UK Carp & Coarse Fishing

Trip 14 Carp Fishing – 2021

Posted on March 20, 2021 by richardhandel

Today, the weather conditions are better than I thought they would be. There’s a good NE wind blowing, however, the sun was out and if I could get a swim that was facing the sun, I could set my brolly up and shelter from the wind. The NE wind blows directly down the lake, so there’s no real best areas to pitch up, but I felt the sunny bank would be more favourable and if possible the same swim as my last trip as there must be something that they love about that margin!

I arrived at just after 9 am and I was the only car in the car park, which was a shock after the past couple of trips and I wasn’t now really sure of the best plan of action. So, I loaded the barrow and had a slow walkabout and left it in a few swims, but I was still being drawn back to that swim which had produced the better carp for me recently.

The margins were looking perfect , the sun beating down on them. It was definitely worth another go. I’m going to have to sit on my hands a bit, the bites didn’t arrive until noontime and there’s a chance that the hook bait was in the wrong spot for the morning. After I moved it, the takes happened. The left rod is going to be more of a roving rod today, I’m sure there are carp about in open water as I had a few liners, I just couldn’t get a pickup, even after moving the rod. This time, I’ll be recasting every few hours with a string on with half cut up boilies to release some attraction.

I will also be scattering some 8mm Catalyst pellets and 12mm Catalyst boilies, in the hope of attracting any passing carp. They may just be simply moving up or down the lake. I’d a heavy liner on the margin rod just after 1015, which resulted in me striking and getting no contact with a fish. I flicked the rod back out after checking the hook, all good there.

I recast the roving rod at just after 1pm (as no action had materialized) across to the far margins as the sun was over there. From mid-morning onwards, the sun had gone and the clouds had moved in, it felt like a different day. This would account for the lack of action and not seeing any signs of carp. When the sun came out again just after 3pm, I felt like I could be in with a chance again but there is a fair chance I’m heading for a blank. I’m not going to complain about after my last two trips out.

With the sun going down and the temperature dropped rapidly it was time to get home.

Until next time

Stay safe

Richard

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Talking Carp Magazine (March) Issue 61

Posted on March 19, 2021 by richardhandel

I’ve another article in this month’s Talking Carp Magazine

Talking Carp Magazine

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Trip 13 Carp Fishing – 2021

Posted on March 18, 2021 by richardhandel

I was able to get down the School Lake again today and I was there by 0830. I think everyone had had the same plan as me and I found 5 cars in the car park. Luckily, everyone was well spread out and I was able to go back into the swim I started in yesterday. This time, I flicked one across the other side and baited up with 20mm Classic Corn boilies, in the hope of attracting one of the bigger residents.

The other rod was placed up the margins to my right again, I scattered 8mm Catalyst pellets and 12mm Catalyst boilies with a PPS 12mm pop up.

There’s every chance that I will not get the opportunity to move today. So I’m planning on topping both areas will a few more baits every few hours, to build up the swim.

After having had a few liners on both rods, it was looking pretty perfect and then it went all dead. And the rain arrived. I’ve not seen anything at all today which inspires me to move. I think today is all about sticking with it and (hopefully) a fish will come along at some point.

It was noon again when the right-hand rod dropped back, I grabbed the rod, it was attached to an extremely unhappy carp who was shaking its head and trying to get back under the overhanging brambles. Once it was under the rod tip, it slowly gave up the fight.

17lb 1oz Common

I got the rod back on the spot and topped it up with a few more boilies and pellets. I sat back down for a bite to eat under the brolly as the rain came down. Not long after it stopped, the same rod was away again, with yet another extremely hard fighting carp! Who was again, shaking its head and heading out to open water, it was soon under the rod tip, I played it out and slipped it into the net.

20lb 1oz Mirror

Happy with that! And very happy with the results over the past couple of days, with the better stamp of carp.

With only an hour left to go, the mist is starting to come down and there’s definitely a chill in the air. It would be nice to catch another carp, but I mustn’t be greedy.

