Changing Times, Technology & Lack Of Etiquette

'Etiquette' - the customary code of polite behaviour in society or among members of a particular profession or group.

When I first came up with the idea of writing the 'Charlton Carper' blog the main aspect was to capture the essence and the reality of carp angling, there is no bullshit or 'slight of hand' in what I write, what you see is what you get. I always promised myself that there wouldn't be any form of negativity within my writing, but the subject I want to talk about is very much a reality, not only in carp angling, but in society as a whole, and it's negative. Before I continue, there's a chance that what I'm going to explain might rub some people up the wrong way, unfortunately that's just the way it is sometimes. I'm going to say it exactly how I see it, which, again, is what this blog is all about, so - where's Etiquette gone?

We live in troubled times and the state of our society is morphing and shifting into shapes that are very different to what they were decades ago. More than ever I sense that we really are living in a 'dog eat dog' world where the majority of people are happy to step on the necks of others to get to where they want to be. To a degree, I know its always been this way, but with the rise of technology and social media, it's amplified to colossal proportions. Social media has given a voice to many that don't have one of any significance in 'the real world', the negative voices always seem to be the ones that reach the furthest, this is where it gets dangerous. Our inner thoughts and feelings, good or bad, that use to be kept behind closed doors can be broadcast to the planet, in a moment of irrational thought, by a simple push of a button.

As humans we get given an incredible tool with 'the worldwide web', that if used correctly, can be such a beautiful thing. We have access to learning and knowledge that, 'a few decades ago', we could only really have dreamt of. But like all things humans are given, we rarely take it to dizzy new heights, we manage to take an incredible gift and drag it right down into the 'pond-life' region. I doubt that when Sir Tim Berners-Lee created the internet he thought that it would ever be used as a weapon in regards to both bullying, revenge porn and spreading ill feeling. In the same breath I doubt that Chad Hurley, when creating YouTube, thought 'happy-slapping' and other forms of hateful actions were going to be broadcast - simply for some 'low-life' to get as many hits as possible on his channel. It interests me to know exactly what it is in our DNA that leads certain people to do such things. 

For me the two examples above are on the same level as those incredibly sad and lonely individuals that start up Facebook groups among their bitter and twisted little mates. Solely to post pictures and belittle those who are just starting to get to grips with carp fishing. They're exactly the same sort of person that hides behind the word "banter" to basically get away with being a total prick. It doesn't take much to become a target, it can be as simple as the bait you use, not having the latest, extortionately priced tackle with matching Vass waders. Not fishing for a 'proper English carp', or simply holding a fish in a way that doesn't suit the experts - that are usually sitting on their computers 'and their high horse', at home having opinions about what everyone else is doing, instead of actually fishing themselves.

These types of actions can be far more damaging than you think, being mental health awareness week I feel it's fitting to touch on this point. Whilst you and your mates are sharing pictures of total strangers, posting them on facebook groups, systematically pulling them apart and having a real good laugh. You actually have no idea about 'said person' or what they could be going through. Lets face it, no one really knows or cares about mental illness because it doesn't effect them. But I assure you that if you or someone in your family suddenly gets effected by it. Your viewpoint would change over night, it doesn't take much to push people over the edge when they're in a fragile state. Next time you see it fit to lay into someone for no real reason, both on and off-line. Maybe you should consider this point. 

We all have to start somewhere and no one has the right to make anyone feel bad about what they're doing. In my mind the same 'lack of etiquette' used by some in the angling community online, carries seamlessly onto the banks. My last three sessions have been plagued with a stupidity that I try very hard to avoid. I won't bore you with the exact details but I will touch on the points a little later on. I grew up fishing in a time when a number of aspects ran parallel with each other. 1. the art of angling, 2. fish care 3. care and consideration for those I share the waters with. All these points are equally important but now-days number 3 is practically non-existent. I attribute this to the points I've made thus far. Times are changing, attitudes are changing and it's making its way onto the water. 

When Did Attitudes Change?

We live in a world of 'false idol worship', many are sucked into the celebrity illusion, they have no real self-belief so they put all their expectation in a 'tin god'. It seems that some want their five minutes of fame so badly, and they're going to try to get it any way they can. Be it X Factor, the voice, posting near naked photos of themselves to their 10.500 pervy followers on Instagram every 3 seconds, or aspiring to be the next carp angling star - 'whatever that means'. There was a time when genuine talent had to fight and rise to the surface, but nowadays, people want to short cut the graft in any way possible, and with this, mediocrity and the 'F**K everyone else' mindset has very much become the normal. Social media communication went from being a useful tool to keep in touch with family and friends, to being a facility to feed the ego with shameless self promotion and bile - don't get me wrong, for many it isn't, but for a certain demographic, it is. Out of all the above I think that the current carp angling scene and the way I see it heading, is the perfect example of all the above. 

I understand that many out there love their fishing, love the adventure, love the peace that comes with it, and quietly go about their business. I respect you for this, that's what it's all about. On the flip side though, I understand we have the arrogant, the elitist and those that will literally bend over, with 'vaseline in hand', for the chance to change their Facebook occupation to 'Consultant' or 'Field-Tester'. Again, if that's what floats your boat then fair play to you. But I personally think, this is where the problem lies, fishing isn't just about fishing anymore.

