After a non-fishing weekend last week, which ended up with a monster loft clear-out and a full car of stuff for the tip.
It was absolutely stuffed full, including 4 old TV sets! It’s amazing really how much rubbish you accumulated over the years. I also feel a few bits of fishing tackle going on ebay soon.
I was hoping to enlist one of my free Wednesdays to go fishing, but the teacher’s strike put pay to that again. The local crazy golf course and tea rooms were happy, though!
On to this week’s trip, I arrived at the lake just before 9 am. I wasn’t really sure if I was going to carry on to the Airfield Lake, which had opened the other day, or stay here. After finding out that a few carp had been out and the conditions for the Airfield Lake aren’t that favorable. Despite the 7 other anglers on, I felt it was worth a go, plus one of my favorite swims was free.
The carp had been spotted at range recently, so that would be my focus for the first 24 hours. I may well consider a short-range rod for the second/third night.
With a little help from the wind, I also managed to get some freebies out there. Within a couple of hours, I was greeted by a few bleeps on the bobbin and it going up and down. I first thought it was the tufted ducks and then perhaps a carp? This turned into a Bream halfway across the lake.
This isn’t a great start. A positive point is my spot is a feeding one and the ducks like it. I think it goes hand in hand with carp sometimes. I’d spombed out about 10 middle-size loads, filled with 12mm Catalyst boilies. I would see how the first 24 hours go and then move on from there.
Hook bait wise, was a 12mm White Catalyst pop-up and a 12mm Masala pop-up on the other rod, which was the one that produced the bream.
The weather conditions were pretty perfect with a good South Westly blowing, warm days and nights. The pressure gradually rising was really the only downside from 1006 to 1021mbs over the next 72 hours.
I witnessed a couple of daylight-hours carp today, which is a first for a long time, with at least 90% of the winter carp being caught in the dark hours. This is a real turning point, and Ian, who had pitched up next door, we stand a real chance of a carp or two each. Bold statement, but we shall see.
I woke to a very misty morning, along with a bleep-free night, but with the daylight hours takes yesterday, there’s every possibility that it’s going to rip off at some point today. It will be difficult to judge when to rebait and whether to top up my swim or not. I’m definitely going to prep the right-hand spot, which has produced well in the past for me. Deciding to leave both rods at long range is going to be the hard one.
The day was spent either in the wonderful warm sun or overcast. I made the choice to bring in one of the range rods, as having both rods on the same spot hadn’t paid off. That rod was repositioned to my right and a few large spombs were dumped over the top.
I couldn’t believe our luck, just as tea was ready, the heavens opened. I couldn’t move the Weber as it was way too hot, my chair was getting soaked, and the food was cooling down.
Across the valley was in sunshine, that was it until way after dark. With the traps adjusted, I was feeling confident about a bite tonight.
What a rubbish night that was, one single bleep around 9pm. That could’ve been anything.
The weather forecast has changed again for today, and it’s likely to rain all afternoon. It originally was supposed to be sunshine, which would have been nice.
I’ve really got to put a lot of thought into this. I’ve got an early pack-up to head off with the family to visit the mother-in-law, as it’s Mothering Sunday. An early pack-up isn’t floating my boat at the moment, but also being stuck in the bivvy all afternoon isn’t great either, as well as the carp who are just not playing ball. If I’m going to miss the rain today, I need to be all packed away and in the car by noon. Unfortunately, it’s nearly 9 am and it’s only just stopped raining since early evening yesterday. Ironically it’s forecast for blue skies and sunshine tomorrow, but that could well change at the last minute. It would be great to get paid to predict the weather, if you get it wrong, there are no issues, imagine that in other industries!
The friendly Ducks are still about, which is lovely.
This is more like it, sunshine and blue skies. I’ve still not spotted a carp, which is a bit off-putting, I’m starting to think that they just don’t show themselves that often anymore.
2 bleeps were my reward for last night’s effort.
It’s certainly nice to see the sunshine out first thing in the morning, and I think it’s time to get onto the Airfield Lake.
