Rugby 'Last Days Of Winter'

Over the past few weeks I have managed to sneak a few sessions in on Rugby. I love the water so much and every fish I am lucky enough to catch from it is a gift. I know it's never going to be easy but I've got a hunger inside that burns, I am determined to unearth the gold that is hidden below the surface. It's on this water that I've really learnt to pay attention to the slightest movement, bubble or show. This time of the year the carp are very discreet but with careful observation you can track them down. 

After all the time I've spent on the water through the winter, I've clocked up the blanks, but at the same time learnt an awful lot. For instance, I have come to the conclusion that the carp can hold in a specific section of the lake for days, maybe even weeks at a time. I started to suss this out by fishing the same spots for a number of sessions and purposely over feeding the swim. 

It came as a surprise that when visiting the water a couple of times a week, with at least two days in between each visit, the coots would still be diving and picking up my washed out boilies. This was a real eye opener and made me realise that I have to spend a sensible amount of time trying to find them before casting out.

Another World

On this session I had my rods in the water by 8:30am, all rigs were ready to go so it was just a case of casting them out and getting some bait in. Before casting out I took a walk around the lake to see if I could clock any carp activity, it all seemed pretty quiet. I decided I would fish down in the beach because there was a fairly light wind pushing down that way, a lovely scum line was developing, where there's scum there's nearly always carp close by. 

Every time I fish Rugby I use a lot of bait, the lake is deep, weedy and has lots of nooks and crannies for the fish to hide. I want to get enough bait out and spread it over a very large area in the hope I can draw them in. One advantage to it being so weedy is the fact that it's very easy to tell if there are fish feeding on your spots, they really do kick the bottom up like crazy, many times in the past, when the fizzing starts it's not long before a screaming take comes.

My chosen baits for this session were Monster Squid, Halibut And Coconut, Bloodworm And Tuna and Bio Cp2 Amino. All these boilies had been sitting in a combination of fishy glugs and oils for months, the attraction they gave off was crazy. As they entered the water a huge oil slick developed, in the past I have fished with very bright baits opting for yellows and oranges. This time I wanted to try something a little more understated to see if I could tempt a bite.

Nice Understated Colors 

The beach swim commands a lot of water and the pressure points are very much the far margins near the snags and overhanging trees. In the past I've fished these spots and however fast I am on my rods the fish always seem to snag me. Over the months I have been concentrating on the open water and near side margins, that's been producing, results have been slow but that's just the nature of the lake. Today I was going to target the open water again, funnily enough as I was setting up a few fish showed at around twenty yards out. It was clear that some were down my end, getting them to pick my bait up was a different matter.

I had a few casts around and found three comfortable areas, marked my line up, cast out and then put a decent spread of bait over and around all three of the rods. All baits were in deep water, I'd say about 10FT give or take the odd inch. There was weed out there but nothing that really concerned me. When fishing in the deeper weed I usually set up a helicopter system, replacing the back bead with some PVA tape. This outing I decided to fish a slow sinking pop up with an inline lead. The lead was 3 1/2 oz's, my hook link was really long. Once again I was using the Vardis Autumn Camo material stripped back just below the silicone tubing, to slow the decent down I used two PVA nuggets squeezed together around the hook.

View From The Swim

All three casts were nice and clean, I got my swim tidy, put a coffee on and sat back intent on watching the water like a hawk. After about an hour or two I had another show and it was just a little way off of my middle rod. My heart started pounding, I was willing it to rip off, the carp was obviously churning up the bottom, I could see it very clearly from where I was sitting.

Simple Pop Up Rig

One little thing I like to use every so often on my pop up presentation is a small slither of zig foam to top my baits off with, especially if they're dark in colour. Not only does this create a nice visual touch it also adds a little bit more buoyancy to the pop up and aids in it's slow descent. Using this in conjunction with the right amount of tungsten putty, you can really find the perfect balance to ensure that the bait sinks slowly and settles perfectly on whatever it lands on.

I happen to think 'Zig Foam' is a very under used item of tackle, it comes in so many different colours and thicknesses. I like to combine it with snowman rigs, bottom baits, pretty much everything to one degree or another. In winter I have really got into the method of stitching imitation maggots to it to create a really effective presentation, hovering baits, slow sinking baits, it has all sorts of uses, soaking them in both glugs and oils can create an interesting combination of flavours and attractions.

