Big Pit Time

Posted on March 31, 2022 by richardhandel

It’s nice to be back out on the Airfield lake again, I doubt the weather conditions are in my favour, but simply being there certainly can be enough.

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Meet Our Hero!

Posted on March 30, 2022 by richardhandel

Meet Our Hero!

This is the story of our pro angler Lorenzo. We asked when and how this whole fishing thing started.

We were curious why does he love fishing and refuses to let go of a fishing rod until this day. Here’s what Lorenzo had to say:

‘My fishing story began more than twenty years ago… Initially I was fishing with the Bolognese setup, but later got interested in carp fishing – a technique that I still practice today.

I have been using Deeper sonar for about 3 years now and I am very satisfied with the product for its practicality and reliability not only on bank, but on a boat as well. Deeper sonar paired with flex arm allows me to face every situation without having additional batteries or cables around the boat. This feature is very convenient in carp fishing as it allows much more freedom and much less equipment to carry.’

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Cyprinus Shelters

Posted on March 29, 2022 by richardhandel

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Follow my link and get some great deals on the Cyprinus tackle for the everyday angler at everyday prices.

Shelters

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Cyprinus Typhoon Brolly / Bivvy Camo DPM4 Ripstop MH (Max Headroom)

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Cyprinus ® K2 60″ Brolly System 20,000 HH Green Version

£299.99

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Cyprinus Typhoon Brolly / Bivvy M4 Green Version 20,000 HH

£399.99

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Cyprinus® Typhoon Storm Brolly / Bivvy System

£299.99

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Fish Deeper Page

Posted on March 28, 2022 by richardhandel

This time of the year, I like to plan ahead as a lot of times, I arrive in the day or just at dusk. The benefits of planning are very much a key to my winter fishing.

I started by looking at the swims. I’m likely to be fishing over these months based on past information and the coming day’s weather forecast. If you have read my blogs a lot, you will see that I have two lakes as part of my syndicate and I split my time on these over the year. It is mostly dictated by the closure of each one, the volume of anglers on each one over the summer months, and I also fish Meadow Lake in the Winter as it’s the only one open.

I use the Fish Deeper page to find different spots from the normal ones as much as possible. By pinpointing these, you’re able to calculate the number of wraps and the horizon makers before you even arrive.

Find your spot, use the ruler to measure the distance, and then calculate the number of wraps.

By removing the scans and using the satellite image you can see which direction you needed to cast and how far away from any snags you will be.

Aiming just to the left of the island and the correct number of wraps, i was able to position my bait with the minimal amount of casts.

Fishing just of the edge of this hump and by reducing the number of casts I was lessening the disturbance in the water in the Winter months.

I hope this helps

Richard

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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-SNL5Q

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Looking Back Over 2015 Part 5 of 10

Posted on March 27, 2022 by richardhandel

Looking Back Over 2015 Part 5 of 10

With the success of the previse session of looking back over the year’s, I’ve decided to go back even more. This series off podcast will feature 2015 grouping multiple trips in one long podcast, from pike to carp fishing and easy lakes, to the big water I love to fish so much.

Trip No 41 Carp Fishing (2015)

I am out for a two night session over the weekend, which is unusual for me. I had the unfortunate luck with the traffic and arrived just on dark. This was OK, as luckily for me a friend of mine was already at the lake. He was able to tell me which swims where free and where he had seen fish and after some discussions over the phone. I had made my swim choice before I had arrived – a little bit out of the norm. However, a very useful tool, when needed and as I knew this swim quiet well and had them it all marked out in my book, setting up was very straight forward.

All rods were pop ups, due to the weed and all had bags on with broken up Poloni boilies. As I had made notes, I was also able to spomb out a loaded of Bait-Tech’s pellets and groundbait mix with a good load of Krill & Tuna Oil that had been soaking for some time.

Night & Day One

The night passed with no other action than a tufty at about 6am, nice way start to the day. The wind had changed as per the weather man’s report, and was now pushing hard onto this back, unfortunately, it was going to be a hot one today.

All rod’s where re-baited around 1400 hrs, with no change to the tac-ticks (I had seen a few fish show during the morning).