It’s that time of the year again, for me to get back on the Airfield lake, its been open for two weeks, but as it fishes hard, because the carp feeding on naturals, I stuck with Meadow lake for a couple more trips, the 40mph plus wind’s help me disided as well, being very open here.
I’m back out after spending a week at home on 3 x 500mgs of antibiotics each day! Hopefully, this has finally kicked into touch my never end bouts of illness, I’m not 100%, but I feel 80% better than I was on my last trip.
I checked in with Ian on Tuesday about the weather and where would be a favorable area. With the wind blowing from the Northerly direction and the lack of sunshine, which would, unfortunately, vanish after the first day. We came up with a fair few options, and with not much coming out over the past few days, it didn’t look brilliant. The daylight hours are getting closer to 12 hours, I feel this is the magic moment for the carp, when they really start waking up and getting their heads down.
I arrived just before 1pm, I had to look after the youngest in the morning as it was yet another teachers’ strike. I was very surprised to find only one person here. I’d also been told about a carp coming out, the previous night, in an area we fancied. I quickly put a couple of buckets in these two swims as Ian was due to arrive at 1pm and then headed back to the car park, only to find Ian walking towards me. Perfect timing.
We had a good look about and the number one choice of areas was looking perfect.
I’d fished this swim twice this year, and it had produced 1 fish for me. I knew exactly where I would place my baits, quickly got my free offering out there, slowly set up camp, and sorted the rods.
Food was soon on the go, Ian was on the wine and cooking up his dinner, we sat in my swim watching the sunset.
It was certainly looking beautiful out there, I’m starting to quite like this swim. I’ve worked out the best spot to position my bivvy, as I have an issue with looking at people across the lake.
I was next door having a chat and my right rod burst into life. I paused at first, then realized it was my receiver going off. I quickly rushed into my swim, picked the rod up, as it was belting off and slowly pumped the carp into the waiting Nsr50. There was a close call with the overhanging trees to my right when the carp rolled off the end and nearly got under them, but I was quite quick to react and guided the fish over the cord.
29lb 7oz Common. Absolutely overjoyed with that result and can’t believe it. What a way to start a session! We can only hope it continues.
There was no frost that I’m aware of this morning, I was up around 6 a.m. The sun finally started hitting my swims at 0730. There was no more action for me over the dark hours, I’m not sure about Ian at the moment or anyone else. There’s cloud drifting across from the North, so I’m not sure how much sunshine we will get today or how many anglers will arrive, as it’s the Big One Carp show at Farnborough this weekend. I’m hoping that it will keep people away from the lakes.
Today turned from warm sunshine into overcast and cloudy, and that wind was extremely chilly. Plus, there is the prospect of it turning very cold next week. I’m hoping these carp feel like have a munch.
I topped up the swim just before noon, and then Ian and I had a walk around the lake. It turned out, I was the only one to catch, let’s hope that it isn’t a sign of the next few nights to come. I don’t think so.
Grey skies and no sunset tonight, weber cooking tea in the bivvy door to keep me warm.
I was hidden away in the bivvy by 1845, as there was a gentle breeze blowing. Hopefully, that will not put the carp off, and my rod’s rattle off again tonight.
The night was dead silent, and no carp were caught. The ducks came to visit for their morning snack. The wind was a lot lighter and didn’t feel so cold today, unfortunately, no sunshine. I slept in until 0930 as I had been up listening out for carp a couple of times in the night. We can only hope that something has a feed later on today or overnight.
I’m convinced I heard carp topping last night, which would produce me a bite, but alas dawn arrived, with still silent buzzers. There certainly were a few more signs of spring about.
With a few hours left, you just never know in these types of conditions, when or if it will rattle off. I’m due home around 1030-1100 o’clock, so there’s still time for a lucky second carp.
The next time I’m out is likely to be the following week, and I have the choice of Meadow or Airfield Lake to fish. I’m pretty keen on the Airfield, but it’s hard going as those carp are stuck back on the natural food supply as they have not seen any anglers since last October. I just need to put some thought into whether I start on there straight away or wait until Meadow closes.