Zig Foam In An Array Of Colours

I think it's very important to take that little extra time on your rigs when you are tackling weedy waters, it doesn't have to be complicated it just needs to be functional and effective. Tiny details can be the difference between catching that fish of a life time. 

Time was ticking by slowly, I'd started to get a few small liners, the wind started to pick up and it really looked spot on for a bite. The breeze increased even more and I was starting to feel a stirring inside, surly one of my rods had to go. Sure enough after another hour or so, it did, it was the middle one, I pounced on it, lent back and slotted into 'The Zone' as the clutch started to tick. It felt like a good fish, I let it do it's thing, powering around from left to right, I kept a steady pressure on and started to tease her in my direction.

I got her in nice and close and through the gin clear water I could see a lovely dark shadow kiting around, it looked like a nice lump, I was careful, patient, went to net her ... result!!

It was an understatement to say I was pleased, I was over the bloody moon, another Rugby lump, the journey is slow and without pain but I am slowly picking them off, I just have to keep my focus and be confident in my approach.

21IB Of Rugby Mirror

I didn't bother casting the rod back out, the day was coming to a close and I only had an hour or so left, I made another coffee and sat back just to really soak up my surroundings. This is something that I have mastered recently, once you've banked a beauty it's much easier to just switch off, if only for a minute or two. 

Sometimes it scares me just how minuscule we actually are in this universe, and being by the water really magnifies this feeling. We are so intertwined in our own tiny lives and ruts that we can so easily forget the simple things, the warm winds, the setting of the sun, the air, love and of course our never ending quest, god knows where we are going or if we'll even get there, where ever that might be, we've just got to keep moving forward in all that we do.

Angling to me is full of polar opposites, the calm, the lunacy, the joy and of course the despair. Each of these emotions are so important for us to be human and being by the lakes really allows you to connect with everything around you and within you. You can feel so connected but at the same time feel so alone. I never let the numbers game distract me from the true meaning of our sport. Next time you are out on the bank don't just observe things around you, take time to observe yourself, you might just be surprised at what you find.

The next series of blog entries are going to be about my session using Starmers new Mexican Hemp boilie. I am going to be doing a fair amount of time down on Burrows, I know that water like the back of my hand and it's the perfect place to give a new bait a go, I am looking forward to it.

   

Burrows 'First Trip 2014'

With 2013 evaporating into the corridors of my mind I felt it was time to start fresh and welcome 2014 with open arms. It just didn't feel right not checking in down Burrows to help get proceedings under way. 

The fishing had really slowed up towards the end of last year and I have been clocking up the blanks. None of which bother me, blanks have their place in the process and I know that I am not doing anything wrong, it's just the way it is. With each blank I pick the positives and understand that some days it really doesn't matter what you do, the carp just aren't having none of it. The way I see it, if my bait goes in the water each time, even just a few handfuls, it's still fishing for me even if I am not physically on the bank.

Back In The Summer

It's been a fair few months since my last visit, it's exciting times, Starmer have had a new bait in development and I've finally received the finished product. I don't know much about it, it's a nice dull color and smells like it has a hint of onion in it, it's called Mexican Hemp. My plan is to introduce it moderately and consistently in to a few of my waters, I feel that Burrows is the perfect place to start. I will not be fishing with it until we have slightly milder weather because it has a high oil content. I may well rig it up on a few future sessions but I want them to get a taste for it first.

Starmer Baits Mexican Hemp

With the colder weather kicking in the carp really aren't giving themselves away, I find I have to go on instinct rather than visual signs when it comes to trying to locate them. I have to be prepared to move every few hours, fishing for liners, anything that gives me a sign that fish are in front of me. As I have mentioned before, I believe the fish feed all through the winter but the spells are a lot more condensed, that is why it's important to be right on them. In the past I have seen evidence of carp cruising around under the ice as if it's summer so I believe they're still active, just not "actively" feeding.

Regarding my presentation, I have modified it slightly, through the recent blanks I have been trying to think how I can entice the fish to bite. There's something about the straightforward bottom bait approach that has been niggling away at me. For this session I have decided to use critically balanced pop ups with a slight difference. My chosen baits were Banana Cream and Caribbean, I have a huge amount of confidence in them both.

