Braxted Reservoir 'Singing From The Fields'

As I sit typing this blog it's very clear that summer has well and truly left us. Out the window a miserable amount of cloud fills the sky and the rain is launching a brave assault on my windows. I know this is great fishing weather and as usual I will be braving the banks through both Autumn and Winter, it's my favourite time to be out there. Today though, I thought I'd escape for a while and recall a successful session I had on the Braxted reservoir a month or so ago.

There were two things that very much stuck in my mind about this session, not only did I bank a 28IB 5oz common but the weather was incredible. It was one of those days where there were very few clouds in the sky, it was almost as if they ceased to exist. There were a thousand shades of blue and the breeze was constant and warm. Sprawling behind me was an ocean of corn fields and with each gust of wind came a strange, ghostly serenade as the stems shifted back and forth with military timing, I was in the heart of nature and I was loving it. On days like this it's so easy to experience pure clarity and being on the bank is both an honor and a privilege. It goes to show that angling intertwines so much more than just going and catching fish, if you focus too much on the numbers you'll miss all that is around you.

The Corn Fields Sang Behind Me

Having targeted the dam wall on my previous sessions, I decided that I'd like to explore more of the water. When I arrived, there was a tempting swim available that gave me a few good looking spots on the other end of the dam to where I'd previously fished. I must admit that this was tempting but I abstained the urge to fish it and made my way up towards the centre of the water.

I started to think that if I was a big carp I might feel inclined to stray away from the crowds and lurk quietly under a tree or in an unassuming spot. With this in mind I decided to fish a swim half way up the left bank, free from any marginal features. I wasn't going to fish very far out, I wanted to see if I could pick a couple off as they made their way along the margin. After having a lead around it was shallow close in and then gently sloped down, I wanted to target the water at about 4ft.

View From The Moon

I was going to stick to the bait I'd used in previous sessions, the coconut fish combined with the halibut & coconut seemed to work very well. This time around I wanted to work with a black and white combination, I wanted a presentation that had the feel of what the old humbug sweets looked like. I am growing weary of tipping my baits with yellow, I think it's being done to death nowadays and I am sure some of the bigger, wiser carp are starting to suss this out. 

Coconut Fish And Halibut & Coconut Combined

I was fishing two bottom baits both on semi-fixed rigs, my lead was 2.75oz, I was using a combi rig which consisted of Kryston 'SYNX' and Nash 'Trigger-Link'. I feel the Trigga-Link is a painfully under used item, for those that don't know, once it comes in contact with water it turns elasticated with a spring like quality. I believe this makes it harder for the carp to use the lead to drop the hook, every lunge and head shake is cushioned due to the elasticity of the 'Trigga-Link', I have had great success with this rig.

Trigga-Link/SYNX Combi

On my left rod I had Coconut Fish, I didn't top this off with anything, on my right rod, the Coconut & Halibut was topped off with white corn, this gave a great black & white combination and I felt it was a mix of colors that the carp just wouldn't be able to resist. 

I decided I was going to bait up heavily in a triangular shape, fishing one bait in the centre of the free offerings and the other bait a good half rods length off from the main concentration of bait. I was interested to see which bait pulled the better fish, I still believe on pressured waters the big fish opt for the 'mouthful' approach and I don't believe they just hoover up everything they come across. I think it's far more complicated than that, I am wanting to create a presentation that has a very 'nonuniform' feel about it.

Triangular Baiting Pattern

I got both my rods out by mid morning, baited up nice and tidy and sat back in anticipation to see if my 'hunch' about the margins was going to pay off. Periodically I would add a few baits to the swim, I feel that the carp move around a lot and at some point should come across my zone. A few coffees later and a little doze, the rods remained static, instead of re-baiting and recasting I decided to sit it out. I know the bait works and I knew my presentation was spot on. 

It was about 2:30pm when I got my first pick up, the left hand rod was alive and that awesomely addictive sound of my bite alarm had me scrabbling for the rod. As I lent into the fish it was kiting like crazy and I held on for dear life trying to cushion the onslaught. Finally tiring I caught a glimpse of a long, lean common, I was buzzing, eager to look at my prize, she was a beauty, I weighted her fast, 15IB on the noise, a few quick pictures were in order and then I slipped her back.

