The Stock Pond 'Breaking Through''

This blog is a record of two sessions totalling 6 hours fishing

Over the past few weeks I have started to think about the waters I fish in a different way. For me, each lake is a system and has a series of systems within it, as anglers it is our goal to unlocked and gain access to the workings of our chosen water. The beauty of the sport is that we all find our own ways of doing this. It takes me a long time to figure out, sometimes a period of blanking can start to make you think about what you're doing in a more constructive way.

In previous blogs I have mentioned my fishing modes, these are kind of like 'ruts', you can really get stuck in them. I am always aware of when I'm in a mode. The best example I can give is when you turn up to the water, put your boilie on, cast out, throw some bait around it and then sit there and wait. 

When I was learning to play my drums, 'an art I have sacrificed my whole life for', I was taught that practice is only beneficial when you focus on the things you can't do, practising the easy techniques over and over again might make you feel as though you are getting somewhere but in theory you're not. 

I adopt this school of thought within my fishing. When I find an approach and a spot that works for me, I am eager to find another, some of the best sessions I have had is when my 'favourite' swim has been taken and I have been forced to fish elsewhere. More times than not I've never felt very confident in these situations but countless times this has produced some great results. I think what I am trying to say is 'you don't know until you try'. This is a mantra I keep firmly in the front of my mind regarding carp fishing. 

Always think bigger than just one swim, one bait and one approach. It doesn't have to be complicated, one of the best fishing seasons I had was when I fished crust on the surface, I didn't get my bottom baits out until the winter, it's amazing what you can make happen with an 8IB line, a crap rod, reel and a hook.

All the above points are very relevant when it comes to the stock pond, this is a water that I have sat by through every season, hot, freezing, snowing ... the lot. It's not a particularly big water and it's pretty shallow but it isn't as easy as you first might think. I have really been around the houses with this lake, lots of baiting ideas, lots of spots, presentations, everything, and it became clear to me that I had to strip everything away and go back to the bones. A simple single pop up.

All the fish I have had out have been on singles popped up a fraction off the bottom with very little bait around it. Because the water is very clear I paid close attention to my rig components, making sure they blend and mould into the colouration of the bottom perfectly. I have opted for striking coloured bait finding that yellow and orange seem to do the business.

Subtly Popped Up

The weed in the water seems to come and go, it has presented a few problems in the past but I have now learnt to embrace the stuff rather than run a mile from it. I use PVA nuggets and mesh to manipulate the rigs actions, I am always confident that the bait is presented well once cast out.

Side View

The hook link I seem to sway towards when fishing a pop up with an inline lead is Rig Marole 'Hydro Link'. This material has fluorocarbon running through it. You can create great combi link effects without the use of tying to materials together.

A Supple Hinge 

For my pop up presentation I cut a tiny piece of rig tubing to replace the ring, the Carp Craze rig tubing is perfect for this. It slides onto the hook trapping the braid perfectly, I make sure my bait is touching the hook, I don't leave a gap. I want the fish to be hooked the second it mouths the bait. To enhance this effect I use a nice heavy bit of tungsten putty. I use a lot of putty on all my hook links, after doing a lot of tests in my rig tank, I favor using a fair amount because it really pins the hook link down and I also feel it aids in turning and setting the hook.

My first session on the stockie was the morning, I wanted to try to get my baits in the water before the sun started beating down. My plan was to fish whilst it was cool and leave when the heat came. Over the past weeks a lot of surface weed had developed, I decided I was going to use this to my advantage and fish directly under it, I thought if I could get a bait safely through it then I stand a good chance of a bite. 

There is no cover on the water at all apart from a few reeds. I sensed the fish might be holding under the weed because it makes them feel safe, also taking into account a lot of natural food would be falling through the water from the weed itself.

View From The Swim

Before casting out I took a walk around to look in the reeds and there were loads of carp making there way through the back of them right under the bank. They seemed to come through every twenty minutes or so. I wanted to get my bait out but I refused to do it until I knew the carp had moved on. I knew they would be back, I wanted to make sure my bait was sitting proud before they returned.

