I’m out on the syndicate for a social few nights with Ian, who I’ve not seen since before my camping holiday in late May.

We meet at the gate, just before 1030 am, and had a look about in a few swims. A couple were occupied, so we settled for Badger Island. I set up in the Jungle Swim and Ian set up in the one I was in last week.

I got the marker rod out, to check that the spot I was interested in was still feeling perfect. I had previously found this spot with my Deeper and has been producing fish for me over the years very well.

If you ever wondered why my rod tips are always so high, it’s because of the boulders and these 2ft bars.

This is when the water levers are up, it can get problematic when they start to drop over the summer months.

With the maker float popped up on the perfect smooth clean silt spot, I like to fish. I spombed out a good few kilos of Classic Corn Boilies 🌽 .

After last week’s success, I put a 12mm PPS pop-up on each rod. After having a long chat and a drink with Ian this afternoon, I came back and flicked the rods out.

The night was completely bleep-free, with the odd crashing carp and the wildlife coming back to life a bit more than normal in the early hours. I’m hoping for a morning take before I have to pop up the road to Salisbury hospital for a routine appointment. With any luck, I’ll be back by noon, get those rods out, and pick up an early afternoon fish.

We’ve 18 degrees today, the pressure is slowly building up over the session, and the wind is due to slowly pick up as we go through the day. There are similar conditions tomorrow, so it’s looking very hopeful over the coming 48 hours.

After coming back from the hospital, my swim was now in the shade and the best place to watch the water was from the bivvy. I was hoping it would rattle off before long and praying I wasn’t too late.

The answer came about 1315, the right-hand rod was away and kitting extremely right. I headed out into the lake as quickly as possible, trying to gain ground, which was proving impossible at this point. I was mindful that this had happened before and there was something out they that had caused a hook pull before. It passed that point and was heading for a very dead tree in the water (between Ian and I), waking out further and around the tree in my swim. The carp was now between me and the bank, going along the margins, I needed to gain ground before it came into contact with the big tree.

It rolled just to the right of the tree on the other side of it, if I hadn’t been up to my waist in the lake and beyond the bush facing towards the bank it would have been gone! It swam between me and the tree. I worked my way closer to the bank coaxing it back out into open water, missing my right-hand rod, so glad I have my tips so high up, as this would not be possible to achieve. The carp was finally in open water and me back closer to the bank, it finally rolled on the surface. It was a mirror, which is nice, but I did think it looked a bit like one I had in early spring.  Can’t complain, mirrors are pretty rare in here, it finally rolled into the Nsr50 and I could breathe a sigh of relief, as I hadn’t missed the lunchtime feeding spell.

Well happy with that, Ian came around and helped me out with the photography and video, it was safely returned with a snap in the water.

With that over, it was most definitely time for some lunch. I grabbed the Weber and headed over to Ian’s swim, he still had his rods out and was hoping for another carp, after the 12lb 5oz Common at around 0930 this morning.

It was burgers, mushrooms, and onions for lunch, with a small beer to wash it all down with. I was back to my swim just before 4pm, the wind had picked up and was looking very carpy.

Just before 4.30pm, my left-hand rod was away, straight out and off to the left. I was lucky because as I gained ground, it started to come straight in, however, it kept breaking the surface. I just hate that. It was now also heading right and along the back of the 2ft bar in front of me. I held the rod as high as possible and walked towards the bar, I started to rise up it, the fish was off out into open water, but I gained ground and got it safely into my margins, gently played it out under the rod tip until it finally slipped in the Nsr50.

I’m hoping I’ve got some good footage, as I’ve brought along my Sony Handycam, it was running both times, unfortunately, when I go around the tree/bush you can’t help but walk off-screen.

I got the bait back out there and settled down for the evening. You just never know if another one may come my way before dark. This is so much easier than going through all that in the middle of the night trying to spot which way the line is going with my head touch with no glasses on!