Gone are the days of just getting out there and soaking it up. It seems to be more of a contest between anglers themselves, it isn't 'you against the fish', it's you against the angler, against the fish'. It's the cliques, those that think they own the water, the snide stroke pullers. The backstabbing infantile mentality that big fish waters seem to breed, and of course, 'last but not least', the 'local hero's' walking around like the cock on the block, 'looking like human billboards, because they're with a tackle firm, or they're getting some free 'cake mix', from some bedroom bait company. All of a sudden they seem to think this gives them license to be 'Billy Big Bollocks'.

It was only last year one of the 'aforementioned' approached me when I was quietly daydreaming away. There I was fishing the shallows up on Braxted Reservoir, I was having a good session when out the blue this guy comes strolling over, who within about 30 seconds of meeting me had to throw in that he was a big player in a major tackle company, and he was only after the big common in back lake. Fair play to him and well done, but it didn't stop there. He then proceeded to give me a review of all the tackle I was using and how he'd be fishing if he was me. Ten or so minutes of him talking down to me about himself, he asked what I did for a living. When I proceeded to tell him what I do, his attitude quickly changed. Before I knew it, he was pretty much my best buddy and I got a certain invite to fish some very exclusive garden ponds for some pet fish. I'd like to add, I didn't except the invite.

This is only one example of many and might not appear relevant, but to me, this backs up the whole 'in it for myself' attitude. The only reason his tune changed was because he actually thought that he could benefit from knowing me. Solely because of the position I've managed to get myself in regarding my work. I don't look upon it as anything special and I certainly don't look upon myself as anything special, so why should he?. It's not quite the 'stepping on your neck' approach that I touched on before, more of a 'I'll climb on your back' and see where it gets me. Now lets take this 'back climbing' and put it in a fishing scenario. If you've got a guy that's clearly on the fish and he's fishing within the boundaries of his swim - what do you do?. 

Personally I'd leave him to it, he's there first and that's the way it is. I'd go and find another spot on the lake, get my baits out and get on with my day. But from what I've experienced of late, that isn't the case for some. What you shouldn't really do in this situation is set up next to him and cast your baits as close to his spots as possible. Equally it isn't really very good 'Etiquette' to then setup opposite him and proceed to cast or spod into, or on the edge of his water. For all you know, he got there at the crack of dawn and after a good few hours waiting patiently, he's finally got some fish on him. The last thing that guy is going to want is someone spooking the hell out of his water. Most of you reading this will understand my point, however if you're a "catch at any cost" type of person and you don't understand my point - maybe you should reread it until you do.

My second example and a very common one is, setting up opposite a carp angler when there's lots of free swims to choose from. I understand you've "paid your money and you can fish where you want", but from a 'consideration' point of view. Why setup directly opposite another angler if you don't have to?. I'm not talking about large waters here, I'm talking about you're standard size club water. We all know that 9 times out of 10, if possible, most carp anglers, 'me included', like to fish to the far margins. However when I grew up I was made aware that there's pretty much an unspoken code that, whenever the situation dictates and I can help it, I won't roll up and pitch camp opposite someone who's clearly fishing for carp. It's different if it's a pleasure angler, you can normally see their float, and if they're on the 'feeder', chances are they're only a short distance out. However I will still go around and ask 'how they're doing, and where they're fishing'. 

Fair play if you've got your heart set on fishing a lake and the only swim available is opposite someone else, then it's only right that the guy opposite, if he's fishing in the water that your swim dictates, should reel in and move his rigs. A nice friendly little chat can usually sort these types of scenarios out, however we know that this isn't always the case. I've witnessed some pretty bad altercations when some people aren't prepared to move anything, even though it's clear that they're fishing out of their swims zone into someone else's. I've never been on the receiving end myself because if I turn up to a rammed lake and only one swim is free, I will simply go elsewhere.

By now some of you may be thinking, "well if you dislike it all that much mate, why do it?". That answer is very simple, why should I stop doing something I love due to a rather large minority that clearly couldn't care less about anyone other than themselves. What I'm going to be doing in future is choosing carefully where, when and how I fish, in the hope that it will limit the chances of stupidity. In regards to my social media use, that will stop, the only thing I'll be sharing is links to future blogs. I've got nothing to prove and being hemmed in between incessant statuses telling me to #get on the going bait, is something I've never really felt comfortable with, in fact it's all rather mind numbing.

I could carry my point on but I feel I've said enough, if I was to touch on every example of selfish behavior, I'd be writing for a year. The aspects I've touched on are just a few of many. If what I'm trying to say hasn't been understood at this point, I fear that it never will be. To conclude, I've met, and continue to meet many good people when I'm out and about both on and off the bank who truly love their fishing. I understand that there are many anglers out there that are caring and considerate who understand completely what is and isn't exceptable behaviour. I'm not tarring everyone with the same brush. Maybe if there was more education then the penny might drop for the blissfully unaware.