The rig I was fishing was a 'Fox Illusion' 'Super Nova' combi, the reason for this is due to how clear the bottom is and I wanted to make my rig as inconspicuous as possible. I seem to get great hook holds on this specific combination, there's something about the rigs mechanics that makes it hard for the carp to detect.

My Combi Rig

I treat the pop ups by washing them out in lake water and glug, this turns them into wafters and you can then doctor the presentation accordingly. To add a fraction more buoyancy I use a slither of zig foam underneath the bait. I want the bait to hover with the hook sitting up just underneath it.

Hover Presentation

I put half a PVA nugget on the hook when I cast it out, because the hook point is resting on the lake bed I tend to only fish this over soft clay and shallow silt to avoid any damage to the hook point. As I have mentioned in the past, the nugget on the hook slows the decent of the bait. I have had consistent success with this presentation.

View From Above

My thinking behind presenting a bait like this was to raise it just above ground level in hope a passing fish might just stop by to investigate it. This time of the year I want to make it easy for the fish to spot a bait and even easier for the hook to fly up and trap them.

Bait application for this session was stripped right back, I put about thirty baits around each spot spreading it a good five meters. Usually the water around this time of the year is very clear but because of all the rain we are having, it's still very murky. This is being created from all the surrounding farmers fields being so waterlogged and the excess water running into the lake. Because of this I decided I was going to fish the exact same spots as I do in the summer, usually I wouldn't be able to do this, the darker water works in my favor.

View From The Swim

Even though the winter so far has been pretty mild it has had a clear effect on the fishing. Baring this in mind I didn't have any fixed expectations for the session. I got both rigs out on my chosen spots and kept my eyes on the water, having fished Burrows so much, I know that if I don't get any action in the first forty five minutes or so, I either have to move or sit it out and wait. The day was full of scattered showers I decided to just sit on my hands, I know that carp visit both of my zones, I just had to have a little faith. 

It was a good three hours before I got my first take, it was on my left hand rod, a carp had fallen for the Banana Cream once again. The take was a ripper and the fish put up one hell of a fight, just as I netted her my other rod was away. I scrambled for it and lent back into another fish, it felt like a pretty decent size, after a modest scrap I very gently eased her into the net. From total silence I'd had fifteen minutes of utter mayhem that resulted in two lovely looking mirrors.

Double Take

16IB Mirror

The Second Beauty At 15IB

After slipping both fish back and getting the rods back out, I paused to take a breath. I was so pleased with the result specially for this time of the year. The day ticked away and both my rods remained silent, I packed up shortly after dark with the plan to come back down over the next week or so.

Session Two

I have been very busy with my work so it was a good few weeks before I could get back down again. When I arrived at the water it was still murky, windy but very mild, there were a few short moments when it felt like spring was on the horizon. I adopted a slightly different approach this time, firstly I upped the amount of bait that I introduced. Before casting out I dissolved some Strawberry Mivvi pellets in a little lake water, ground up some boilies and added some GLM method mix, this was mixed up sloppy and spread lightly over my chosen spots.

Strawberry Mivvi Pellets

Green Lipped Mussel Method Mix 

I baited up four zones with the plan to move my bait on to each one throughout the day. I felt confident that there would be carp holding down my section of the lake, I wanted to try and find them, getting four spots going made perfect sense to me. This is an approach I have used on and off in the past and it's worked very well.

View From The Swim

After both rods were out I made sure I had my binoculars at hand, this way I could keep a close eye on all my baited areas. The wind was heavy but it's pretty amazing what you can spot when you look hard enough. This time of the year I will literally move on a single bubble or the slightest of flat spots.

After two hours or so I moved both rods to "spot 3" and "spot 4" 'in the picture above'. I didn't bother introducing anymore bait, there was more than enough out there. Again, after another couple of hours I put the baits back to their original spots. It was shortly after doing this that I got my first take, it was off of spot 2. The fish came in with no fuss at all, it was a nice little mirror in the single figures. 

