Valley Of The Water Pigs – Part Four – Michael Stewart

This entry was posted on 1st May, 2014

Valley Of The Water Pigs – Part One Valley Of The Water Pigs – Part Two        Valley Of The Water Pigs – Part Three Valley Of The Water Pigs - Part Four

Date: 2010/11 Venue: The Nene Valley Title: Things Can Only Get Better!

January 2010 saw me back in work, but not fishing, as due to a period of really cold weather the lakes were frozen. It was nearly a whole month before they defrosted and I remember my first session took place right at the end of January, where I managed to get a two night session in.

As I’d previously been out of work I’d been very skint and it was probably a blessing in disguise that I hadn’t been able to fish, as I remember on this particular session I realised just how broke I was! Rummaging around in the car I found £1.13, enough for a tin of soup, bottle of water and a pack of value biscuits… hardly a banquet, but I thought it would be enough! Low on supplies I was rather relieved when a good buddy of mine ‘young Will’ popped his head round the bivvy offering me a Fried Chicken Baguette! The warm food was much appreciated, as once again the lakes froze, cutting my session short. It was to be another six weeks before they cleared.

The January and February of 2010 really set the tone for the rest of the year, as Carp it was a very lean one, infact it wasn’t until early May that I started to catch. Over the May Day bank holiday weekend I managed four fish, topped by a pretty Mirror of 33lb 4oz, which has since sadly been taken by an Otter. (The venue’s fencing wasn’t complete until 2011).

From May onwards I started to manage an odd twenty every other week, but it wasn’t until July when I really caught one of the fish I was after, one known as the ‘Silver Common’ at 31lb 14oz.



Throughout July a couple more repeat captures followed and so did a few of the stockies, but that was about it until November, when I landed another target fish from one of the smaller lakes, a fish known as the ‘Half Lin’ at 29lb.

Right at the end of November winter hit with a vengeance and the ice returned, it was also at this time I lost my Carp-wagon in a scary five car pile up. Still to this day I believe it to be a miracle that no one was seriously injured!

This was the icing on 2010’s rather unsavoury cake.

2011 started no better, as the harsh winter took it’s toll on my Carp fishing, the lakes remained frozen from November to February and it wasn’t until March that I was able to fish my first session.

As you can imagine by this time I was eager to get the rods out! As I was working six days a week I was only able to fish one night a week and that was the Saturday after I’d finished work.



I remember my first trip of the year; being stuck in heavy traffic on the way to the venue, with a brisk, warm South Westerly blowing, I thought conditions would be perfect for a bite or two and really fancied a couple of spots. Whilst stuck in the car I made a quick phone call to Kev, who was already set up and fishing, he said he’d seen no signs of fish, until he turned to the area I fancied and saw a Carp ‘head’n’shoulder’ right on cue.

I was still around an hours drive away, so I told him to move into the area, but he didn’t fancy it and said I was welcome to it! Finally when I arrived at the water I was relieved to see the area was still free, quickly setting up I saw another fish show and my confidence started to grow, soon all three rods were dropped on the spot and fishing.

The bottom was fairly clear so I went with my faithful hinged stiff links and fruit special cork ball pop-ups in washed out orange colour, finally 50 freebies were scattered in the area and traps were complete.

To my surprise nothing happened that evening or that morning and it wasn’t until 2.45pm the following afternoon that I received my first action, as during a very slow ‘pack-away’ the middle rod trundled off. After a good scrap a very welcome winter Carp was in the net, nothing massive but a nice Mirror of 26lb 10oz. Photographed and returned, I packed away and headed for home, happy I’d avoided a blank.

At work my interim contract was coming to an end and I had a permanent permission lined up with a company based in Norwich, starting in late April, so with a full six weeks off at my disposal I was definitely going to make the most of it.

My first session in this period produced a couple of stockies, but it wasn’t until my second session that I connected with something a lot bigger.



Arriving at 6.30am on the Wednesday morning I was greeted with a fairly busy water and not a lot of swim choice, so armed with the brew kit I went for a wander and started to access the situation. After a good half an hour of pondering I settled in-between a couple of likely looking area’s and enjoyed by brew, before I had a chance to finish it, I saw what I was looking for as a decent fish popped it’s head out, about two rod lengths from the corner of the island.

