DH FISHING |
As we moved in to July there had been a short enforced break as the Syndicate fish finally spawned, so I had left them alone while they got it out of the way. I was looking forward to a return though and hoped that the fish would be up for a good feed being post Spawn. One of the lads said Scar had been sighted a couple of times so after a good fortnight away I made my way back for a session. Once again the warm weather we were enjoying had continued and it looked good for a fish off the surface. The Carp were a bit lethargic though and although plenty were about they weren't mega keen on the floaters. Eventually though one tripped up but it was just a scraper double. I tried for another but the opportunity did not arise, so it was back to base for the night. I got the baits in position and then sat on my hands. All evidence suggested that fish were in the area, however the night passed with no take, which was annoying due to several quite aggressive liners. As fish had showed and there was even several periods of fizzing on my patch I remained patient and eventually well over 24hrs later, the rod which had seen the most activity went, producing this nice 21lb+ Mirror. This was the spot where I had heard what I thought to be the big girl crash before spawning and on previous captures she has form for coming from this area, so I felt I was edging closer and closer. Comically i'd nicknamed it scars bush and as we edged in to evening I was graced by a beautiful sunset and the lake looked simply stunning, creating an atmosphere perfect for the crowning moment.... As the backdrop of deep purples, blues and summer green hues melted into darkness, I was hopeful of another take... and it came. Much sooner than I expected, just after midnight, I was connected to a good fish, which as with many spots on Selby was hooked locked up and it was a take no prisoners situation until the fish was safe and in open water. As I flicked on the headtorch beam, I got a glimpse. It was a Common and after a short fight it went in the net relatively easily. I looked down and thought it was the 25lb 13oz fish I caught before. But it wasn't and it was on trying to lift it out that the penny dropped..... I'd done it. There she was. I was absolutely speechless. Personal best smashed and my first thirty at 37lbs 8ozs. To catch it only half a season in was simply a privilege and it was my goal for the year. After ending up in water seeing her off safe I then spent the next hour just sat in a bit of daze letting it sink in. I never bothered putting the rod back out during the night and once the adrenaline died off a bit I caught up on some sleep. A beautiful, warm dawn ensued and it looked good for a bit more stalking. So I trundled off and added another fish to the tally for the session - This beautiful scaley which is without a doubt one of the nicest Carp I've ever caught! After slipping this one back it was definitely time to quit while I was ahead and it was back to base for an hour to chill, before packing up and heading for home.
Despite the success of Catching Scar, I was still looking forward to more sessions on the lake and i'll detail those in a fourth blog, which will see us through to the end of 2017.... Those that know me, know there was a bit of a plot twist and by my own admission a humongous slice of luck yet to come, but for the time being I decided to go enjoy a couple of session elsewhere before returning. Look out for the next instalment in the next week or so. Thanks again for reading, Tight lines, Dan
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Following the long session even though it had been difficult I felt like I was getting in to my season nicely and was itching to get back down again and the opportunity soon came for another 48hrs, which although quiet proved fruitful after a short bit of stalking in one of the beds of lily's where fish were held up sunbathing. This time it was one of the lakes smaller residents that turned out to be the prize, but it was another one under my belt and I left the lake happy having not blanked. As time progressed and the warm rays of summer tightened their grip, I looked forward to my next session and with a very warm spell forecast hoped I could do what I enjoy best and bag a few off the top. Indeed when I next arrived it was absolutely sweltering, approaching 30 degrees and the Carp were lapping it up mooching about on the surface. So I wasted no time in going after them and soon banked myself this lovely 17lb Common. The fish in the area moved off following this one, so a quick relocation followed and I found a few more basking Carp, which were willing to have a go on the floaters. The next take didn't take too long and it turned out to be this lovely 22lb 14oz character, with leathery, dark flanks, which I was particularly pleased with. Again the fish that were left following this one didn't really hang about, so I decided to go check out the other end of the lake and there were good numbers there too, that were all up for a floater or two and It didn't take long at all to add a third fish of 16lbs 8ozs! By now after my 'chasing', the soaring temperatures had me a bit jaded so I decided to retreat in to the shade, re-hydrate and get base camp set up. In retrospect why I then opted to barrow my gear back round the lake to do this I'm not too sure, but I soon had three rods out for the evening to likely looking areas, in the mind set that any more fish would be a nice bonus. I was confident there were fish in the area and the following mid morning a received a take off the right hand rod and straight away It felt decent. Quite a protracted battle ensued and I soon caught a glimpse of a good common. At this point I was a little nervous as it was the right shape to be the big girl but I couldn't be sure if it had the size. The fish proceeded to charge all over under the other rods but eventually I had her subdued and in the net. The result was this cracking 25lb 13oz bar of gold, which I was chuffed to bits with. My fifth fish of the season over 25lbs. I really couldn't ask for much more. The weather had cooled significantly that morning and it looked good for another and the same spot produced again around 5hrs later, but unfortunately the culprit managed to get rid of the hook and that was to be that. When I next got the opportunity to get down we were again in the grips of very warm weather and amazingly the fish had not yet spawned. In comparison to the last session there were no where near the same quantity of fish present on the surface, however the ones that were, definitely showed willing to take surface baits and ten minutes in the first swim led to a take and a slow powerful fight ensued. Another ten or so minutes later, I slipped the net under a very chunky fish, that dwarfed my previous capture..... 