Bank Holiday Carp Fishing - Michael Stewart

This entry was posted on 27th August, 2014

August Bank Holiday weekend saw me back on the banks of my Cambs syndicate water.

On arrival at the lake I noticed there were just two others fishing, both bivvied up down the east end of the lake, I decided to drop into my swim from the previous week, but first I’d have a quick look around to see if there were any signs of fish elsewhere that might change my decision… there wasn’t! And after a quick chat with ‘Clippo’, who informed me it had been very quiet, my decision was made. Last weeks swim it was!

From the look of the sky the clouds looked heavy and rain imminent, so I quickly got the shelter up before sorting the rods. It was a case of the same spots and same baits as last week, with the only changes being to ditch the fluorocarbon in favour for some 20lb coated hooklink and the addition of some Maple Peas to my particle mix.



A quiet night passed with only a couple of shows and a liner on the island rod. Despite the slow start to the session I remained optimistic, this was my fourth session in the swim and I’d always managed a take or two on the second night/morning. Even the autumnal August weather and the fact that the fish were absent from the upper layers of water, didn’t dampen my enthusiasm.

Around midday I re-did the rods, refreshed the hookbaits and topped up each swim with a fresh array of freebies. As I was Spombing fish began to roll and fizz over the island rod, and around an hour after I had finished it was away.

The line pulled tight to the ‘locked-up’ clutch and to start with it was a stale mate, as the fish done it’s best to bury itself in the weed. After a few minutes and a little bit of gentle persuasion I eventually guided the fish towards my waiting landing net, it was a clean looking 23lb 6oz Mirror and a very welcome start.



After a few quick pictures I re-cast the rod and once again added more of my particle/pellet mix.

6.30pm and the same rod pulled up tight, once again the fish done it’s best to weed me, but once again I managed to get the upper hand, steering the second twenty of the session towards the folds of my net, this time another clean Mirror of 26lb 6oz was weighed, photographed and returned.



Like Friday, Saturday night passed without incident and it wasn’t until the following morning that I had the next bit of action, as around 11am I received a big liner on the island rod. It wasn’t surprising given the amount of bubbles and fizzing in the vicinity!

I reeled in all three rods and returned to the car for a bit more bait and some fresh supplies.

I re-done the rods and introduced a few more freebies over each spot, before settling down to listen to the Spurs game and to watch the water.

Around 5.30pm a fish showed on the island spot and the bubbling and fizzing re-started. Just as I was beginning to think something was wrong with my presentation, as there was so much activity in the area, the line whipped through the water and the water over the spot erupted!

I slowly walked back and applied steady pressure, trying my hardest to keep the fishes head up and out the weed. This time the culprit felt a little bigger, it stayed deeper and further out, for longer, but gradually I began to gain line and after a spirited scrap I had it in the net.

29lb 1oz of chunky, leathery flanked Carp was soon held before the lens, before being returned to its watery home.



I re-did the rods and put out my last bit of bait. In the session I’d already gone through 2kg of 10mm Halibut Pellets, 10kg of mixed particle and 8kg of Crave boilies (most of which was boilie crumb), with the vast majority of the mix dropping over the island spot, which really was rocking!

The lots of bait, but not a lot of food mix was definitely working!

At 11am the island rod produced another fish, this time a 22lb Common, which was my last action of the session.

I packed away while the fish were still rolling and crashing over the spot and I couldn’t help but think (perhaps a bit greedy, I know) that if I’d of had more bait I’d surely had another few fish or two!

Anyway, I headed for home a happy angler, four takes and four fish, wasn’t bad at all.