Your guess is as good as mine. With the imminent changing of the clocks also getting closer and Spring is knocking on the door. We shall see.
Things were certainly all coming together as they sometimes do with fishing, the momentum just keeps building. We both couldn’t make the second to last weekend, due to family stuff and weren’t sure if both of us could make the last weekend at the end of October. So, we just treated each trip as our last one.
I wasn’t due to arrive until Friday morning, but with the carp coming out mostly at night, it was worth setting up in the dark on Thursday evening. I couldn’t arrive any earlier due to family stuff going on this afternoon.
Ian had called earlier this morning and take the choice of the swim and after last week’s success, we felt it was worth another go in that area.
Just on dusk
My infrared light
My infrared light lights up the rods, but to be honest, it’s more about lightning up the steps down into the lake as I get older!
I was halfway through setting up and Ian’s left-hand rod was away with the first fish of the trip and hopefully not the last. The fight was slow and steady and a lovely Common slipped into the net.
21lber
He was pleased with that and it filled us both with hope for the coming few nights.
Just before 1am, I woke to a big splash in the margins. I poked my head out the bivvy door and yep sure enough Ian was into a nice carp, I did the netting.
30lber
I lovely 30 lber it was as well. He was over the moon, as Airfield 30’s can be a bit hard to find some years.
I was sitting on his bucket chatting and sorting out the photography and my right-hand rod was away! I was very mindful of the overhanging branches that got me last week, along with the underwater snag. I soon had the carp in the margins, then all I had to do was simply played the carp out and slip it into the net when it was ready.
20lb 5oz
Perfect start, I was still buzzing from Ian having a 30 and I had just landed my first trip of the session.
Another PVA bag was done, I flicked it back out there and thought I better try and get some sleep, as you never know.
I woke to a screaming run at 0845. I must have finally fallen asleep last night but it was gone past 3am I know that. The carp was on a real mission to my right and probably rolled on the surface in front of the swim Ian fished last week, I coaxed it along the margins and into the weighing net.
16lb 11oz
Perfect, two carp within the first 12 hours.
We both baited up around 11 o’clock with a few more kilos of Classic Corn and Catalyst boilies, and stuck new hook baits on for the coming afternoon and evening.
I’m using my normal Ronnie rig set up with a 20mm wafter, a short hooklink conjunction with a Pva bag filled with 6mm Catalyst pellets. These have been soaking in Spotted Fin food dip for a few weeks. I very much like to prep my boilies and pellets, a couple of weeks in advance and start the next batch going on the day I get back from each session.
Cloudy afternoon
The day passed by with a couple of glasses of wine and some brie on the Weber.
It was all very peaceful on the carp front, we were hoping for a later afternoon/early evening take.
As the sun was setting, it was looking like we were out of luck. I was out and about taking photographs of the moon rising.
Along with the fantastic cloud formations when Ian’s right-hand rod burst into life.
That will do, a nice 8pm take, when we are both up and about. The fish was definitely on a mission to the right and no doubt towards those overhanging trees to my right. We thought that it had avoided my lines, until it ran back towards Ian under my lines that it had gone over. Joy!
I loosened off my line and netted the carp. We quickly got it in the sling and put it in the lake, the last thing we needed was one of my rod’s going off. Once the tangled lines were sorted out, we got the carp on the scales.
22lb 12oz
That’s no bad going, 2 x 20s and a 30lber all before 8pm on the second night! Ian was well-chuffed.
Just after 1 am, Ian was on again. I arrived just in time to do the net duties and he slipped yet another stonking carp over the cord.
Weightlifting time!
26lb 8oz
He is having a fantastic session and I’m glad to be on the net and doing the photos. This to me is just as enjoyable as catching the fish yourself. Somehow the moment filters across.
17lber
Around 11pm Ian had this lovely Common on the repositioned left-hand rod.
I was up about doing some filming when Ian was away again! I was able to film him playing the carp and landing it. It very nearly got into the overhanging trees along his left margins, the ends of the branches where twitching away as he guided the carp under them. With his rod well under the water, it eventually slipped into the net.