That would do me! I popped my brew kit down and headed back for the rest of my tackle.

All three rods were spread along the length of the island in around 8-10ft of water.

Nothing happened that afternoon or evening and when I awoke the following morning I was greeted with thick fog… my least favourite Carp fishing conditions! Just as I was about to turn over and sleep the middle rod bleeped twice and the bobbin pulled tight.

Before the line pulled out of the clip, I was out of the bag and on to the rod and connected to a powerful fish.

Throughout the duration everything about the fight felt very familiar… powerful, deep, 30 yard runs, had my mind racing. I knew what it felt like, but could it possibly be the big two tone?

After a real good battle the big girl was eventually mine, with my suspicions being correct, it was a familiar fish and infact it was ‘Two Tone’.

After weighing her in at 41lb 3oz, a new PB for me, I let her rest in the sling in the margins, not sure whether to photograph her or not. A couple of quick phone calls later and I was urged to do some, with such a big difference in weight and colour others were keen to see.



On the mat she was certainly no lady, really beating me up! But eventually she calmed down and I managed to get some nice shots, before slipping her back to her watery home. Despite another couple of fish showing in the area, that was my only action of the session.

April soon came and went and before I knew it I’d started the new job and for the first weeks week’s while I settled in I left the valley alone, before returning at the end of April/start of May.

On my first session back I arrived around 3pm and was greeted with a busy complex, however it wasn’t all bad, as I could see from the car park that there was an area of around 4 swims completely vacant, so the barrow was loaded and pointed in this direction.

I flitted between the swims for a good half an hour without any signs of activity, before eventually deciding to fish facing the island. An 80-90yard chuck saw me reaching the corner of the island and fishing it’s marginal shelf. Two rods were positioned on this area and were baited with around 2kg of freebies. The third rod was positioned down my right hand margin and was lightly baited with a few Tiger nuts.

Early morning and one of the island rods was away, the result, a little mid double Common. After a quick re-cast another small fish followed, this time a chunky double figure Mirror.

Nothing else happened throughout the day, so I re-did the rods and waited until dusk to bait up, doing my best to avoid the hordes of ravenous gulls, I deposited another couple of kilos of freebies in the area.

Midnight the island rod was away and once again I started to get that familiar feeling! After numerous deep powerful runs, another familiar shape was in the landing net, I didn’t even need to put the head torch on to know it was two tone again!

I rang a mate to say I’d had her again and that I was just going to slip her back, however she looked extra ‘plump’ and curiosity got the better of me, I had to get a weight reading just for my records. At 42lb 15oz, she’d upped my PB once again! I didn’t need any pictures, so simply slipped her back to carry on with her evening.

The lake remained busy and after those repeat captures my mind started to drift elsewhere and after a handy tax rebate I funded another ticket on a different water, just a few hundred yards away.

With one month before the new ticket started I remained on the valley and landed a couple of nice twenties and one cracker of 34lb 14oz known as the ‘Long Common’, which was to be my last fish from the venue… not a bad way to sign off!



June 2011 - Little Irchester

The new ticket was on a complex of four lakes; Prison, Island, Main and Car Park, they were all split by a cross of Causeways and collectively they were known as Little Irchester.

My rough plan had been to fish the lake known as ‘Prison’ first before moving onto ‘Car Park’.

Eight weeks in and the lake was not producing, all I had to show for my efforts was two double figure Commons, and it was simple I had to move, the ‘Car Park’ lake was calling! With 20-25 fish in 5 or so acres, with 2 of them being over 40lb, there was a good chance that if I put a little effort In I could easily be rewarded.

By late August I was on the Car Park lake and I’d found a couple of spots that I was happy with. My plan for each session was simple, I’d position the rods and then bait up, only moving them if I had a pick up.



My first action came a few weeks into my campaign, but unfortunately I lost It, despite having the use of a small boat, the fish weeded me and the hook pulled. It was a nice fish too, I can still picture the big flank, flashing in the clear water. Gutted didn’t even come close!

The following week I was back, and due to it being a bank holiday weekend I had a three night session planned, I set my stall out like normal… two hinged stiff rigs and one snowman rig. The first two days passed without incident and it wasn’t until 8.30 on the Monday morning, that I had my first bit of action and my first slice of luck!

