Looking Back Over 2015 Part 7 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 71 Carp Fishing (2015)
My first port of call was my favourite spot along this bank. I scattered a good couple of handfuls of ground up poloni boilies.
I put them over my favourite spots, sat back and waited. The right hand rod was away within half an hour of being there and this fish was very powerful. It stayed well and truly under the tree for what felt like a life time. I literally had to hang on with both hands and keep my tip well under the water. Even when I finally managed to get the fish out for a few seconds, it powered of again straight back under. I knew right from the start I was attached to a lump, I just needed to hang on and get that fish out into the small bit of open water in front of me and into that net.
When it finally slipped over the cord, I let out a sigh of releave as close quarter playing a big fish, in a tiny snaggy swim, is a real adrenaline rush.
34 lb 2 oz of power was finally mine.
After that and with still another 2 hours left, I moved on to another swim that I had not fished before but really fancied.
Unfortunately, the swim move didn’t result in another fish. But I don’t care, I am so over the moon with my result today, I am going home with a great big smile on my face.
Until next time.
Richard
Trip No 72 Carp Fishing (2015)
I have settled for a swim that I have not fished before, as the big strong S/W wind have stopped blowing for the last three days and the hot swims are still not free and I would have thought the fish would have moved out of that area by now. This swim give me access to an area of open water that can only be fished from here, the down side is I am on the south bank and the North / North easterly wind is pushing this way, however still very warm for this time of the year, so I am feeling very confident.
The righthand rod was lowered under the overhanging tree, which I will move out a bit at night, ,for the safety of the fish.
The left rod is fished this side of a gravel bar just on the bottom of the slop where the silt starts.
I have balled up 8 balls which I will put in the spomb with a handful of 14mm poloni boilies.
My latest toy is a boilies chopper.
I will do a review once I have tested it for a month. Bung a hand full of boilies wind the handle, job done.
Both rod’s have poloni pop ups on with mimicker leadcore leader.
Time to sit back and have a brew.
The first night pasted with only a couple of tench on the margin rod and no action on the distance rod, other than a few bleeps.
Conditions are still looking favorable and I am going to sit today out here, I have topped the swim up with more groundbait and broken boilies.
And we will see what today brings.
Nice flat spot let’s hope it’s the carp and not the bream.
With the departure of all the other angler’s by Sunday lunchtime, I was feeling more confident, unfortunately all that happened was the bream moved in and no sleep was had until 0230 ish, joy.
Morning alarm and time to head home.
Until next time
Richard
Trip No 73 Carp Fishing (2015)
I quit fancy this one that gives me access to a bay area with overhanging trees and a gap throw to the santry area and also with the sun and no wind on that bank, I felt that would be a perfect area. With the night temperature not dropping that much I am hoping the fish will feed, as the lake has been fishing not that we’ll over the past few days.
The righthand rod was cast into the gap that’s in the middle of this photo, with a Godman Pva Versacast filled with Bait-tech krill and Tuna oil and 5 spombs of a mix of groundbait and poloni boilies.
The other rod the same, just fished into the bay more
By the reed’s some 70yards away.
It was then time to soaked up the afternoon sun.
At around 10 pm the left hand rod was off and attached to a good old lump, that was kiting to the left and if I was not careful would be round the back of the small island to the right of me, I started pump the rod hard and the fish moved more into open water and a bit more under control and I new there was a good chance this would be much second thirty of the week, once under the rod tip is was just a matter of time before he fish was betten and slopped over the cord.
And sure enough in the net was another 33lb 1oz mirror, what a week this was turning out to be.
I recast the rod after reshaping the hook and with a fresh 14mm poloni pop up on , the rod was back on the spot again.
With the normal interrupted by the bream. That was it and the clock sprung into life at 0545 signaling it was time to be on my home.
Until next time
Richard
Trip No 74 Carp Fishing (2015)
I believed that they were behind the second island, as I could hear the fish but was unable to see any ripples from my swim (that I was in before). This has no access to the area. When I arrived, in sat looking over the bank wondering if that was where the fish had been and as luck would have it a nice fish poked it’s head out!
One rod was cast over to the side of the island with a small Godman Pva mesh bag filled with micro pellets, broken boilies soaked in Krill and Tuna oil. With a Versacast cast hooked on filled with oil.
The other rod was placed along the margins, under a lovely overhanging bush. This was directly in the morning sun light. I did another bag just the same as the other rod but bigger
I am planning on staying here for the whole of my 4 hour trip, instead of moving on as I would like to get a feel for this area. It doesn’t get fished a great deal and I am sure it had a few good fish hiding.
