The Bank Tramp - Part One

This entry was posted on 2nd July, 2014

The Bank Tramp - Part One

This season saw me rejoining a water that I had previously fished some three years ago.

Kingfisher, or Kingy as its known, is roughly 24 acres in size and holds a nice stock of Carp to over 40lb. It’s a very unique lake and is packed with fish holding features, it’s quite weedy and the water is gin clear. Being an old gravel working it also means the depths vary greatly and there are many bars and troughs, as well as four different sized islands. In a word it’s a Carp anglers paradise and a real challenge!



My season ticket started on the 1st of April, so the week before I spent a good few hours at the lake walking the banks and watching the water, it was all pretty quiet and the cold Easterly wind was probably to blame. A quick browse through the members book and I noticed only five fished had been banked since the middle of February!

After a few calls to the lads at Sticky Baits my first batch of bait arrived, I’d decided to stick with the Vortex, it had served me well the season before and I was confident it would do the business once again.

With a good picture of the lake in my head and with a fresh supply of quality bait the 1st couldn’t come quick enough, I was brimming with enthusiasm and couldn’t wait to get stuck in!

On my first night I settled into a swim known as ‘Stressers’, named due to the fact it’s a very shallow part of the lake and is inhabited by a resident Swan, which regularly wipes out anglers lines! Despite the name and the stories behind the swim, I liked the look of it, it gave me a really good view of the water and I’d previously landed fish from the area before.



The night passed without a single bleep and I was up early to watch the water, looking for any signs of movement, I didn’t have to wait long… Three fish in quick succession broke surface in the early morning mist, on the opposite bank.

I didn’t waste anytime and soon upped sticks and made the long trek round to the opposite bank, depositing three Choddies in the general area. All was quiet and before I knew it the morning soon turned into afternoon. With no signs of fish I felt perhaps they’d moved again, which they tend to do Kingy, so I reeled in and went for a wander, keen to explore the shallows to see if they were sunning themselves in the early spring sunshine.

Just as I approached the furthest swim on the island I spotted one show right out in open water, I paused and eagerly watched the area for another, desperate to see if it was a lone fish, or if it was with friends! I didn’t have to wait long as within five minutes four different fish gave there positions away!



I hurried back to my original swim and piled the gear on the barrow, before making my way back to where I’d seen the fish. Once again three Choddies were dropped in the area and a good scattering of Vortex was added over the top.

Around seven that night, with a cuppa in hand, I sat there watching the water when another fish crashed out, this time in Stresser’s, the original swim I was in!!! I was knackered from all the walking and fish chasing and was praying it was just a loner and not a shoal! By nine that evening I was pulling my hair out as another couple of fish broke surface!

With the light fading I hatched a plan; I’d set my alarm early and move on them first thing in the morning!

At four my alarm sounded and by 4.15 I was packed away and barrowing my way to where I’d seen the fish show. As I pulled up in the swim I saw a real big Common come clean out of the water, not once, not twice but three times!



Shaking with excitement I quickly tied on three fresh pop-ups and scattered the rods in the area, the traps were set and now it was just a case of keeping calm and keeping my fingers crossed that one of the fish would grace my landing net.

As I was enjoying the sunshine the day slowly ebbed away, as the minutes and hours passed without incident. As the sun rose higher in the sky, my confidence started to drain and by four o’clock the only thing that had fed on my baits, were a pair of friendly ducks!

By half four I plotted my last move of the session, opting for a swim known as ‘Willow’, with temperatures forecast to drop overnight, I thought that the deeper water in this swim maybe offered me my best chance of a bite.



Once again three chods and a scattering of Vortex were added to the area and once again all was quiet, the evening and night passed without incident, without even a single bleep.

By eight the next morning I was done in and deflated, throughout the session I’d tried everything and had walked hundreds of metres onto fish, only for them to move off as soon as I got there.

To say it wasn’t the start I’d hoped for, would be an understatement, however I’d learnt a lots, lots of which I’d be able to put into practice throughout my next few sessions, but more about that next time.

Until then, tight lines and be lucky…

The Bank Tramp