Finally, I don't want to be writing a blog like this, maybe if tackle companies and the comics took some time to highlight what is and isn't exceptable. The problem might not be as bad, and overtime could become a thing of the past. But I can't see this happening anytime soon, they're too busy coming up with the next piece of overpriced garbage that we don't really need. Carp angling, like all styles of fishing is a beautiful pass time and all of us that do it are in it together. I feel with a little kind consideration, education and compassion for all those we share the waters with, it could be so much more enjoyable for everyone involved.       

 



        

Braxted Front Lake 'Perfect Clarity'

I feel like I'm living a series of parallel lives at the moment, its summer 2016 and here I am about to recall a session from Autumn 2015. Lately I've been working like mad and trying to get out on the bank as much as possible. It's been a long time since I was able to sit down and get my writing head on, for me to write the best I can I need to do it when I get the urge. This blog is going to be accounting for a session that I did a good few weeks in to Autumn of last year. As I type these words I can literally feel the chill that was in the air and how cold and cleansing each deep breath felt as I inhaled the atmosphere that hung over Braxted front lake. 

I consider myself very fortunate, there are two aspects in my life that seem to etch themselves deeply into my memory banks. The first being music, I only need to hear something once for it to be lodged in my mind forever. My head, a vast majority of the time, is like a jukebox, obviously this is great in regards to playing drums, but it can be a real pain when you're wanting some peace. The second, my fishing sessions, I can literally remember each and every one of them, stretching as far back to when I was about 14. Sessions from years gone by pop in to my head at the most random of times. As I sit and write this now, I'm recalling a session from many moons back on a local club water where I caught one of my first carp on a Richworths Hawaiian pineapple boilie. It was a 3IB mirror and a fish that signalled a now life long obsession with the carp.

Usually when Autumn starts to arrive and the temperatures start to fall slightly, it can be a very productive time. This year was very different though, it stayed so mild for so long. I naturally thought that this would mean that the fish would be on the feed for a lot longer. It appeared though, that it actually had the reverse effect, I'd be nicking a few bites from everywhere I'd been going, things were looking promising. Then literally overnight I found all my waters practically shut down. It didn't matter where I went or how effectively I thought I was fishing, I just couldn't buy a bite. This strange spell lasted for a number of weeks, but being reckless in my attitude, I persevered none the less.

I was on my third week of the longest run of blanks I'd ever experienced, instead of questioning myself, I came to the very simple conclusion that the carp just weren't really up for it. From past experience I knew that the worst thing to do in these situations was to start to over analyse what you were doing. Instead I took the results on the chin and decided to ride the situation out. On the morning of my Braxted session I was up at dawn, I'll admit my confidence was waining but as I opened the door to load the van, things felt different. It suddenly felt like Autumn, the morning air was cold against my face and I experienced such a sense of clarity. Maybe today 'the worm was going to turn' and the carp would once again start gracing me with their presence.

One thing I've come to learn about myself is, when things get hard with fishing, it seems to fuel me even more to get out there and try and make something happen. It can feel like a real slog at times but when you do finally get a result, nothing beats that feeling. On the front page of my website I use the term "Bravery In Patience", what I mean by this is very simple, it's about having the confidence in your own ability to see things through, however long it might take, this goes for both on and off the bank. In a world where there's so many conflicting opinions and everybody everywhere is telling us how we should feel and what we should think. It gets very hard to connect with your own reality, my advice to you is, when you feel like life isn't working out, stick with it, do the right thing and be patient, do "the right thing" and you'll get the right result ... "that's my new angling mantra". 

Now Back To The Session

With the van now loaded the task ahead was very simple, floor it all the way to the lake, remove the immense amount of blanks from my mind and turn over a new leaf. I was convinced today was going to be the 'game changer', it's as if the previous weeks had been a dress rehearsal for Autumn, a false start. Now with that familiar Autumnal chill in the air, the rehearsals were now over, this session was the opening act. Pulling into the car park and glancing over the water, summers skin was clearly peeling away. The saturated colours of the warmer months were slowly turning in to dull pastel shades, some of the branches on the trees were looking brittle in places. Give it a few more weeks and it would be as if summer had never arrived.

Summers Skin Fading

I was eager to get the rods out but first opted for my usual lap of the lake, it looked pretty desolate, other than the fuss from the birdlife, there were no obvious signs of fish. Some dead leaves and debris had gathered down the car park end, it looked inviting so I decided to start down there. Today I was up for moving if the carp gave a sure sign that they were elsewhere. I was going to use my usual approach, minimal bait has always been the way to go on front lake. The only difference this time, I was going to fish one rod over very fine boilie crumb. Taking into account how slow it had been over the recent weeks, tweaking my approach just an inch, could be the key to success, I didn't want to overfeed the spots.

Trigga-link Combi Bottom Bait Rig

Before setting up I got the kettle out, starting off the session with my usual 'coffee ritual' always seems to bode well. My swim was now setup, the rods were rigged, now it was just a case of carefully picking my spots. My chosen bait was Caribbean, I have 100% confidence in it, especially this time of the year. My rigs were my usual 'semi-fixed inlines', the hook-links were combi rigs tied with 'trigga-link' and 'Atomic Bare-back'. To dull down the hook-link materials I used a few different coloured rig pens, as I've mentioned before, front lake has a very clean lake bed and I wanted my end tackle to morph into it. I didn't want anything that could spook the fish. It had been so long since my last bite, I was pulling out all the stops today.

