UK Carp & Coarse Fishing

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In my last blog, I mentioned I have the opportunity to come back and fish Friday. With the prospect of rain all day, I wasn’t 100% sure if I’d bother. With the pressure really dropping and a really good blowy forecast, it had to be done.

As Thursday night drew to a close, the rain was going to be arriving at about 0600 hours and be quite heavy from the off. I set my alarm for 0500 but was up for a wee in the night, so took the opportunity to look at the rain radar again, it was now due to start at 0400 hours, which was rubbish. I’d noticed that around 10 am, they could possibly be a break in the weather, so I turned off the alarm on my phone as there was really no point in getting up earlier than needed. However, my body clock had other ideas and I was awake by 5 am, I went downstairs stairs, checked on my phone, the rain arrival time had changed, plus it was only going to be drizzling. What to do? The trees in my garden were dead still, the rain had only just started and was very light. Part of me had expected that I wouldn’t end up going and now I was up and had the opportunity to go. I wasn’t tired and at a loss what to do. I thought, “Come on, give me a sign” as you do. One of my solar bulb lights flashed on and off 3 times, “well” I thought, “that was a sign” and started to load the car.

It would be raining when I arrived, but light rain, until 8am, which gave me 3 hours to get it done.

I’d put my usual thoughts into where to head for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd on the way down. I came to the conclusion that 1st would most certainly be where I was the previous two nights, 2nd would be the next swim, some 40 yards away, but on the same lake. Thirdly, go behind where I was and fish into the middle lake.

I arrived and found my first choice gone, and if it was me, I would’ve been in there for sure. I walked past them very quietly, I hate people stomping by in the early hours and took a look into the middle lake. It was flat calm and had no carpy signs, whereas choice 2 had plenty going on in it.

It was going to be a long, wet day until around 5 pm, according to the forecast.

There’s a good chance of a break in the rain between 11 and 12, which is when I planned on getting some bait out, in the meantime, it would be single hook baits and possibly casting at showing carp.

I leaded about a bit first and found lots of weed growth around. Stupidly, when I did my single night last week, to cut down on tackle, I’d taken my Deeper Sonar out and yep, I’d forgotten to put it back. Doh! I would’ve much preferred to look for clear spots with that, then chucking the marker rod all over the place, thrashing the water, still don’t understand why anglers haven’t all cotton on to the benefits of the Deeper yet.

Ian popped down for a couple of hours and a few brews, I also managed to find a couple of perfect spots and baited up with a mixture of 12mm Catalyst, Smokey and Classic corn boilies, before the really heavy rain arrived.

I was in bed early due to getting up so early to avoid the rain. My head was on the pillow by 9 pm and I was asleep until a single bleep at 4am. This occurred a couple of times over the next hour and the next thing I know is my phone is telling me to wake up it’s 0730 and time to pack up.

It’s still very overcast, and there’s a good chance I will get wet packing up. I think the answer to the question is, I must be mad. I did enjoy myself, and you have to be there to catch these carp. Also the conditions were perfect.

Oh well, until the next time

Richard