Night & Day Two

With no action in the dark hours, I was very happy when at around 6 am, the middle rod was off. It was attached to a small common that proceeded to drop off at the net, after I had managed to get it through a small set of pads two my left. Oh well. I changed the hook and put the bait back on the spot and put the kettle on. I sat back and watched the lake.

Flat calm, great for spotting fish.

Unfortunately, by packing up time I still had not seen or had any more fish.

Till next time

Richard

Trip No 42 Carp Fishing (2015)

I am out for another quick 4 hour session. At the moment, I feel currently this is my best option (and chance of banking a fish).

As the wind is pushing hard across the lake against the tree line, I have opted to have both rod’s along there. Both on Bait-Tech Poloni Pop Ups with a few hand fulls over the top, and to spice things up, I have put a few small balls of groundbait out as well.

This is the Poloni groundbait & the Method mix put together with a tin if Scopex Sweetcorn and chilli tiger nuts. Plus some chilli chick peas.

The small pva bags made up of Micro Pellet Soaked in Krill & Tuna Oil.

Well, by 1330 and the sun was finally coming out, the temperature was going up. I think I may have picked the wrong day, however I did get some great photographs.

The 1400 reel in, was getting ever closer, it was shaping up to be blanking trip out.

Till next time

Richard

Trip No 43 Carp Fishing (2015)

Just out for a couple of hours this evening, I have no nights free this week (due to family stuff), which is ok. I find great joy in this part of my life these day’s.

I have just dropped both baits in the margin snags with Bait-Tech poloni pop on and a mix of broken boilies, groundbait and micro pellets over the top. I will just sit back and wait for the margins to erupt.

By 2230 and with no real signs of Mr Carp.

I was off home, not doing to well this week on the fish front, let’s see what tomorrow brings.

Richard

Trip No 44 Carp Fishing (2015)

I have snook out again for a few hours, school holidays are just around the corner and my day fishing will stop for 6 or 7 week’s. The weather is much better today and I thought I would give it a go again.

Both rod’s (as normal) have been placed along the margin tree line, with a couple of small balls of ground bait and some broken Poloni boilies over the top. Both rods also have poloni pop ups.

No buzzer again, as there is no real point. Once I have a fish from here, I will move swims. I feel confident, as there is a nice blow across the lake and it’s still overcast and should be until noon time.

Unfortunately, no joy again on the fish front. But a very pleasant 5 hours was spent, which is what its all about sometimes.

Till next time
Richard

Trip No 45 Carp Fishing (2015)

Firstly, thanks to Mrs H for letting me do two night’s. Which will be a nice chill down, before the school summer holidays start.

I have set up on a small point which has two swims, they are pointing in opposite directions. As this is sensible syndicate, no one will set up behind me unless I agree (no chance).

Rod one has been cast into a small bay along the right hand margin. I have caterpulted some ten pouches of Bait-Tech Poloni boilies mixed sizes into this area and I am fishing a pop up over the top.

Rod two – I have found some nice smooth silty areas, toward the middle of the bay and as I don’t wish to intrude on anyone else’s water (just in case a day angler settlers in tomorrow morning in the opposite end to me). I have found the edge of this area, where it meets the gravel and I am fishing about 10ft into this area. With large quantities of Bait-Tech mixed seeds which were mix together with Poloni/Envy method mix and a good load of micro pellets + some poloni boilies. My plan is to feed the bream and pick up the feeding carp on 18mm Poloni pop ups, I may have to change to a snowman rig, if I get really fed up with the bream, lets hope not.

That does look good and I have spomb put this out with 1/2 kilo of Poloni boilies.

There was a good bit of rain in the night, but less than I was expecting. I was treated to a spectacular fireworks display at around 11pm.

The geese on the lake where not to happy.

I was hoping that this would wake the carp up, as this happens on other lakes, unfortunately, only the bream.

By mid morning the sky was clear and the sun was blazing down. However, the wind was still pushing on to my right hand margin, the carp will still be moving up and down there, it’s just a matter of time, I hope.

With the last ray’s of light and a bit of fish spotting, it was time to get my head down as I need to be packed up and home by 7 am.