Maximum Attraction, Minimal Food items

To the left of the swim there's a lovely hard slope that gradually shelves down to 10ft, I've had a lot of fish from this specific area in the past. I decided to place my rig half way down the slope, this put me in roughly 5ft of water. Before casting out I walked round with a bucket of boilie crumb and threw 5 modest handfuls in and around the area. A lovely graceful cast put my rig elegantly on the spot. Now onto my second rod, this was going to be fished directly opposite, there's a deep run that leads into the opposite lefthand corner. I was going to fish really tight to the margin line. Once again, I've had many good fish from this area and I always seem to visualise the carp making their way along this route when coming down into this end of the water. 

View From The Swim

With a swift 'whipping' motion the bait landed perfectly, I was taking this as a good omen, when my casts are both right first time, I can sit confidently knowing that everything is right. Now it was just up to the fish, would they take the bait? I kept my expectations realistic. The kettle was back on and I sat back with my eyes fixed firmly on both the water and my rod tips. A few hours passed, the wind started to push down towards me, everything looked perfect. As I sat and watched the world around the water exist in perfect balance, I started to think back to the past few weeks. As strange as it seems I couldn't remember what it felt like, in that very second, when the alarms are screaming and the reels are humming. When things are going well and you're managing to catch a few, it's all too easy to take it for granted.

A few more hours passed with nothing to show for my efforts, I decided I'd leave my right hand rod where it was and do a recast on the left. I reeled in, re-baited, chucked a few more handfuls of crumb on the spot and got the bait back out. This was when something very strange happened, as I put the rod on the rest and went to tighten up the bobbin, the line remained slack, as I was winding, the bobbin just kept dropping to the floor. I watched the tip, within seconds it suddenly arched round to the right and the clutch kicked in. Lifting into the rod, I could feel that I was connected to a hard fighting lump. The fish must've literally taken the bait on the drop. 

Slightly bewildered, I proceeded to battle with a carp that just wouldn't give in, it felt so dam good to finally be connected to 'nature' once again, it was a feeling I'd missed. The fish came closer and as it rolled a short distance out, the perfect image of a common carp burnt into my retinas. Not only was it a good fish, it already had it's lovely Autumn skin on, it looked perfect up against the washed out background of the lake. My heart was now racing and with a steady pressure I teased her closer and closer until she was engulfed by my net mesh. The run of blanks had finally come to an end, it was hard to explain just how good I felt. 

I let the fish rest before I sorted her out for a few quick pictures. As I stood looking down at her tucked comfortably in the net, I tried to understand what it was about this amazing creature that keeps all of us stitched to the banks, casting away our years. We're forever caught up in the chase, the hunt, I still can't quite work it out. For me, angling is an opportunity to try and understand what's below the surface, be it, the surface of the water, or the surface of yourself. We drag ourselves to the remotest of places and then we question, and try to connect with something that we actually have no direct connection with. I don't believe there's a definitive answer to this question. 

A long Time Coming

It's as if I had waited a lifetime for this bite and it felt like it was literally over in seconds. In carp angling more than any other thing, it really is amazing what a difference a day can make. A few photos were taken and I sent her on her way. I was more than happy with the result, I could feel that my obsession had been pacified, if only for a short time. Maybe the carp have finally started to wake up. If so, it was vital for me to get out over the next few weeks as much as I possibly could. On the drive home the sweet stench of carp slime filled the cabin of the van ... God! .. I've really missed that smell.

Braxted Front Lake 'Carved In Oak'

I woke up from the most incredible angling dream, I can still remember it as if it were real. This has been something that has always interested me, some dreams we remember forever with amazing clarity, others are instantly erased shortly after waking. I hate to think how many carp are left swimming around through my 'neural pathways'. I think many carp anglers may suffer from this, maybe thats why we whittle away our days trying to make these dreams into a reality. 

I read a book by Robert Bruce called 'Astral Dynamics', and he explains his theory on this subject, we all have something called a "Shadow Memory", this functions when we sleep, it has the capability, shortly before waking, of "downloading" all that we've experienced during sleep into the physical\conscious brain. Simply put, the dreams that we remember have been fully downloaded into our conscious mind, all the ones we forget, which is usually a vast majority of them, basically had their "spiritual USB cable" removed before they could be fully downloaded. It makes perfect sense when you think about it, it's just like saving information from your computer onto an external hard drive, pull the cable out before its complete and then it's corrupt. 

You do find that you'll remember parts of your dreams for a few minutes, maybe you'll get the odd flash back, but they soon evaporate, lost in the mind forever. Moving this into an angling situation it's all very reminiscent of that 'possible' catch of a lifetime that ditches the hook at the last minute. You've seen it, felt it and very much lived the experience, only for it to evaporate in front of your eyes, you stand helpless watching as your dream drifts back into the murky depths. You wanted to hold it and touch it, but it just wasn't in your reach. Will we ever experience that feeling again? Some of us make sure they do by pursuing their dream constantly until it's been fulfilled, this can be a draining experience that can very easily turn into obsession.   

