Wick Mere 'Karmic Rewards'

My last session on Wick was a while ago now, I was eager to get back but I knew that if I couldn't get the toilet swim or the back swim by the woods, I'd be wasting my time, during the day at least, Wick is pretty much a two swim lake. My thoughts had become very obsessive about the place and having a little time away from it felt like the sensible thing to do. I am not sure what it is specifically about Wick that took hold of me, I can't recall any other water that has caught my imagination so much. I know the challenge is something that appeals greatly but the rumours of long dark commons was something I just couldn't let go of. On this specific day I had originally set out to do a session on Boreham Mere but when I arrived at the water it was full of anglers and I didn't see much point in squeezing on. I thought I'd shoot down to Wick on the off chance that one of my favoured swims might be available, if not I'd shoot over to Braxted.

As I pulled up to the front gate I was met with an empty car park, my heart started racing, today might be the day I finally got to fish the water the way that I wanted to, if the theory of EFFORT=REWARD is correct and karma is kind to me, then I am due for one hell of a payout. As I drove down the long and bumpy track I could see that the toilet swim was free .. result!! I wasted no time and got all my gear out, dropped the van back up in the car park and legged it back down to get sorted. The time was 12:30 am and I was planning to leave at 6:00 pm, I didn't have a huge amount of time but I felt confident that I could get a result.

The weather was perfect, it was sunny, overcast and the wind was violent, almost gale force. I love conditions like these, it's so exhilarating being on the bank, it blows all your cobwebs away and you feel well and truly alive. The wind was blowing directly into my face so it was a good job that I wasn't going for a long chuck. This specific swim controls a lot of water, out in front of you are a few scattered weed beds and some gravely areas. To the right you have the mouth of the bay that I was planning to target.

To hit my spot my plan was to wade out and set my rods up in the water, doing this would give me the angle that I needed to get up in to the small bay by the woods, this zone of the lake is pretty much untouched and I knew that the fish held up there, I'd seen so much evidence of it on previous sessions. Fishing from the bank didn't allow you to get anywhere near where I was planning to put my baits. The whole of the woodland bank has been shut off, it's been like this for along time now and I knew the carp were fully aware of this.

Positioning

I waded out up to chest level, my rods were set up on storm poles so they were nice and high. The cast was a little tricky but perfectly doable. It's a strange sensation wading out to fish, you feel so connected, like being plugged directly in to 'the source' of nature, completely immersed in your environment, it can really change your perspective on things. Being by the water is one thing but actually being in it is a different experience all together.

High On The Sticks

My chosen bait for this session was Honey Nectar, its caught for me so well this season, I was planning to really pile it in, if the fish were milling about the bay area I wanted to keep them there and get them competing for food, the more competitive they get, the higher chance you have of them tripping up on the hook bait. In regards to rigs, as usual I was going to keep it simple, I was going to fish a slow sinking pop up, I decided to fish leaders on both rods to protect my line from the weed and the swan mussels. From past experience I know that the carp are expert escape artists and I don't want to be losing any of the fish that I hook.

Honey Nectar Pop Ups

Starmer have been working on a new 'Ultra Buoyant' pop up that I've been helping to development. I've been putting them through their paces with positive results, close attention has been paid to making sure they look identical to the matching bottom bait of the same flavor. They've managed to get it spot on and side by side you'd be pressed to tell them apart.

Bottom Bait vs Pop Up

I've been experimenting with a presentation where I make the bait hover slightly off the bottom. It's been working very well for me over thin weed and debris. It's a bit of a fiddle to set it up but it's an approach that I am becoming very confident in using. It consists of hollowing out the pop up and replacing it with zig foam, this makes the bait 'super' buoyant, thus making manipulating it a lot easier. As well as performing minor surgery  on a boilie it also requires just the right amount of tungsten putty to counter balance both the hook and bait. When carp are actively feeding on your spot I have no doubt that the disturbance causes your loose feed to rise and fall in the water. The ultimate goal with this presentation is to make the hook bait act as natural as possible, rising and falling with the rest of the free offerings.

Hollow Out The Pop Up

Gently Ease The Foam Into The Hole Made

Before casting anything out I decided to load the swim up with at least two kilo of bait, I spread it all over my chosen zone. I left it a good half hour before casting anything out. I gave myself one feathered cast on each rod to keep the disturbance to a minimum. I had a gut feeling that the action was going to be pretty instant so my weigh sling, scales, tripod and carp care products were all set up prior to casting out.