At about 1045 the right hand rod burst into life with a very unhappy carp doing it’s best to get back under the overhanging tree. At one point it was doing a very good job, however with a bit of side strain and walking slowly along the bank, the fish was in open water and under more control. It did try for the margin snags but unfortunately for the fish, the fight was all in my favour now.
The tails on these fish give them cracking power.
It tipped the scales at 19 lb 15 oz.
This area is so full of options.
Until next time
Richard
Trip No 75 Carp Fishing (2015)
Single rod time
Looking very fishy in the sunshine.
I am using my normal tactic of broken poloni boilies with a 14mm pop up. As I am lowering the bait down, I am using a big Godman Pva mesh bag filled with micro pellets soaked in Krill and Tuna oil.
Unfortunately, it was not to be today.
Until till next time.
Richard
Trip No 76 Carp Fishing (2015)
I have opted for a small point which sticks out into the lake, this allows me to fish along the right hand margin. I must stress that I am only underarm flicking the bait along some 8 ft from the swim and 4 ft off the tree line as anything else would be very dangerous to the fish’s well fare at night. Safety first and catching second.
I have made a small change this time and I am only fishing ground up boilies. I have something like 3 kgs and will split this over both rod’s.
The other rod, I have tried to think a bit out of the box in this swim, as normally everyone is fishing to the island and I know that no fish have come from here for sometime. However, they do move up and down this margin. I know this as to the right of me is my normal day swim I have been fishing. So, I have flicked the marker around about 20/30 yards off the bank and found a nice flat lightly silted area as I did not wish to fish both rod’s close in. There is a nice overhanging tree to the right that looks very appealing.
I feel this a bit too close and could be problematic at night, if I had a bait under it and also it would be in the swim and get disturbed, when I catch fish on the other rod.
The rain arrived as the weather man predicted and once it had passes through, you get that fantastic light only autumn brings.
Truly stunning yellow.
As night fell, I had my first bream of the night. Joy.
Amazingly, the night was completely uneventful, with not a single bleep. All that happened was a considerable temperature change. This resulted in thick fog at one point in the night, which turned into a very misty morning.
This has mostly gone by the time I stuck my head out the bag.
I re-baited both rod’s around 1030, in the hope of a day time fish. The left had rod I moved closer to the snags as it was now day time.
At 1 pm the left-hand rod was off and diving under the trees, as I picked the rod up the tip immediately went under the water and gently got the fish out. The water was getting clearer and the swim stuck out into the lake beyond the tree’s. I could see the fish next to me battling to get back under the trees and I also could see and feel the size. It was amazing to think that I may well be playing my 4 th thirty of the month!
Once the fish was finally in open water it was just a matter of time before it slipped over the cord and another epic snag battle was over.
34lb 1oz, 4th thirty of October
I rebaited and flicked it down to the same spot.
Bucket Time
By 1600 hrs and no signs of any other fish and I need to get my kit sorted out for a 4 night session later on this week with my friend Rob Nunn from Bait-Tech. I started to pack up .
Till next time
Richard
Trip No 77 Carp Fishing (2015)
We met up at the lake at around 1 pm and had a good walk around and a chat with the head bailiff Gary. There where a few people fishing and with the wind changing direction we opted for a couple of swims on the right hand side bank which backed onto the river.
I put one of my rod’s on the drop off of the island after some advice from Rob, that this is a good area and in the past has produced some good fish.
After markering I did feel a perfect place to put in a bait. I spombed out around 6 large loaders of chopped boilies. These had been soaking in hemp oil and fished a 18mm bottom bait on a blowback rig, with a Versacast filled with Bait-tech Hemp oil.
The second rod was fished in the channel between the island and the bank where I had found a nice clear area. This also had the same spomb treatment, however I am fishing a pop up on this rod.
The first night was completely uneventful and after a brew and a chat, we decided that a move around to the other side of the lake looked more favourable.
Unfortunately, Rob missed out on the swim he fancied and had to go to the right of me. However, as luck would have it, there where still the odd fish showing in front of him.
The left hand rod was cast just to the left of me, only a couple of rod lengths of the bank, near a nice overhanging Willow tree, as there was a possibility of chod on the bottom. I fished the pop up rod here and the right hand rod was going to be the bottom bait. This was cast directly in font of me at the back of a gravel patch, with 3 large spombs of chops over the top.
Just perfect for me.
