Chase Back Lake 'Baring The Brunt' Part 2

After the minor success of my last session I felt inspired to do a little bit more searching. I spent a few hours one afternoon feeling about in a few of the less popular swims, I found a few features that I liked the feel of. The main one being a 4ft plateau about 25 yards out, the swim was pure open water. To the right was a steady drop off down to 7ft which led into a corner. The drop off and the majority of the bottom that fell into the corner swim was soft sand and silt. The margins were predominately gravel with the exception of a few small areas, the margins shelved up close in.

I really liked the look of the gravel plateau and in the past have seen fish topping at the sort of range it was situated at. I made up my mind I was going to concentrate at least two rods on this spot and it was going to be a 'slow burn', a long term concentration. In regards to baiting approach, I decided I was going to fish a single over a fairly large bed of free offerings. I wanted to pull the fish in and get them digging around and in future sessions, even if I wasn't fishing this spot I would make sure that I'd add at least a kilo of bait to it. I wanted it to become an area the carp associate with food.

The Spot

I had a slightly more in depth search about and when I finally reeled my marker in I had a pretty good idea of what was in front of me. This is a process I have to do when starting a new swim or a new water. As I have said in the past, I can't just "Chuck For Luck", I have to feel that I am fishing correctly and have a better understanding of what I can't readily see.

The basis of my approach on this specific water was pretty systematic, I would keep two of my rods on the main spot and then have the third as a roamer, with the roamer I wanted to search out other areas in the swim, I was basically fishing for a bite at a time. If I started to get takes off the main spot then I would cast the roamer on the edge of the area. If the main spot was slow, I would remove one rod and have two roaming. By doing this I felt I was giving myself the best chance possible to pick a fish off.

View From The Swim

The baits I'd chosen for this session was Garlic Sausage and Honey Nectar, amongst them was a light scattering of Green Lipped Mussel Crab. I was fishing two bottom baits on the main spot and a pop up on my roamer, the areas I was recasting to with this rod contained a fair amount of debris on the bottom, popping my bait up gave me piece of mind that it was sitting proud.

My pop up rigs have gone through a few changes over recent months, I wanted something that was quick and easy to tie. My chosen hook for my pop up rigs are the size 6 Nash Uni, I really like this hook pattern and naturally starting using it for my pop ups. I have ditched the rig ring for rig tubing, it can be really fiddly trying to get the hair length right. I like to have my hook bait touching the curve of the hook, this ensures the carp is nailed the second it mouths the bait. 

The problem I found with using silicone to pin the hair down was the fact it would split on the take. Carp Craze rig tubing solved this issue for me. I don't use leaders or lead-core, I never have, I am a big fan of tubing. Carp Craze has a selection of three, Camo, Translucent Green and Silt, not only are these very versatile as a rig component but they are great on the hook to trap the hair. My favoured one is the translucent green, this is softer and slightly more flexible than the other two. 

Carp Craze Tubing

The diameter fits perfectly on a size 6 uni pattern, it grips just right and still allows the 'blowback' effect to happen when a carp picks the bait up. Because the material is a lot more resilient than the silicone, it will last until the rig/hook is dead.

Rig Tubing Replaces The Ring On My Pop Ups

Back To The Fishing

Once I was happy with the spread of bait, I marked my rods up to the main spot and got them bang on the money. My roamer rod was cast at short range in the margin. The wind was blowing straight in my face so I was feeling pretty confident that a few fish might be following it. It didn't take to long for some action to happen, my left hand rod shot off like a bullet train...fish on!! after a modest fight I banked my first carp of the session, it was a pristine little common. The size was irrelevant, the capture signified that the spot had the potential to produce. 

A Scrappy Little Common

I got the rod straight back out, topped the swim up and sat back to wait, the weather took a turn for the worst, it started hammering down and the wind really started to pick up, about an hour or so ticked by and the same rod took off again, I banked an awesome looking little mirror, it gave a great account for itself.

Serious Scales

I topped the swim back up and got the bait back out, I thought it was about time I gave my 'roamer' a recast. I moved it to more of a medium range position, this time I chucked a handful of boilies around the area. Another hour passed before I got some more action, this time, off the middle rod, I lent into the fish and it was kiting all over the show, I had a feeling I had hooked another scamp, after a short fight I netted myself another perfect looking common.

Munching The Honey Nectar 

Once again the size was irrelevant, it was about banking some fish and working with the spot I had found. It felt great because in the right conditions they are obviously confident in feeding in the area. 