Little Scamp

It certainly wasn't a big fish by Burrows standards but was awesome none the less. I got her back and got the rod back out on the same spot, introducing around twenty baits. The hours started to pass and it was very clear that the fishing was slow. I decided to recast my left hand rod into slightly deeper water, just as the sun was going down the rod tore off. This felt like a better fish but really wasn't fighting at all. I eventually slipped my net over a perfect looking common, I didn't weigh her but I was guessing she was around 12IB.

Cold Water Common

This fish signaled the end of the session, the light was fading fast. It goes without saying I was pleased with both sessions, it certainly wasn't easy. It goes to show that you can still get away with a fair amount of bait even at this time of the year. Obviously it doesn't always work on all waters but I know Burrows enough to know pretty much what I should be doing. All in all it was a solid start to 2014.

Rugby Lake 'Picking The Lock'

In this blog I am going to be getting down to business quick, I explained my approaches in my earlier Rugby post, there is a link to it later if you haven't read it yet. It covers the finer details and my general thoughts on how I am going to tackle the lake. 

My first session was a rough one, I arrived for 9:00am, the wind was ripping along the water, there was a light rain and it was overcast. Theoretically the conditions were perfect, I fumbled around to get my brolly up, piled everything under it and perched underneath so I could watch the water for a while. I have found in the past that usually the rougher it is on the bank, the better it is for fishing, I always seem to do well on days like this. I had a sense that something was going to happen. 

50/50 Milk Protein Boilies

I love the baron feeling that harsh weather conjures, when you have a lake to yourself it's as if you are the only person alive and time becomes meaningless, evaporating. It's almost like you can sense the ghosts of the past. There's something exhilarating arriving home after a day of being battered on the bank by the elements.

Anyway.....

Eventually the rain paused, I quietly got my tackle setup and arranged my swim, keeping low to the water whilst I got my baits ready. Rigs were tidy, bait was fresh and I had my spots sorted. Because I was fishing so close in I could literally lower both rigs with no disturbance at all. I had to concentrate on being silent, if I wanted the fish to come in close I didn't want to be doing anything to spook them.

20IB Mirror From Last Session

I was fishing up in a swim called the trucks, the pressure in this part of the lake comes from the far margin and the reed line. I decided I was going to fish my near side margin and concentrate on this specific area through the coming months.

I was fishing both rods down to the left of me, when you climb up the tree next to the swim, especially in the summer, you can see the bottom. The reason I picked these spots is because a little way out from my near side margin is a tall thick weed bed. I was thinking I could pick a few off as they passed through the channel between the reed line and the weed.   

Birds Eye View From The Swim

For all those that might not of read my blog about the approach I 

am using on Rugby, you can read it here: FINDING THE KEY 

My chosen hook bait was Starmers Honey Nectar, both rods where fished with critically balanced baits, some GLM method mix, Banana Cream chops along with a few mixed boilie flavours. Visually it's nice and bright and the blend of baits give off a lovely sweet smell. I am a big fan of the 50/50 milk protein mixes especially this time of the year.

Honey Nectar - 100% Confidence 

Both rods were out, back leads were on, now it was just the waiting game. Periodically throughout the day I climbed the tree to see if there was any signs of fish in and around the swim. It all appeared pretty quiet and it stayed like this for the majority of the day. Every hour or so I would lightly sprinkle bait in and around the swim. I didn't want to over feed but at the same time I wanted to keep a certain amount of attraction in the water.

Mixed Shapes And Sizes 

Late afternoon came and I was starting to get a few twitchy liners which indicated that something was occurring down in the murky depths. My right hand rod was starting to come to life and I could see very gentle knocking on the tip, all of a sudden it was away, the tip bent right round and the buzzer was screaming. I rushed up and lent back into the fish, the rod arched round and away the drag went, ticking in that very addictive manor, something we all love to hear.

The fish was lunging for the weed bed, with a bit of side strain and a calm temperament I managed to steer her clear, it wasn't long before I had an awesome looking mirror staring up at me from the landing net. I was buzzing and shaking a little, this fish meant so much to me, like I have mentioned before, Rugby is far from easy. I have always managed to get the takes but have been very unlucky in actually banking the fish. This time it all came good, scales sunk to 22IB. The fish was in tip top condition and a beautiful chocolate brown color.

