook baits tonight, just out of interest, as there will be a good amount of bait leftover from the weekend angler’s and I plan to keep my ears open all night and then bait up before I leave, as I will be back Tuesday for the day and hopefully if I fish here I will be in the right area.
I was awake quite a bit of the night, listening to a few fish topping in my area. Which is around 2 acres and the fish where very active. This kept me awake with anticipation, despite all these crashes, the trip out was a complete blank. However, the information about where the fish had been active, so not a complete waste of time. Still not very happy about another blank, at least I learnt something, so I should not complain.
Till next time
Richard
Trip No 95 Carp Fishing (2015)
Back in this swim until 10 ish or until I catch a carp (which ever come first) and then I will move down to the other swim I normally fish. There are about 5 day swims along this bank, I just fancy these two a bit more than the rest.
Unfortunately 10am came first and a move was made to my other favourite swim along this bank.
Let’s hope the sunshine helps.
Looking very nice out here today.
What can I say? Well, I have completely moved away from the snaggy margin bank as don’t think the fish are there.
That looks better, a good view of the lake and a bit of fish spotting I hope.
With all my best efforts in moving around today, it turned into another blank on the score board.
Till next time
Richard
Trip No 96 Carp Fishing (2015)
This swim gives me an amazing view of the lake, which is the main reason for me setting up here today. It will give me some indication of where the fish are, one rod with be a roving stringer rod and the other, flicked in a nice small bay area.
With a few handfuls of chopped up Bait-tech Poloni Boilies.
The odd fish was occasionally topping in the middle section of the lake and by 1245 both rod’s were also in this area, unfortunately so was a bream. I was thinking “please don’t let this be another blank”, however it was starting to look like this would be the case as I only an hour left to go.
The bream was the only action on the fish front today.
Until next time
Richard
Trip No 97 Carp Fishing (2015)
After nearly two hours of walking and chatting, I finally settled for this bay. I had fished this area a couple of weeks beforehand and had heard a fish in the night. This was all I really had to go on as my weekday session had not produced any fish or spotted any.
The left-hand rod was cast over to the margin bushes and a couple of spombs of poloni boilies with a 14mm pop up on, over the top.
This rod may move if I hear any good signs of fish in the night.
The righthand rod was in open water just off a small gravel bar and I baited this spot quite heavy for the time of year. I used my groundbait mix and chopped up Bait-tech Poloni Boilies.
With the last few rays of sunlight going, I sat on my bucket and cooked up some chilli and rice and watched the lake.
I no interruptions in the night for bream or carp and that I didn’t need to pack up until 0830 this Monday. I was still feeling very hopefully that first light may buy me a bite, when I opened my eyes at 7 am.
With a brew in my hand, I sat and watched the lake for the last hour.
Despite the very mild weather, it was another blank to my name.
Till next time
Richard
Trip No 97 Carp Fishing (2015)
I have picked this swim, because it gives me good access to some great margin features and a good view of the lake. I plan to have a roving rod, if I see any carpy signs.
Unfortunately, I going to have to report another blank. The weather was perfect and the odd fish where about, but it was not to be.
Until next time
Richard
Trip No 99 Carp Fishing (2015)
No buzzers yet, I may well move swim.
Tiny bay with a nice overhanging bush, there are a couple of other nice spots too.
A nice overhanging Willow tree.
And another overhanging tree on the far margin bank.
I am just using medium size Godman Angling Pva mesh bag’s, made up with Bait-tech micro pellets with a squirt of sizzling sausage – to give them a boost.
After having a couple of carp, which were not that big, low double, but to say I was happy was an understatement. It had been sometime since a carp had been on the mat. No photos, but this made my mind up that this area was one to stick to for the next couple of hours.
Rod’s on a single bank stick and buzz bars (with the tips up, it does look nice).
Today’s round up, 4 carp up to 12 lb all commons. I was very happy despite the size, as any Winter carp, can’t be sniffed at.
Until next time
Richard
Trip No 100 Carp Fishing (2015)
I arrived around 10 am and after a good look around, I settled on this area. As there where still a good few dead pads poking out and a lot of fishy movement.
My plan was to stick a couple of kilos of poloni boilies out over the dead pads and fish small pva bags with pellet and a 14mm pop up. Leave it alone until reel in time or I get a fish and with in 30 minutes, I had one of the new stock fish at around the 10 lb mark.
This fish will be quite stunning in a few years – I think.
The weather was looking perfect for another fish.
The night only action was sleep and plenty of it and much to our surprise, the morning was the same. We were quite shocked with the lack of activity, as the weather was so mild. Just have to see what the second night brings. I did spot a bubbler around noon time and flicked a small bag out.
Unfortunately the second night produced no fish action, I was starting to feel very lucky to have banked a fish within the first hour (small as it was). It was going to be my last carp of 2015 probably. The kid’s are on a two week holiday and all the social stuff connected to Christmas and New Year. This could well be the last trip of the year.
Until next time
Richard
Trip No 101 Pike Fishing (2015)
I do vary my approach from small single rod spots to large open bends on the river. I will also move around a bit but if along the way, I see a likely spot, I will always drop a bait in there for 15 minutes or so.
So far today, I have been in 3 areas and have had one fish.
A nice 21 lb 10 oz pike taken on a Joey Mackerel. I tend to use Mackerel, Herring or Sardines when Pike fishing.
Around 1230, I moved again and had a pike of around 10 lb.
Within 10 minutes of arriving in this swim – which was where the 20 lb (ers) had come from this morning.
I was having a bit of a dilemma now, as I did not expect to catch so fast. At this point in time, I had not had a bite to eat or even a drink due to my wondering around, looking for likely pike swims for my quick day session and for my barbel trips next year.
Unfortunately for me, my next choice of swim was on the opposite bank and I had spotted an angler walking along the other side heading for that swim. I will have to wait for another day.
With the sun slowly going down, I stayed in this swim as the only other option was a car journey move. This could have resulted in no free swims as it is the Bank Holiday after the Christmas weekend and there were a few angler’s on the bank today.
That was all for my trip out.
Till next time
Richard
Part 10 of 10 will follow in a couple of weeks
Until then Richard
UK Carp & Coarse Fishing 