The Human Computer

In my dream I was on the banks of Braxted front lake, there was no wind, I don't recall there being any sky either, the landscape ended at the tree line. The water was crystal clear, I was watching a big long common carp feeding very cautiously tight in the margin, practically inches from where I was standing. Very slowly it was working its way over a small patch of silt, I watched as it was gently sucking and blowing, picking away very carefully at what it wanted to eat and ejecting the rest. It was so engaged, like a fine tuned machine.

The precision and care it took was so focused, as I stood watching, I started to wonder how the hell we ever manage to catch any carp at all. They're masters of their own environment, maybe it's just luck, or maybe they allow us to catch them, just to give us the impression that we have a fighting chance of understanding their inner workings. Before I even got close to answering these questions and trying to catch the fish, I woke up. You can imagine how happy I was when I opened my eyes to the real world and had a trip up to Braxted planned.

So, with my dream at the forefront of my mind, I got up, threw breakfast down my neck, inhaled a couple of coffees and then set sail on my usual journey up the A12. It was cloudy, warm and drizzling heavily, perfect for a bite. Having taken a break from fishing the place for a while I had a new found enthusiasm, that's the advantage of fishing a number of lakes at the same time. With every water that I visit, my perspective is continually changing and my enthusiasm is always primed.  

The journey flew by in no time and before I knew it I was pulling into the car park, peering through the trees, front lake looked rather sombre in its mood. The complex was quiet with only a few anglers pitched up on back lake, the rain was relentless. I decided to take it on the chin and walk very slowly around the perimeter of the water. The wind was pushing down towards the car park end, after a short while procrastinating I opted to fish on the front of the wind just a few meters up from the car park. I've always done well from this section of water and to be fair, the far end up by the buoy looked completely dead. The only thing that was missing was a tumble weed.  

For those of you who may not of read my previous Braxted blogs, the conditions today were perfect. The lake tends to go into limbo when it's hot, it seems to pull the fish into the upper layers. I have tried both zigs and surface fishing on these occasions but I'm yet to get a result. I do find though, that if the day has been especially warm, it always looks pretty good for a bite from 4pm onwards. But I would rather fish when I know the conditions are right, rain, wind, snow, Tsunami, if the fish are feeding I will make sure I'm on the bank, none of it bothers me. Some of my fondest angling memories have been when I've been perched under my brolly holding on for dear life as nature, once again demonstrates, that she is fully in charge of our planet.

First Things First

I really wanted to "get it right" today, setting my brolly up and getting my brew kit out, I sat back for another caffeine fix and started to think. Coffee is like engine oil for me, it gets my neural transmitters firing on all cylinders, it's amazing what comes to mind when a 'caffeine high' kicks in. I hatched a plan a few weeks back on how I wanted to fish this session. I know I can get bites on single hook baits and mouthfuls, this time around I wanted to try something different. I was going to fish solid bags with bottom baits on short hook-links.

I didn't want anything blatant though, nothing that stood out like a sore thumb. I was going to compact the bags with really fine boilie crumb, I wanted the bait to blend in with the colour of the lake bed as much as possible. There are three baits that I use that would fit perfectly, Coconut Fish, Pineapple CSL and Halibut & Coconut, I opted for the Pineapple CSL. This is a bait that I've always felt confident in, but since the "Chase Lakes" era, it had fallen by the wayside for me. I'd never tried it on front lake before so I was looking forward to seeing if a few of the majestic commons that were hidden below the surface, maybe inches away from where I was standing, were going to be up for something new. 

Pineapple CSL

Sitting under the brolly looking out at the water, I went through my usual visualisation process. To my left I had a tree lined margin that slowly dropped down to 10ft, opposite I had a lovely deep run that leads to a quiet sheltered corner. There were enough 'fish holding' features in front of me, I knew that there was a high chance of a few carp visiting them at some stage during the day. The rain eased up so I used the opportunity to get set up, there's nothing worse than trying to work with solid bags when it's raining.

As explained before, I was planning to grind the boilies down into very small fragments and compact them into the solid bag as tight as possible. I opted to use small sized bags, in theory I was still fishing a 'mouthful' but there was a hell of a lot more attraction. The only solid item in the bag would be my hook-bait which I'd decided to cut right down. Taking the outer skin off made it blend into the crumb perfectly.

Grind Them Up

I was using a short 'trigga-link' combi fished as a 'blow-back' with a 1.5oz ball lead. In my eyes, this was a really tidy looking setup that would conceal itself perfectly within the bag. Because I was using a light lead I was going to fish my clutch tight on the take. This would help to pull the hook home as the carp bolts off, again, nothing was complicated, there's just a few minor touches that help to make it all work accordingly.

