I had the opportunity to come down on Wednesday late afternoon this week. I wasn’t really sure about fishing this week, however, a few fish had been coming out, and this gave me a bit of confidence. I was keen to get in the Daisy swim, which is to the left of Badger island, Ian and I have been watching fish for the past week in a particular area.

I arrived just after 5 pm to find probably the only angler on the complex packing up from that very swim. That’ll help to see if the carp are still in that area and sure enough, I could see them myself. He had had a few during his day session.

My big issue was the heat of the coming few days and whether could I deal with it or not. I checked the forcast and there’s a good chance of a reasonable amount of wind from the North again. I drove around to Badger Island and looked in the first swim in order to consider fishing that spot from this lovely shaded swim. I felt that I was likely to lose anything I hooked, plus it was really was the Daisy Swim water and I like to think I’m pretty considrat to other anglers. I really felt I should be in the Daisy Swim and if the first 24 hours were horrendous, I would have to move early evening Thursday, after the heat of the day passed.

I’d been thinking over the week about what to do if I did fish it – regarding baiting up. Clearly, the carp are here and feeding, despite as far as I’m aware, no bait being introduced. Bags could easily go off course and end up on top of this small plateau I’m fishing around and the swan would love that. This also goes for my spombing skills! I decided on single hook baits with a small scattering of sticked out boilies. I also need to keep an eye on the areas Ian and I had baited up last weekend, – just in case they finally fancy a feed after last week’s epic fail

I was all sorted by 8pm. I sat watching the lake with a lovely cool breeze blowing my way.

With a few single bleeps early on in the night, I drifted off to sleep feeling confident that something would come my way over the course of the night.

That was not the case. I wondered if I needed to think a lot more about my bait positioning over the coming day.

The sun had appeared over the New Forest, with a gentle breeze and hopefully continuing throughout the day and keeping me cool as much as possible.

It’s just before 3pm and I have a nice breeze blowing in my face, I’m surviving in the shade of my bivvy pretty well. The carp are really doing my head in, I just can’t get them to pick up bait, this is despite my best efforts. I switched around hookbaits over the course of the day, in between when the carp drift by. I decided, as long as no one goes on the island, I’m going to fish into the area we normally fish from the island. I don’t believe there’s a great deal to be gained by putting the rods around the plateau at night, due to the lack of action and I believe I witnessed their return this morning. How I tackle tomorrow, is really something I need to put a great deal of thought into; whether I sit it out trying numerous options or just knock it on the head, go home and regroup (waiting for better conditions). There’s clearly something about that spot that interests the carp, it could be overwhelming full of natural food sources, or I’ve just not got all the elements correct to get a bite.

After some thought, I decided to move to Badger Island, as after 24 hours of various combinations of hook baits those carp can do one! I would’ve gone home tomorrow morning if I had still been blanking and I’m sure that would’ve been the case. This way around I will be happy to stay two more nights. 

Tea was on the go by 1930, and with most things sorted out, it was nice to relax again. You wouldn’t think it takes so long to move swim.

I put a few spombs out and tied new rigs, flicked them out, and started to relax.

I’m hoping after seeing carp over here this morning one of these rods will burst into life overnight.

I’m glad I’m in the shade with the wind blowing in my face today. Not a bleep last night. I’m going to leave the rods as they are and wait until I get a pick-up or it is packing up time, there’s no real point in changing anything.

As the last night draws in, I sit cooking tea on my Weber and look at this wonderful view, thinking will I catch actually but if I don’t it’s been a very relaxing and calming few days, watching the lake, along with nature and completely avoiding the news – which is so full of doom a gloom. I really wonder why I listen to it anymore.

That’s it morning and packing up time, I need to be pretty prompt at getting home today. I’ll be back in a couple of weeks, as it’s school holiday time. It’s a shame it’s my 6th night blanking, but these things happen and I will be back full of enthusiasm, as always, hunting for those unknown lumps.