To make sure my rig landed soundly I put a PVA nugget masking the hook and made a small "PVA Funnel Web Sock" which I slipped over the baited hook and tied at the top with PVA tape. This would ensure nothing attached itself to the hook as it pelted through the surface weed.

PVA Trickery 

Step 1 

Step 2

Finished 

The process above can be pretty time consuming so for me it's important to get the cast right first time. Before getting the rig in, I walked back around to behind the reeds just to check there weren't any carp in the area, it looked quiet so i shot back to my rod and flicked the bait out, I got the cast spot on. Because the bottom is pretty uniform I opted for a heavy back lead, I wanted to be alerted the second a fish was on.

Sure enough about thirty minutes later the rod shot of, I was on it like lightening, luckily the fish bolted forwards away from the reeds so it was a real easy and pleasurable fight. I netted a lovely long looking mirror, scales sank to 19IB, I was very pleased. The heat was really starting to kick in now so I knew I'd nicked one just in time.

19IB Mirror On A Single Popped Up Honey Nectar

I got a couple of nice shots and got her straight back, I decided to pack away, the stock pond is so open, it's a sun trap, wind trap, very uncomfortable at the best of times, and I didn't feel like burning up all day on the off chance of another bite. It would be four days before I return.

Session two, Sunday afternoon

I don't usually head out to the water at weekends mainly because of the crowds, luckily I am blessed enough to be self employed so I get the chance to fish week days. This particular Sunday just felt different. It was lovely and overcast and I really felt like fishing. I find a lot of the Saturday night anglers seem to shoot off around midday, most probably to tuck into a good old roast and take a shower. 

I arrived on the bank for 2:30pm and was pleasantly surprised to find it practically empty, apart from a couple of guys camped up on the far bank. This was perfect because I could fish the same spots as my last session. It was looking great for a bite, loads more weed had gathered along the reed line and a hell of a lot of carp were showing at short range in front of me. My plan and approach was the same as before, single pop ups fished directly under the surface weed.  

I went through the same process as before, making sure the hook was nicely masked so I could cast my bait through the surface weed. I managed to get it in position on my first cast. It was slightly behind the reed line, which was a bit of a worry but I decided to leave it, I just had to make sure I was on the rod as fast as possible if it tore off.

Topping Carp

My Spots

Carp were continuing to show themselves just out in front of me, and after the cast it was good to see I hadn't spooked any of them. The rods stayed static for a good hour or so, until out of the blue the left had alarm screamed into life, I rushed for it and applied the pressure. In the time it took me to get to the rod, the fish had tore right round the back of the reeds, by the sound of all the thrashing, it appeared to be a big fish. 

I kept the pressure on but it was solid, I took a few seconds to logically think about what I was going to do. I decided I would walk around the back of the reeds and slowly reel in my slack line. Once at the reeds I managed to lift my snagged line over the top of the stems. After doing this I was once again in contact with the carp, but it managed to wrap the line around some of the front reeds again. I walked back to my swim and decided the only way I was going to stand a chance of landing this fish was to try and cut through some of the stems I was tangled in.

I cupped the spool and walked backwards very slowly, increasing the pressure with every step. It was getting tighter and tighter, because I use a five turn grinner as my knot I felt confident that I wasn't going to snap off. Sure enough after applying the steady pressure, the line sheared through the reed stems and the fish came kiting towards me, I was so relieved, it was a tough gamble which could of gone either way but I came out on top.

The fish still continued to race around, kiting all over the place, I got a glimpse of her, at first I thought I might have hooked into the grey lady again because she looked very similar. It was only when I got her in the net I realised I'd hooked one of the big girls, it was a very big fish. I got her in the sling, scales sunk to 29IB, I couldn't believe it and I was in a state of delirium for a few seconds, to think I was practically pulling for a break on a 29IB carp, I felt very very lucky that it all went according to plan.

A Well Deserved 29IB Mirror

I got a few shots and then slipped her back, I had a mix of emotions, when I think of how much time I'd put in down the stock pond, I really felt I deserved one of the big girls, but in the same breath, carp angling isn't about what you deserve or what you feel you are owed. It will be a very memorable capture, that's for sure and when I think of the journey and how many great fish I have had out of the lake on the way, it's been brilliant. I will continue to fish the stock pond with the same level of enthusiasm as I always have, you never know, there may well be a few more surprises swimming around in its murky depths.