On my next cast I decided not to put anymore bait in, I felt there was probably enough kicking around out there and I wanted to see if I could get a quick bite. Shortly after setting the bobbin my other rod was away like a rocket. When I hit into this fish I instantly knew I was onto something a bit bigger. It was really giving me the run around and there were a few times I thought that I was going to lose it in the 'invisible Chase snags'. Luckily enough I managed to land her, the result being a chunky 22IB mirror.

22IB Chase Lakes Mirror

I was really happy with this fish and I was also happy with the mixed bag I was managing, I must admit that it's always nice when a surprise picks up your hook bait.

When the weather turned I was starting to get a lot of false bleeps from the wind, I had turned my sensitivity settings way down but I was still having problems with false alerts. Whilst I had my head down sorting my rig out, the receiver in my pocket started reacting very strangely. I didn't really think anything of it, assuming it was the wind. But as I turned around I noticed that my roaming rod was absolutely screaming, line was being taken at such a rate that the bite alarm signal to the receiver couldn't register it. I dived for the rod, lent back and the blank just arced round like a whip, the weight and power was crazy and something I have never experienced before, before I could compose myself ...... PING!!! the blank shot up straight and there was silence. I couldn't believe it, it had tethered through 25IB braid, I was gutted, I don't know what the hell it was but it was big, maybe a catfish. I just stood there for a few minutes thinking about what I may of lost, that sick feeling came over me, it signalled the end of the session.

I started to break my rods down one at a time and then .. bang ... the middle rod went, the fish put up a great fight, the fair scrap resulted in another spotless little common, I was pleased but still kept thinking about what I'd just lost.

Consolation Common

The positives of the session out-weighted the negatives, the bait was working the spots were producing and I felt like I had broken through a little more into the workings of the water. I feel the wind played a huge part in the results. The fish do tend to follow it and I had a feeling if I was to fish the same place when the wind is behind me, I could be dealing with a tumbleweed of a swim. Like I have mentioned before, back lake is a 'slow burn', I want to chip away at it and get to the point where I have a series of swims that I know will produce in different weather conditions.

side note

You will notice my hat changes in the photos, this was because there was broken sun and heavy downpours, I am very specific about my head wear : ).

Chase Lakes 'A Formidable Effort'

I saw chase lakes on a 'Carp TV DVD' and was really surprised I hadn't heard of the place considering it's about 30 minutes from my door step. I decided I'd go and check the place out before fishing there, I shot down one Sunday afternoon to have a nose around. It's in a country park, there's a back lake and a front lake, the front lake is the harder of the two, the fish are wise and from the looks of it it's very weedy. 

The back lake called out to me straight away, it's big but it has lots of great marginal spots and a few islands, it spat out a 42IB a few weeks back, that's yet to be confirmed. I spent along while watching the water, the wind was blowing down into the first half of the lake and there were carp jumping along the margins. I had a word with a few anglers who were fishing, there's a good head of doubles and twenties with a fair few 30's and upwards. Obviously hearing this my mind was racing with 'where I was going to fish' and 'what tactics I was going to use'. On the drive home all I could think about was going back with my kit and getting the rods out.

My first session didn't go according to plan, first mistake I made was going on a Sunday and the place was rammed, I had no other option than to fish a small bay on the back of the wind, I had one fish out which was probably the smallest one in the lake at a whopping 3IB, not quite the monster I was expecting. It was a frustrating session because options were limited. I put it all behind me, I guess it was good not to have a blank.

The next time I went back it was a different ball game, I fished a point that had two islands and a channel to the right of me. I am not the greatest distance caster I think my limit is about 75 yards and then it all goes out the window. The islands were a fair cast, I managed to get them pretty spot on after a few attempts.

My Swim

My right hand rod was fishing tight to a marginal line that led to a shallow channel. After a few casts I found that it was weedy in a few areas so I found a clear spot about a rods length off of a overhanging bush, it felt like soft clay which was perfect to present a rig on.

 Third Rod Position

Before I even got a chance to set my landing net up my left hand rod was off like a rocket, this was on my island spot. After a slight wrestling match I slipped a tired looking mirror over the net, scales sunk to 17IB, I was very surprised I got a run so fast, it was an odd looking fish that had obviously been through the wars, unfortunately she had bad mouth damage which is always upsetting to see. I got some antiseptic on the effected areas and gently slipped her back.

17IB Chase Mirror Carp

I whacked the rod straight back out and added some more bait, a few minutes later my right hand marginal rod flew into action, teasing the fish around the point of the reeds, I had a fair scrap before netting a lovely looking common, scales sunk to 12IB. This was great because I knew they were on the bait and my rigs were doing the job well, my confidence was now sky high.