'could be 30' was all that was in my mind at the time. After gaining assistance from Steve, the head bailiff, the Reubens read 29lbs 4ozs. 5ozs short of my personal best and 12ozs short of the magical number. Again I was elated and I went in to the night full of confidence after getting the rods out on the spots. Dawn broke and shortly after the left hand rod rattled off. Unfortunately the fish on the other hand had other ideas and soon had me snagged. After my previous experienced of already losing a fish to a snag I did not hesitate to go and get the boat and as it was my first time in a boat to 'retrieve' a fish, it was undoubtedly going to be fun. So off I went around the back of the offending snag and after a quick pull on the line the fish kicked and swam straight out, leaving me to play a game of carousel until eventually coaxing it in to the net! Although much smaller at around 17lbs, landing this one was quite rewarding, with the cat and mouse involving the snag, so it was very welcome. Later on I did manage to hook another, only to go and lose it at the net!! The rest of the session passed relatively quietly although on the final morning I managed to nick a third after a proper battle. A muscle packed Common of 24lbs 4ozs. All In all it had been a very successful few weeks and I felt like I was building momentum. During that session i'd heard a massive fish crash over one of the spots, leaving me very keen to get back and on it, as it hadn't yet produced. I was adamant it could only be one fish, leaving me ultra confident that I was slowly homing in on her...
Maybe next time? Third instalment to come, Thanks for reading, Dan Erics Willows has firmly cemented its reputation as the North's premier big fish water and indeed, one of the best in the country. With at least 5 different 50lb fish swimming about at the right time of year as well as numerous back up 40's and 30's, it really is the place to go if you live 'up north' and want to catch a Unit. I was first invited to walk round the fishery late summer 2016 by then Fishery Manager, Tom Broomhead and it soon became apparent it was a step up from what I had been used to in my angling. There's plenty of fish in the lake, well over 400 I believe, but extracting them from one of its 20 swims, most seasons can sometimes be a tactical game. The lake is well known for its rich environment, which consequently results in abundant weed growth, with many fish needing to be landed from a boat. I wouldn't say I was daunted by it, but I would say in certain situations it's not for the faint hearted, however in the meantime I was very focused on my Selby Campaign and visiting Willows hit the back burner. However as most will know that follow me on Facebook etc, I was lucky enough to land my main target fish from there, thus achieving my goal for 2017 - to catch my first 30lb Carp. I had heard rumours it had been fishing well and much to the surprise of many, the usually abundant weed was virtually non-existant! I decided to get booked on and turned up to a busy lake. But there were a few swims free in pegs 5-9, which I felt presented a very good chance of catching due to the lack of pressure on that area. I opted for peg 6. That left swims free either side of me and I hoped that would allow fish plenty of room to move around me. On walking round I was told it was fishing hard, with hardly anything out. I'd spoken to some of the regulars prior to arriving, who have consistent success on the lake and was told good beds of bait were key, but at the lake I was advised to go the opposite way. As you can imagine, having rocked up with the idea to fill it in, I was left in a quandary. But, I decided to go against that and go with my original plan, found a spot and introduced plenty of Hull Particle Darkside and Maize, with a good helping of CoreBaits CB4 mixed in. To my surprise I instantly began getting liners. Unfortunately, my plan of having space around me was soon kicked in to touch as a couple of lads jumped in 5 and 7, but it is what it is. Soon the lad in 5 had bagged two in an hour, with one being the big leather at 42lb+. Then the doubt started to set in, as the following day the lad in 7 had one of the known 50lb fish down in weight at 47lbs, an absolute unit known as Scar. I wasn't sure if I had just been unlucky as we were all fishing similar ranges and I had seen fish on me. But I didn't panic and stuck to my guns, introducing a bit of fresh bait and re-doing the rods for the final night. Thankfully not long after midnight, my persistence paid off with my first Willows Carp at 20lb 2ozs and at this point it became apparent that maybe it was simply that the wrong fish had picked my hook bait up and judging by the fact I had one in the net I must have done something half right! Nevertheless, I was buzzing to get my first fish from the lake under my belt and with two fish for over 90lbs out either side of me I felt I was very close to the chunk I came for. It was great to see those two units on the bank though, seeing the elation from the captors. That was it for that session although I was hungry to return and I had planned a long session a few weeks later and turned up to the lake full of optimism. I did the done thing of setting off with a bucket, but only got as far as peg 7 before seeing two fish show, one of which seemed a lump. So I thought it was as good a place as any to start and with pegs 5-9 free, I was was happy enough dropping in there with the lack of pressure. The first 24hrs passed without event, after introducing a good helping of bait in open water. So I wound in and much to my surprise i found fish up around the Islands. Stalking proved ineffective, so I opted to go back to base and drop a rig plus a good helping of bait in the baitboat up in to the mouth of the island channel. The following morning it was away! This one went over 20lbs and was a good start. For the next 24hrs things were relatively quiet, but in the early hours of Thursday morning things started to come together. The channel rod went again, with a 16lb+ Mirror, so the spot was obviously good and I was regularly hearing bigger fish crashing all around. As day broke on Thursday I awoke to fish literally everywhere. It was like a dolphin show. I sat on my hands thinking it had to happen. A rod surely had to go. Shortly after the left duly obliged and pulled up tight. Once again though it was another stocky which turned out to be a little pearler. It was getting a little frustrating not bagging something a bit bigger, but I felt as I was catching with each take I was closer to that lump. That was the last fish though, as I feel the fish moved on after that flurry of action. Still though, another good session and I cannot complain, with four fish from my first two sessions on the lake. I am intending to have another crack very soon, so maybe, just maybe, that lump will turn up now they're on their autumn munch!
