Burrows 'Nailing It' Part 2

After the success of my last two sessions I had a gut feeling I might be close to getting one of the 20's out. Again my focus was on getting the takes, that was my priority. I set up in the swim I spent my first session in, the day was a lot colder, I turned up at 3:00pm so I had just over three hours to make something happen. 

Today I was fishing with Honey Nectar on one rod and Green Lipped Crab on the other. Just like previous sessions, I got a good amount of bait out along the margin I was fishing. This time I decided I was going to fish one rod on the drop off to the 9ft channel that runs up the centre of the lake. I find I get the runs on the 5ft shelf of the drop off, it falls gradually down to around 9ft.

Because the Green Lipped Crab is a slightly darker bait I decided to top it off with yellow, I left the Honey Nectar bare, being such a bright bait I didn't feel the need to top it off. Regarding rigs, they were the same as previous days, I didn't waste any time getting the rods out, bobbins and back leads were on quickly so I was fishing within about twenty minutes of arriving.

View From The Swim

I am not going to explain in great detail exactly how I was fishing because that was all covered in part one, I was fishing the same setup on both rods - "if it isn't broken, no need to fix it". Like previous days I managed a quick bite that came shortly after casting out, resulting in a lovely mid double common. It put up one hell of a fight, it fell to my Green Lipped Crab rod.

Mid Double On The Green Lipped Crab

After getting her back I cast straight out, I held off from adding any loose feed. Because I was only here for a few hours I wanted to up my chances of getting a take. A little bit of time passed before I got my next fish, this was off the open water rod, it went flying away, I lifted into it and after yet another intense fight, I banked an awesome looking mirror weighing in at 14IB.

14IB Mirror Caught On The Honey Nectar 

I was very pleased with this capture, it goes to show you must never ignore the open water. There is no difference in fishing to an underwater feature or a visible one, other than the fact the feature underwater probably doesn't see as much pressure. 

When I look at any water, I want to find points of interest below the surface, doing this can really pay off. In the carp mags and on the DVD's, marker work is almost being shunned, with the term "Thrashing The Water To A Foam". I don't agree, marker work is an important skill to learn. Even if you dedicate a few hours to it on a day you aren't fishing. Putting a little more effort in can produce on days when the obvious features are not delivering. It's taken me a fair time to really grasp marker work to a level that I am happy with. I generally really enjoy seeking out areas of interest. You start to develop a true sense of the lake make up the more you do it.

Before I managed to get the rod back out, my right one was away, this felt like a slightly better fish and after a quick battle, I slipped the net under a lovely looking mirror, scales sunk to 16IB.

16IB Mirror Falling To The Green Lipped Crab

After returning this fish I got both rods back out and the day slowly evaporated into early evening. I packed down with the view point of coming back in a few days. I wanted to do a couple more sessions before I move on to my target waters for Autumn and Winter. The main two waters I have chosen are hard but hold a great stamp of fish. If I am going to be out in all weathers I want to make sure the chance of a big reward is possible.

My next session was another short one, I have been working a fair bit and I am trying to slot my fishing in whenever I can. I arrived at the water for 2:00pm and had to leave on a job at around 4:00pm, this gave me two hours. I fished the same swim as the previous session, this time I kept my baiting sparse, I wanted to try to produce some quick bites. Once again the action happened pretty fast, about 30 minutes passed before I got my first fish, it was a screamer and resulted in an immaculate 13IB mirror, the scale pattern was awesome.

13IB Mirror On The Green Lipped Crab

The rod went straight back out, pretty much as soon as I set the bobbin, the other rod was away. This resulted in a lovely looking common carp of 12IB, this was taken on a Honey Nectar bottom bait.

12IB Beauty Taken On The Honey Nectar

Once again I got the rod straight back out only putting about 10 freebies around it. The weather turned and it started to get a little colder and dull, I had about an hour of fishing time left.

What happened next was sheer chaos, I got a double take, one rod shot off, followed 30 seconds by the other. It was a very tricky situation, I have had this a few times in the past with varying levels of success in managing to land both fish.

The way I deal with it is try to jam the reel of one rod behind the back rests of my bank sticks. I managed to land the first fish pretty fast, which was a 13IB Mirror, I kept it in the net, luckily the other fish was still on my other rod, I grabbed it frantically and managed to gain control of the situation, I eventually banked a little common. 