It was getting close to 10pm and I was thinking it was time to get my head, just as the right rod burst into life and instantly headed right, which at the range I was fishing could be problematic. It was also heading out further, I slowly got the carp coming back my way, but it was still going right. I’m aware of a shallow bar to my right, so I had to lift the rod up high, rest the butt on my chest and keep pumping away, gaining line as much as possible. I just missed the snags but something was wrong, I couldn’t gain more line. I grabbed my small net, kept the pressure on, and headed up the margins. As I got closer it was apparent that the fish had picked up some braid that was still attached to a spomb and the underwater sunken tree branches. These were fun trying to walk over those, as I got near, the carp was on the surface and netable. Once in the net, it was a matter of getting the briad untangled from the trees, wade back with the carp and my newly found spomb – bit of a bonus.

Once the fish was safely back in the water, I had to remake my rig and get it back on the spot, it was definitely time to get my head down now.

Just after 1130 pm the same rod was away again, this carp was doing the same as the last one, it was starting to feel a bit like deja vu, when I felt the lead knocking on the boulders, this fish was holding the ground much more than the last one. You can never really tell until they are in the net, my rod was up as high as I could get it and the carp had clearly found something, all of a sudden the line went slack and I reel in with that sinking feeling, my rig was all intact, the hook was still perfect. I got another hook bait sorted and flicked it back out and we shall see if the next one outwits me or not.

I was awoken by my Delkim screaming away at me in the middle of a dream, all confused putting my waders on and grabbing the right-hand rod. They are liking that area. This fish was less problematic, it felt going left was the better option, I could tell it was like the one I lost last night. It was holding its ground in the open water, plodding from left to right, as I was getting closer, I had to get out more into the lake as it was heading left more and trying to get around the big tree in my swim or even under it! I was not having that and the carp knew it and just ripped back off out into open water. It was still in control and off out into the middle, trying to replicate the same move as it had just tried, I was having none of that and was out around the front of the bush. It moved right into the middle of the swim. Time for it to plod away under the rod tip for a few minutes before it was in that Nsr50.

What a perfect way to start the morning off and with steak and chips on the menu for the BBQ later, let’s hope it doesn’t rain, mind you the carp do love a bit of rain here, showers preferably.

The conditions are looking spot on today and with the odd carp crashing out it’s looking very favorable indeed.

First-light water shots aren’t great in this swim, as the sun is shining on the other bank. Luckily I got to see some this morning, as we now have rain and a drizzle, come on that big lump we are all hoping for (someday out of here).

Breakfast/lunch was had on the Weber again and the chance of a lunchtime take was fading away, the wind had picked up nicely and there was broken cloud cover.

This swim is like my own personal world and a real tonic from what else is happening currently in the world, shame I can’t bring the family and live here.

I’m planning on topping the swim up with a couple more spombs about 1430 and then head over to Ian’s swim for the afternoon, some light refreshments, tea on the Weber, then head back and get the rods out for the evening. My lunchtime take finally happened, but it was more of a tea time take, on the right-hand rod yet again, be interesting to see what color hook bait I’ve got on the other rod, as I’ve forgotten.

This fish tried to go both left and right but I walked along the margins, it was off out into open water again, after a few attempts, it happily played itself out under the rod tip and was in the Nsr50 again.

They just drop in the net, and happily sit there until I get them out and do the snaps.

Not the best water shot, but the video footage looks ok.

It’s just about 1630and was definitely time for tea.

With tea over, it was back to my swim and rod’s back out on the spot by 1930hrs. Hopefully, I will get a few takes tonight, if not, I will certainly catch up on some sleep, one way or another, winner-winner chicken diner!.

Ian and I are the only people I can spot on this part of the complex and it’s a Saturday night.

Wow, after the last 48 hours, these last 12 hours were completely bleep-free, I wasn’t quite expecting that. At least one bite I would have thought, I was woken up in the night thinking that it would be an early morning alarm call, but no. You can see how these carp move in and out of an area, probably because of the lack of angler pressure on the far bank and there are a lot of sanctuaries for them to hide in. I hope Ian has caught last night, he is staying until this afternoon and stands a good chance of a take then as well.

It’s 8 am and packing up time for a day of family fun, not sure what yet.

I will be back again next weekend and hopefully, the weather will be favorable, but it’s July, and those hot summer days can’t be far off when my swim selection is down to sheltered swim under trees, trouble with being fair-skinned.

Until next time

Be lucky

Richard

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