Until next time

Stay safe

Richard

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Trip 12 Carp Fishing – 2021

Posted on March 16, 2021 by richardhandel

I arrived down the lake at my normal time to find 4 cars in the car park, which isn’t a bad number. I parked up and took a walk about. I worked out an area of the lake which was pretty much left alone and would give me a fair chance of a carp. The weather was pretty bleak, there was a NE wind blowing, which comes down the lake and you can’t really hide from that. I also didn’t want to set my brolly up as I need to keep an eye on the far margins, they’d produced the odd carp recently.

I set up my rods and flicked one to my left and the other one to my right along the margins. I scattered some 12mm Catalyst boilies with 8mm Catalyst pellets soaked in the food dip over each hook bait. One rod I used a pva bag as I wasn’t sure if the pads had stated to shoot or not.

After spotting a carp show just before noon, I was soon around the other side of the lake and set up with two 12mm Catalyst pop ups over a handful of 8mm Catalyst pellets.

Hopefully, this will produce a fish within the next hour or so.

I was getting a few heavy liners again and was also getting worried that I may spook any carp out of the swim; as this has happened 3 times now. I think it may be time to carry my captive back leads with me, I’m not a fan of the running down the line sort, as this has resulted in a few fish lost over the years.

Just after 1230, the right hand rod was away and this was no way a small carp. After getting it back out from under the overhanging trees, it was away into open water and on a mission. As it had been so long since I’ve hooked a half decent fish, I was playing it a bit to carefully than was necessary. It was finally under control after what felt like a lifetime and a few scary moments, it was then finally in the net and I could breathe again!

18lb 10oz Mirror

I was over the moon. It had been some months since a stunning carp was in my hands.

I soon had the rods out again, I very nearly moved, but I was interested to see if this was a one off, or do they move along these margins?

It’s absolutely lovely now with the sun out. I was hoping that another carp would come along this margin and find my hook baits, as this area must be the warmest part of the lake. There’s still a hope as I have just over an hour to go.

Unfortunately, that was that.

Until next time
Stay safe
Richard

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Trip 11 Carp Fishing – 2021

Posted on March 14, 2021 by richardhandel

I’m out for another day on the School Lake, unfortunately, there are 4 others fishing today and this will certainly make moving about fun. I’ve come up by the island as it’s my only real option at the moment. I will be fishing it a lot differently than yesterday as I’m trying to find the bigger carp, they must be on the move. I have positioned one bait off the side of the island on the drop-off, not far from where the carp where yesterday, it’s further along the island away from the snags. The other rod is along the left margin and in front of the outlet. I’m using a bag with crushed Classic Corn boilies and 12 mm pops on both rods.

10.30 and the right rod was away with a not very happy School Lake Common on the other end. It fought like a wild carp, shooting all over the place but I finally had it in the net.

No monster, but very well received in these trying times.

The rod was soon back on the spot and hopefully not too long until the next bite.

11.15 and the left-hand rod was away, with what felt like a better fish this time. You could certainly tell from the fight.

Lovely looking mirror carp and just over the 10lb mark. It’s going to come as a shock when I get back onto my syndicate waters and hook into a 30+. I will probably be completely overwhelmed with the fight and the size.

I made up another bag, dropped it down the margins again, sat back to write my blog, and have a brew.

Note to self ‘must try Zigs’, as in the last 2 hours I’ve had two heavy liners, where a carp had swum into the line. I’ve seen the fish and they are not a pike. This can happen at this time of the year, when the fish start to spawn, not 100% confident will zig but worth bringing the kit next time.

I’ve moved the bait from the side of the island into the deeper water and attached a bag. You never know, there could be other fish lower down in the water and there could be a chance of a pickup. It’s got to be worth a try over the next few hours and if I see signs back near the island, I’ll move it back there later on this afternoon.

At 2pm, I moved the right-hand rod back to by the island, as there were clearly carp moving about over there again and with a chance of sunshine, it should be a good shout for a bite later on this afternoon

With only an hour left to go and the sun on my back, it’s certainly starting to feel a lot more like Spring in the last few days and hopefully a sign of things to come. You can still get the odd glitch in the system, but it can only get warmer. There’s no going back into Winter once Spring has arrived. March is one of my favorite months as nature starts coming to life, slowly but surely the place will become green again.