I would like to finish this blog entry with a poem I wrote on one of my more quieter sessions. Blanking can inspire more than rethinking your approach.

Back Down Burrows 'Dreamy Summer Days'

In this Blog I will be accounting for three short sessions.

Every so often you come across a water that really connects with you, Burrows is one of these places for me. I have done a lot of blog entries about the water and no doubt I will continue. The stamp of fish is pure quality, I have never come across such clean looking carp. I have mentioned before, carp fishing isn't a numbers game for me, it's all about the process.

I haven't fished it for quite a while because I was focusing my efforts elsewhere. Since the fish have spawned all the waters seem to have slowed down, I have suffered a fair few blanks of late and with the extreme increase in temperatures I knew things were going to get harder. 

I have literally been scratching for a bite, fishing for a bite at a time. I did have some success the other week down on the stock pond, I managed to tease a fish out before it got to hot, I will be writing that session up shortly.

I arrived at the water mid morning and the sun was already beating down, for the first time in ages I noticed shoals of carp just under the surface. I was actually surprised to see some really big lumps, I think there are still a few secrets swimming around in the depths. The bank side was so different to my last visit, everything was overgrown, insects buzzing and the water was an amazing green/blue color, instantly I felt back home.

The bowl end seemed to be showing a lot of activity so I chose to fish the first double swim on the lake, this commands a lot of water and some great far margin features. I was planning to fish a 5ft zig on one rod and whack a bottom bait over to the far margin making sure it was tucked nicely in the shade. 

Regarding my bottom bait rig I kept it pretty simple, the hook link material was Rig Marole 'skin full' stripped back just behind the hook eye. My chosen hook was a Nash Fang X size 6, I was fishing a blow back rig with a medium length hair and a Fox rig ring pear. The pears suit a thicker hook and give the 'blow back' effect a nice little kick. I was using a 'carpy chris' black inline weed lead finished off with carp craze 'translucent green' tubing.

Business End

Rig Presentation In The Water

My chosen bait was Raspberry Ripple topped off with a small piece of imitation sweet corn. To help the hook-link blend in I used some rig pens, matching the colour to the lake bed. I am a huge fan of rig pens, they're a bit of a confidence booster for me.

Before I got my bottom bait rod out I put around 200 baits spread in about a 4 meter radius of where I was planning to fish my rig. From past experience when the fish move down this end of the lake you can get a big hit if you keep the bait going in and get your rig back out quickly. The approach I've adopt is pretty systematic, I unhook the fish in the net and then cast the same bait out. Many times this has produced before I even managed to get the first fish back.

I cast my zig rig over tight to the far bank, there was a nice scum line developing and I could see a few fish groping around just under the surface. To be honest I wasn't expecting a quick take, I felt I stood the best chance late afternoon when it started to cool off.

View From The Swim

On my bottom bait rod I was using a 2oz back lead tightened right up, this was to make sure the line was nicely out the way and I was in complete contact with the bait, when fishing so close to the opposite margin you have to be on your rods very quickly to stop the fish from driving through the snags.

After a few hours the sun really started to beat down and it became very hot, luckily I was able to sit in the shade but it didn't help on the confidence front regarding a bite. There were plenty of signs of fish in my swim. After a few hours I decided to recast my bottom bait even closer to the opposite margin because fish were showing tucked underneath the marginal growth.

Burrows Carp Showing Themselves Which Is Rare

Interesting To See Them Grouped Up

It was really interesting for me to see the carp grouped up, I always thought that they moved around in shoals. The bigger fish seemed to be in ones and twos, seeing this made me understand why big beds of bait can work well. It's obvious the fish move in and start competing against each other, quick takes can occur after a recast if the group are holding over the baited area. Also the wind seemed to play a big role in which direction the carp were heading, I will log all these points and bare my findings in mind when I fish the lake in the future.

The hours were ticking by with no real action, I had a few liners which was promising. Come late afternoon the far margin was now in complete shade and fish were starting to top and jump very near my spot. Late afternoon came and went, come 7:30pm my bottom bait rod took off at lighting speed breaking the silence with a scream. I lent into the fish, steered it out of the impending snags and held on for dear life, she tore around left, right and center. Eventually she tired and I slipped a lovely looking common over my net, scales sunk to 16IB, I was very happy, this fish had broken my run of blanking and I felt really inspired again.