Tight lines, Dan. In March I was over the moon to get the opportunity to chance my arm at the Selby Syndicate. A fishery with real history on the Yorkshire scene and one that was right up my street. The lakes have changed over the years but in the current format, the syndicate is totally separate from the adjacent Day Ticket and forms a myriad of bays, snags and features. I actually first set foot there in 2007/8, doing a bit of work for Roger while studying in fisheries management and back then I was just transitioning in to Carp fishing. I've always wanted to go back though! Of course my main aim for 2017 was to catch my first 30lb fish and swimming around in there is one that would do just that - The Scar Common.... If I was lucky enough to catch it. I'd always wanted to break the barrier with a bit of a challenge and being the only resident of the lake always over the 30 mark, singling it out was going to be no mean feat. So, after my grandad's passing I took myself straight there after his funeral to clear my head and familiarise myself with the lake once again. It was hard not to fall in love with the fishery instantly and although it was still in it's bare state coming in to spring, it was nice to watch it start to come to life as the seasons changed. My first session passed without event, but it was nice to be there getting a feel for the place and I was eager to get back. Due to it's sheltered nature and deep water, sport can be steady away early season, but there were a few fish getting caught and one of the swims that seemed to be producing was 'pads'. One of the trickiest swims to fish due to precise casts that were required very close to the far bank, plus snags aplenty. Dawn had broke and I had a take on the middle rod which turned out to be a Roach that dropped off! Cursing a little there was just enough light to drop the rod back in tight to the bank. Shortly after I got a take on the left, this time a Carp. It seemed bad luck was set in though as the hook pulled. I had thought that would be it, with any fish there probably spooked from the area due to the disturbance but amazingly, the middle went again and it was action stations. Sadly though the fish on the other end knew exactly where it was going and shot off like it was on rails, despite following what I was told to get them out. It had found sanctuary in a snag to the right. I had a bit of a Mexican stand off on my hands with the fish still on but long story short the line parted and much to my annoyance the fish was gone. I took some positives away from the session, as i'd had a couple of takes, so as soon as I got chance I was straight back in the swim on a day session. One thing that had become apparent very early was that fish were coming out in the day, or at least the majority were. So I knew it was worth going. I got two rods on the money and I sat down to sort the third and unbelievably the first was away!! It had only been in the water 10 minutes. The fish felt decent and came in as good as gold thankfully, going in the net first time. On looking down in to the net I realised it was a good fish. I was absolutely ecstatic to get my first one in the bag, but for it to go 27lbs 14ozs was a real privilege. At the time it became the second biggest Carp I had ever caught and was one of the lakes better fish. It was only mid morning and in the elation of the capture, i'd made a schoolboy error, running out of leads. So I decided to quit while I was ahead and call it a day early. My next session came around quickly and I was itching to get back. Opting to fish a swim called dugout, one of the most popular swims on the lake, I got the rods out on to a couple of spots that were obvious features to fish to. Unfortunately it was to be a quiet session. However on the second day I had noticed what looked to be debris drifting around an island around 60-70yds away. I sat for hours watching and the more I did so, the more I wondered if it was actually fish. I wasn't expecting fish to be on the surface but had been told they do like to get up in the layers at the first sign of sun. I suppose it makes sense with the lake being 10ft+ in most places. So I wound in and went for a wonder. Sure enough there was a shoal of Carp, unwittingly minding their own business. I shot back round to the brolly and set up a surface rig straight away. To my amazement on feeding the fish responded instantly and quite positively. So much so I didn't even wait to cast in. A couple of minutes later a fish smashed the hook bait and I was in! The fish kited hard and tried to go round a corner to my left but steady pressure brought her back round. Still though, it was a dogged fight under the rod tip, but eventually I gained the upper hand and was soon looking at a block of gold in the net! I was blown away at this point. Roger came round and did the pictures for me and the fish turned out to be the 'Perfect Common' at 26lb 2ozs, which set a new personal best Common! I literally couldn't have asked for more. There was no more action from that session, but I was looking forward to a long session coming up and hoped I could bag a few more! From there I had a 10 day session planned at the start of May and was really looking forward to it. I had organised to have a bit of a social with my good mate