Until next time

Richard

Use my code for 10% discount

The discount code applies to the entire order when purchasing the Deeper Sonars PRO, PRO+, PRO+ 2, CHIRP, CHIRP+, CHIRP 2, CHIRP+ 2. The code is valid in all countries.CODE = DEEPER-H-9OCSF

New Direction Tackle

At the beginning of this week, I was wondering if I would actually get out fishing with the temperatures forecast to 26 degrees. But as luck would have it, my wife ended up working from home Wednesday/ Thursday. The weather change was now due Thursday, it was a perfect opportunity to get down the lake again.

I arrived at about 1230 to find that it was completely empty and I could pick any swim I liked. I checked the weather again, thunderstorms were due Thursday afternoon till Friday am. The wind was due to swing back from the North West to South Westlys again and the pressure was due to be dropping over the next few days.

This could only mean one thing, get back into the North West corner of the lake, and wait for the wind to change. This was going to be some time tomorrow morning before the pending storm, let’s hope it all comes together, there’s a nice breeze on the water and a few fish moving around this end already.

My baits are on the normal spots I fish in here and with a load of 15mm Classic Corn Boilies put out, we will see how the next few nights pan out.

The carp were clearly in the small bay to my right. Having fished it last year and knowing these carp and how they fight, I’m not sure if I would land anything I hooked, some thought will need to be put into that.

The night was deadly quiet, with only a couple of bleeps early on that give me a lot of confidence going into the night. The forecast is still looking pukka for later on, which is when I believe I will stand a better chance of catching.

Roll on the Thunderstorms this afternoon.

I left the rod’s out hoping for my normal noon/1 o’clock take, and sure enough, it ripped off. The fish was heading out into more open water and to the right towards a known boulder. Despite keeping my rod tip as high as possible, alas the carp bumped the hook off. I couldn’t believe it, I’d waited all morning for it and it has done me on a boulder. Gutted

I think it’s time for lunch, the rain had missed me so far, I’m not sure if it will make it here.

The afternoon passed and with only a bit of light drizzle, that was it for the rain and a bit disappointing, but the carp are still showing. The temperature is so much cooler than yesterday, but the pressure was clearly still dropping and I felt there’s still a good chance of a carp or two over the next 24 hours, the wind had turned and was finally picking up.

Hopefully, this evening and tonight will hopefully help and produce.

I’m a bit perplexed this morning and really need to put some thought into what’s going on, with these carp at night. I’ve not had a bleep all night again and this is despite the carp being all around me. Other than the one run from yesterday, I’ve had no other action. I’m concerned that they are not loving the deeper water that I’m fishing in and had produced may a take over the years.

It’s like an egg box out there – full of boulders, I’m getting more frustrated and may just have to try.

I was thinking of moving, but my daughter has gone to school feeling ill, I’m likely to get a call from the school to come and collect her. I’ve even packed up a few bits and pieces and put the Weber and Fox cool box back in the car – just in case. If she makes it through the day, I may move this afternoon and do the last night over there, tricky swim to set up in as it’s quite high up and the ground is rock hard in the Daisy Swim.

I got my breakfast on go and just before it was ready, the right-hand rod was away, which had been out there for coming up to 48 hours. It absolutely ripped off and nearly picked up the other line, as it’s kited left more and more. I was mindful of that boulder, which caused the hook pull yesterday lunchtime. I walked backward slowly pulling the carp away from that area, once it’d completely avoided it, I waded out into the water, and pulled the Nsr50 out with me, and around the bushes. The carp by now was trying for the bay to my right, it didn’t really stand a chance. I needed to be mindful of the small channel between the tiny island, it has a lot of underwater obstructions caused by the overhanging trees. It was now under my control, rather than the other way around and soon slipped into the Nsr50, wasn’t a monster but well-built fish.

With a new lease of life and a blank saver landed, I put on a fresh bait on, recast to my spot, and got my breakfast back on the go.