16IB On The Raspberry Ripple

I had about an hour or so left before I was going to pack up so I got the rod straight back out. This time I didn't put anymore bait in, I was thinking that if fish had moved in and munched what I had put out, there may be a few milling around which could produce a quick take.

The remains of the day passed with no more action, I was pleased with the common, she was a beauty. I can't wait for the temperatures to drop a little and for things to stabilise, it's been a tough year for the carp with the extreme cold, then crazy heat.

I planned to come down in a day or two and try to fish the same swim, a lot of bait had gone in and I was hoping the fish might pick up on it between now and then.

Second Session, Breaking Through

I arrived at the lake at 2pm and was really happy to find the same swim free, before casting out I got a good amount of bait back in the water. This time around I had modified my rigs slightly. I was using a longer hook-link and a longer hair, I changed my lead to an inline pear 1.75oz and added a heavy flying back lead to my setup. This rig arrangement really sat well on the bottom and the braid and lead were pretty much undetectable.

Modified Rig

Gardner Flying Back Lead

Again, I was fishing Raspberry Ripple on one rod and Bio CP2 Amino on the other, both were topped off with imitation corn. Starmers Bio CP2 Amino is a very effective bait, it's a green lipped mussel base mix with a natural high betaine level combined with vitamins and amino acids and it does the business everywhere I take it.

Starmer Bio Cp2 Amino

The spots were pretty much the same as the previous days session but this time I really concentrated on getting the baits as close to the opposite margin as possible. I had opted to move both my spots slightly over to the left, these areas seem to be free from underwater snags and I seem to land fish from these spots without any problems.

View From The Swim

So my traps were set and the bait was out, it really was just a waiting game now. It didn't take long to get my first fish, the right hand rod tore into life and I soon had a little mirror staring at me from the net. It was only small but a real joy to catch. It was around 6IB, spotless and obviously had 'big fish' potential, every small fish has 'big fish' potential. I unhooked her and cast the same bait out back on the spot, topped the swim up and took care of the fish, this tactic can work really well in this specific swim. 

I put the fish back in the net to lower her into the water and set free, when all of a sudden the same rod tore into life literally two minutes after being cast out. This felt like a better fish, it was heavy and powering around like a nutter. Eventually I slipped the net under a lovely looking mirror, I now had two fish staring at me, scales sunk to 22IB.

Mother And Daughter

I really enjoy catching smaller carp, it shows the lake you are fishing is progressing in the right way, all the new scamps coming up our the future of all the waters, never disregard a carp just because it's not a big one. Like I have mentioned so many times before, it shouldn't be a numbers game. It's all about the process and where there are small fish there's usually big girls hanging around somewhere near. 

Taken On The Bio Cp2 Amino

22IB Mirror Taken On Bio Cp2 Amino

I got both fish back and cast the baits straight back out, I had another take on my right hand rod but unfortunately this fish took me into some snags and came off. The day evaporated into evening and the swim went quiet. I had in mind coming back the following day to fish the same spots, before I left I put a good kilo of bait out covering a vast majority of the water in between were I was planning to fish. Hopefully the swim wasn't going to get taken before I arrived tomorrow.

Third Session, Coming Clean

I arrived at the water just after midday and was happy to see the swim I wanted was vacant. Before setting my rods up I got another load of bait back on the spots. I was hoping the fish might have moved on to what I put in yesterday. The wind was blowing nicely down into the bowl and whilst I was setting up fish were showing themselves all over the swim. Just like the day before, I was fishing Raspberry Ripple and Bio CP2 Amino, both topped off with imitation corn. 

I got my rods out both on the first cast, it didn't take long for me to get my first run, roughly about 45 minutes in. The left hand rod tore away and before I knew it I had a nice carp in the net.

A Quick Take

The fish couldn't have been much more than 6IB but it didn't half put up a fair scrap. All the commons in this water fight a lot harder than the mirrors. I slipped her back, got my rod back out and topped the swim up with a load more bait, I wanted to keep it going in. If the fish were here I wanted to keep them here.

