UK Carp & Coarse Fishing

The weather this week was completely different from last week—northerly winds, minus temperatures at night, and daytime highs of only six degrees C. With that in mind, I really didn’t fancy being exposed to the full force of the wind. The tricky part was that the wind was blowing from the north and north-west, which affected many of the swims on this lake. Realistically, I needed to be up at the north end, but there’s only one proper swim there, and I already knew it was occupied. Another angler was set up on the south bank as well. You can definitely tell the weather is starting to put people off coming out.

During the drive down, I mulled over my options, but I knew I’d still need to check each swim properly. I had no intention of setting up anywhere that was getting battered by the wind—cold surface water being pushed down and out into the lake isn’t exactly ideal for the fishing. I quite fancied the west bank, hoping parts of it might be sheltered, so I checked the sanctuary area first, but it looked cold and uninviting. One of the bays was high on my list, but it seemed equally bleak.

I carried on around the lake. Another swim I thought might work was getting hammered by the wind. Oddly, it still felt more fishable than anything I’d seen so far, but something wasn’t quite right. With only one swim left to check, I pressed on. The one on the point—right in the middle of the lake—was completely out of the question given the conditions.

The final swim I reached was free, and it looked like my best option from the start. I parked up, grabbed the marker rod, and flicked it around. Within a few casts, I found exactly what I was looking for—my favourite kind of feature, a lovely little area that felt spot on.

That sealed the decision. And some people may think I’m mad, but hear me out: yes, it feels like winter has arrived early, but the water temperature down on the lakebed won’t have dropped anywhere near as quickly as the air temperature. With that in mind, my approach this week was exactly the same as last week—basically piling the bait in.

My usual mix went out: Nutrabaits boilies and solubles, combined with Jurassic Particles hemp and buckwheat. On the business end, a white Blank Saver hookbait inside a solid Castaway PVA bag filled with pellets and Boilie Bites.

The only real change I make at this time of year is rod discipline. I leave them out for the full 48 hours I’m there, only topping up with a few freebies if I feel the need.

Fingers crossed for the next 48 hours.

The first night passed with no action. I woke to bright sunshine blasting through the bivvy door, though there was no warmth in it until around 10 a.m. At about 2 p.m. I topped the swim up with the last of my bait. I didn’t reel the rods in—I was confident everything was fishing perfectly out there, and if a bite was coming, it would be in the next 18 hours before I packed up around 11 a.m. the following morning.

Again, I was woken by sunshine, and again there hadn’t been a single bleep overnight. Still, I was convinced I’d picked the right swim and the right spot within my water. When I reeled in, everything was absolutely perfect. At least I came out, put the effort in, and gave myself a chance. It’s due to warm up next week, and with any luck,   it’ll produce something nice.

Until next time,
Richard

Get 10% off Deeper with Code – RICHARD10

 

🇬🇧COMING SOON 💥🤫
The 1,000’s of hours of factory tests and field testing has finished and what’s waiting for you is a finished bait that’s been accounting for big carp across the U.K. and Europe wide during trials.
Spring 2026 sees the launch of what will prove to be another fantastic year round bait.
So what’s so special about this bait ?
First up is our ethos hasn’t changed in using only the highest quality ingredients from around the world. This being a perfect blend of fishmeals, meat meals, milk and whey proteins, Sluis CLO along with a subtle spice blend and the addition of new and exciting additive blend which sits beautifully with a rich amino liquid food blend, all used at optimum levels.
Add to this low levels of both human food grade garlic powder and essential oil that gives a subtle aroma and taste profile which has proven to give both instant and long term attraction.
If it’s a campaign you have planned or just day sessions on different waters, this is a bait that has proven to suit every angling situation 🎣🎣

Ingredients for Success

A Quick Change of Plans

I wasn’t originally due out until Wednesday afternoon this week, and even then, it was only going to be a quick one-nighter because of family commitments. Over the weekend, I’d glanced at the weather forecast, but these days I’ve lost all faith in their ability to get it right beyond 12 hours. So, I didn’t pay it much attention.

By mid-afternoon on Sunday, I’d already cancelled my Monday gardening job, and it soon became apparent that rain was on the cards pretty much every day until Friday. After lunch on Monday, I had another good look through all my weather apps, comparing each one to try and gauge what was actually going to happen. That’s when the idea hit me — maybe I should just go after all.

The wife was happy for me to get out for a couple of nights, and it actually suited things better if I was back home from Thursday onwards. I’d already started sorting my gear on Sunday evening anyway — the rain was hammering down outside, and with the wife out with a friend, there wasn’t much else to do until the F1 started at 5pm. So, the session started taking shape, even if it wasn’t exactly planned.