One downside to Burrows is that the mud and clay on the banks is a bloody nightmare, I found myself sliding all over the show and where I was taking pictures of the fish, was like a swamp, my feet and trousers were caked in layers of clay, I had to keep moving my cradle and camera into a more convenient position for pictures, which was becoming frustrating. It makes me laugh, more times than not when walking back to the car with my barrow, my legs weigh a good couple of pounds more than when I arrive due to being caked in clay and mud - gotta love the mud !

13IB Mirror - Double Take

Clean Little Common - Double Take

Once the madness had calmed down I got both rods back out, this time I opted for singles, I only had a short time left so I was hoping for a bonus bite. I slowly started to pack my gear away when the left hand rod was off again. This was a real scrappy fish, I eventually slid the net under a fat little mirror, scales sunk to 13IB.

 Honey Nectar Does It Again

I decided to start packing down this rod, leaving my other one out whilst I slowly got my gear together. I pretty much had everything packed away when, out the blue my remaining rod tore off. Once again it was one hell of a fight and I banked my last fish of the session, resulting in another mirror, its autumn colours looked great.

Last Knockings Paid Off

I was very pleased with the result for such a short session, I planned to do a few more trips before knocking Burrows on the head. I did take a trip back down a few days after, planning to do the day but I got rained off, the weather was just terrible, I managed one out but surrendered after getting thoroughly soaked through, it was impossible to stay dry.

A Wet Common

Final Session

So this was going to be my final session for the foreseeable future, my heart was moving towards new horizons. I know I can catch fish from the water and I really want to spend my Autumn and Winter targeting slightly bigger carp. Rugby has been a lake that I have found so hard and I've decided to commit my time and my thinking into cracking it.

For my final session I fished the first double swim, this swim can really produce if you get your baiting correct. This time around I decided to fish both banana cream and honey nectar, I have huge confidence in both of these baits. As I was baiting up and getting ready to cast out, I had no idea of the sheer lunacy that was ahead of me. Before casting I got a good half a kilo out on both my spots, making sure I spread it all over, I wanted to draw the fish in and keep them there.

 View From The Swim

It took about 45 minutes for things to start kicking off, my left hand rod sprung into life and I was in to my first fish of the session. As with all Burrows carp, it put up a wicked fight considering it ended up being in singles figures.

Scrappy Little Mirror

I got her back, fired out another hundred or so baits and then whacked the rod back out, 'on the money'. Realistically the bait had been in no longer than ten minutes before it was off again, this felt like a better fish. The rod arched round and I was battling yet another hard fighting carp, the fish surfaced, it looked like a good upper double. I eventually slid the net under a chunky looking mirror, scales sunk to 20IB dead. I was very pleased, I thought it was about time I had a bigger fish out, it was very deep bodied and stumpy looking.

20IB Chunky Mirror

Once again, I got her straight back, hammered another load of bait in and got my rig out. The next fish came off my right hand rod, shooting off like a bullet train, I scrambled to grab it, instantly the fish was manic, I assumed it was a common, the commons in Burrows are very hard fighters, eventually I slide the net under a perfect looking common, scales sank to 13IB.

Manic 13IB Common

Back she went, a load of bait was fired out shortly followed by my rig. Within no time at all my left hand rod gave out a yelp, it was away again. It instantly felt like another common because it was really giving me some stick, once netted the scales sunk to 13IB.

13IB Common 'Fins Up'

Same procedure as before, slip her back, fire the bait in and get the rig out. What happened next was pretty crazy, after the cast I put the butt of the rod down to get my back lead on, before I even managed the chance to get the lead on, the line flew out of my hands, a carp had pretty much taken the bait on the drop. Sadly I lost it because by the time I managed to clock what was happening and get the reel in my hand, it had managed to get into a snag, luckily I got my rig back. I shot it back out and got a bit more bait in. About 30 minutes passed and then my right hand rod was off again, this felt like a better fish, it had a slow plod to it, soon I was netting a clean looking mirror, scales sunk to 17IB 5oz.