15IB Common On The Coconut Fish

I was very pleased, the fish came off of the rod that was fished deep within the bed of bait. I put about 50 boilies into the zone, recast and sat back to soak up my little victory. It shows that the carp do patrol close in, I was hoping that when the sun starts to evaporate I might be able to pick another few off. The hours went by and as the sun started to set it felt like the magic hour was approaching. Fish started showing all over the place and I could hear distant bite alarms sounding from a few of the other anglers around the lake.

My next take came off my right rod, this was the bait fished off the main spot, instantly this felt like a better carp and it took me a fair few minutes to tame. I netted another stunning looking common, scales sunk to 20IB, she fell to the 'black & white combination'.

20IB Common Caught On The White On Black Combo

It might have been sheer chance that the better fish of the two came from the bait on the outside of the zone, but once again it started me thinking that the bigger fish could be ghosting around the perimeters of large baited areas. Fishing on the edge of the main spot could just be the key to tripping up the larger residents of the waters.

What happened next was crazy, I changed the hook-link over so I had a new sharp hook on and then I flicked the bait out in to the same area. Within seconds of it landing my rod was pretty much pulled out of my hands. It took me totally by surprise, I lent back into whatever had picked it up and a very unsuspecting fight resumed. The carp had taken the bait on the drop, I can only assume when I cast it out, it landed right next to it's mouth.

I could feel that this was a big fish, my rod was bent double and it was slow, steady and powerful, I maintained the best control that I could, as it surfaced I could see I was into something a little bit special, the minutes passed and I was shaking, I really wanted to get this fish in. As I lowered the net into the water, 'the end' couldn't come quick enough. Finally a big long common stared up at me from the mesh, scales sunk to 28IB 5oz, what a bloody result and once again it came off the bait that wasn't put with the main offerings.

28IB 5oz Common, Very Pleased

What a session it had turned out to be, it started off slowly but really came together, the baiting approach seemed to do the trick and it's got me thinking hard about a few things. I came to realize a long time ago that if you stop thinking about your angling, you soon stop learning. 

Even when I blank I can recall a series of aspects that I've learnt, there is no such thing as a wasted or pointless session, but I guess it's the way you want to look at it. Angling is not a sprint, it's a very long marathon and just when you think that you are 'match fit', something nearly always occurs that humbles you. 

I packed up feeling like another piece of the puzzle just might be moulding itself into place. The sun set in the cloudless sky, the breeze became still and as I took the long and painful walk back to my car I once again felt very lucky to have discovered such a magical pass time.

Back On The Rugby 'Intravenously Connected'

Over the past months my focus has been very much on my new waters, acquainting myself with new puzzles has injected me with a huge amount of enthusiasm. My old haunts have taken a back seat during this process, then out of the blue Rugby starting calling again and I accepted her request. Now with the summer fading we are being blessed with such a low sun and the idea of witnessing the Autumns arrival from the beach swim was too much to turn down.

Rugby is a very special water for me, I've never had it easy on there and every session I have had to be so focused, there are some special carp that reside within its waters but I find them very hard to extract. I guess this is one of its main endearing qualities, it's from now on-wards where things get interesting. 

Not only are the carp starting to think about feeding for the colder months but the atmosphere at the waters edge has a certain romance to it. All that surrounds the lake are excepting their certain fate and as the temperatures start to fall our environment will become just that little bit more ruthless. For me this is a big buzz and as an angler I feel as if I am "intravenously connected" to the changing of the seasons, it's as if you develop an acute sense to all that surrounds you. Far away from the cities it allows you to interconnect with a truly grounding force.  