I arrived at the lake around 2:30pm on Monday to find, surprisingly, only one angler on. Naturally, he was in the swim I’d been eyeing up on the drive down — typical! That’s just how it goes sometimes. No point sulking about it; time to move on to Plan B.

Another member was walking the lake when I arrived, and since he’d got there just before me, I decided to let him pick his swim first. I wasn’t keen on where I’d fished the previous week anyway — I’d felt most of the carp were holding to the right-hand side of that area, well out of reach. The wind had been blowing a steady south-westerly for the past week or two, and I had a feeling that the back of the wind might be the better option this time. Interestingly, the member I’d bumped into in the car park thought the same. Neither of us fancied piling in down that end with six lines in one small area.

My choices were a bit limited, but I found a nice open-water swim that suited my plan perfectly — especially since I’d need to make a quick getaway Thursday morning to squeeze in at least one gardening job before the week was out.

I decided to concentrate on open water this session, something I’ve been focusing more on this winter. I put out a generous helping of Nutrabaits boilies and solubles, along with a good mix of Jurassic Particles hemp and buckwheat — a recent order that not only saved me a few quid but arrived spot on. I’d also prepared some hard hookers, which I’ve been soaking in the matching bait complex. With the bream still active, they’ll hopefully give me a bit more resilience overnight. I would be sticking with the White Blank saver for the time being. 

A couple of deeper spots I’d marked using the Fish Deeper app could be out of PVA bag range depending on the wind direction, and with a strong crosswind forecast for the next 24 hours, it seemed best to leave both rods out there and wait for the fish to come to me — a mindset I plan to keep through winter.

Tuesday – 08:00 hrs
The night brought a mix of clear skies and clouds, on-and-off rain, and a few decent boshes echoing across the water. The carp were definitely out there and feeding. Personally, I see no reason to reduce bait levels yet — the nights are still mild, temperatures hovering around double figures, and with fewer anglers about, I actually think a bit more bait helps keep them active and moving.

Conditions today look absolutely pukka — a warm, strong southerly pushing right down the lake. I’m confident of a daytime bite, and topping up the swim later should be interesting in this wind!

I’ll admit, I came close to packing up early for various reasons, but something was keeping me here. The downside is that from around 10pm tonight, we’re due roughly 12 hours of heavy rain. That might be the signal for me to call it a trip and head home on Wednesday once it passes. Fingers crossed, I’ve got my timing right.

Tuesday – 20:30 hrs
Out of nowhere, the left-hand rod’s bobbin pulled tight, and the alarm gave a few sharp bleeps. After leaving them untouched since yesterday afternoon, I was finally in! The fish kited hard and nearly crossed my other line, but just as I thought I had it under control, the hook pulled. Absolutely gutted — it felt like a good fish too.

Barely 40 minutes later, at 21:09, the other rod was away. I couldn’t believe it — two bites in less than an hour after 18 hours of nothing! This one stayed on, and after a spirited battle under the rod tip, I slipped the net under a lovely.

25lb 3oz Meadow common

Happy days! That’ll do nicely. Time to get the rod back out there in the rain and knock up a couple more PVA bags before I settle in again.

Wednesday – 08:00 hrs
The rain returned overnight — not sure exactly when it stopped, but it certainly hammered it down at times. The latest forecast suggests it’ll clear later today and tomorrow, though Friday looks wet again. That means I’ll be swapping my gardening days around, heading out Thursday instead of Friday. Once the morning showers clear, I’ll start packing up and hopefully be home by lunchtime.

Another satisfying short session — patience paid off, and the new approach to open water is already showing promise.

Until next time.

Richard

Get 10% off Deeper with Code – RICHARD10

 

@bradd.angling risking a little drop of the supreme, extremely intense, garlic oil onto his white one blank savers. We have had reports of other anglers adding the garlic oil to bait sprays and hookbait complex’s before soaking their hook baits in it and having huge success too 🙏🏼😁 As we always say, just be careful with this potent liquid on your hands 😬🤣
.
.
#carp #carpfishing #fishing #carplife #carpy #carpangler #karpfen #fish #catchandrelease #angling #fishinglife #carpangling #nature #karpfenangeln #mirrorcarp #commoncarp #carphunter #thatscarpy #angler #karpervissen #bigcarp #carpe #karper #instacarp #boilies #carpwatch #nutrabaits #river #carping #carpfishinguk