A rip roaring take had me connected to one of the lakes Scaley residents, despite it weeding me heavily, and despite me leaving my landing net on the bank, I managed to bank the fish. (I must thank Ant, who waded out with the net and scooped the fish up ) It wasn’t one of the lakes big girls, but it was a start, my first one from the ‘Car Park’ a scale perfect Common of 24lb.

With my confidence restored I was back the next week in a swim know as the ‘Plantation’ it was the area where I’d previously lost a nice Common.

One rod was positioned 40 yards out, on an area of clean gravel at the base of a plateau, in 7-8ft of water. The second was fished over a silty area and the third was fished in a hole amongst the weed.

The plan hadn’t changed; the rods would be left in place until a pick up occurred.

A nice South Easterly was blowing in towards the swim and the fish were showing, with the amount of ‘shows’ it wouldn’t have been wrong to think perhaps there were more than 20-25 fish in the lake!

11am, during an absolute downpour, I was greeted by a single bleep followed by an absolutely screaming run, I rushed out to the rods and struck, instantly connecting with what felt like a nice fish.

After a rather tense ten minute battle I eventually guided the fish into the folds of my waiting landing net, it was a big Common and certainly well over 30lb. It was infact a fish known as the triangle Common, which on the scales went a very pleasing 35lb 14oz!



That session a further two fish followed, with specimens of 26lb 10oz and 22lb 15oz, to say I left happy would be an understatement!

The very next week I carried on in the same vein of form, landing another two fish, a striking Mirror of 22lb, plus another at 34lb 7oz, making it my second thirty in as many weeks! I felt like I had now cracked the water and was starting to reap the rewards.



At the end of September I’d booked a few days off work and intended on making the most of them. We were in the middle of a heat wave and with temperatures topping 30 degree’s, things looked good for a fish or two, but I could not have predicted what was to come…

Friday at 4pm in the blazing heat, a 32lb 2oz Common, known as ‘Big Twin’ kicked the session off.



Saturday at 1.30pm and fish number two was on the bank, a funny old Common of 27lb 2oz.

A few hours later at 11pm, an hour before my 40th birthday, I was taken by surprise as the middle rod rattled off, I say by surprise as this was my first take in the hours of darkness! Considering the amount of nights I’d spent at the venue it was strange, perhaps it was due to the extremely mild weather?

Despite struggling to get my waders on and nearly falling in, I sorted myself out and started to battle, with what felt like another big lump.

I remember the moment well, perhaps it was because of the birthday celebrations, but I remember seeing splashing infront of me and something swimming round in a circle… at first I thought it was the fish, but as soon as I composed myself I realised it was my dog Jez! I quickly sent her back to the shore and carried on playing the fish.

After a few hairy moments I eventually had the fish under control and slowly eased it towards my waiting landing net, guiding the big girl in like a dog on a lead, she was soon mine!

I heard a shout from Ant asking what I’d caught; it had to have been one of the big two, either ‘Swirl’ or ‘Cut Tail’. Before I had time to reply or to identify the fish, Ant, along with Aaron and Ste had made there way round, they then went on to identify the fish as ‘Cut Tail’, the complexes largest resident!



On the mat she looked absolutely monstrous and on the scales she looked even bigger, at 45lb 8oz, she was the largest Carp I’d ever caught, a new PB! Certainly not a bad birthday present!

After a few trophy shots the great fish was returned back to it’s watery home.

I was buzzing, the lads were buzzing and the whole experience took a while to sink in!

Once I regained my composure the rod was positioned back on the same spot, the guys left and I got my head back down for a few hours sleep. Next thing I knew I was back in the waders and up to my waist in water, as I was connected to fish number four!



Despite it trying to bury itself in pretty much every weed bed in the lake I eventually got it under control and in the net and it was another cracker, and another ‘known’ fish. This time a Common known as ‘Broken Back’ at 34lb 7oz, a very, very happy birthday indeed!

That was to be my last fish, from what had been a superb campaign on little Irchester!

The Tackle Box Harrison Torrix Carp Rods ESP Stiff Rigger Hooks Ace Riggamortis Dynamite Tiger Nuts ESP Leadcore