12IB Chase Common Carp

I re-cast, baited up and sat back to catch my breath. One thing I'd like to mention about Chase and something you will no doubt experience if you go, are the swans, they really give you hassle, they literally attack you so you've got to keep your landing net handy at all times to keep them away.

Swan Alert

I have yet again been experimenting with combining baits, I've found a Starmer cocktail which I call 'Telescopium' that seems to be doing the job, I am going down to the lakes with my PVA bags already made, this saves so much time on the bank especially if you're wanting to get you rods back out quick. I have 100% confidence with the cocktail I have come up with, also the advantage is, combined with a PVA nugget masking the tip of the hook, the bags make the rig very 'anti-tangle' which is a massive weight off the mind. Before hooking them on I roll them around in my hand to grind the contents down, this also tightens the bag up so when it melts it explodes out on the bottom leaving your hook bait sitting nicely in an inviting pile of freebies.

The Telescopium Blend 'Little Bags Of Secrets

Shortly after re-casting my right hand rod, it was off again, this was a ferocious take stripping line like mad. I lent back into the fish and felt straight away that it was big, it was powerful and really steady. I managed to guide it round the mouth of the channel, she was peeling line, tightening up the clutch, it still just kept forcing line off the spool. A good 15 minutes had gone by without so much as a sighting of the fish, I just took it easy keeping the pressure steady waiting for her to tire. 

Slowly but surely she started to give in, the fish topped, it was big, a real lump of Chase mirror. I gently teased the fish over the net, as I went to lift her out it struck me that I'd caught one of the big girls, luckily there was someone around to take a picture. I put her in the sling to weigh, there was part of me that thought I'd done my new PB. Scales sunk to 30IB. I was over the moon even though slightly shell shocked.

30IB Big Girl

Side On

This really was a great result and will be the reason that I join Chase lakes, my UK PB is 32IB and I feel this lake is the one that I stand a good chance of beating it on. She really was a beauty.

Slightly off topic - I have been refining all elements of my fishing in recent months and one change that I feel is helping me is my hook-link material. I got myself some 'Jelly Wire' which hasn't been out on the market for that long. In the past I've swapped between Silkworm braid, Merlin, Amnesia and Fox Illusion, there is an amazing fluorocarbon called 'Seaguar' which goes totally invisible in the water, I've caught countless fish with it. The thing I like about Jelly Wire is that you can strip it. In the past I would make my own combi-rigs using the albright knot but it's very time consuming, I've never been a fan of strippable braids but Jelly Wire seems to be a little different.

My Hook-Link

I heat shrink a tiny bit of tubing on the bend of the hook and bend it off the eye, 'top of the shank', this makes the rig spin into the bottom lip, every fish I hook it connects in the bottom lip with a very solid hold. Very rarely do I loose a fish once hooked. I got my right hand rod back out on the spot and topped the swim up, it had only been in about 15 minutes when it shot off again. 

This felt little a real big fish, I couldn't do a great deal with it, it started to make its way down the channel, this was a tricky situation because due to the angle of my line it started pulling against a section of reeds that were down to the right of me, I couldn't get the angle to apply the pressure properly. I held the rod out and up to give some side strain but unfortunately the angle was so tight the fish came off. I was gutted because this was another big fish for sure.  

The Reeds

After that everything went quiet for a few hours, I recast a few times and continued to put bait out. Because I had now moved all three rods along the margin leading into the channel, I thought I'd move my left hand rod back out onto the island. Because I had baited up there in the morning I thought there might be some carp sniffing about. I hammered the rod out to get maximum distance and managed to get it right underneath an over hanging bush. 

A few hours went by before out of the blue my island rod burst into life, I lent back into the fish and it was instantly taking line, putting up a really scrap. I was starting to get the fish closer in underneath the rod tip when my middle marginal rod started screaming. There was no one around to take it for me so I just had to let it run. I was trying to rush the fish I was playing but it wasn't having none of it. 

Eventually I got her in the net, legged it over to my other rod and lent into it, it had gone into the reeds but I managed to tease it out. I got her in towards me pretty quickly and ended up slipping her into the net, I'd bagged two carp. The rigs were tangled and it was all a real mess.

Double Take 

The bigger of the two weighed in at 18IB, I didn't bother weighing the smaller one, they were both beautiful looking fish.

18IB Chase Lakes Common

After slipping both fish back, my rigs were a total birds nest, I cut the lines, this signaled the end of my day, and what a day it had been. The back lake at Chase is by no means an 'easy' lake. It's very big, has a few weedy areas and a load of places that carp could be hiding. With a little bit of observation and careful baiting, results can come in abundance, I will be heading back there soon to see if I can bag another big girl.