A Short Combi Rig & Cut Down Bait

I made a measured cast on both rods, I had a few chucks until I got the "drop" I wanted and then clipped up. On the left hand rod I was feeling for a fairly short drop. I wanted to be half way down the slope, on my right hand rod I wanted the drop to be slightly longer, the marginal shelf is really steep and I wanted to place my bait towards the bottom. Taking into consideration how many carp I've had from this area, I was convinced that it was a regular patrol route, if fish are about I find any bait put there tends to get picked up.

Ready For The Cast

It slowly started spitting with rain again so with two delicately feathered casts, both rods were out and I was confident. Settling in for 'the big wait' I felt quietly optimistic, it felt great being back on front lake again and I was pleased to be fishing it in a slightly different way. Many of you have probably gathered by now that I like to mix things up, I'd rather have a series of different options on all the waters that I fish, rather than be locked into one way of doing things. As mentioned in my last blog, if I settle for "one size fits all" I really don't feel like I'm fishing well. 

View From The Swim

As I sat looking out over the water, I started to think about life, it's a dangerous topic that I tend to find myself milling over an awful lot. Times are changing fast, technology is slowly embedding itself into everything around us. Is it possible to live a life offline anymore?. We now have a tool at the tips of our fingers that provides a platform to practically live and create an alternate reality. I can't help thinking that in years to come this is going to prove to be a real problem, it already is. 

The internet in its many forms can be a useful tool, especially if you use it for what it was originally designed for, which is 'information'. I feel the problems occur when you try to use it to compensate for all the aspects of your life that you don't have 'offline'. You can't live an existence that you're unable to touch or physically/spiritually feel, you can't feel love staring at a JPEG of someone you've never met. The worrying thing though, in the wrong hands the internet and social media can be a weapon, love might not translate from your online activity but hate does. The amount of hate I've witnessed online is not only disgraceful but a problem that continues to multiply, hence why I now limit my internet usage.

  
I might sound like a hypocrite with what I'm saying, the fact that I'm using technology right now, as you read these words. But the one thing I promised myself when I started this blog, was, it's going to be real, direct from the heart, and I hope through the masses of wires and microchips that able me to be on your computer screen this very second, it translates in a way that communicates with you. That's what it's all about for me, life is a series of connections, be it physical or emotional, we grow as humans by connecting and trying to understanding the world that's around us, the only reality is your own, in the here and the now.

Back To The Session

Having now tied myself in emotional knots, I was pulled back down to earth instantly. My right hand rod raced off, the bite alarm was screaming and the spool was rotating at a crazy speed. Grabbing the rod and leaning into the fish, the front drag clicked in and proceeded to sing. The fish was a dead weight and I had to let it blow its load on its initial run before even attempting to put the brakes on, its power was somewhat overwhelming on my light rods. The adrenalin gave me a serious head rush and my legs were shaking, any take I get from front lake seems to have this effect on me. I think it's because most of the carp that inhabit it are real lumps.

A few minutes in I started to gain some control of the situation, I kept the pressure on and adjusted the clutch accordingly, the tip action in my rod was cushioning the carps lunges. I could feel every movement, it was amazing, very slowly the fish started to tire and as it came close I witnessed the back of a very large common, it looked special. I kept the net out of sight and very patiently waited, 'whilst holding on for dear life', for the fish to drift on its side. She soon did and I gently eased the net under her ... result!

 Carved In Oak

When I witnessed this fish I was lost for words, sometimes silence says it all, its coloration was reminiscent of polished oak and its proportions were perfect. Even better still, because my rods are so forgiving there wasn't any evidence of the carp having been hooked. For me that's what proper angling is about, we seek to catch these amazing creatures, we witness them, hold them and it's our job to take care of them whilst they're in our presence. The closer to 'untouched' that they stay, shows we've done our job well.

On returning the fish to the water, I took a few moments to take it all in, slowly collecting my thoughts I dunked my rig and lead in a bag of ground-bait, I find this soaks up any water. It's a real pain when you're just finishing tying a solid bag and it starts to melt because the end tackle is still wet. Clipping the rod back up I cast the bag out hitting pretty much the same spot. The bite had come pretty quick so I was hopeful of another fish, I didn't want to get greedy though. The carp I just caught was more than enough, anything else was a bonus.

Settling back under my brolly, the rain started again, it was chucking it down. My swim was becoming severely water logged, I was on a sinking ship and everything was starting to get engulfed in clay. My feet weighed at least two pounds more than when I arrived because everything was sticking to them like glue. Undeterred, I put the kettle on and sat back to welcome the wait. 

Clay Feet

Hours started to pass and as morning bled into afternoon I started to pin my hope on a bite later on in the day. I was confident in my rig placement so I continued to sit and watch the water. Even though all remained quiet I was really confident, the wind had now dropped and the atmosphere around the lake had become so still, I felt like I was sitting in a watercolor painting. Time continued and before I knew it 4 o'clock had come and gone. It was around 6pm when I got a single bleep off my left hand rod, all my attention was now firmly on the rod tip. A few seconds later it gave off another bleep, I witnessed the tip nudge round slightly. 