22IB Rugby Mirror

This fish really meant the world to me and was a great start to my journey on the water, getting any fish out of this lake makes me feel like I am heading in the right direction. I want to challenge myself, especially in regards to presentations. I know I can deal with clay, silt and gravel, I want to welcome weed and I want to know I have enough ideas in the armory to do so. 

The rest of the day came and left and as the sun went down the rods remained silent. I was really pleased with the outcome and was planning to come down in a day or two to get the rods back out on the same spots. My viewpoint is to keep working that section of the lake, keep the bait going in all through the winter and then hopefully the carp will start to associate the spot with food. 

I am going to be baiting up with lots of different flavors, pellets, ground boilie, method mixes, all sorts of shapes and sizes to keep the fish guessing. The secret will be in the application, I don't want to go piling it in like a madman, subtle and consistent amounts should do the trick, little and often.

Session Two

The conditions for this session were pretty much identical to the previous day, the only difference was that the wind had really picked up. The lake suddenly looked like a bleak lifeless landscape, I was determined to find some form of life, hopefully big, scaly and wearing its winter color. Below is recap of the rig I have chosen to use.

The Claw Effect

The approach was exactly the same as last time, same rigs, same bait and same spots. I attempted to climb the tree to see if I could spot anything milling around, I gave in half way up, if I had continued I would of ended up head first in the lake, it was way too breezy. 

I got the rigs straight out, back-leaded right under my rod tips, threw a light scattering of bait over the area and once again quietly sat back. I felt that I was really starting to master 'silence'. To my surprise I started to get a few liners pretty quickly, my confidence was sky high.  

Rugby The Beach 'Locked In Time'

The rods must have been out for about two hours before I got my first take, the right hand rod ripped off, I was in slight disbelief, I really didn't expect anything to happen so fast. I raced for the rod, gently lent back into the fish and held on for dear life, it was shifting gears. I gained control pretty quick, letting the rod cushion every lunge, it was very heavy, it was really wanting to get in the weed, I was doing my best to stop it, when I got it in close she surfaced and it was a big fish, over twenty easily with a very broad back. 

Minutes felt like hours and there was no let up, she shot down deep again and I was giving it as much as I could, suddenly she tore back out into the weed bed and it went solid ..... NO! I kept the pressure on but it was still solid, I could feel that she was still on. I decided after a while to slacken off to see if she would find her own way out, I wasn't getting anywhere.

I left it for a good 10 minutes and I could see my line twitching and very slightly coming off the spool, I picked it back up applied the pressure and was met with my rig flying back towards me .... gutted!! I just stood there looking at the rig, I couldn't believe that I had lost one and it looked pretty dam special. Before casting back out I made a coffee and tried to focus my mind, I was starting to think that was my chance for the day, blown.

Coffee And Contemplation

Once my thoughts were gathered I brushed it off and got the rod straight back out, topped the swim up with a little more bait and sat back to contemplate. The positive was the fact I got the take, she took the bait. I need to be very aware in the future that they can ditch me in the weed, even at this time of the year when it's partly died back.

The hours passed and my hopes of another take were fading, the light was starting to go. As the sun set the breeze dropped, it was 'the witching hour', I started to feel like I could be in with another chance. Sure enough I started to get the odd liner, this time on my left rod, something was going on below, it twitched and then to my surprise shot off at speed. 

This time I was on it quick and I refused to let the fish take control. I kept the pressure on, stuck with it, teasing the fish away from the weed bed, it was frantic, after a fine fight she eventually tired, I ended up slipping the net under a nice chunky looking mirror. Two takes in a session, my mind was blown, scales sunk dead on 24IB.

24IB Of Old Rugby

It goes without saying that I was over the moon with the result, I finally started to feel that I was making progress on a water that is by far one of the hardest puzzles I have had to crack. It shows applying your mind fully to something really does pay off. Maybe all my previous sessions that didn't work out were for a reason, maybe it was forcing me to sit up and really listen to the water. 

I have said it in the past, the water will tell you everything you need to know - you've just got to be listening. I am really looking forward to future sessions, I know it's not going to be easy but anything worth having never is.