It's Good To Be Back

Before setting up I took a while to scan the lake for any signs of activity, there were a good few streams of bubbles kicking up at about 25 yards. I paid close attention and waited, once they'd dispersed they would then show up a few yards away from their original position. It was clear that something was down on the deck feeding, the bubbles didn't seem to be Bream or Tench, I was sure it was carp. This was a positive sign and as I slowly got my rods set up and made sure my swim was tidy 'military style'. I pondered over the exhausting question of "where to place my baits". Having only opted for fishing two rods as opposed to my usual three, my spots really needed to be correct.

Rugby has a lot of weed and every time I try to picture the bottom I have visions of a dark tangled jungle, I wasn't to bothered about locating clear spots, I just didn't want to be fishing in really heavy weed. My chosen bait for this session was my faithful Honey Nectar, it's nice and bright and stands out in the murk from the depths. Both baits would be popped up and I was going to doctor the rig so that the bait would sink as slow as possible, ensuring it would come to rest comfortably on what ever lies beneath it. I decided I was going to fish a helicopter system, long running so I'd have no worries about it being pulled down into any weed.

My chosen hook-link for this session was Rig Marole 'Hydro-Link', for those of you that are not familiar with this, it's a very versatile material that has fluorocarbon running through the center of it, the outer coating is an abrasive resistant braid. It's great for creating hinges and mimicking the mechanics of a combi link. It's very workable and steams out nice and straight. 

Simple Rig Components

Just to make sure the hook-link really sinks I treat it with Krystons "Drop-Em'. By doing this you are leaving a very thin layer of Tungsten putty on the outer coating of the hook-link, I have to say that it really does make a difference, especially on super supple materials that have a tendency to 'bow' up when they come to settle. 

Inner Coating Of The Hydro-Link

I favour a stiff hook-link material when fishing a rotary setup. I find by leaving the coating on the majority of the link and only stripping it near the bait end. The stiffness acts as a natural boom, add an anti-tangle sleeve on to the swivel and you can pretty much guarantee the elimination of any tangles. I have 100% confidence when fishing this rig and I favour it over the Chod. 

Rig Business

To finish this rig off and to ensure it casts nice and gracefully, I use a light riser lead. There are a few reasons for this, firstly the riser casts so well, because of its shape it slices nicely through any weed and finally it rises up quick on the retrieve. This stops you getting caught up in anything if you are fishing near or over big weed beds.

Rise Above

Once both rods were rigged up and double checked for the ultimate presentation, I decided to fish both of them straight out in front of me. Near the zones that I saw the feeding bubbles coming up from. My hope was that if there were a few carp in the area and they were up for a munch, then they might just be tempted by the sweet Nectar. Because the main features get so much pressure I thought that placing my baits unassumingly in the open water might just do the trick.

Rugby, compared to most lakes can start to get you fishing in a very one dimensional manor if you're not careful. I am starting to feel like the marginal reeds and overhanging trees have really had their day, those spots are almost too predictable and I think the carp are wising up to these zones in regards to their feeding habits... I might be wrong though, but I just don't feel confident targeting a spot that sees so much angling activity.

View From The Swim

Both rods were out, I added a very small spread of boilies around both rods, I didn't want to go over the top with the loose feed. I watched the water for a while, made a coffee and sat back to soak it all up. I knew I was going to be in for a long wait, it's always the same, of course there's a chance that nothing would materialise at all, but I find the more I 'will' something to happen, it usually does.

I proceeded to get stuck into my book, 'Seductive Poison - A Jonestown Survivors Story Of Life And Death In The Peoples Temple'. I highly recommend it to those of you who are interested in both cults and mind control. In between each chapter I was keeping my eyes on the water, the hours were ticking by and I started to feel, if I was going to get a fish, it would be later on in the day. 

There is a magic hour on Rugby and after a morning and afternoon of strong coffees and heavy reading I was starting to wonder if I was way off the mark in my approach today. But my hope swayed into excitement when I started to see a heavy stream of bubbles kicking up very near to my right hand rod. It was fizzing and moving closer to my spot, I got a few bleeps and then the rod was away, it shot off like a bullet train, I grabbed my rod and held on for dear life. The fish felt heavy and was giving more than it was getting. I kept the pressure on, slowly tightening the clutch to try to pacify the situation as much as I could. I was gaining ground, the fish kited in close and I caught a glimpse of a chunky looking mirror, it looked a good 20IB, my heart was racing, more pressure was needed, nice and steady, she retired to her side, I went at her with the net... result!