Jack, with him tagging along for a guest session. On arrival we had a good look around and saw fish immediately in the car park cut through. We had already eyed up two particular swims due to their closeness together and one was immediately adjacent to where we'd seen the fish. Obviously it's not always a good idea from a 'fishing' point of view to think about the social aspect of things, but we'd not seen fish anywhere else and to be fair fish had been getting caught in various areas, so given the time we had I believed we had a decent chance of a fish or two! In these swims in particular, they aren't the easiest casts, with baits needing to be chucked tight to the far bank in order to get bites. But we got the rods in position and then kicked back. The night passed with little event until I was woke at first light with a beaming smile from Jack followed by the words 'I've got one'. For me that was mission accomplished. Obviously I wanted to catch myself but was very pleased to see him get a fish. My memory escapes me a little here but I think it went over 23lbs and was a lovely Carp, with sparsely scaled leathery flanks and a big old rudder. From here on in, the mood was buoyant. Until the Carp started mugging me off that is! I got a take mid afternoon, only for the hook to pull and as the week went on, through getting hammered by Bream, then going on to lose two more - it was quite safe to say I was having a nightmare! But I soldiered on and unfortunately there had been no more action for Jack apart from a couple of Bream. He was pulling off on the Friday, while I intended to stay for another few days. On his last evening we ordered the mandatory Chinese takeaway and shortly after another Bream related interlude, one of his rods went again and this time the curve in his longbow confirmed it wasn't a Bream. A short scuffle later I caught a glimpse of it in the twilight and it looked a good fish and it went in the net first time. Unbelievably it was the same fish I caught first, right at the start of this entry. But heavier. Just shy of 29lbs was the result on the Reubens and it was a great moment to share. A nice send off for him as it was his last fish of the session. Unfortunately I had still not managed to put a fish on the bank, which was frustrating and a swim move was considered. But I decided, having seen fish not far away and given the bait I had invested in to the swim, to stick it out, hoping my luck would change.... and eventually a take on the left hand rod came. Drawing the fish safely from the snags, it wallowed in and with a big shout dropped in to the net - and what a Carp I was looking down at! There have been a few more fish since I caught this one, but it remains one of my favourites on my Selby Campaign so far. I couldn't have asked for a better fish to see off the gremlins that had been tainting the session until she went over the cord - by pure coincidence, the fish went 27lb 14ozs and equalled my first capture of the year. It was job done, but it seems the good old 'swings and roundabouts' stage of the session had arrived and no sooner had this one swum out of the sling, one of my other rods was away! I couldn't quite believe it and again teased the fish away from the far bank snags. It became clear I was attached to a decent Common. I had photographed one of the ones I wanted a few days previously for one of the other lads on the syndicate, the Holmes Common. Amazingly, two minutes later it was sat in my net! Pectorals brisling in defiance, none of us could believe it as three or four of the lads were congregated in my swim. We got her out and she went 26lbs 8ozs, setting a new PB Common again and it wasn't happy about having it's picture taken! Eventually though, the fish co-operated with us! I was very relieved that the session had come good. It would have been a bit gutting to blank for that length of time, but I guess effort equalled reward in the end and I will leave it there for now.
There will be another instalment to come very soon, but in the meantime... Tight lines, Dan. Well, this blog entry has been a long time in coming. A lot of time has passed since I last put fingers to keyboard about my angling exploits . It's been a turbulent period, full of lessons and I had debated whether to actually continue writing blogs given things that had happened. But then again, why not? 2016 began with a bang, but for all the wrong reasons. Since the age of 16 I had always wanted to break in to the fishing industry, in some capacity and a couple of years ago I tried to take the first steps by pursuing what many young anglers do nowadays - becoming a team member for companies. On the bank, things were going well, but off the bank I was unknowingly approaching a harsh lesson, in how things can go in 'the trade' sometimes and I suppose life. I'd never experienced being 'shown the door' to put it politely by anyone and that's exactly what happened. It hit me hard. I lost motivation, couldn't be bothered to get on the bank and questioned why I had bothered. I've decided to include this in a blog for a reason - and lets be crystal clear, that it is not as a snipe to the parties involved, as what is done is done, but as a warning to young anglers who think being backed by companies is the holy grail.... It quite simply isn't. The