New, Dutch Ocean Fresheeeeee

Ian Brittain.
Ian Fishing report

Hi Guys and Gals,

Firstly let’s not forget the ladies amongst us, not just the fisher women but the fishing wives and our partners. For without their involvement or patience, most of us (especially the married ones) would hardly get the chance to wet a line. “Well that’s enough grovelling to Heather my Wife, to get me the visa for the next months fishing”.

Watch out Cypry – here I come.

Who am I? – Well let’s put it this way, you have met all the young ones in our posse, Timbo, Gee-man, Mark, and Doughie. Me? Well I’m the old wrinkly of the bunch. The name is Ian. I’m the one in Timbo’s dodgy photos pulling all the fishy faces. 50+ years and still at it! The fishing that is J

Where shall I start? History, Fishing trips, Reports, Baits, rigs? Where Oh where?
As this is my first report I will give you a little bit of my history and how I came to join this intrepid bunch of carping nutters. Hopefully you will all write in telling me what you would prefer me to write about. (By the way info on my sex life is out of bounds) 30+ Years married and still fishing, I leave you to take from that what you wish.

History
Spawned in 1955 and matured in a small stock pond in central London. At the ripe old age of 7 I joined two of my best buddies on my first wondrous fishing trip, to a little know river called the Thames. Armed with bamboo canes, balls of twine and bent pins for hooks, we all set out one early spring morning. Dreaming of the monsters that hid beneath the murky waters and how we were going to conquer this mighty fishing stream called “The River Thames”. Guess what! Nothing, not a single fish came to our worm baited rods that morning. “Must be the bent pins agreed my buddy’s Robin and John” So we sent John off with our hard earned pocket monies to get some real hooks. John soon returned proudly clutching a packet of size 16 hooks and we all set about getting down to REAL fishing. Now hook tied tightly to the end of my line I went for the big chuck (cast), only to hear Robin shout and scream with pain. Oops, guess who had firmly set the hook in his best mate’s hand. That was the end of my first fishing experience as we all set off on the 5 mile bike ride to the nearest hospital.

I wont bore you with all the details of fishing trips between then and 2004 season, suffice to say I fished,  drank, met girls, got married, had kids and fished some more. Whilst my skills were honed, my personal best over the years was still only 18½ lb, a lovely fish

Almost a full leather carp seen in the photo below. 43 years fishing and still that elusive 20lb+ fish eluded me.


"18.5lb Mirror Carp from Pebbles Lake in Berkshire"


I had stopped fishing for some years when Gee-man (son of my old fishing buddy Mick) Called round to tell me about some lakes he was targeting. The only words that I remember from that conversation were “If you hook into one it will be 20lb+” Those magic words still ring in my ears today and stirred the young soul in this old wrinkly.

For the next 6 Months, not wishing to appear a doddery fool in front of the young-un’s, I fished a couple of local lakes (almost always on my own). No one could see the mess I made of getting used to Square Pear leads, combi links and wide gap hook systems. But with patience and coaching from the lads, I eventually got the hang of it and arranged to meet Gee and Timbo on the coveted 20’s lake. The scene was set, I would meet them at the water the next weekend and we would go for it.

We all arrived and set up in the deeps, Timbo on the right me in the middle and Gee out on the Left. I think Timbo had invented a new cast and was keen to show me how it was done. Feet firmly planted, Timbo let go with an almighty overhead swing, whoosh went the lead then crack went the leader. I think it travelled some 200 meters but alas, the line was no longer connected to the reel. We decided that the style was to be called
 “The Crack-Off” cast. (Gotcha back for the dodgy photos bud hehe).

Joking apart, many thanks to Tim for the coaching in the park where we both hurled lumps of lead for ages until I got some style and distance back into my casting. We set up, got some food and then embarked on a social with a few beers. Later that evening with alarms and bobbins set, one rod out long in a channel and one in the margins, I retired in anticipation of my first 20lb fish. Much to my disappointment, nothing happened that night with the alarms staying ominously quiet.

The next day I had just made a cup of tea when the still of the lake was suddenly broken by the scream of my right hand rod alarm. Leaping off the bed chair I snatched up the rod and bent into my first take from the lake. With heart pumping the clutch was set and the rod bent double. Could I stop this fish? The drag was set as high as safe, but this fish was tearing line off like some demented motor boat. Nothing I could do but hang on and wait until the run slowed 100m 150m then 200m. Nothing it seemed was going to stop this monster as it headed for the far end of the lake and the safe haven of the duck pond. As the fish kitted right towards the last swim on the night bank, known as the cut, suddenly there was a twang as the line parted company and all went slack. My heart was in my mouth as I slowly reel back the line, only to see the tell tale sign a curly twisted end of a broken knot.  Gutted wasn’t the word, 40+ years of fishing and I had never had a knot break on me. The hope of my 1st 20lb fish, like the line, was shattered.

I tried to carry on that day but my heart just wasn’t in it. So I settled down to watch and learn from the young masters Timbo and Gee. One good thing did come of that session, Later that day I met with Mark (known to his friends as bonnie). A quiet chap but highly skilled in the art of catching Carp. His knowledge of the lake was going to prove invaluable in the months to come. We all left the lake that day with a plan in mind. Not to compete but to pool our resources is pursuit of the big fish concurring on this notoriously hard water. I learnt from Bonnie that not only did the water hold a good stock of 20’s but also held a few 30 plus fish. Now my appetite was truly wetted.

The plan to all use the same bait, to establish a pre-baiting campaign during the closed season and to and to pool our knowledge and findings. During the closed season we purchased hundreds of pounds of bait between us and took it in turns to bait up selected areas a plan that was to lead to my best fishing season yet.

Many thanks to Ocean Fresh team who helped me not only catch my first 20lb Carp, but to smash my PB no less than 5 times in the one season.

Catch up with me next time when I will tell you more “hint of what’s to come”.


Thanks, Ian Brittain