As with the night before, the bream and tench where very active. Finally at around 3 am, I was into a nice meadow lake carp, which tipped the scales at 22 lb on the nose.

With a few pics done, I slipped the fish back. I am not one for sacking fish up for hour’s. I just like to get them back safe & sound to their home. It’s about catching them and not photographing them in the perfect light. With the introduction of modern day sacks & slings, fish safety has moved on. I am just a bit old school.

And that was that for this trip, was feeling quiet lucky after this fish.

Till Next Time

Richard

Trip No 46 River Fishing (2015)

I am on the Hampshire Avon for a short evening session. After 2 hours of wondering around and with no real sign of Carp or Barbel (and with the light being from the wrong angle), I settled for a good clear gravel run, just along the margin. I scattered a couple of handfuls of Bait-Tech Marine pellets and 25 Poloni boilies over the top of each area. I was then lowering my bait into each clear spot. I made up some very large pva mess bags with some micro pellets soaked on Krill & Tuna oil, the hook baits were the Hybrid Barbel.

I am finding to be very good at staying on the hook (when nuisance fish are about).

Looking very picturesque tonight. My plan is to stay until midnight then head home, we will see what happens. Despite staying until midnight, I had not even had a knock. This part of the Avon is taking a bit of time to get my head around.

until next time Richard

Trip No 47 Carp Fishing (2015)

Despite the bad weather (being a bucket load of rain), I stuck to my plan of fishing Sunday afternoon onwards until Monday morning.

I was I bit tempted to stay at home and muck around with the kid’s. They had new nurf gun’s and were having fun with them! However, the pull of fishing got the better of me as always.

When I arrived, I had the choice of any swim on the lake. Oh, don’t you love it when that happens? It’s impossible to make your mind up, anyway after a quick look about and I do mean quick. I headed for another of my Winter swim choices, which would give me an opportunity to lead around and check the depth with a marker float.

Just as I was just finishing getting set up, the rain hit hard again and as it was only 1230. I though that I would put both rod’s along the margin tree line.

Just for a few hours and to give me time to find another spot in open water.

Pva mesh bag full of micro pellet, soaked in Krill &Tuna Oil, with a Poloni pop up on.

I sat back and watched the lake for any fishy signs.

At around 1600 hrs (as the weather man promised) there was a break in the weather. This gave me a bit of time to find that open water spot. I was happily spombing away and suddenly the right hand rod was off. I was into yet another hard fighting fish, who was not very happy. However, after what felt like a lifetime and a few near misses with the snags and overhanging trees, a nice 22 lb 7 oz Common was in the net.

I re-baited that rod and cast it out to the open water spot and I would leave the left hand rod for a few hours more. I would then move that to the right hand spot. I didn’t fancy my chances of getting a fish in at night from the right hand spot (as we all know, you can be a bit slow on to the rods at night).

And by now it was brew and grub time.

With a very moody morning, it was time to be off and with only bream in the night. That was the only carp of the trip.

Till next time Richard

Trip no 48 Carp Fishing (2015)

I’ve had to put a lot of effort into this trip. I was supposed to be meeting up with a friend, but he was stuck working and I just did not fancy the long drive after spending five days away with the kid’s driving up and back to Wales. If it was not for the wife going away for the weekend (with the kids) I would have stayed at home. However, I have pushed myself a bit into this as it could be the last trip for two weeks. As we are all away this time, for the annual family holiday in a cottage on our own beach, back in Wales!

I just made it, before darkness fell.

I had spent a good hour spombing out a good load of poloni boilies, as I planned to sit on a baited area for a couple of nights.

In front of me, I have a very large 3ft plateau, however at around 70 yards there is a drop off down to 5 ft of silt. This is the area I have filled with bait. This time, I am only using boilies, as there are an incredible number of roach and rudd in here. They will hoover up the small pellets that I love to use, all too fast and probably disturb the hook bait.

The other rods are being fished on the opposite end of this large plateau in 4 ft of water, which is leading up to the margin itself. This has also only been baited with poloni boilies.

The first night drew a blank on the carp front, I thought this may happen. It is going to be a hot one today, so I may have to sit the day out as well. But, as I have never really fished this middle lake before, you just never know with fish.