24IB A Rugby Jewel

With the scales slipping to 24IB exactly, to say I was over the moon was an understatement. The fish was perfect, proud and spotless, after a few pics I got he straight back. The trip had been a success and coming back to Rugby after so long to be met with one of her prizes was a gift within itself.

In my blog posts I speak a lot of connections, connecting with your environment is one thing, but connecting with an awesome carp is a different ball game. It's as if you have been given just that little bit more of a chance to understand the greater good. As I packed up and drove out the gates of the Paddlesworth complex, I had a sense, another itch that I had to get out on the bank at the next available opportunity, I had a feeling that something special was on the horizon. 

I Will Return

Braxted Front Lake 'Time Changing'

The morning that my alarm clock went off to wake me for my first session on Braxted front lake I was up like a shot. I proceeded to throw two coffees down my neck, packed the car and drove way over the legal speed limit to get to the waters edge. I had walked around both front and back lakes before my sessions on the reservoir, I instantly connected to the atmosphere of the waters and was eager to wet a line. Both front and back are not easy but the rewards are in there if you are determined enough.

New Memories

I have read a fair amount about the Braxted complex and the general consensus is that 'it's not what it use to be'. I think we can safely say this about pretty much all the lakes out there now. The world is constantly changing and time is something that we can't stop, however hard we try, the clock just keeps on ticking, there is never enough time when you are on the bank, at work the days drag, at the water they evaporate frustratingly.
  
Time eventually ends up taking us all, desires, clarity, the people we love and of course the carp that we've grown to admire. History fish are few and far between now and I know a lot of anglers out there want to catch something that really means something and represents an element far greater than just its size. The saving grace though is that there is a future and with a future develops a past and all waters will grow to hold something special once again. 

I find the older you get the more time you can spend chasing the feelings from the past, the first time you cast a line, that magical moment you lay your eyes on your first stretch of water, catching your first monster. I have come to realise that you will never be able to replicate any of the emotions you felt at those points in your life, memories change and get filed in the mind under 'experience', they season with age. We must learn to welcome time and not resent it for the way it has changed the things we once loved. For me Braxted is new, I am yet to experience it in its summer skin or stripped of its life in the depths of winter. I have a clean slate and that is something that excites me, I have nothing to compare it to, its 'hey day' may of passed but for me it's yet to come.

A Clean Slate

When I arrived at the water it was pretty quiet, no one was carp fishing, there were a few pleasure anglers transfixed on their wagglers and quiver tips. It was very warm, I had a scout about to see if I could see any carpy activity. There were no obvious signs so I decided I was going to fish the left side bank and fish underneath the rod tips. The margins had lots of reeds, overhanging trees and small clumps of grass, I thought the fish must get up tight to all of these features. For this to work I was going to have to be very quiet, something that is now a solid rule within my angling. 

The first thing that stood out for me was how clear both the water and the bottom of the lake was. With polaroids I could see right down in the margin and the lake bed looked very clean, apart from on the really shallow shelf beneath my feet. I was going to have to take this in to account when choosing my rig components. I have mentioned it a lot in my previous blog posts that I think camouflage is very important regarding your end tackle. I know that a lot of people don't think it makes a great deal of difference, I do, subtly disguised rigs could be the difference between that monster carp sensing danger or accepting the bait. All my rigs have to look right and function correctly prior to casting out.

Subtle End Tackle Choices

My components included a short length of Carp Craze translucent green tubing paired with one of their dark green tail rubbers. My lead of choice was a Carpy Chris Weed Inline 2.5oz and my hook-link was 15IB Jelly-wire. I used my rig pens to dull down the hook-link so it was literally undetectable on the lake bed. My bait of choice on both rods was Tigernut & Maple, both rods were fishing bottom baits. Because this is my first session I have no previous clues as to how the carp respond to bait so I decided to pile it in over both rods. The more sessions I do I will start to make notes on what is working for me.  