Goodnight

Burrows 'Getting Back In The Groove'

So it finally looks like winter is on the way out, and what a long one it has been. I persevered through the colder months and surprisingly had a fair amount of success. The bleak and sometimes brutal banks are slowly starting to sprout new life and with a new season comes new dreams and possibilities. I forgot what a pleasure it is to be on the bank without thermals and about five layers of clothing, I love the change from winter to spring, you actually start to feel alive again.. just.

My new membership for Kingfishers has come through and I have joined 'Bardag Angling' who run The Chase over in Dagenham, I have my sights set on a few different waters this year and I am really looking forward to getting started. Plenty of homework is required but to me that's all part of the process. I think it's important to keep a variation in your fishing.

Before I brave new ground I thought I'd pop down Burrows for a few sneaky sessions, Burrows is a water I will fish off and on because I really do love it there and the lake holds a stunning stamp of carp. The place is really thriving, it seems a lot more twenties are visiting the banks and a few new scamps are gracing landing nets, all the fish are so clean, be it a twenty or a low double, it's a total joy to bank any Burrows carp.

Before I went on my first session I popped down to have a walk around, obviously with the change of temperature rising a little a few anglers have been out and about. After having a chat with some of them it seems the water has been very slow and not a great deal had been giving itself up. I think the crazy weather we have been having over the past months is playing a role in this, I personally don't think the fish know whether they're coming or going. Baring all this in mind I planned an afternoon session, now the clocks have changed it's great to be able to stay out later and obviously this gives you longer on the bank and a higher chance of a bite. 

I had a rough idea where I wanted to fish, I have pinpointed a fair few spots I know I can catch from in varied conditions. I kept my rigs very simple, I was fishing a 'blow back' but I had replaced the ring with a tiny bit of tubing, I was using a size 8 fang twister, supernova braid with a small piece of tungsten putty a few inches away from the hook, I feel this adds to the shock when the carp picks the bait up. My lead was a Carpy Chris Inline pear which was 2 1/2 oz. My chosen bait was Starmers reliable sweet bird seed mix "Strawberry Mivvi" topped off with some fake corn, visually I think the red of the boilie blended in with yellow gave a great presentation.

Simple Rig

My Swim Choice

I arrived at the water around 1:30pm with the view point of staying until around 7:00pm. I opted on keeping the free offerings to a minimum relying on the fact my baits had been dipped in glug to help release a little more attraction. I was going for the opportunist take, I felt piling the bait in wasn't the right thing to do, taking into account the water had been pretty quiet over the past few weeks.

The hours started to pass pretty fast, there were no signs of any fish anywhere, it was very quiet. Instead of recasting for the hell of it, I just sat on my hands, I knew my rig positions were good, the bait was spot on, I had a sense that if I was going to get a take it would be a little later on in the day. 

6:30pm came and the wind had calmed down, the lake turned into a sheet of glass, it felt like the witching hour.. 'bite time'. Sure enough 6:45pm came and my right hand rod ripped off at pace. I lent into the fish that seemed to be racing towards me because there was no real resistance, I thought that I'd hooked into one of the scamps. When I got her in close that was when she really woke up, it felt heavy and was powering around, my barbel rods where being stretched to their limit. The fight went on for quite sometime and when I eventually got my first glimpse of the fish I knew I'd got a real nice chunk on. Eventually she tired, I eased the net under her, a lovely looking mirror laid there staring at me, scales sunk to 21IB 5oz, I was overjoyed and a little surprised.

21IB 5oz 

I got a few snap shots and slipped her back, it had just gone 7:00pm so I decided I'd pack up with the plan on coming down in a few days time. I wanted to get a few solid sessions in before moving on.

Day 2

My mind was starting to work over time because I just had this niggling feeling that the carp might be spending their time in the mid to upper layers. When the carp are hard on the deck you can pretty much gauge a take 45 minutes into the session, I was starting to think about putting a zig rig out. I came to the decision that I'd fish another day hard on the bottom and if I'm still getting the same feeling I'd fish a zig on my third session.

I opted to fish the same swim but this time I would fish Strawberry Mivvi on one rod and Octospice on the other, both would be topped off with fake corn. Octospice is a pretty special bait, Starmer originally made it for the french market, when I was down their work shop last visit, Ian gave me a small bag to try out and I caught on it instantly everywhere I took it. My spots were the same as the day before but a little tighter into the bank.