Again, it was only about 30 minutes before the same rod went ripping off, this fish was heavy and was kiting around in the open water like 'there was no tomorrow'. I caught a glimpse of a long dark mirror, it looked like a good fish. Once in the net I was pretty sure I'd landed another twenty, scales sunk to 22IB. I was very pleased. The fish was a nice long shape and had a lovely dark color to it.

22IB On The Bio CP2 Amino

I slipped her back, got the rig out quick and again put at least half a kilo of bait back in. It couldn't have been in the water more than twenty minutes before my right hand rod ripped into action. This was a very powerful fish, I instantly thought it was probably a common due to how aggressive the fight was, she just didn't want to come in. Eventually she tired and I found myself looking at a long lean common, bang on 18IB.

Long Lean Common

Awesome Torpedo

I got her back and repeated the procedure, the fish were obviously really on the bait and holding nicely on the spot. Things started to slow down a little. I did get a screaming take on my right rod and it felt like a really good fish but after a long fight it kited down to my right and tethered my braid on some rock. Evening came and whilst I was in the process of packing up my left rod gave out a  battle cry which resulted in a lovely looking mirror and one of the prettiest fish I'd caught for a long while.

With Last Knockings Comes A Bonus Fish

This fish signaled the end my session, and what a session it had been. I think fishing the same swim for a few days can really payoff, especially when the lines come out the water at nighttime. I was really pleased with the results considering we are still coming out of a real warm spell.

Every so often things come good, everything seems to fall into place, I have learnt from past experience that you need to make the most of these spells because they can be fleeting. There are so many variables in carp fishing, so many reasons 'why' and 'why not'. It's this process that keeps me interested, once again I'll say, it's not about numbers or size, it's about consistency, and furthering your understanding, and of course 'enjoying'. 

Never let the chase ruin it for you. 

Chase Lakes 'Summer Days'

So much can change in a few days, this session was the first time I felt like summer had finally arrived. After my soaking last time it's as if everything accelerated, the bank side is buzzing, almost everything in the water is doing their business and I have received the first mosquito bites of the year. 

Arriving at the lake I could see some carp in the reeds thrashing and throwing themselves around so I knew this would be my last session for at least a few weeks so they can be left in peace to do their thing. I avoided all spawning fish and opted for the quieter spots.

I was on the water earlier than usual today, my rods were out by 9:30am and it felt good to know I had at least 12 hours ahead of me. That was plenty of time to make something happen, when looking at the lake for a while it struck me that it was quieter than other days, no fish were showing and nothing was jumping, apart from the few spawning it was pretty desolate. I decided I'd fish the swim that is on the point of the bottleneck, well it was a good place to start, I'd play it by ear throughout the day.

As I have stated in previous blogs, the spots in this swim are very clear so I made a few more minor changes to my rig to try and make it really sit on the bottom in the best way possible. Firstly I changed the lead, their are two that I feel really confident using in these situations. One is 'Carpy Chris's' inline weed lead and the other is his inline pear 'ballast' finish. Both look awesome on the bottom and I think they're very tricky for the carp to detect.

 Inline Weed Lead 

I know there's lots of speculation over how effective camo leads are compared to all the generic shapes and colours, I personally think they work better.  Anything that blends naturally into the environment is a winner in my book and I pay close attention to all the components I use, making sure that I have the rig looking the best it can for any fishing situation that I find myself in.

Inline Pear 'Ballast Finish'

In regards to my hook-link, I was using Krystons Supernova, I really rate it because of how supple it is. I took a small amount of mud and wiped it thoroughly into the braid until it had dulled the finish. When I checked this in the margin it really made a big difference, this only really works on uncoated braids because the mud/dirt has something to soak and grip to. 

As stated in earlier blog posts I have really taken a likening to Carp Crazes 'Translucent' green tubing, it's very easy to thread and with a little bit of friction and heat it straightens and molds itself to the contours of the bottom. I am an avid 'tubing user' I never use lead-core or any type of leader like that, I don't think they're safe. Through the years I have caught many fish trailing meters of the stuff.