Simple Camo Rig Presentation

I find it takes me a good 6/7 sessions on any water to start painting a workable picture of the way the lake works. I have never seen the point in regularly going to a lake and doing the same thing or sticking to the same swims, you learn nothing by doing this. Through a process of elimination you should start to be able to gauge what works and what doesn't. 

All in all it's about how systematical you are with your fishing. Once I find a few ways in to a water, the first thing I will change is the bait. I learn a lot from bait rotation, after a few months of chopping and changing you start to get a feel for the baits that work the best on certain waters. It can be argued that swapping baits around doesn't allow you to establish any regular food source, but that's my intention, I want to keep the carp guessing. 

No Visible End Tackle

Before placing my rigs I had a little lead around, I could feel from the drop that there were at least three shelves that slowly sloped down. These were very close in so I decided I would fish on the shallow shelf and one in the slightly deeper water. To my surprise as I was getting set to cast out, three really big commons came swimming past right underneath my nose, I could of literally touched their backs. This was a very good sign, I got both rods out with the least amount of disturbance, topped both spots up with a good few handfuls of bait, set the bobbins and sat back quietly to wait in anticipation.

 View From The Swim

As the afternoon progressed the sun really started to beat down and I was feeling so hot, fish were showing just under the surface out in front of me. I was hoping that I could pick at least one of them off if a few were making their way along the marginal areas. Because it was all new to me I really was blind to any apparent system that the lake might have. I find in these moments it's all intuitive, I have to lock on to my confidence and understand that I am fishing the best that I can under the circumstances.

Sure enough just as afternoon was turning to evening, a few bleeps occurred on my left rod. It stuttered and then it was away, I connected to a fish that felt solid, the rod arched around and the clutch was singing. I kept the pressure on, a long common appeared determined to shake me off, a little more pressure to maintain control..... just a little more and then....., Bingo! she was in the net. What a result and it looked like it could go twenty, it might have even been one of the three carp that I spotted under my nose earlier. Scales sunk to 22IB 5oz, I was so pleased especially as it was caught so close in. I got a few trophy shots and gently slipped her home.

First Braxted Common 22IB 5oz

I was very pleased to of grabbed one especially on my first trip, I have got a lot to learn about the water but this was a solid starting point. The approached worked but there's no guarantees it will work the same again. I think because it was a hot day the carp were obviously milling around in the shallows. At some point I want to get a marker rod out and suss the bottom out, I will opt on doing this when there aren't so many other anglers around.

I only plan on fishing the water blind once. Understanding the typography of the bottom will open up a load more options for me on future sessions. I plan to start to map out my favored swims and then I can start to stitch it all together. On all the waters I fish, the ultimate goal is clarity, with clarity comes consistency and with consistency comes a very good chance of bagging a real beauty. 

The Cut 'Acres Wild'

Nestled deep within the Medway valley sunken into the landscape rests a water called The Cut. It is overgrown with no swims and at first glance you'd think that you were looking at a stretch of wild river. I know that it contains some carp but there's no real record of how many there are or how big they go. There's been some rumours of a few big commons lurking, to be honest neither of these points matter to me when approaching a water like this. The Cut is like an unanswered question and it's a question that I am determined to answer. This blog is going to account for a series of short sessions most being on consecutive days. I won't go into huge detail, taking into account my last few blogs have been long and pretty heavy going.

The Cut

In the past I have done my time here but I never really got into the groove, I wouldn't class it as easy fishing, I have managed a few fish out and both were lovely and dark, scraping double figures. It's a very strange water, it's clear, weedy and very shallow in places, I have found that the fish very rarely give themselves away and it's easy to think that no carp are present. It took me a long time to unlock but every minute I've spent on its banks has been an utter pleasure. It's as if time just evaporates into the ether and the outside world is decades away. 

At first presentation was a bit of an issue due to the amount of naturals that the water provides, I found that steering away from modern baits and going back to basics proved successful. Fishing peperami topped off with buoyant corn seemed to attract the carp. Any time I fished boilies I would get inundated with tench and bream. 