Within moments the rod was away, it was a proper heavy take, both the clutch and alarm sung in unison, it was strangely poetic. As I lent into the fish it took a major u-turn and headed straight towards me. I was reeling like a madman trying to pick up the slack, eventually I did and the rod bowed over, I was "in the game", the carbon creaked, the clutch was ticking and once again my bloody legs were shaking. The fish came in close and circled continuously making use of the deep margins. I couldn't do a great deal with it so I just let it tire itself out, after a fine battle a perfect looking common revealed itself from the murk, in the net she went. Looking closely I'd had this fish before, I was more than pleased to meet her again.

An Old Friend

As expected, the fish was perfect and yet another example of why I make the journey up to fish these waters. After a few shots I slipped her home, maybe I'd meet her again at some point in the future, time will tell. I thought I'd get the rod back out for the last hour or so, it appeared luck was on my side. Clipping up and casting back out, I slowly started to pack away all none essentials, it had been a great session. I was pretty tired, wet and caked in clay but it was all worth it. The remaining hour passed with no action, reeling the rods in and packing my kit on to the barrow, I thanked front lake for, once again, being good to me, I can't wait to get back on its banks. 

  

Braxted Front Lake 'Navigating Rain Drops'

After so much mental focus being directed into zig fishing I thought it was about the right time to get my baits back on the bottom. My work has kept me away from the water a lot recently so any free time I've had I've been getting out as much as possible, rain or shine, nothing was going to stop me. To be honest I've felt pretty out of sync with my angling of late, I haven't yet found my groove. 

Sometimes I have such a hard time consolidating my thoughts, and it takes a good block of extensive fishing for me to tame the excitement of just being out behind the rods. If I'm buzzing too much about getting a session in I find myself going through the motions rather than adapting and considering the conditions on the day.

I've come to learn that front lake fishes its best when the weather is overcast and rainy, sun and heat really seems to put a nail in it. Upon opening my curtains on the day of the session my carp senses were through the roof, I knew I had to make the journey up to Braxted, the thought of pristine commons waiting to suck my bait in was a prospect I was willing to climb Everest for. This was going to be my first proper session of the season, I was up at 6am and out the house by 6:15am, determined to beat the "nightmare" traffic that the Blackwall tunnel so easily seems to produce. 

To my intense frustration it was already backed up, it never ceases to amaze me, with such a familiar sight in front of me I proceeded to do what I usually do in this situation, daydream about the day ahead, picturing the lake, my bait and the majestic carp that, "as I sit here in the bloody traffic", are drifting around on the lookout for some morning grub. I must admit the journey up to any of the Chelmsford waters can be a pain, especially if I'm doing it 2 - 3 times a week. This has got me considering a syndicate closer to home for next year, the time and the petrol money spent whizzing up and down the A12 really starts to add up.

Blackwall Tunnel 'The Misery Machine'

My cinematic thinking soon made the time pass, and before I knew it I was shooting up the motorway, a quick stop at the services was needed to stock up on vital edible items. The rest of the journey flew by and as I pulled into the lakes carp park, apart from a few other cars, it seemed pretty quiet, front lake was empty. 

It was pouring, I got out and had a walk around, getting totally soaked in the process. The wind was pushing nicely towards the car park so I pitched camp three swims up on the right side of the lake. When the conditions are like this I know that a few carp would be milling around the area of the water I was planning to target. 

The wind does seem to play a big part on where the carp will be, my confidence was sky high, these conditions were very familiar to me and I've always caught in them. I perched under my brolly, rigged up both rods and sat for a while whilst the kettle came to the boil. I was in no rush to cast out because the majority of the bites seem to come mid afternoon onwards. I wanted to just sit and soak it up, if I was lucky I might actually spot a fish or two.

As I sat watching the water, everything was racing, the trees were arcing in the direction of the wind and the sky looked like it could collapse on top of me at any given moment. I love these conditions and favour them so much over hot sunny days. There's something surreal about being perched under your brolly whilst natures chaos surrounds you, it provokes so many feelings that I can't even begin to write them down.

The Sky Is A Landfill 

After minor deliberation I decided to place my right rod directly opposite where the water shallows up towards the tree line, my left one was going to be placed on the semi steep slope that falls away at the car park end, it shelves down gradually to about 9ft. I always seem to manage to steal a bite from this spot if there are carp present and it's usually the first rod to go.

As usual bait was going to be kept to a minimum, everything was going to be pretty straightforward, bait up, one cast on both rods and then I was going to sit back quietly and wait. To me, through the months of fishing front lake, I really feel that any kind of disturbance has to be kept to a minimum, not only on arrival but also during the session.

Working on the basis that carp have acute senses, especially when it comes to vibration, one of the biggest weapons we all have as anglers is silence. What's the point in dressing head to toe in camo, "not that I ever do", trying to be stealth like if you're going to be heavy footed in your approach, it's a contradiction within itself.

I guess on some waters you can get away with being a little heavy handed, but here, more than any other lake I really try to morph into the surroundings. Many times I've quietly watched carp come so close in as I've kept low to the water, the moment I stand up and become visible on the sky line the fish spook. Witnessing carp patrolling a nose length away from me instantly shaped how I approached the lake, you really can get away with fishing so close in. Sometimes observing carp for an afternoon can be way more beneficial in the long run than actually fishing for them.