fishing world has undoubtedly gone mad, with young anglers chasing sponsorship deals and plundering the living daylights out of every form of media available to them on their quest to achieve - which on one hand is great, as there's nothing wrong with wanting to further yourself, particularly in a trade you love, but on the other hand, the market is saturated with loads of anglers wanting the same. I fell in to this trap and it is one of my biggest ever mistakes. Away from this, on a personal level, my grandad had become ill. Cancer. We knew pretty quickly which way things were going and sadly after deeper analysis from the professionals, the dreaded news that it was a one way ticket came. In a strange way this was the wake up call needed to be honest. I thought to myself, why are you moping around because of fishing politics Dan? In hindsight... I have no idea! It suddenly brought home that life is too short. A bit cliché I suppose, but very true. So, it was time to get on the bank! My first season on Kirklees Lagoon taught me that if you're on the ball early season, the rewards can be quite explosive and this time I was ready for them. After such a successful first season, I knew that in my second that i'd be playing the numbers game. Understandably there were always going to be re-captures, which was cause for more criticism from some people. I can't lie and say this wasn't an additional dampener to my drive, but I had to shrug off the laughs and carry on putting fish in the net to land on the right fish. I had a fantastic spring, amassing around 30 fish, plundering them off the surface as planned. Thankfully persistence paid off as the lake yielded more of its gems, with the capture of the Common below going 22lbs 14ozs. With that I had one main target left - the big fully. A fish that i'd seen plenty of, either being held aloft by other anglers, or swimming past me whilst looking around the lake. Getting it to take my hookbait though was proving a real pain! I suppose the highlight of the 'spring surface mission' was catching the big girl again, off the top. I always thought she wouldn't succumb to floaters, but over the course of my sessions after them off the top, I had seen her taking the odd one or two. One morning she was sneaking about the middle of the lake sipping down the odd one or two and it I decided to go after her. I suppose it was a bit jammy but with a crafty cast I managed to lay a hookbait bang in her path and nailed her, which was a buzz in itself, watching the biggest fish in the lake take your bait. A dogged, slow battle ensued as I slowly gained the upper hand, slipping the net under her after around 15 minutes. 29lbs 8ozs. Before the Common and catching Wonky again, there were a couple that I also wanted to get my hands on, but the were not as high on the wish list as the Big Fully. Thankfully I was lucky to bag all three in pretty quick succession actually which a relief to be honest as it allowed me to focus on the main agenda. Eventually I began to nail a few fish off the deck as they began to feed properly and eventually it fell in to place. One morning I was woken to a ripping take and on lifting the rod, the hard fighting Carp on the other end had no intention of being tamed. I'd seen a flash of big plated scales and on drawing the fish closer I began to realise I was attached to the 'big fully'. The last one I wanted. After more bids for freedom, with a big shout of glee she went in the net..... Unfinished Business was finally complete and the buzz was back! That was it, i'd got the hoodoo off my back. Then I suddenly realised what next? So we fast forward to early spring 2017. My fishing was none existent really for a good six months. It dawned on me that to pursue pastures new I had to get a car. So for the whole winter I focused hard on my career and got myself in to a position to get driving. My number one target for the year was my first thirty pound Carp and I had got my name down for the historic Selby Syndicate for a while, before my previous campaign drew to a close. In March I was elated to be offered a ticket and then on the 13-3-17 I passed my test, so it was all systems go. Then life dealt another blow. On calling my family to tell them the news, I was met with a sucker punch. My grandad had collapsed, was being rushed to hospital and the general opinion was days. Thankfully I got to see him, to say my goodbyes. Walking away knowing what was going to happen was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. Two days later he was gone. He had been an instrumental part of my childhood and although I write this 5 months on, his absence is felt daily. A man not without his faults. But a man built of moral fibre and upon a heart of gold - A man born out of time.
It was at this point, it became clearer we can all look back in anger, but looking forward with positivity and drive was key. His passing made me more determined in life and of course as far as fishing was concerned, the pursuit for Scar had begun! Next blog coming soon! Probably one of the most hotly anticipated reels in a long time, the Shimano XTD's are so sleek it's ridiculous. Infact, in a word, they're simply gorgeous. I finally decided it was time to retire the trusty Crosscasts and invest..... I simply could not resist!