17IBer Taken On The Honey Nectar

Same procedure, pile the bait in, get the rig in and 'relax', only a few minutes passed before I got another take, half way through playing it my other rod shot off, luckily I hooked into a small fish so I managed to get it in the net quick, once done I grabbed the other rod and teased the hooked carp my way, eventually two fish were sitting in the net staring up at me, they were both singles but real clean looking mirrors.

A Slippery Single 

Second From A Double Take

I got both the fish back, shot out another 100/150 baits, whacked the rigs on the spots and actually tried to sit down. It had been lunacy from the get go. I have always known that if you get the baiting right in this swim, you can really clean up, it was safe to say that today was one of those days.

Things started to slow up, to be honest I was a little relieved, I decided that I wasn't going to put anymore bait out. I only had a little while left and I wanted to still try and nail a few. The hour went by pretty quick, I managed to bag another single off of my left hand spot.

A Sneaky Single

I was starting to slowly get my gear together, when my right hand rod fired away, again, it felt like it was another common, it was flying all over the place and it felt like it was about twice the size of what it ended up being. Scales sunk to 14IB.

14IB Hard Fighting Common

Well that was me done, I felt really pleased with how the session came together. I am done with Burrows now for the foreseeable future, I want to move on up to Rugby, I am determined to find an approach that works for me and the quality of the carp swimming around in there is just awesome. I've always managed the odd fish out but I feel it is time for me to really focus my thinking on getting some consistency, it's going to be a 'nut cracker' but I feel I am ready. 

Over the seasons I have had plenty of good carp from Burrows, moving waters now will make me think a lot harder about location and presentation, I am really looking forward to getting stuck in. I have been thinking hard and making various notes about how I am going to approach the lake. I am excited about the prospect of documenting my progress and keeping all of you out there who read my blog, in the loop.

Be Lucky

The Clutch And Fish Welfare

In this blog I am going to touch on my feelings about the use of the clutch and certain aspects of general 'fish welfare'. Fish welfare is the main priority for me and it starts from the moment a carp is hooked. There is no excuse for lip damage or any other kind of injury to a fish. Obviously there are so many factors involved in hooking and landing a carp, there are times when however careful you are, small damages can occur. If I felt I couldn't treat the fish I catch with the respect that they deserve, I would give up fishing all together.

The Clutch, maybe a lost art?

I started my quest for carp back in 1990, there was no YouTube, DVD's, Korda etc, and very limited magazines on sale, I have never been one to read the carp mags anyway. I had to learn everything through immense trial and error, Graham, who use to own Crowborough Tackle showed me a knotless knot and the rest I had to explore myself, it took years before I started to grasp things correctly. The beauty of this process was the fact everything was learnt on the bank, it was understood gradually so through the years you developed a broad understanding. 

With the way the carp fishing industry has developed through recent years and with the explosion of the Internet, it's almost like the work is being done for you. Someone else gets out on the bank, films themselves, talks you through what's working and what isn't, how to find the fish, how to apply the bait etc. All from the comfort of your front room.

I feel this puts a hold on your own learning journey. You can't learn watercraft or how to handle a fish by watching YouTube, and you can't develop your own fishing knowledge by sitting at home. The only way you learn is by doing, a boxer can train and train but he only knows when he's ready for the fight when he steps into the ring, on his own. A band can rehearse a song endlessly but they only know if it's any good when it gets released. The best experience is your own experience and that is something that can't be bought.

I remember when I had a little float rod and I'd go fishing with a pot of maggots and my little landing net. I could sit and catch roach, dace, rudd, perch amongst others and I would be so happy. The feeling when that float bobs under was an indescribable sensation. From this style of fishing I learnt how to handle and carefully unhook what I'd caught. The first time I float fished for carp was on a private lake on the grounds of someone my Dad knew. When I hooked into my first carp from the water, the owner would guide me, telling me how to play the fish safely, slowly, and to treat them correctly, carefully unhooking them and placing them back to fight another day.

From that point onwards I felt what I was being shown became inherent within me, the care and attention I gave each fish I caught, resulted in them swimming back with no real harm done. Through the years I can't really remember ever catching a carp with bad lip damage that I'd caused, that might sound crazy to some, but it's the truth, I don't bully the fish, I savour every moment of the fight, we wait long enough for it. There have been a few occasions when the hook hold was weird or when my braid might have made a tiny incision, but that's about it, and all damage was carefully treated. I use a combination of "NT Labs Wound Seal & Propolis", I find both these products to be very effective and I wouldn't go fishing without them. There has been a few instances when I've had a recapture and the carp have been in good shape, the products had done their job.  