I was feeling a lot happier and the odd carp had started to show around my baited spot, which was hopefully due to the wind picking up and really pushing down this end of the lake again. I was even hopeful of my midday run.

Just after 1215, the left rod was away again, amazing how it had sat silent for so long.

This carp did the same as the other one with the exception of plowing straight across the front of the swim in the last minutes of the fight, going for the bush and the snags just behind it. I sunk my tip straight away, unfortunately, this involved catching the line of the left-hand rod and now would involve that being recast. I had no other option, as there was no time to pass the rod over the top, as I needed to get the carp under control before doing that.

That’s better, I recast both rods back out, you never know I just may get another just this afternoon, as the conditions are still pukka.

Just before 4 pm, I used my throwing stick to put a load of 20mm Classic Corn Boilies out, as I didn’t want to spomb. I think these carp don’t like the noise, we are due some rain showers and a bit more bait out will certainly help me.

Here comes the rain and with any luck, may well bring a couple of bites tonight. I intend to be off the water by 10am tomorrow morning, which will be before any daytime bites normally happen, fingers crossed for tonight. 

The rain moved in and the wind picked up, the conditions were awesome, just after 8pm the right rod was away again, this one headed hard right. I had to wade out as far as I could, to make sure I could get the carp away from the tree-lined snags off to my right and with the tip down as far as I could. I pumped the fish along until it was in front and I could play the carp out under the rod tip until it was ready for the net.

The fish was safely back on the water, I was soaking wet by now as it was pouring down the whole time, glad I had my waders on and only had a wet top. I quickly got the rig back out and I got back in the bivvy, I stuck the stove on to warm myself up and dry out.

Just after 10.30, that very same rod was away again, not such an issue this time, was pretty much straight in the net.

I’m not going to complain, because at 8 am this morning I was still blanking and had lost one. The weather change has certainly worked out well for me in the end. Even if this turns out to be the last carp of the trip. I’m feeling very confident that I should get a least one more bite, even the rain has stopped and the stars are now out, still got a good blow on the water, which is keeping me feeling that I’ve definitely got another chance coming my way.

It’s clear and the sky is starry now, until the sunshine tomorrow morning.

I was up about 0445 for a call of nature and thought I’d better get back in the sack to grab a couple more hours. It’s going to be a busy day for me and quite a late night. Just before 6 am, the right-hand rod was away again, which was nice and a surprise, the lake earlier was flat calm, the sun was coming up over the forest and I felt my time had passed. Just goes to show you how wrong you can be on this water, these carp can surprise you at any time of the day.

They were no real issues playing the carp into the Nsr50, it pretty much came straight in, apart from a near issue with the other rod when I took the rod over the line and then discovered that I needn’t of bothered. That was sorted, the carp just played around under the rod tip for a long time, making me realize that it wasn’t no 10lber this time.

My biggest fish of the trip, with a few hours to go to bag a twenty, here’s hoping!

What I realized was all these fish had come to the Pink Pepper Squid, with the exception of the first take (which I lost). I took the chance to bring the other rod in and change the bait over to one of those, hoping to bring another take my way in the next few hours. I would start to pack up around 8 am, which would get me home before 10am, to give me more time to sort things out and spend time with the family over the weekend. It’s going to be a sunny one and hopefully, it may dry out my bivvy before hone time.

If I’m unlucky, I could get caught in the odd widespread showers today, but it looks good so far.

Bivvy is down, the rods are on the floor and that was it, not a bad trip in the end, in fact, I’m well-pleased and can’t wait to get back down next week.

Until then, be lucky

Richard

Use my code for 10% discount

The discount code applies to the entire order when purchasing the Deeper Sonars PRO, PRO+, PRO+ 2, CHIRP, CHIRP+, CHIRP 2, CHIRP+ 2. The code is valid in all countries.

CODE = DEEPER-H-9OCSF