If you shop around you can pick them up for as little as £120 per reel and in my opinion there isn't another reel that comes close in terms of aesthetics, even it's big brother the infamous Black Mag. Boasting loads of features, such as:
They are extremely smooth and the line lay is exceptional and if you wish to have a perfectly flat line lay, simply remove the spool and insert one thick and one thin washer that come supplied. For the best deal i'd recommend giving erics angling a call on 01430 440 034. I'd mentioned in my last blog that I had planned a fair bit of bank time in October. My thought process pointed towards the hope that the old Club Lake Carp would be having it, taking on their reserves for the coming winter and just maybe the elusive individuals that had evaded me so far might just trip up! As the time drew nearer, the anticipation rose and the prep began, stocking up on bits and bobs needed for a couple of 72hr+ stints on the bank. I'd decided they were getting the bait, with plenty of particle purchased and the freezer stocked up with Boilies. The 5 days up to the off, i was rubbing my hands with intent, as a big southwesterly system was flying through, with low pressure - conditions couldn't have been any better! Only if it had stayed that is!! As if by some sheer coincidence, as the Thursday came, the weather had done a mega 'u-turn', with the super Carpy conditions being replaced by what was to be frank, utter garbage..... High Pressure and North-North Easterlies. Still, i soldiered on regardless, hoping the fish wouldn't be put off too much by the change in weather and i arrived at the lake on the Thursday afternoon. I'd turned up with a right arsenal to be fair, armed with over 15kg of particle and the best part of 10kg's in boilies. Getting it all there was a bit of a slog though and set about getting comfy whilst deciding on my methods of attack. For the first night, i decided to go relatively softly, going boilie only on one area and just a few spods with a bit more boilie over the other. I'd decided once again to mix the KSC & VNF Food Source Baits from Xcel, as with the latter being more suited to the cooler months, now was the time to start introducing it in a slightly higher quantity. Despite a ridiculous amount of activity in my swim during the following morning, i hadn't managed a fish, which left me bemused, considering the amount of liners i'd had! Although as i later discovered, after losing patience, a wind in revealed my rig had become festooned in weed, however it had definitely not been picked up by a fish. The bead which would have pulled tight in the event of a pick up had remained unmoved, so i could only have put it down to me not being presented!! By Friday afternoon i'd got plenty of fish milling around infront of me, but still nothing to show for it, despite bubbling on the spots. I stuck to my guns though and applied a little more bait ahead of the second night. I woke to a moody dawn the following morning, after brief spells of sleep punctuated by more liners signalling fish visiting the baited areas, but it was clear by now something wasn't right. Had i put too much particle in? Were they not really taking the Fishmeal baits in Gusto? (I was using these as hookbaits). I guess i could have speculated all day, but as morning gave way to afternoon, i rung the changes, going more blatant in my approach. I decided to deploy the VNF Food Source bait, with 14mm pop ups on Hinged Stiff Rigs. This was a complete u-turn bait wise from what the KSC offers, in that the VNF is a milk protein bait and with its lighter colour is without doubt easier for the fish to pick out sight wise. Well, what happened next could have been an enormous fluke, but around 20 minutes after, the right hand rod tore off, with a powerful Carp on the end, which actually flat rodded me on a tight clutch as i played hardball keeping it out of the weed. When i caught a glimpse i knew which fish it was. A magnificent old Yorkshire warrior that i had already caught earlier in the season... But with it being one of the biggest fish in the lake, i concentrated fully on getting her safely in the folds of the landing net! Following a bit of cat and mouse with my other line doing the over and under routine, the fish suddenly stopped dead and gave up as it had a small ball of weed covering its head.... and it was game over!! To catch this fish once in a season was more than enough for me, but to bag it again left me well and truly elated and at this point i must thank Steve Chapman for coming down to help me out with a few pictures, which turned out top quality. Definitely wouldn't have got them on my own! For the record the old Mirror was 8ozs down on my previous encounter, but the number didn't really matter as the 24lb 10ozs revealed on the scales was largely irrelevant. After slipping the old beast back, i wasn't too fussed if nothing else came along, but settled in for the night with the attitude that any more would be a bonus. Well, the same rig and spot produced again in the early hours with a nice upper double Common, but that was to be my lot before a morning pack up and re-fuel in anticipation of my second session to come. Before i left the lake, i baited several spots with both particle and boilie and when i arrived back at the lake 24hrs later, the fact it hadn't been eaten filled me with dread to be honest, plus there were barely any fish visible at all! The lake seemed completely dead. So i held off with the bait, freshening up the spots i was actually fishing with light scatterings, but i fished for two days with hardly a bleep, long story short. Maybe i'd got it completely wrong with the big bait tactic, but you live and learn i guess!! I sat scratching my head to a degree, but got in to the thought that they would have to feed at some point, so put a little particle on the spots and a bit more boilie to try and finally draw them down. I wasn't convinced they weren't eating it beforehand though, despite the evidence to suggest they simply weren't feeding on the baited areas that i could see. Maybe blatant was the answer? So i opted to do the night with KSC Fluoro's on both rigs to see what transpired and at around 9pm they started showing in numbers and then things paid off as the left hand rod out in deeper water registered a take in the early hours, with Yellow doing the damage. This old Warrior was one i had been pursuing all year and had not yet caught, so i was well pleased to be rewarded with this one. Furthermore, i recieved another take before dawn, same rod too, only for it come off due to my chod filament failing at the hook!! Put it down to bad luck though as the product in question, Fox Trans-Khaki Rigidity in 25lb had served me well all year. In to the final night i kept a little bait going in but decided to hold off with most of what i had left for when i went home, so they were left with free grub to feed on. Again the fish showed once more that evening and i was confident of another, this time pink fluoro's were on the rigs and thankfully the same rod went yet again, with a cracking fish known as the Torpedo Lin on the other end.... Very Welcome despite it being a recapture! So, i left the lake satisfied to a degree, with four fish under my belt altogether during my 'holiday' and i left the spots well primed. Three were re-captures, but i suppose it will be a common scene until the ones i want trip up. I didn't anticipate getting back for a while, but as luck would have it, work was on my side and i had 48hrs off the following Wednesday, so i eyed that for a return. As it came around, i toned down the bait considerably, taking 4-5kg of particle and just a couple of boilie, again with the intention to bait with at least 50% of it when i came away from the lake again. On arrival, all of last weeks bait had gone.... a welcome sight as i now knew they'd got their heads down properly in my absence and i was confident of another fish. As it had produced, i stuck with the Fluoro approach and it yielded again the following morning, with a lovely mid-double Linear, which although not the biggest fish, was one i had not yet caught and did actually want to catch. I stuck it out for a few more hours after, but that's a wrap for October and from here on in it's not going to get any easier.... But, with these milder conditions still lingering on, maybe there's time for one or two more just yet, before Autumn gives way to winter. Just a couple off 40 fish for the season, but we'll have to see..... Would be nice to get over that milestone for me personally.