Keep It Clean

I stopped fishing most commercial waters a while back because on a lot of them the condition of the fish I was catching was unforgivable. I found myself coming up against the statement "Well What Do You Expect On A Day Ticket Venue". I am sorry but that is no excuse, a fish is a fish, be it a huge pit, a syndicate, small water or a day ticket, they all count and having a blase attitude towards day ticket fish was something that just didn't rub with me. There is no prize for yanking a fish in quickly, bullying it and putting it under unnecessary stress. The fish will signal when it is ready to be netted, you can see it and feel it. And this now brings me onto my point about "THE CLUTCH".

Quick Drag

I have always been an avid user of the clutch, it's one of the most important elements for me along with the line clip. For many years I used bait-runners, I loved my Shimano 6010's and was very reluctant to change, I think it was the 'old school' in me. Through the years they got battered, the clutches were tired and as my fishing progressed I decided to invest in my first set of big pit reels. This would be the first time I was dealing with a front drag. I have to say the difference between the two was light-years, having a front clutch was a dream and it really seemed to put you completely in touch with the fish. You could cater for any tug and lunge, accommodating accordingly. 

When I play my fish I get a sense when the clutch needs to be loosened, it all comes from the tip of the rod, once the tip is bent round, if the carp starts to drag the tip down violently, I will loosen off so the pressure from rod to fish is relieved. Obviously there are times when you have to give them a fair amount of pressure but I keep these to a minimum. Finding a fine line between being gentle but also keeping control is the key. With the ever increasing range of rods that are appearing on the market, test curves seem to be going up and up. With the correct use of the clutch you can still fish comfortably using stiffer rods without the worry of pulling the hook out. It is possible to find a sweet spot between reel and rod that is perfectly balanced. If your reel has a "Quick Drag" facility then you can fine tune even more.

Away She Goes

Up until around last year I have stopped fishing to bad snags or near any feature where the fish could get tethered, the idea of really heaving them out of branches has evaporated, this alone keeps the carps welfare at the forefront. The "fish at any cost" approach only puts the carp at greater risk. Nothing is achieved from dragging a fish through snags, lilies etc other than unnecessary damage, if you can't cast to the spot due to obstacles then you shouldn't be fishing there. I'd rather fish a spot knowing I can land the fish safely rather than a spot that poses the danger of a tethered fish. Again, there are some lakes were you can't see the snags and obviously there is always going to be those days where the fish seem to get away with it or lock you up, that is the nature of the beast.

It's pretty clear to me that as the carp fishing industry grows so does the demand for venues to fish, more pressure on fishery owners to stock bigger and better carp, imported or not. It's as if newcomers to the sport want to bypass the process of growing as an angler and developing both their skills and understanding. There's a hunger to just step straight into the realms of "needing to catch a thirty" - "disappointed it was shy of forty", this attitude alone devalues any fish caught that isn't 'a monster'. Where's the magic gone? and more importantly where has the respect gone?, not just for the fish but for your fellow anglers that share both your waters and this amazing pass time. 

I believe there has to be a certain level of educating, be it in the mags or on the FREE '5 hour' promo DVD's, that educates everyone that's new to the sport about the importance of fish care and using your tackle correctly. A solid message has to be spread that todays big fish will one day be gone and the scamps or 'pasties', that some people seem to call them, will eventually be tomorrows monsters. It is our job as anglers to make sure the carp and the waters they live in are looked after and nurtured so the magic of this 'other-worldly' pass time can continue for years to come.

Burrows 'Nailing It' Part 1

In between fishing my other waters I have been doing a few sneaky days down on Burrows, I feel a big girl is due a visit to the bank soon. I have done a few sessions on the main lake at Hoo and up on Rugby, I am averaging one take a day on Rugby but always seem to lose them in the weed or reeds, once the leafs start falling I am going to dedicate more of my time to the water, there's some good fish in there. The main lake at Hoo is another tricky one, I have also decided I am going to be putting more time in on this as well, both are challenging but I am up for the fight, I have sorted my presentation out on both of the venues, I am confident I am doing the right thing.