View From The Swim

Regarding both my rigs and bait presentation, I was going to be fishing my usual bottom baits on a 'blow-back', my chosen boilie was the ever faithful Raspberry Ripple. I have tweaked my bottom bait rig slightly, all my hook holds over the past months have been solid but a lot of the fish seemed to be hooked very close to the 'scissors'. 

As we know, hooking carp around the side sockets of their mouth can cause bad damage. I understand that sometimes there's no avoiding it because all carp feed differently, but I've put a few precautionary measures in place to try and avoid this from happening. 

The first and main change is the size of the 'silicone kicker', I've pretty much removed it opting now to use heat shrink silicone to solely protect the knot-less knot and tidy the finish of the rig up. I feel the kicker was contributing to the hook turning in such a way that it was nailing the 'scissors' rather than the bottom lip.

Shrinking The Kicker

Secondly I've positioned my rig ring further up the hook shank, literally millimetres, due to the pattern of the Fang X, doing this causes the hook point to sit at a slightly more aggressive angle. As we know, minor changes on rigs can make a big difference and I'm going to be interested to see if these tweaks help to produce safer hook-holds. 

In the image below you'll see the tweak of the rig ring changes the angle of the hook point slightly. As usual I've got a nice long hair, on its own it looks really long but when you put a big carps mouth in comparison to it, it's a perfect length. 

When using longer hairs I opt for longer hook links, this creates a nice balanced setup and every element of the rig has time to work correctly. A too shorter hook link with a long hair won't give the carp enough time to get the hook in its mouth before feeling resistance. 

Ring Further Up The Shank

Finally, being the 'hook-link addict' that I am, I'm currently using 'Ace Camo-Core' 15IB in weed green. I'm starting to lean towards semi-stiff hook links, this particular material has a weave that runs through it allowing its colouration to sit  obscured on the bottom so effectively. This is perfect for front lake because it's a very clean bottom.

Ace Camo-Core 15IB 

Back To The Session

The rods were out, both with single hook-baits on, I was confident in both of the rig positions so now it was just a case of waiting and watching. The wind was constant, the showers sporadic, I just sat tight underneath my brolly, eyes fixed on my rod tips. I watched as the rain drew maps on the water, I started trying to "navigate the raindrops" that were falling, maybe there was a message in them?. 

I noticed how sensitive the waters skin actually was, I started to wonder if the carp could feel it was raining, maybe it was transmitting some kind of morse code into their lateral line, convaying some kind of scrambled message. I had so many questions with very little answers... 

Then ... my left rod was away, crashing back down to earth I grabbed it and connected to a bullet train of sheer power, it was intense, the front lake commons really give it all they've got. I held on, cushioning the thrusts, giving line when needed, and getting well and truly soaked. Soon enough a gracious common was in the net, and what a beauty she was and to top it all, the hook hold was clean in the bottom lip, my anal tweaking worked. The clouds broke, the wind dropped and I had time to get an awesome shot of her.

Braxted Front Beauty

I've recently stopped weighing my fish, I don't want to demote such beautiful creatures to a number anymore, it detracts so much from the carp itself, they're all special. I can relate this viewpoint to age, I don't believe in 'human age', we simply live until we die, everything in between is a space I feel is there to fill with actions that allow us to develop the art of being human, I have no idea exactly what 'being human' means but I feel if you let your intuition guide you, you won't go far wrong. Just like angling, it's a journey and a process we have to go through, neither of which can be rushed.

Once she was back home I checked my rig, the boilie was still good and slightly washed out, a smooth cast got it straight back onto the spot, the bobbin was set and the wait was on. With the kettle bubbling away, I felt pretty dam happy I'd had yet another stunning fish. There hasn't been one carp that I've caught from front lake that's disappointed me, all of them are spotless and a reminder of why I battle the Blackwall tunnel and the journey to come and fish here.

The next few hours passed with no action, the showers continued, the wind dropped and the lake had an ominous feel about it, a bite could come at any moment, I could feel it. Come 4:30pm the sun came out and everything was calm, it was like a different day, I hovered over my rods and scanned the lake for any signs of fish. It was quiet, maybe all the carp were now on the bottom, all of them racing towards my lonesome boilie. 

Almost bang on 6pm my right rod ripped away, even though I was semi expecting it, it still made me jump. I was connected to another hard fighting fish, it powered along and my little 8.5ft margin creeper was creaking, its curve bent to its limit. Slowly but surely the carp was being tamed and after a great deal of heart stopping moments another common was in the net.

Last Knockings Never Lets Me Down

Once again the hook hold was clean, this carp was such a beauty and as I slipped her back I openly thanked her for allowing me to be blessed with her presence. What a fish and what a great session it had turned out to be, it continues to demonstrate that you don't have to pile the bait in to get the bites.  

Front lake never disappointments me and it goes to show that, whatever weather you have to deal with, you've got to get out there when you know it's the right time. It's all very well going fishing to get a tan but I'd much rather be getting soaked with the carp gracing my net than leaving on a blank with sunstroke.