After a very uneventful day (other then a load of liners to keep me up – expecting a take at any minute), my first run of the trip happen at 0800 the following morning (after I had fallen asleep again). I was wondering if my plan would pay off, as I have found that these fish will get on the bait, but do need 24 hrs sometimes.

16-8 – Common

After a couple of heart stopping moments – when the line went slack, as it pinged off the small gravel boulders which litter this place and I thought the hook had pulled or the line had been cut. I finally had the fish under control and slowly but surely, headed for the net. These fish never give up and it amazing how hard they fight, which is why I just love this complex.

At this point I decided to put all my eggs in one basket, because if the fished had moved on the bait, it would be a good idea to have both rod’s in this area. Which I have found in the past to be very effective.

17-2 – Common

Sometime later, the same rod was off again, attached to another very unhappy ‘Airfield Lake’ carp. Luckily, no heart stopping moments this time and after another good fight another fish was in the net.

Around an hour later the other rod was off, so well worth the recast move to the large baited area and a quicker battle. Well, apart from the fact, the fish nipped around the corner into the bay behind me and nearly got snagged up. I was very happy to get my third fish in the net an nice 15-2 common.

My good future has been helped by the weather today as well. A nice overcast day, with a good S/W breeze blowing.

At about 1315, the right hand was buzzed into life and whizzed of the spool, attached to a very unhappy 12 lb common. This also tried to go into the bay and lose itself in the snags. Unfortunately, the fish were getting smaller (which was a shame), however, still feeding which was a plus.

The weather also staying perfect, with the wife and kids not home till later this evening, I was looking forward to staying on for the afternoon.

I ended up staying till around 1730, unfortunately I had no more fish.

Till next time

Richard

Trip No 49 Carp Fishing (2015)

I have managed to get an overnight in, before the weekend. This is great news as the conditions are perfect – nice pressure with all the thunder storms off the South coast and with a nice drizzly night ahead, I can’t complain.

The swim I have chosen is a bit of a squeeze, as they are currently doing a bit of landscaping to improve the water flow and fish movement between the lakes. Which is not a bad thing and probably well over due!

So with a little effort I was fixed in for the night.

The rod’s have both been cast to the normal spots I fish to in this swim. With half a kilo of poloni boilies over each rod.

Oh boy, did it rain last night? and I got soaked for one take, which then proceeded to fall off at the net! Glad it was dark and I didn’t get to see the fish. Felt OK, but you never know. I am a bit gutted this morning. Oh well, there is always next time and the rain was a lot lighter when I packed up.

Till next time
Richard

Trip No 50 Carp Fishing (2015)

This is most definitely my last night out before our holiday, thanks to all for letting me out for 24 hrs.

The weather is a far cry from my last trip and to be honest, it has been quite a pleasurable afternoon and evening so far.

With the wind not doing much, other than changing direction all over the place, and with plenty of sunshine, I thought that the best option would be one of the point swims. Thus, giving me access to a lot of open water and some nice tree lined margins.

And a island directly in front of me.

With one rod wad under the right hand side with a few spombs of poloni boilies (I was happy with that rod).

I was not sure weather to stick the other rod to the left of the island, or risk a bait along the margins for the night.

I was a bit surprised that by the time I got my head down, I had only had a couple of tench.

20lb 7oz common

However, I was very pleased to see this nice fish in the net sometime after midnight.

With a recast back along the margins, needless to say I was fishing about 6 ft off and only about 8 ft along from my swim and had the rod butts just a few feet away. I was happy that there was a good chance the fish would never make the snags before I was in control of it. Always safety of the fish should come first when snag fishing,

With yet more bream between midnight and 0200 hrs, all went quiet and I woke up to a very hot summers day.

As I sit roasting in the door of my bivvy, I am thinking that some floating fishing may be in order for a couple of hours. I don’t need to be home until this afternoon and it’s 0830 at the moment, I will have a brew and a bit to eat and see how it pan’s out.

At around 1100, I decided that it would be best to head home.

Till next
Richard

Part 6 of 10 will follow in a couple of weeks

Until then Richard