This got me thinking on how I could mimic peperami by using a boilie, to achieve the same presentation I opted on using a salmon marine hooker pellet heavily glugged in Garlic Sausage flavouring. The hooker pellets are a dumbbell shape and if you trim them down you can get almost the same aesthetic as peperami. 

Hooker Pellet vs Peperami

I replaced the buoyant corn with half of a yellow Avid zig dumbbell, these are super buoyant and allow the bait to sit nicely up on the bottom. It's similar to a KD presentation but without the KD whipping. I call it 'The Savoury Rig' and it has accounted for a fair few carp in recent years. The secret to the rig is to get it balancing perfectly so the bait is hovering and the hook sits flat, this allows it to sit nicely perched on any debris and goes into the carps mouth very easily allowing the hook to catch hold.

The Savoury Rig

You will see in the above image that I use a long hair, fixed just under the bait are two Atomic tungsten sinkers with a small piece of tungsten putty moulded around them. I have found this rig to work very well using a stiff material for my hook-link, I currently use Krystons SYNX for my stiff rig setups, I highly recommend it, it steams nice and straight, sinks like a brick and is very abrasion resistant.

View From Above

On my first session I arrived at the water for 2pm, by this time the sun was cooling off and I had time to get my baits on the right spots before bite time. I had chosen to fish a very narrow stretch of water. To me I call these kind of swims "Passing Traffic" spots. This is where you are fishing an area where you feel the carp will be patrolling back and forth to get to other areas of the lake. I had a lovely set of reeds to go at and a fair amount of surface weed, my plan was to get tight to the reeds and fish under the weed. Because I was so confident in my bait and presentation I decided to stick with fishing singles.

View From The Swim

As expected things were slow, I got a few liners but there really weren't any signs of carp in the vicinity, then again there never really is. I think about an hour went by before my right hand rod took off, it was a spirited fight and through the crystal clear water I could see a lovely dark mirror racing around. I soon netted her, scales sunk to 14IB, it was so perfect looking without a mark on her. It was by far one of the best looking carp I'd caught in terms of its proportions.

A Perfect 14IB Mirror

I got the rod back, I knew it was a long shot if I was going to have another, as expected the session evaporated away with no more action. I packed up just before dark with the plan on coming back the next day.

Session Two

Just like the day before, I arrived mid afternoon and decided to fish the same swim. I knew both spots were good for a bite, this time I put a light scattering of bait over both rods to see if I could tempt more than one carp. My first take came really quickly, this was off my right hand rod, it tore away and the fish was taking some serious line. I was desperately trying to keep it away from both the weed and the snags. I didn't bother weighing her, she was long and lean, maybe touching double figures.

A Dark & Lean Cut Common

I slipped her back, because the take had come so fast I felt confident that I could nick another before leaving. The rod went straight back on the spot with a few baits scattered. The next bite came off my left hand rod, the fish kited down the channel, with a bit of side strain I managed to lead her back, once again the fight was hard, she soon tired, it was another perfect looking mirror once again weighing in at 14IB.

A Fish Off Both Spots

After putting her back I gave it about an hour or so and then packed up, I was very pleased to nail two. My plan again was to come down the following day, because that zone of water was working for me I decided that I would stick to fishing it.

Session 3

Just like the previous session, rods were out by mid afternoon, because the conditions have remained consistent throughout the week I really didn't see the point in changing anything to do with my approach. The rods were quickly out on the usual spots, this time around I went back to fishing singles. 

The baits had been in the water for about an hour before I got my first take. It was the right hand rod, this one was fished especially close to the reeds. It was another great fight and at the end of it I was surprised to be sliding the net under another sizable mirror, it was spotless and didn't even look like it had been caught before.

14IB Of Uncaught Mirror Carp

Once back the rod was straight out, again I managed to get it really tight to the reeds. Time ticked by and all had gone quiet, again it was a good hour before my right rod suddenly sparked into life. This fish gave me a run for my money, I soon slipped the net under what can only be described as a bar of gold. 