In the meantime though, thanks for reading and Tight lines, Dan It's been the best part of a month since my last blog entry and what an eventful period its been. Fish have been coming out left right and center for the Xcel lads and some right chunks too. So much so i've only just got around to putting fingers to keyboard for my own blog. Autumn is upon us once again and I, like many, am rubbing my hands in anticipation of one last assault over the next couple of months, as despite a very successful season that i am over the moon with - there's still fish on my agenda. Since my last piece, i've had a few sessions, with mixed results, including a few blanks, but persistence has paid off in keeping a few nice Carp coming to the net. The first one to share is this one, a recapture of 'the minter' as i call it, this time at 20lbs 2ozs, spawned out. She fell to a light scattering of Xcel KSC, with a matching Hinged Stiff Rigged pop up nailing her for the second time. Another head banging session followed, where despite conditions looking bang on, the fish managed to evade my rigs. It fell to a bit of stalking to save me from a blank, but the creature i bagged was well worth all the effort. I'd noticed it visiting a small margin spot regularly, and in its absence i placed a single Hinged Stiff Rigged pop up, which upon its return it duly took and it was game over! Following this one, i fished a 48hr session, with a bit of a twist in tactics, as i decided to begin introducing the VNF Food Source bait, along with the KSC, to start getting the fish on to it for once Winter rolls in. Using the baits mixed, glugged in KSC bait soak and dusted in VNF stick & bag mix, i introduced them to a couple of spots. One i decided to fish on VNF pop ups, on the trusty HSR's and the other i fished multi rig variations with prototype hardhooker hookbaits. Before midnight i received a vicious take which unfortunately weeded me up and after a bit of cat and mouse proceeded to cut me off - can't win them all i guess! But, thankfully i got some consolation not long after, on the other rod as this nice little Linear tripped up on the prototype. ,With that one back in to fight another day, i had to wait until around 8:30am before the same rod rattled off again, with the prototypes working their magic. Soon i was beaming ear to ear, as before the culprit even went in the net, i knew it was another of my targets. A fish called 'baby slice'. Under 20, spawned out, but i wasn't particularly bothered. I was quite content after that, but re-baited, in the hope i might be lucky enough to bag another. As the day drew on, it got quite warm and i had to go investigate with a VNF pop up, to see if i could nick one off the top. Despite coming close it wasn't to be, so i got the rods back out for the evening - which didn't last long! Amazingly i went and nailed the same fish that cut me off! The fish was sent on its way none the worse for wear, after i'd removed the rigs from its chops! It was clearly hungry this one. Stranger things have happened indeed! No sooner had that one provided some excitement, it was the VNF pop up rod that was away before dark, with a re-capture of a friendly Common being the result. Fish number 4 of the session and it had all come together quite nicely. Things looked good for another one through the night and i began to think that was going to be my lot, however at first light the same rod produced another nice Common, which was a particularly pleasing fish as it beat my 'pb amount of fish in a session' from the club lake. That one was the final fish of the session and up to press is the last fish i caught, following another couple of blanks. But, you've got to take the rough with the smooth i guess and with some extensive sessions planned in October, i'm hoping to have myself a big hit or two - we shall see.