I like to rotate the waters I fish, it keeps you thinking and keeps you motivated, my aim is to be consistent everywhere I fish. My focus is to get the takes, big fish are neither here or there, with consistency they will eventually come. There is a tiny part of me that enjoys the process of catching more than actually netting the fish. Once you've cast out and settled down, it gives you the time to read, write and watch the water, the anticipation of the take is a far greater drug than any legal/illegal high. It's hard to explain but those of you reading this with carping in their blood, will know exactly what I mean.

Beautifully Baron

On Burrows there are a number of spots I know I can catch from, I just wanted to relax into it and see what I could bank. I have been rotating baits on the water and trying a few of the different mixes Starmer knock up. Green Lipped Crab and Bio cp2 Amino have been doing very well and their White Chocolate and Monster Squid have also been nailing a good few, I have caught on approximately 19 different flavors, but for me Banana Cream and Honey Nectar are the ones, these baits really seem to do the business, not just here but everywhere I take them.

"The 50/50 milk Protein boilies are based on a medium protein neutral base mix, which takes just about any flavour readily and is very digestible its dry base form, accepting any concentrated fish extracts and palatant enhancer."

Banana Cream

Honey Nectar

"Green Lip Mussel extract is a highly concentrated powder extract originating from Green Lip Mussels are harvested in the tidal regions where the fresh water meets the sea. These mollusc are filter feeders; filtering out impurities in waters around New Zealand. When the mussel is harvested the lip of the mussel is separated and this is the part that is dried and concentrated. Its own natural high betaine level combined with vitamins and amino acids becomes the vital attractor to carp."

 Green Lipped Crab

Bio Cp2 Amino

On all my sessions I have been trying out a new lead that 'Carpy Chris' Knowler had sent me. It is a Hexi POM lead 2 1/2oz. I was looking forward to using them, the Hexi leads are designed for distance, they're a joy to cast and look real tidy when rigged up. 

I am a fan of the POM system, it creates a great hinge type quality and all the runs have been brutal screamers, also with the secondary running swivel on the hook link I feel it helps to stop the carp from using the lead to shake the hook. When the carp shakes hard the secondary swivel will pull out the lead turning it into a lead clip system, if it tries again, the lead will/can ditch. I am not a fan on ditching leads, I never actually have, but the option is there with this lead setup.

Carpy Chris Hexi POM Leads

My chosen hook-link to use with this system is Suffix Camfusion, it's a strippable braid and has awesome colouring that blends in perfectly to almost any lake bed. I strip off a few centimetres behind the hook and then keep the rest of it stiff, leaving the coating on. My chosen hook is a size 6 Nash fang twister, my hair length is as long as my thumb. I also use a large rig ring, the hook link itself is also long. Because the hair length is longer than normal I use a tiny piece of a PVA nugget to lock it in place, this stops it from tangling on the cast.

Suffix Camfusion

Hair Roughly The Length Of My Thumb 

Tiny Nugget To Lock The Hair

I find with this setup it creates a massive amount of 'free movement' which I feel helps to get stronger hook holds. I have tried and tested nearly every combination when it comes to hair length, hook link length and lead size, there are endless conflicting opinions about it. I have no interest in what the "mainstream" carp fishing media has to say about these things. I go by my experiences and experiments, that is the beauty of the sport, you have the freedom to do what you think is right, I can't emphasis this enough.

My first session was just for the afternoon, I had around 3 hours fishing time. I went armed with the Bio Cp2 and Green Lipped Crab, I chose a quiet margin spot that doesn't seem to see as much pressure as the others.

View From The Swim

I got a nice spread of bait out and cast directly in the middle of it, I separated the baits to each rod but switched my hook bait, so I was fishing a single Bio Cp2 over Green lipped Crab and visa versa on the other rod, both baits were topped with yellow. I was fishing really tight to the opposite margin, almost under it. There are small spots that seem to be snag free and over the years I have sussed out where you can get away with fishing really tight, and actually land the fish. The carp in Burrows are almost genius when it comes to ditching the hook using some kind of branch or root.

Once cast out it didn't take long for the action to happen, I got a take on my left hand rod, it sprung into life and I was in to my first fish, the fight was awesome, all the fish fight really well in Burrows, scales sunk to 17IB.