A Bar Of Solid Gold

Even though this common was probably the smallest I'd had from the cut, I thought it was a pretty special fish, it was long and slim and I think one day it's destine to become one of the kings of the lake.

A Future King Of The Lake

This common signaled the end of another good session, I was planning on coming back one more time. I wanted to do a short burst of sessions on The Cut because I was wanting to continue with my main focus, that being the Chelmsford waters. I have to say that my hunger has somewhat labored regarding Kingfishers lakes. 

I really want some new challenges and I love what Chelmsford have on offer, I am finding that I really am connecting to the atmosphere of their lakes and they're stretching me in terms as an angler. I will always fish KAPS lakes but I think I need to pull away for a while to help me gain perspective and nurture a new enthusiasm. I find myself blowing hot and cold on some of my waters, hence why I fish so many at once, I need to keep thinking, changing and moving, me and my mind don't like being absent of a focus, complacency is something that I can't bear.

The Final Session

The conditions on my final session were very different to the previous ones and it had been at least three days since I was last down. It was a lot cooler, overcast and breezy. From past experience the fish don't seem to respond very well in these specific conditions. I decided I was going to fish a different stretch of water that was a little more shielded from the elements. 

View From The Swim

I picked a spot that I've always liked the look of, there was a bottle neck that looked like the perfect ambush point and a tasty looking margin to my right. Things happened very quickly once the baits were on the spots and the left hand rod literally went off minutes after setting the bobbins. As the take occurred the water exploded and a huge patch of silt and bubbles covered the area from where my bait had been placed. 

As I lent into the fish there was nothing, no fight at all, at first I thought it was a bream. As the rig came back through the water I could see a huge pile of weed on my line and hidden underneath I could see a carp, I literally just netted it straight away. As I began to clear the weed I was shocked to find a nice fat mirror buried underneath and it was a fair size. It went 18IB 5oz on the scales, I was pretty shocked to say the least.

18IB 5oz Of Perfection

This fish encapsulated what these kinds of waters represent, it was perfect in every way with no one signs of damage, fin perfect, the mouth was huge and most of all it was a real surprise. If there's an 18IBer swimming around maybe the old tales of big commons aren't so far from the truth. At some point in the future I will head back down, but for now the itch that the cut was giving me has been temporarily scratched.

Into The Wild & 'The Modern Decline Of Learning'

"Wild - A Natural State Or Uncultivated, Uninhabited Regions"

In this blog post I would like to share my views on how I feel the modern carp scene and modern technology is effecting "us" the angler in terms of mastering our art, angling is an art after all. Along with this I would like to share with you my views on the wild waters. There's something about fishing a place that's very much undisturbed that stokes the angling fire, no preconceived ideas just the mysterious prospect of unearthing a hidden jewel. There are no comparisons between waters that are wild and those that have been made by man, commercialised and modernised. 

"This Entry Isn't A Moan, it's an observation and in no way am I knocking the angling press and the tackle firms, as we know developments within the industry has been pretty incredible over recent years and there are a lot of hard working people that make the carp fishing scene what it is, I am just trying to hold on to the romance of it all"

Existing in a world where every action is scrutinised and observed, where we have constraints in the system both mentally and physically, I have this continuous desire to find a place that's wild, untouched. A place so removed from the 'everyday', where you can simply get lost in the feeling of 'being'. The worlds population is contorting, the heaving of the masses are pushing and pulling and all too often do I get the sense of drowning amid the rush of it all. Angling use to be an escape but now I feel the modern carp scene falls into the description above, it's all become so commercial, so overrun with the crowds I feel it has lost its way and the industry is systematically tearing us away from the essence of what angling really is.

I have touched on this point before, it's all so focused on everything that is external, we are amidst the "Look At Me" generation, the "My Dad's Bigger Than Yours" outlook, Who's caught the biggest fish, who's got the best tackle, who can cast the furthest, this perplexing need to be a field-tester or consultant, the list goes on and to me "the ego" is well and truly to blame, fuelled by the mags and DVD's. Carp Angling is now sold to us in such a way that it's stifling and with the rise of social networks the problem has magnified somewhat. Don't get me wrong, if all the above makes you happy and is exactly what you want from your angling then 'fair play' to you. The sport is there for all of us and we all have the right to take from it what we feel we need.

