The Stock Pond 'Hidden In Plain Sight'

How many aspects in our everyday existence simply go unnoticed or unrecognised, without knowing it there's a danger that some of us could be living in a conscience trance. We leave school and slip into a system that, in my opinion, isn't really conducive to any form of real freedom or expression. We get stuck in ruts, worn out trying to scratch a living, and if we don't make a concerted effort to keep both our body and our mind in shape, we quite simply become a passenger of our own shrinking universe. It's as if we become 'automatic', eat, sleep, work, repeat, there's a danger that our whole perspective on life stops growing and expanding, maybe that's the definition of someone that's "stuck in their ways". 

For me the monotony of the 'everyday' is like an anaesthetic on my brain, there isn't a day that goes by when I don't think that "there's got to be more to life than this". Feeling this way doesn't mean that you don't appreciate everything that you've got, it's more the fact that some of us refuse to except that the "mundane" is as interesting as it all gets. 

Taking the above paragraphs into account, I've spoken many times in previous blogs about "fishing modes", these are periods of time when we can find ourselves just "going through the motions". It's very easy to adopt a "one size fits all" viewpoint. Putting it in the clearest way possible, we load the car, get to the water, get the bait in, cast your rods out, bivvy up, job done. And this is a procedure that, if we're not careful, is mimicked with every session, on every water. Without knowing it, we're in a rut, we're not really considering the individual angling situation that's in front of us. 

Imagine "going through the motions" all your life, right up until retirement age, only to look back on your existence to realise you've been asleep for most it and you made no effort to wake yourself up. For perspectives to grow and expand you have to be willing to learn and learning is something that should never stop. 
This brings me to the questions, what are we missing?, how many of the answers are hidden in plain sight? and how many times do we let others do the thinking for us? 

The Devil Makes Work For Idle Minds

Carp angling, more than any other activity lends itself to independent thinking, we are free to do exactly as we see fit. Like everything, there's a few fundamentals, but once you've got the basics down, the world is very much your oyster. From the bait you use to the tackle you choose, the rigs and the waters you fish, it's your own personal journey and no one is entitled to stand in the way. 

Due to the rise of social media many people do try and put a dampener on your journey, it seems to be a part of human DNA to ridicule those of us who stray from "the norm". I have to admit that this is the side of both life and modern carp angling that really gets me down. My advice to everyone out there who actually has a mind of their own, is to take no notice of the mindless clones, let them run around chasing their tails, whilst you quietly walk your own path with your head held high and your eyes and mind wide open.

This now brings me on to a little unassuming water that's situated down in the Isle Of Grain called The Stock Pond. I've done a few blogs on it in the past but recently I got a crazy urge to reconnect with the place. It's situated in a farmers field right next to a public footpath, you share its banks with horses, an army of coots and a shed load of geese. To look at it, it looks nothing more than a puddle that the horses drink from, and that's how its been described by some of the self appointed "carp fishing elite" that are members of the club. But to be honest, they couldn't be more wrong, "Never Judge A Book By Its Cover" and "Never Judge A Lake By Its Size". 

Sunset On The Pond

I've spent many a day fishing the 'stockie' and the amount that I've learnt from this small little pool is nothing short of astonishing. It's not easy fishing, it never has been and it's common to hear of 12 - 24 hour blanks. It contains some incredible looking fish, they're old, very moody and not easy to catch, they've seen it all. Very simply put, it's a pot of gold "hidden in plain sight". Many anglers don't entertain the idea of fishing somewhere so small, they have a preconceived idea that it's just "not proper fishing", that's a view I don't share, thinking about it, What actually is proper fishing?  

Stealth is needed to stand any chance of landing one of its temperamental residence and if one other person is fishing when I arrive, I will go somewhere else. I stand by my belief that pressured carp are so acutely in tune with their environment that it doesn't take a great deal to put them on high alert, which in turn can switch them off. You get one cast, anymore than that and I feel you've hindered your chances. Bizarrely though, I have caught well from casting singles at showing fish, on some lakes this doesn't seem to work but on the stock pond it's an easy gamble.

You might be thinking, surely that would spook the fish? but my thinking behind this is simple. Let me use a 'pick-pocket' as an example, they nearly always strike during a distraction, when their target is pre-occupied. When a fish jumps clear of the water this action alone will temporarily shift its awareness. If you can get your bait as close to the "show" as fast as possible, I doubt very much the cast will spook it, in simple terms, you're picking its pocket. Only, instead of taking something from it, you're offering up a bite to eat in spitting distance of where it is.