In the meantime, Tight lines, Dan Well, it has been a little quiet for me of late on the fishing front and as i haven't made an entry for a while, i thought a catch up was over due. Since the last blog i've managed a few sessions, starting with a 48hr session again with my pal, Jack. It was a bit of a repeat of proceedings detailed in my last blog, as credit where credit is due... i was royally outfished... again. But with the hemp and KSC tactics deployed one again i managed to winkle one out from a spot tight to a feature, using a 16mm pop up on the Hinged Stiff rig. As it turned out the culprit was a bit of a kipper - a real looker! I was quite content with that one, despite it being my only fish of the session. We got another 48 in the following week as everything fell in to place with another surprise two days off work, so i couldn't pass the opportunity. I'd decided to go boilie only this time to try and actively target a bigger fish. There were a couple that had not been out yet and both myself and Jack felt it was only a matter of time before one turned up. Just after dark on the first night i received an absolute one toner on the left hand rod, again on the Hinged Stiff with a 16mm KSC pop up, with plenty of matching bait over the top. When i picked the rod up it felt decent and after a bit of bombing about i got glimpses of what looked like quite a long fish in the twilight and upon netting, a look in to the folds confirmed our suspicions. It was one of the larger fish. One comically known as Darth Vader, but that aside, it was one i really wanted to catch and to have bagged it was a great feeling. Among the chaos of trying to sort her out, my other rod screamed off, but the Tench on the other end wasn't my priority, so went straight back and we got some shots of my main prize. Bit of an angry kid on the mat, soaking me through, but it's all good fun. There wasn't really anywhere to go from there i suppose and as it turned out that was my quota for the session, whilst once again playing Camera man/Bream un-hooker for Jack as he bagged a handful of fish again. 48hrs was on the cards again, but i got a quick overnighter in beforehand, nipping down after work. Usual tactics, with KSC boilie, were deployed, however with a slight tweak in hookbait. I'd decided to start trying a few different combinations to see if i could outwit some of the apparently very clever residents that are still on the 'to do' list. So over the top of it i opted to try a VNF pop up on one rod. It turned out to be a good decision as the rod ripped off not long after dark, but with a re-capture. This said it was interesting that it had worked and i felt it might do so again through the course of the session. Indeed it did, but only for a Tinca. The time for the next 48hr session came around and unfortunately there's not a lot i can write here.... because i blanked!! A swift reality check of why our sport is called fishing, not catching, i guess!!
Not to worry though, we can never win them all and i'm sure there will be more to come. Hopefully i'll be getting out for a 24hr session or two over the coming 10 days or so. In the meantime, tight lines and thanks for reading, Dan I've been a quiet on the blog front recently, so i thought it was time to have a bit of an update on the last month or so. Things have slowed a little on the club lake, due to the fish spawning therefore a bit of enforced break was in order. Before they decided to get amorous, i had managed a few sessions, but things had proved a little tricky. I'd managed a 24hr session, where the night and typical 'bite times' just didn't produce, so in the end i had to chase them. Just when i thought i was on for a blank, this little chap turned up. Only a low double, but was welcome all the same and fell to an Xcel Baits Prototype hookbait over KSC Freezer bait on a margin spot. So, as the fish spawned i hoped after they had packed in, i might be on for a good session, so decided to get another 24hrs in just after they had finished, but long story short, it was a bit of a repeat of what had happened previously, with an apparent lack of action leaving me a bit flummoxed. Once again i had to go after them and after locating fish basking out of the wind in areas of weed, i set about trying to stalk one from the holes and thankfully it took literally 5 seconds to hook one on the first drop in! After a tense, explosive and fairly quick battle where i could take no prisoners due to the weed, i was made up to have got myself out of jail again with this 18lb 4oz Common. Looking forward i'd managed to get myself a weekend free from work and as the fish had the best part of a week to rest up and get back on the feed properly post-spawning, i was raring to go on a 48hr social with a pal. I decided i was going to hit it with a good amount of bait and prep started a day before, with 5kgs of hemp prepared over which i planned to introduce the same in Xcel Baits KSC Freezer baits. As i got my stall set out for the first night, things were a little quiet and as we'd had a Westerly wind on the lake, i guess that was why, however as the night drew on things changed and the fish started to show over our areas. Unfortunately as it turned out, i think i got done on the right hand rod, leaving the rig fishing ineffectively and the liners i was getting ceased, to be replaced by even more on the left. Just on dawn, the left roared in to life and i was in to the first one of the session. A lovely little 14lb 8oz Common. I was now confident of more, maybe not while the following night, but i knew they'd be back. As it turned out, the day passed without event and as the second evening began to come in, it was clear the Carp were bang on the feed, with fish crashing everywhere and fizzing hard over the baited areas. I was quick to get some more bait in, with around 25 spods of hemp and another Kilo of boilies on each spot. Before night fell, the fish were well on it, with liners every 10-15 minutes on the right hand rod fished in deeper water. But i had to sit back and wait, while in the meantime my mate showed the way bagging three fish to 17lb+ in a few hours before midnight - The liners continued on my rods though, including a savage on whilst photographing one of his fish!! Then, just as the first trickles of light filtered through a dank morning sky, the right hander absolutely evaporated off. Not so much as a minute pause as an angry Carp sailed off at a rate of knots after taking a liking to a prototype fished on a multi rig. The fish put up a good account for itself but after a few lunges under the rod tip, was soon in the net. I recognised it straight away as a fish i caught last autumn at 20lb 15ozs, so i hoped it would do 20 again. A real old, endearing warrior this one, that has definitely seen a bit of life, with a slightly kinked back and long frame. As it happened it went exactly 20lbs, which i was well pleased with and this was to be the last of the action for us both.
Again it looks like it may well be a couple of weeks before i get out for any longer sessions, but as things stand now i'm on 22 captures for this season, with 19 of them different fish. I set myself a target of 25 for the year so i am absolutely over the moon with how things have gone! Hopefully it will continue! Tight lines, Dan |