Hi Guys and Gals,
As usual I start with my thanks (grovel) to the lady in my life. For without her help my food on the bank would be a bland diet of fried eggs and tinned food. Heather delivers a much more varied selection of MacDonald’s, fish and chips, Chinese or Indian takeaways, all this whilst I concentrate on the important stuff. (Fishing of course) Many many thanks hehe.
Now seriously, let’s get on with the real reason for writing this piece.
You may remember from my last article that I was on a real high after beating my personal best 5 times in the one season, all since using the new baits from Ocean Fresh and taking some well received advice from the rest of the guys in our bunch. See the other articles from this intrepid bunch of Carp fishing nutters. Geeman, Timbo, Doug, Bonnie etc.
The main advice that I have taken and cannot repeat to others often enough is. If they aint in there your not gonna catch em. And more importantly, keep working at it; the more you put in the better the rewards. This is so so true as you are about to hear. READ ON.
It has been a busy year for me at work and I have been unable to get out much, seven trips in total since the beginning of the season. I had a couple of nice fish to 28lb on the opening day and another two over the next 6 trips, but I had not been unable to connect with the fish and had blanked for the last 4 sessions. I was going into hospital soon and new that the next trip might be my last this year. |
After blanking for four sessions in a row, my confidence was a little down and phone call to the lads was in order. What’s going on? Where are the fish? What’s the best tactic? All were asked and guess what, back came the same answers time and time again. Use your water craft, locate where the fish are and don’t just arrive and pick the most comfortable swims. The more effort you put in, the better will be the reward.
With that advice in mind I visited the lake for the next two weeks, arriving each night an hour before dusk, not fishing just watching and trying to locate the fish. Using my marker rod I discovered features and likely feeding spots on the lake bed. These were duly noted and the rods clipped up ready to cast to these spots. Most anglers on this water (Geeman excluded, see his article THE BIG HIT) had had slim pickings since the floods last year. Although some guys (those that were in the know and putting in the time) had been “having it off” as they say. Seeing and understanding what was going on the lake, who was fishing where, and what fish had come out, I planned my attack. All of this was to prove a key factor in my latest fish capture from this water and add another personal best to my list.
The scene was set as I arrived just before dusk on the Friday. Quickly out with the rods (previously clipped up on the chosen spots) and a trickle (about 20) baits spread around in the vicinity. I’m not a great fan of large beds of bait on short sessions, and had already introduced a small amount (less than ½ kilo) of OCEANFRESH SQUID & OCTUPUS to give the fish a taster, two nights before the session. The hook baits went out as balanced doubles, fished snowman style, on chod rigs, with 3 bait stringers and I settled back to wait. Nothing happened that evening and after a phone call to the Geeman (who was fishing a new pit), I settled down for the night. My slumbers were rudely interrupted at 08:45 the next morning as the right hand buzzer screamed at me. Out of the bivvie, boots on and the rod in my hand all in less that a few seconds, it had been a long time since I had a fish on and I wasn’t going to loose this one. The fight was slow and ponderous, the fish staying deep and out of sight for some 15minutes. Then after a few lunges and just as suddenly as it had started, it was all over. The fish was up on the top, guided into the net and I was struggling up the bank towards the unhooking mat. This was big, maybe bigger than anything I had already caught, I said to myself. A quick call to Timbo and I gasped down the phone “get down here fast wiv your camera bud” – “it’s BIG”
The rest is history, Timbo arrived Kids in tow, camera in hand, and with a growing crowd of onlookers, did his David Baily bit. We popped the fish into the weigh-sling and with trembling hands and sweat pouring down my brow I tried to see the weight. 35, 36, 37½lb, the scales were jumping all over the place. Whether it was the trembling in my hands, the sweat in my eyes or just the fish moving, I couldn’t get a true reading and Timbo had to do the honours. Eventually it settled and we agreed on 36½lb, it was then that Timbo informed me that it was “Teardrop” one of the lakes older residents. Another personal best and a known named fish to boot. WoooooHoo |
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