Now with the Internet there is so much information at our finger tips, this is all well and good for learning 'the theory' but I feel the practical side of 'thinking and doing' has taken a back seat. When I first started carp angling I had nothing to really go on, if I wanted to know about a water I would go and put the hours in and still do to this day, very rarely will I look for information on my chosen venue prior to going. I'll admit that a little local knowledge can be helpful but I certainly don't change my approach in accordance to what I have been told. 

Nowadays through media such as youtube, you can pretty much get all the information that you need before stepping foot on the bank, but why be a carbon copy of someone else?. This seems a shame to me because the process of your natural learning can suffer. The only way you truly learn is by doing, to mould a true opinion about something, after learning the basics, you have to climb the path by yourself from the ground upwards. Is technology making us lazy? I personally think it is. And is technology depriving you of personal experiences? Are you just mimicking what you watch and read?

A Possible Anaesthetic To The Brain

I can equate this to university graduates that can recite every Shakespeare poem off by heart or rattle off someone else's viewpoints on a specific subject. To me these people are just mixed up fragments of someone else's efforts and opinions. To truly understand Shakespeare you must be able to connect emotionally with what is being said, having maybe walked in similar shoes. Try to feel deep within your heart what love truly is, what pain really contains, the only way you can do this is if you've experienced those emotions first hand, you don't learn by regurgitating, you don't learn about love by reading a book about it. Both love and pain are two emotions that can walk hand in hand when chasing that dream fish. 

The only way you can have your own honest opinion on anything 'including carp lakes' is if you've embarked on the journey unaided and grown through your own personal experiences that you have learnt along the way. Surly it's more satisfying going to a new water and finding your own way into it rather than mimicking someone else's approach. Within my blogs I share my views, opinions, tactics and approaches but by no means are they "the law". This blog is simply allowing you to hitch a ride on my journey, take from it what you will but whatever you do take please include a bit of yourself within it. 

My point is, before you next jump on youtube or other social media sites to find out other peoples views and approaches on a specific carp water or venue, take time to understand everything you might be depriving yourself of by not getting out there and experiencing it first hand for yourself. There's nothing like bagging a beauty when you know the journey was walked by you and you alone.

The Wild

If you have come into carp fishing via modern doorways the subject of 'the wild' might be uncharted territory for you, those of you that grew up watching 'A Passion For Angling', using fairy liquid bottle tops as bobbins will get where I am coming from with this. The wild doesn't contain named fish, going swims, shower blocks and puddles over stocked with large pressured carp. For all we know the wild contains nothing at all and that's the beauty of it.

Through the recent angling years it has be somewhat obscured, it's very rarely written about. When you cast into such waters you aren't battling to beat a PB, you are very simply trying to unearth the unknown. The beauty of the wild is that it can be perched right under our noses, unrecognised or hidden deep within the valleys, yet to be christened with a line. The best part of it is there's no documented way into any of these waters, it's all based on your own judgement. To follow through on your judgements you must first feel confident in your own views and opinions, these are built up through your own experiences, this can be a struggle when your only source of material is feeding you with mixed messages. There is no wonder rig or magic bait, the only thing that is real to me is watercraft and you learn this by "doing". I look upon it as a sense and like all senses they have to be developed with independent thinking. 

The Untouched

There is one water that I can associate with all the above and I plan to share with you my exploits within my next blog entry. It's not totally untouched but at the moment it is as wilder water as I can get close enough to. It's been left, very rarely fished, overgrown and buried deep within the Medway valley. It's not clear exactly how many carp are hidden in it's depths but I have managed to bring a few to the bank, they may not be the biggest fish I have caught but each one of them represents something that I am eager to explore further. The sessions I will be accounting for are a series of two hour stints from late afternoon to early evening, this time of day seemed to be the most productive. I am looking forward to sharing my journey with you.

Pure