Carp Craze Translucent Green Tubing

Get Your Hands Dirty

I was feeling quietly confident and I had three solid spots to go at. The only niggling feeling I had was with my right hand rod, directly opposite there were three anglers constantly casting in and out, with lots of casting going on I didn't think the swim was going to have the chance to start working for me. 

Both left and right rods were a simple underarm flick out, the middle rod, I decided to fish it directly in the middle of the channel, I was hoping to pick off a few as they made their way through. I was using Starmers Coconut Fish and Pineapple CSL, I have great confidence in both of these baits and have done well on them in the past.

Right Hand Rod Spot

The carp do seem to respond well to a fair bit of bait, for a change I decided to try three different approaches. My right hand rod had a generous scattering of bait around it, my middle rod was a PVA mesh bag containing crumbed boilies and my left hand rod was a single hook bait popped up and topped with yellow, two handfuls of free offerings were thrown directly on top of it. 

Because the bottom is very 'uniform' in this swim, I was fishing 2oz back leads on all three rods, fishing very tight to the lead. I feel this tactic used in conjunction with a tightened clutch, helps to aid hooking. All fish caught when using this method have been completely nailed.

Middle Rod Spot

My middle rod was positioned in slightly deeper water, it gradually shelves up into the margin directly underneath my rod tips. My bait was in the deeper part of the channel, because I had two rods covering the margins I thought it would make a nice change to target the open water and during past sessions I have seen a fair few fish show in the centre of the bottleneck. 

Since my last blog entry I have done some marker work and I am very surprised to find out that in most of the swims I have fished in, there really isn't much going on in regards to underwater features. Surprisingly it seems to shelve up really close in though. 

I personally love marker work, sometimes I will dedicate a good few hours to it on days when I am not actually fishing. In recent years the magazines and on the DVDs, marker work is almost being shunned with the overused term 'thrashing the water to a foam'. This to me is bollocks, you can learn so much finding out about what's going on below the surface. I actually have two marker rods so I can really pinpoint the more subtle features. 

Very rarely will I throw it around before casting out at the start of the day, more times than not I'll dedicate half an hour or so after reeling in at the end of a session to check out the movement on the bottom. Without making an effort to understand what's going on in front you, you're really just 'chucking for luck', and for me that isn't fishing.

Carpy Chris 'Donk Kit' 

Left Hand Rod Spot

With all three rods now in position I sat back from the waters edge with my eyes firmly set on my rod tips. I had made the decision that I was just going to sit on my hands and wait, I knew the spots produced, it was just a case of seeing if the carp were up for it.

The morning came and went without any positive signs of fish in my area, the buzzers remained static. Midday approached and the temperature was really starting to kick out some heat. Again, it was dead, a few fish were starting to show themselves in the middle of the channel. Come mid afternoon it was baking hot, my confidence level was dropping pretty fast. Then out of the blue my left hand rod arched round and the bite alarm gave out an almighty scream. I rushed up and lent into the fish, line spewed off the spool at a crazy rate and I could feel I was into something heavy.

I really started to give the fish a fair amount of pressure but it wasn't having none of it, it was a good fifteen minutes before I even got a glimpse of it, it was a big fat mirror that was easily pushing twenty pounds. It slowly started to tire and after a good thirty five minutes or so I teased her over the net, scales sunk to 27IB 6oz, I was over the moon to say the least.

27IB 6oz On Starmers Coconut Fish

She really was one hell of a fish, she was clean and her mouth was perfect. It still surprises me how close in you can catch and it seems that the better stamp of fish stick pretty close to the reed lines and margins, I personally think, specifically in this lake they tend to shy away from the main features. I got the rod back out on the same spot and topped it back up with a couple of handfuls of boilies.

The hours crawled by and before I knew it evening had arrived and it was time to reel in, nothing else happened, everything stayed quiet with not even a liner. I was more than happy with the result. I kind of made my mind up that I was going to knock the fishing on the head for a while so the fish could spawn, rest and have the chance to adjust back to normal. 

We have to respect our quarry and I feel this is very important for the future of the sport and our waters. Going down to the lake when fish are spawning can be as equally exciting as fishing for them. I always use this time of the season to consolidate my results and approach before getting back on the waters after the spawn.