18lber
His rod was out again and the coffee was made. We sat in the sunshine in Ian’s swim talking about the possibility of him catching fish no 7. This will be his best session with the number of carp and definitely with the size of fish he had been catching.
The same rod was away again, he was into fish no7.
In again!
This was brilliant. After a pretty straightforward battle, involving me picking up his other rod and holding it in the air until the carp was safely in the margins. I did joke that he didn’t need two rods as all the takes had come on the same rod.
Get in there
Fish no 7 is been landed and it’s a beauty.
Thank you
25lber
This is really turning into a red letter day trip for him and with another 24 hours to go, he could easily get 10 carp.
We had breakfast at around 11pm, along with another brew. The time was coming up to around 1230 and we were thinking about when to start spombing the last of the bait out (after Ian’s success last night), when my left-hand rod was away!
Into a fish
The fish was on the surface rolling about on the surface about 60 yards out and it continued to do this all the way in until it got closer to the net and then, just went down. It stayed there for some time, I was even hopeful this was going to be a nice lump, but you really can’t tell with the big tails these carp have.
Guiding it in
Once in the net, it did look good and after lifting out of the water and carrying it to the mat, I was feeling confident.
Peach
30lb 12oz
I was overjoyed with another 30-plus carp from the Airfield Lake. I generally aim for 1 a season, I now was on to number 3, I just can’t believe my luck this month.
As the sun was setting and in the fading light of the day, we are full of expectations for the coming 12 hours. It would be extremely nice if Ian can make the number 10 carp, plus if I can bag at least one more, this would also be nice. We shall just have to wait and see. We have topped up the swim, and redone the rigs, we can only hope. We are due another clear night and the pressure is slowly rising, but it’s mid-October and they need to feed.
The first take of the night, came to my left-hand rod, just before 10pm and this fish wasn’t giving up very easily. It was also extremely interested in my margins to my right, but slowly and surely I gained ground and it was in the net.
12lb
I didn’t weigh the carp but estimated it at about 12lber. You wouldn’t have thought that it could have that much power, it certainly goes to show you that you can’t always tell the size until you get them into the net.
The fish was soon back in the lake, with my rod cast back out with another fresh Classic Corn wafter on.
At 1130 pm, the same rod was away again. I was still wide awake and quickly out to grab the rod. This one was just running out, further into the open water. I was even considering slowing down, by now I normally have started to walk backward, gently coaxing them straight into my swim. I do my best to avoid them kitting right or left, but this fish was having none of that. Eventually, it started coming my way, once under the rod tip it made a few lunges and took a lot of line at one point, always heading back out into the lake and off to my right, but I gained control again and soon had it in the net.
Lovely
23lb 10oz
That will certainly do me. It was definitely getting colder tonight and Ian was quickly off to the warmth of his sleeping bag. I soon had the rod back out and was pleased to get back in my bag.
By 3 am, Ian had landed another 2 carp, 8lber, and a 16lber. Unfortunately, no photographs as he was feeling the cold from the northwest winds and the rolling mist. He now had had 9 carp and just 1 more to make double figures. After the last two nights, there’s a good chance that he would manage this, fingers crossed for the next bite.
It’s 0550 and Ian’s done it! He has landed fish No10 and it’s another 20lber to this list.
20lb 15oz
Perfect, what more could you ask for from this session? It’s truly been amazing on all counts. We have around 5 hours left to go and then it’s home time. After the last two years of disappointing October sessions, we can’t complain about it this year.
Morning
It’s another lovely misty morning and I am sure the sun will be poking its head above the trees very soon. I have a coffee on the go and I’m still in the bag, watching the water and just enjoying the moment. Fishing is such a magical experience.
I was halfway through packing up and the left-hand rod rattled off. The fight was just perfect, all under the rod tip in the margins, and slipped perfectly into the net.
Stunning
28lb 4oz
What a way to finish off this session! We both couldn’t have wanted for more – brilliant company, great food & drink and best of all, a good number of carp landed.
Until next time
Richard
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