Meadow Lake   

                                                    Swim – Nights ropes 

                                                                 1 night

Listen on Spotify

With the prospect of a very wet Wednesday and after previously spending a couple of days stuck in the bivvy. I had to choose between packing up in the rain after two nights fishing, coming a day later, and sitting it out in the rain, or doing a single night and, if possible, squeezing another one in at the end of the week.  It’s pretty much due to rain from Tuesday night onwards until Sunday. I do hope the weatherman’s forecast is wrong, as always, but probably not this week.

I’d been pointed in the direction of a swim called Night Ropes, which I’ve never night-fished for one reason or another. I’ve fished it in the day and had a few, but never at night. Not really sure why, but it’s just never happened until now.

There were certainly a few carp topping in the sanctuary area and the lagoon side, which is very positive indeed and definitely something to take note of for the future as well.

I had a quick look at a couple of other swims, but this felt like the best option for a quick night. I will take a drive around on my way out and scatter some bait about in my favorite scattered Linden corner for the future.

I clipped on a lead and leaded about, and within a few casts concluded that the spots I’d fished here some years ago were still perfect.

I sharpened my hooks, put on a Catalyst wafter along with half a pink pepper Squid pop-up, so the bait sits up more than just lying on the bottom. If this doesn’t produce a carp, I will switch over to a Masala pop-up tomorrow morning. I need to be home by 1500 hrs or before.

The pressure is extremely high, 1032 mbs, but by Thursday, it will be 998 mbs. I need to get myself back down the lake on Thursday; I feel it’s a must now.

I then scattered a few 12mm Smokey Jack boilies about in between my rods and up over the rope into the sanctuary, hoping to bring the carp out and pick up my hook baits.

It’s due to drop down to 6 degrees tonight, but it was definitely nice to see the sun today, plus it’s not a frosty night. Fingers crossed it will produce a carp.

With a lovely red/pinky sunset, I got my last brew on, had a couple of snacks, and settled down for the night. With the odd carp still crashing about, I felt very confident that something would happen in the dark hours.

At 0200 hrs, the right-hand rod burst into life. Being out of practice getting my shoes on, it felt like a lifetime before I got the rod in my hand and was playing a carp, for certain this time. Unlike my lovely Tench from the previous trip, this fish was doing its best to either get under the rope into the sanctuary or head into the snags. I wasn’t sure; I was just having to hold on. My flat slip-on shoes were clearly a good idea up until the point of trying to walk and not fall over on very slippery muddy ground. Netting the carp was another bit of entertainment, as they generally drop down in the water once netted. This wasn’t the case, and I wasn’t paying attention. The carp exited the net over the cord with a powerful lunge and was off out into open water again! After landing the fish once, I had to do it all again, panicking that I would lose it and not be able to count the capture, which would have been a bit of a blow. But all was well, and it was back in the net. I’m not making that mistake again.

With the weighing and camera kit sorted, it was time to see what I’d caught. A lovely long common with an unusually small tail, tipping the scales at 23lb 14oz. That will do me nicely.

Now, to get the carp back and get the rod on the spot without going into the tree, all sorted without any issues. Time to get back into the sack and get my head down; it was now 0245 hrs.

That was the only action over the dark hours. I didn’t sleep too well after that carp, but I must have fallen asleep at some point, as the noise from the nearby Tarmac Works alarm woke me up, as always, at about 0730, and time for my first brew of the day.

I gave it until around 1030 and started a slow pack-up, getting off the lake by 1230. I spotted one more carp and had a lead about to my right for another that would make a good spot for the future before driving around the lake on my way out.

Until next time,

Richard