View From The Swim

Baits were placed and I stood solid by my rods, the wind was really beating on me and the water was almost pushing up over my chest waders. Within five minutes my right rod shot off, I was on it straight away and proceeded to try and tame what felt like a wild beast on the end of my line. I could see I was in to a long dark common, she fought hard until the end and was pretty dam reluctant to get in the net. Scrambling back to dry land I could see it was a pretty good fish, once in the sling, scales fell to 18IB, what a beauty she was.

A Dark Wick Beast

After I slipped her back I put another 100 or so baits back in the zone and got the rod cleanly out, no fuss, first cast. I stood in anticipation, I really felt like I was doing everything right. Twenty minutes or so later the same rod was off again, this felt like a better fish, taking line slowly, it felt solid as it lunged around, I was using my lighter rods for this session, the blank was pretty much bent double. Slowly she started to tire, I caught a glimpse of another dark common, it looked like a good twenty for sure, easing the net out and teasing her over I knew I'd caught a beauty, scales fell to 24IB 5oz, she was an incredible creature.

24IB Pure Beauty

This fish blew my mind, it was perfect in every way and it was a real pleasure to watch her slowly swim off, it's these poignant angling moments that people that don't fish will never understand. For me the release is as much of a buzz as a capture, as they swim away and fade slowly into the depths you can only wonder where they might be heading.

"Try To Bare With Me On The Paragraphs Below, I Will Try To Explain The Best I Can"

After a moment of quiet reflection I got a fresh bait rigged up and cast it right back on the spot. Again, I topped the swim up with more bait, I wanted to keep it going in. What happened next was a moment of pure madness, thirty minutes passed, my left rod was off again shortly followed by the right, it was a double take and I didn't know what the hell to do, I grabbed my left rod letting the right one run, at one point I was trying to frantically play both fish at the same time, it was actually working in some goofy way. 

The left rod felt like it had the better fish on it, I placed the right rod on the rests having tightened the clutch up, this approach seemed to work. It bought me enough time to land the first fish which was placed in the cradle, I filled it right up with water so the carp was comfortable. I grabbed the right rod and netted the fish, it looked about 13IB, I slipped her straight back and went to take care of the other carp bathing in my cradle. Obviously having time to rest, it was full of energy, a minor fish slapping occurred, I got soaked and hit in the face by its tail, it was worth it though, scales sunk to 20IB.

Another Dark Common

I slipped her back, with both rods now out the water, I was eager to get them both back as fast as possible. Before the cast I changed hook-links so the hooks themselves were nice and fresh. One thing I'd noticed, with each fish landed, there was a lot of weed on both the rig and leader. It confirmed that my ultra balanced bait presentation was working a treat. In the image below you will notice that the tungsten putty is sitting a couple of millimetres off the bottom, readying the hook to catch hold easily. 

Hovering Bait Presentation

Things slowed up for a while, I landed a small single figured common that I returned straight away, the mouth was in a sorry state. I don't like seeing this, it's completely avoidable, I have a strong belief that if you have to use your Klinic, then you've done it wrong. Of course damage can occur, sometimes it's unavoidable but the mouth damage I have come across in the past is unforgivable really. We have to respect our fish, look after them, play them and handle them with care. That's the first rule of angling for me.

The afternoon evaporated, I had about an hour left, during 'last knockings' my left rod was away, I was on it like a shot, the rod bent double and it felt like I was connected to another special fish, the fight was immense, the fish weeded me up a few times but with gentle, steady pressure I managed to get her out. It wasn't long before I had another bar of black gold in my net, scales fell to 24IB. I was buzzing, the sort of commons I was obsessing about do exist and I have been lucky enough to have a few of them grace my net. After a few photos I slipped her back and watched her slowly glide into the murky abyss.

A Perfect Fish To Close The Day

What a session it had been, it exceeded all expectation and has, without a doubt quenched my thirst for the venue. I knew what I had to do to get a result and I believe Karma had rewarded me for the long run of blanks that I'd gone through. I don't mind blanking, it's part of the process, as long as I am learning along the way. Constant observation is the key, without it I wouldn't of been able to gauge what I'd have to do to get a result. Observation is hard to master, to me it's an important element included in your overall watercraft. I am done on Wick for awhile now, next stop Boreham Mere.

Goodnight

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.