Starmers Octospice 'An Interesting Blend'

This day turned out to be a real tough one, the bobbins stayed static with not so much as a single bleep, a few fished jumped down where the underwater fence was but that was about it. I was now convinced that I was going to try fishing a zig on my next session.

I have never tried zigs on Burrows and it might just be the approach that could get me a bite when times are slow. I stuck it out until the bitter end and in the last few minutes of the session my left hand rod screamed off, 'last knockings' had delivered once again like it has so many times in the past. The fish put up a great fight, I slipped a lovely looking mirror over the net, scales sunk to 12IB, Octospice had tempted one on a tough day.

12IB Mirror

Back She Goes

Day 3

The conditions on session three were very different to the previous days, it was very sunny and very windy, there were waves on the water and trying to cast out was a bloody nightmare. I opted to fish one on the bottom and one on a 2ft zig. The 2ft zig was placed where I'd seen fish cruising mid water during the winter. The bottom bait was put in my usual marginal spot, I was using Starmers banana cream mixed with strawberry mivvi, I had both flavours chopped in a carp craze mesh bag and I was fishing half and half on the hair.

Half And Half Hook Bait

Finished Presentation

My zig rig was tied using the new Rig Moral specialist mono, with a size 6 Nash fang uni, I cut down a banana cream pop up to use as my hook bait. Instead of using a lead clip system I favour one of my small light inline leads. The lead was made specifically for me by 'Carpy Chris Knowler' to use with my solid bags but it comes in useful for other things, if I was fishing a zig over 3 1/2 ft then I would swap to a lead clip system so I could drop the lead if need be.

Rig Marole Specialist Mono

I am very impressed with the above hook link material, it goes near invisible in the water and has great knot strenght. If you steam its straight before using it, it keeps it shape very well.

'Carpy Chris' Solid Bag Lead

My little solid bag lead is a small flat inline that casts lovely, lands with little disturbance and is light enough to use with a short zig rig.

Simple Zig Set Up

You can see in the above photo that the hook link material is very hard to see, when the sun shines on it it turns translucent. When approaching zig fishing any little edge you can give yourself is helping to contribute to the effectiveness of the presentation.

When I arrived at the lake I decided to fish the same swim that I'd been in previous, my bottom bait was cast nice and tight into the margin with a bag of chops and a few freebies thrown around, my zig was put just off the deeper shelf that runs a rods length or so off the opposite bank.

Rig Positions

The day proceeded as expected with very little indication of fish anywhere, I felt really confident in my positioning so once again I just sat on my hands. When fishing zigs I make an agreement with myself that I am going to commit 100%, that's the only way you're ever going to know if the method is effective, I have used them in the past with varied success. I have decided I'm going to focus and explore them a lot more this season, if done correctly they can really add another dimension to your overall fishing.

The wind continued to batter the lake, afternoon bought with it showers and blasts of rain, it was starting to look pretty doubtful that I was going to bag a fish. All of sudden out the blue my zig rod bent round and I lifted into a hard fighting carp, the approach paid off and I was thrilled that I'd managed a take. The fish really put up one hell of a fight, as the water was broken by a straying dorsal I clocked the view of a lovely looking common, I eventually teased over my net, scales sunk to 13IB.

13IB On The Zig

I was so pleased to catch on a zig, I think I am going to incorporate them into my fishing a lot more, the secret to zig fishing for me is total coviction, if I choose to put one out then it stays out. Because the concept is a little weird sometimes you feel inclined to reel it in after a few hours and whack a bottom bait on but at the end of the day, you don't know until you try.

That was the only take I had all day, I did pop down a few days later for a few hours and had yet another take on the zig but unfortunately it took me into a snag and spat the hook. For the future I am going to start to work with adjustable zig rigs, many times have I been on a lake when I've seen fish cruising just under the surface, I have come up with a pretty reliable system which I believe will be effective.

Adjustable Zig Setup

The setup is really very simple, I will be using a Fox pike float fished upsidedown so the swivel can slot into the black tubing provided, the lead system will be pretty much the same as how you set a marker float up. Now doubt I will keep track of my results in future blogs, I am feeling optimistic, it might just be the key to those days where fishing hard on the deck just isn't happening.