17IB Burrows Mirror

I slipped her back and got the rod back out, it was on the money first cast. I set the bobbin and sat back, about half hour went by and the same rod shot into life again, after a heated battle I slipped the net over a lovely clean mirror, scales sunk to 13IB.

A Lovely Clean Mirror

I got a few shot and then slipped her back, just as I was about to re-bait my rod, my right one shot off, the carp was frantic, it felt like a common to me. The Burrows commons are bloody nutters and really do put up a great fight, whatever size they turn out to be.

12IB Common Caught On The Green Lipped Crab

The remains of the day went quiet and I decided I'd get my gear together and leave, the sun sets fast this time of the year and I seem to have lost my head-torch. Many times have I been caught out stumbling with the barrow in the dark trying to get back to the car, usually ending up in a hedge. I planned to do a few more sessions, I had bits of work scattered about so I didn't have the time to put long solid sessions in on my other waters.

Day Two

I arrived at the lake for midday, I wanted to fish the muddy double swim, when the ripple on the water is just right and blowing down this end you can really end up having a few. I basically 'match-fish' this swim. I bait up really heavily, get the rods straight back out after each fish, I top the swim up religiously. After a few hours of doing this then I reduce the bait I put in, this can speed up the takes if done right. Today I was using White Chocolate and Monster Squid, once again I was fishing really tight to the opposite margin, you have to get it just right to get the runs, literally Cm's can be the difference between having and not having a fish.

View From The Swim

My end tackle set up was the same as my last session but this time I didn't top my baits off with yellow, I just left them bare and I changed the style of one of my leads, still keeping it on the POM system. Both casts were bang on first time, I sat back semi expecting to get a take quickly. Nothing happened for a fair while, I continued to add more bait, then the action started pretty fast. It was the White Chocolate that pulled the first fish in, I banked a lovely 14IB mirror.

On The White Chocolate

I got the bait straight back out and added around another 70 baits making sure I spread them a good few meters. Within minutes the same rod was away again, this resulted in a lovely low double common.

Second On The White Chocolate 

Again I got the rod straight back out and topped the swim up. From past experience you can get a good few fish in a short space of time from this specific swim, then it seems to trail off and go quiet. My aim was to hold them here for as long as possible.

After a slight pause in the action, my right hand rod soon shot into life, this was on the Monster Squid, this fish put up a real good scrap and I ended up slipping the net over a another spotless looking mirror, scales sunk to 12IB.

On The Monster Squid

Before I even got a chance to cast the right back out, my left hand rod shot off, this resulted in a right scrappy little mirror. I got her back quick and re-cast the rod.

Third On The White Chocolate

I only just got the bobbin on before the Monster Squid was off again. It's obvious the fish were now holding around my baited areas and as long as I kept the bait going in I felt that I could keep catching them. I believe you can get the carp into a feeding rhythm where it gets to the point that even the casting of the rig doesn't phase them.

Another Low Double On The Monster Squid

After the last fish I decided to re-rig both rods with fresh hook-links before casting back out. This time around I didn't add anymore feed, time was getting on and I wanted to try to produce a quick take. Both rods were cast back out and straight on the money. Ten or so minutes later I had another fish on the Monster Squid, an awesome mid double mirror.

A Triple On The Monster Squid

After a few shots I slipped her back, it was getting late now and the swim started to quieten down. Usually I would move up the lake but I decided I would call it a day. I felt I pretty much had everything that was available to have. In my gut I really felt like one of the big girls was due a visit to the bank so I made the decision that I was going to give Burrows a few more sessions, after which I want to move on to other waters. It was very clear that the seasons were changing and if I was going to be out on the bank in all weathers I wanted to be going at some bigger fish.

To Be Continued In Part 2

Chase Back Lake 'Baring The Brunt' Part 2

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

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

The Spot

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

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

View From The Swim

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

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

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

Carp Craze Tubing

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

Rig Tubing Replaces The Ring On My Pop Ups

Back To The Fishing

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

A Scrappy Little Common

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

Serious Scales

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

Munching The Honey Nectar 

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

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

22IB Chase Lakes Mirror

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

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

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

Consolation Common

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

side note

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