This is a demo store. No orders will be fulfilled.
Toggle Nav
Carp Fishing Catch-Up - Michael Stewart
Late autumn I managed three more from the Cambs syndicate, a 25lb common and mirrors of 26lb and 27lb before I put myself out of action for a couple of months with a smashed elbow, not being able to cast, meant no fishing! But with the weather being a bit hit or miss I wasn't really missing out and the forced break did me some good.
Early January and I was desperate to get out, so a spot of trotting maggots on a small Norfolk river with AD's Marketing manager Oliver Harper was just the tonic! Standing knee deep in the little river trying not to get our rods tangled in the overhanging trees, whilst catching some decent dace, chublets and small brownies, was a great way to spend a few hours and gave me my much needed angling fix.
The following week the carp rods were back out on Norfolk's charity lakes. Fishing four nights in total, spread over three weeks, it was a real struggle, the Carp didn't play ball and only one Tench fell to my rods. To be fair I wasn't too despondent, the lake had been frozen regularly over this period and other anglers on the lake had also struggled to get amongst the fish.
March saw me heading back to Northants and to Wellingbourgh lakes, it was the last month of my ticket and a fish called the broken linear was drawing me back, however things didn't go to plan, the lake was exceptionally busy and I struggled to get anywhere near the fish.
I returned a few weeks later, with three nights at my disposal. Arriving on the Thursday afternoon I used my experience from a few winters back and positioned myself in a swim where I knew the fish would be, or would be moving through, at some stage throughout my session. I was correct and managed four bites, three I landed; two upper doubles and a scaly 22lb mirror and one I lost, typically the biggest one of the session too! Seeing it wallowing on the surface 15 yards out, it was a nice dark grey mirror over the 30lb mark, but unfortunately this was as close as I got to it, as the hook pulled.
Unfortunately this was my last action in Northants, but soon I was back on my Cambs syndicate water.
The first session was a beep-less one and not a single carp showed. The following session didn't set the world alight either. A 17lb mirror (probably the smallest in the lake), at 2.30am, with a heavy frost on the ground, wasn't exactly the start I had planned, but I was off the mark! The next weekend was almost a carbon copy, with, what must have been the second smallest fish in the lake, an 18lber, saving me from a blank.
This then brings me on to the weekend just gone; the May bank holiday.
With a busy lake it was a case of dropping in where I could, but luckily for me one of my favourite haunts, an area good for a bite when the lake is busy, was still available.
The rods were soon out on the spots, the middle rod just off the point of the island, heavily baited with a 5kg mix of 10mm Crave Boilies, Halibut and Robin Red Pellets, Sweetcorn, Hemp, Maple Pea's, some Crave Boilie crumb and some Crave and Krill liquid. The left and right hand rods to a couple of firm spots, with a balanced Crave hook bait on each and a small PVA bag of pellets and crumbled boilies.
Fish were showing all around the area and it wasn't long before I had my first take, the middle rod pulling up tight and a 23lb 9oz Linear in the net. A few fish carried on showing throughout Saturday but nothing came my way. I topped the baited area up with another 5kg and freshened up with other two rods. Finally and once again on the baited spot, around 10pm on Sunday evening another one slipped up; a 22lb 8oz Mirror the culprit.
A small Tench followed in the early hours of the morning, but that was to be my last action before I headed for home.
Until next time, tight Lines…
Michael Stewart.
