It’s now February, and it’s time to get back on the club lake for a few trips. Getting a carp or two in the net would be great, but the conditions aren’t ideal. The forecast predicts daytime temperatures between 8 and 10C, dropping to around 3C at night. The biggest challenge, however, is the high atmospheric pressure—hovering above 1040 mbs—combined with cold northerly winds. Next week looks even bleaker, with daytime highs of only 4 or 5 degrees. This isn’t exactly my preferred fishing weather anymore.

I only decided to go yesterday after closely monitoring the forecast for several days. It seemed like the best opportunity I’d had in a while. I arrived just before 1:30 pm to find only one other car in the car park—a promising sign. Unfortunately, the angler had set up right in the middle of the west bank, the very spot I had my eye on. That area is a known hotspot where the carp love to hold up among the old, dead lily pads. It also offered the added bonus of shelter from the biting north wind and if the sun made a rare appearance, some much-needed warmth.

After a good chat with him, he mentioned that based on what he’d observed that day, my best bet was to fish along the same bank. He was more than happy for me to set up a couple of swims away, which was very decent of him. It quickly became clear to me that this was definitely the right area to be in.

For the time being, I decided to clip on a Castaway PVA mesh bag to each rod rather than fully committing to a baiting strategy. This approach gave me the flexibility to reassess my options as the session progressed, especially once the other angler packed up later that evening.

I planned to last for two nights but decided to take it one night at a time, keeping an open mind based on conditions and fish activity.

Just before dusk, I repositioned two rods with a generous spread of boilies and pellets. Word had it that the fish in this lake had a preference for fishmeal boilies. A couple of weeks ago, I stocked up on some 15mm Big Fish Mix boilies, as well as a tub of matching pop-ups. This was my chance to put them to the test over the next couple of nights.

At 2:45 AM, the left-hand rod was away! I was into my first carp of 2025. The battle was a bit tricky, navigating the dead lily pads, but I managed to land a lovely little mirror carp. I didn’t bother weighing it, though I’d estimate it to be just over 10lb.

I quickly prepared a fresh PVA bag packed with crushed boilies, micro pellets, and a good squeeze of my hemp sludge before flicking it back out. Hopefully, this would be the start of a few more bites.

It took me some time to fall back asleep, but I was eventually woken by the golden glow of the rising sun illuminating the far bank. The sky was clear and blue—a stunning sight. Whether the carp would be active was another matter, but at least I could enjoy a crisp, sunny morning by the water.

At 4:00 PM, after spotting a few carp showing near the small island, I decided to cast a single hook bait with a small mesh bag as close as I could to the island. Since I had the lake to myself, I figured it was worth a shot. I planned to leave it in place until just after dark, as I didn’t want to fish too close to the island overnight when I couldn’t accurately judge my casting distance. Fishing locked up, I remained hopeful for a bite, though these carp had been incredibly inactive so far.

Unfortunately, the night passed without so much as a single bleep. Clearly, I needed the sleep, as I didn’t wake up until 8:55 AM—far later than planned. I had intended to be up early to put out three fresh bags in an effort to tempt another fish, but by then, it was too late. With rain on the way, I had to start packing up quickly. I just about managed to get everything away before the first drops fell.

Until next time,

Richard

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