This trip, I found myself back at West Stow Country Park for my annual get-together with my old friend, Rob Nunn. After last year’s unfortunate encounter with COVID-19 that forced me to cut my trip short, I’m hoping for a smoother experience this time around.
My day began early, with me waking up just after 4 a.m. and hitting the road by 4:30, embarking on a roughly three-hour drive. The early start was worth it, though, as I made swift progress on the M3 and around the M25. It felt like driving back in the good old days when there wasn’t as much congestion. The M25 has now expanded to four lanes, but I still couldn’t escape the occasional road hogs in the middle lanes, or as they’ve now evolved, the third and fourth lane brigade. Some things never change.
Arriving a little after 7 a.m., I was pleasantly surprised to find Rob already awake. I half-expected him to still be sleeping, given the rainy weather that had followed me to the park. The rain was brief, and I quickly loaded my gear and set up next to Rob. We were quite close to each other, which made for a nice and sociable setup, at least until the rain settled in for what appeared to be an all-day affair.
We had positioned ourselves at the car park end of the lake, which was convenient. In hindsight, I should have brought my T2 with me; it would have come in handy for the conditions.
The weather conditions were favorable for carp fishing, with low pressure, wind, and rain, which the carp here seemed to love much to my surprise. Rob’s assurance that there were indeed carp in the area was spot on. I had already spotted three fish jumping before I even finished setting up my bivvy. This trip felt like the one where both of us might finally catch a few.
Thankfully, I didn’t need to cast at long ranges, with 16 wraps being the maximum distance. The wind was pushing hard at this end of the lake, and it looked perfect for fishing. Despite positioning a bag right over a showing carp, I didn’t get a bite right away but hope springs eternal.
I used a marker to explore the bay, and with some guidance from Rob to avoid spooking the fish, I identified three perfect spots at various distances. I spombed out 10 loads of bait over each spot, intending to fish with Catalyst, Corn, and Smokey Jack on each rod in different setups. My hope was that this strategy would pay off and bring me a couple of carp over the next three nights.
As the afternoon moved into evening, Rob ordered an Indian takeaway to be delivered to the lake, which was a welcome treat. I had tried to catch a ‘carp nap’ earlier in the day, but the general public was too noisy for that. I figured I should get some rest before the prime nighttime fishing hours, as that’s when the carp were most active. They were still making sporadic appearances, keeping my hopes up.
The night was uneventful, aside from the rain and wind. The raindrops on my bivvy roof created quite a noise, and I couldn’t work out whether it was actually very windy, given my shelter among the trees. I had been in my sleeping bag for 12 hours, not necessarily asleep, but I hoped to catch up on sleep from the previous early morning. If not, I might find myself wide awake throughout the night, which wouldn’t be ideal.
I heard several fish breaking the surface last night, which maintained my confidence. Carp tend to feed in the rain, so I could only hope that one of my three rods would scream to life today with a substantial catch.
Unfortunately, as expected, a couple of anglers noticed the carp activity in the bay and set up right across from me. It appeared that one of them was pushing the boundaries, and with eight lines in that area, I felt the chances were slim for any of us. I made the decision to move my left and middle rod away from the crowded spot, hoping to increase my odds. Interestingly, it seemed that his fishing partner also became fed up and relocated, though I wasn’t sure where. This change worked out for everyone’s benefit.
On the far bank, there was a river running parallel to the lake, and there was an inlet pipe pointing directly at me. With all the rain, I hoped it would start flowing into the lake soon, enticing the carp to feed. They were certainly in the area, and I just hoped they weren’t too preoccupied with the natural hatch happening at the moment.
Now, I had two rods along the bottom of the bar and one out in open water, all positioned over smooth, silty areas.
With the rain letting up, I took the opportunity to re-bait one of my rods. While doing so, I spotted another carp breaking the surface on the other side of the bar. I could only hope that they’d come over to my side, or I might need to try casting on the other side and hoping I could retrieve my bait, similar to fishing the Airfield Lake.
Another night passed without any carp action. The ongoing natural hatch, combined with the rain from the previous day, had raised the water level by around six inches and it was still rising. This presented a significant factor in my decision-making for the day. I would have to address this issue later in the morning. Carp were still visible in the vicinity, not too far from where Rob and I were positioned. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any significant signs of carp in the Car Park Bay anymore. I had a couple of bleeps late yesterday evening, but nothing more. I believed I was close to them, and my bait placement seemed perfect. Now, it was a matter of time and luck, and I wasn’t certain I had either in my favor. I could still hear water flowing through the pipe, which concerned me, as it was dangerously close to touching my bivvy mat and just eight inches away from the overwrap. I believed it was time to move my bivvy and rods before it was too late.
The lake’s water level continued to rise, and after a lengthy discussion with Rob, a few phone calls with other syndicate members, and checking the weather and river conditions, which included a flood warning, we faced a tough decision. Despite our belief that we stood a chance of each catching a carp, common sense prevailed. We decided it was best to pack up and head home, as the river might flood our area. We didn’t want to risk our fishing equipment getting damaged or potentially being caught in rising waters in the early hours of the morning, incurring significant costs.
The process of packing up was wet and challenging, and the drive home, with heavy rain and traffic, was no less entertaining. I arrived home by 3:00 PM, drying out my gear, ready to head off to the Airfield Lake tomorrow morning.
Until next time.
Richard
UK Carp & Coarse Fishing 