By now, it was noon and the rain had arrived, also the wind finally changed to the South Easterly we where hoping for.
So far this afternoon, we had seen a lot more fish and I was feeling more confident after the move.
With night arriving there was the odd fish showing. However, still no fish on the bank for us, we would have to see what the night and the early hours bring.
Through the second night, the wind picked up more and was blowing nicely on to our bank. You could hear the odd fish crash in the night, this was quite hopeful. I awoke around six and unfortunately still no action, despite still seeing the odd carp show.
I was hoping the wind would push the fish more onto the bank as the day progress. The rain set in around 8am and with no phone signal it wasn’t possible to get any updates
I was still feeling confident that there was a high possibility of catching a carp or two, as the conditions had improved – we would just have to see.
Around mid morning and a couple of brews later, we both decided that we would call it a day and go home. I would be able to get out on the Meadow for Saturday morning and night.
Till next time
Richard
Trip No 78 Carp Fishing (2015)
Here I am at first light and with only 3 other people on the lake, I had the pick of the swims, more or less.
After a walk around and a check of the weather forecast. The only fish I saw were along the snaggy margin bank and as there is one night swim in the middle of this bank. This was the spot for me. I set up as quietly as possible, on the gravely swim and dropped both rod’s in the margin for the day. I would move them out a bit for the night.
The wind was picking up nicely and there is a good chance of some sunshine. So I am feeling very confident. Time for crumpet and jam on the ridgemonkey.
Hot food is a must for Autumn and especially in the colder Winter months.
This swim was getting a bit of a squeeze, my bivvy was pushed back up against the bamboo as much as possible and the water was still only a foot away from the bivvy door as the rest of the swim was well under water.
Hopefully, I will be able to fish this swim over the winter still.
At 1600, the right hand rod bust into life, I picked the rod up and stuck the tip under water. The fish would be under the overhanging tree and I did not need it breaking the surface.
After what was quite a battle, I had managed to get the fish under control and plodding around in front of the swim. It did have the odd attempt to get back under the overhanging tree, no way you are mind I thought, as I drew the carp into the waiting net.
Another hard fighting carp, at 20 lb 8 oz, I was very happy and after re-baiting both rod’s for the night. It was time for a 4 pm brew and a sausage sandwich (with cheese – thanks Rob for the idea), they taste fantastic.
The sun was saying good night and I was very hopefully of another carp.
As the temperature dropped through the night and it was also very still, this amplified the sound of the odd fish crashing. Unfortunately, they where not very close and the night was filled with that and broken sleep.
Hopefully the sun will be out before I am off at 1400 hrs, not sure as there is no wind and no sign of any sunshine. This will be interesting to see how the fishes behaviour is affected along the snaggy bank.
It’s around noon time, a light wind has picked up and the sun had burnt off the misty morning. I am going to give it until 1400, has I need to be home and sorted out in time to collect the family from the airport at 1730.
I am hoping I should be in with a shout by then, as most of my daytime takes happen before 1400 hrs.
Unfortunately, this was the only fish of the trip. I did think I would get another one, but hey, that’s fishing for you.
Till next time
Richard
Trip No 79 Carp Fishing (2015)
I am fishing the Gap, leading into the salutary area of the lake today, as over pasted walks round the lake there apiers to be a few fish about and for some reason I fancied a change form the main lake today, we shall just have to see.
Both rod’s have poloni pop ups on as it’s that time of the year when there are plenty of leafs floating around.
Both rod’s have small Godman Angling mesh bag’s on filled with Bait-tech micro pellets and soaked in Krill and Tuna oil, as this is still working for me at the moment there is no real point in altering my approach to fishing.
Around 1pm I was starting to think I had got this a bit wrong the rain had arrived and the wind had picked up and the swim was looking good, however no signs of any fish.
And with no joy by 1400, it was toto reel the rod’s in and head for school, I did have a quick look round in preparation for tomorrow trip, unfortunately no quloos to where to start, oh well.
Till next time
Richard
Trip No 80 Carp Fishing (2015)
I am not fishing the open water as both rod’s have been flicked along the margin with poloni pop up and a small bag as normal. However, if I see any signs of fish on the open water, I will be certainty moving a rod or two. At this time, I would like to just watch, wait and see.
The rain came in hard for an hour, Winter can’t be far away as the Robins are after food.
The only beep that day was from the friendly Robin after more food.
Till next Time
Richard
Part 8 of 10 will follow in a couple of weeks
Until then Richard