Troubled Skies

Because the water is so open and only a few miles away from the Rochester estuary, the weather can go to extremes. In the summer its a proper heat trap, there's no cover and you can find yourself burning up. In both the wind and the rain, it can be brutal, it's surrounded by flat lands so the sheer power of nature beats you to a pulp. In the early morning the sun rises over the far horizon, you can usually feel when a new wind is on its way, equally the sunsets are a sight to be seen. After dark the lights can be seen shining over in Rochester and on cloudless nights you can see every constellation. Without a doubt it's one of my favourite locations to fish.

29IB Stock Pond Surprise

I've gone around the houses to the point where I was tying myself in knots on how to approach the place, but finally narrowed it down to the simplest approach possible, single pop ups. I've never caught over big beds of bait, the minute I switched to singles, the game changed. The challenge was the weed, the pond gets seriously weedy and at certain times of the year it's pretty much unfishable. I personally have no problem when it comes to weed, I know that some people run a mile, if you don't learn how to tackle it you can find yourself very limited to the places you can fish. 

You're doing yourself out of a huge part of the adventure if you only fish waters that you feel safe on, to understand the bigger picture in anything in life you have to step outside your comfort zone. There's nothing quite like landing a carp with weed strung up your line and all over the fish and the rig. It's proof enough that you got your presentation correct and you deserve the reward thats seconds away from your net mesh. It was good that I was feeling so victorious over weed because when I turned up to the water on the day of my session, it was literally covered from top to bottom. 

I arrived on the bank for about 10:30am, I wasn't really in a rush to get fishing, my plan for the short term was to do two or three relaxed short sessions. Unlocking the padlock to the pond and squeezing my barrow through the exceptionally narrow gate felt good, its as if I'd never left. As expected, the horses came to greet me, they were the very same horses that have kept me company on and off over the past 8 years or so, they're old friends now. The army of coots where all huddled together on dry land and, as expected the geese started to make a right racket as I carefully skirt around the edge of where they were gathered.   

There was a light chop on the water and as I stood their scanning my eyes across the pond, I noticed loads of flat spots. These were weed beds, there were loads of them. Knowing I only had one cast on each rod, I was going to aim for the channels in between the weed. The more the breeze picked up, the visibility of the channels became more defined. As usual there weren't any real signs of fish so I opted to target a section of the water that I've caught from in the past.

"It's now going to get technical so please bear with me" 

There are a few different rigs that I use in these situations, today I was going to fish a short running helicopter system. Because the weed was so dense I was going to set it up on a leader, to make the whole presentation safe, I was replacing the 'back bead' of the helicopter rig with PVA tape. I was using a 1.5oz 'riser lead', these have a very flat profile and slip in and out of weed a great deal easier than any other lead shape.

Nash Cling On 40IB 

It goes without saying that any rig that you use has to be as safe as possible, no rig is 100% safe but you must take all the necessary precautions into account. If for some reason you get snapped up, all the components must release leaving only the hook-link in the carps mouth. You don't want a situation where a carp is left trailing a lead, leader, or even worst, 'leadcore'. As we know, fish safety is of top priority and I suggest if you're unsure of how to construct a rig safely, you take some time to research and find out exactly what you need to do. With all the DVD's and magazines out there, there's more than enough information on the subject. If you don't fish safely then you really shouldn't be fishing at all, I know that sounds harsh but it's true.

The Riser 1.5oz

Personally, I've never used leadcore and don't plan to do so, and to be totally honest I don't like using leaders either, but there are situations where you have to. Due to the nature of the weed in the stock pond, to stand a chance of landing a fish, I needed something that was really abrasion resistant, I chose the Nash Cling On leader in 40IB, I spliced them to 1.5 meters. Ditching the back bead of the rig would make it possible, that if I got snapped up, the fish would be able to pull the hook-link away from the rest of the tackle. If I was to keep the top bead and weed got caught behind it, it would obstruct the beads movement and prevent it from being able to pull free from the leader. Below is an image of my standard 'short running' helicopter setup.

My Standard Helicopter Rig

To hold my PVA tape in place I slide the middle section of an Avid flying chod bead onto my line or leader. This holds the PVA tape perfectly in place for the cast and due to it's 'tapered' quality, you can slide it up and down to set it at your required length. You'll see in the image below what I'm talking about, it's a nice little touch that's never failed me.

Avid Flying Chod Bead 'Tapered Gripper'

The hook-link was a 'Mantis' & 'Super-nova' combi fished with a single 'critically balanced' pop up, I find this combination to be very effective when presenting a bait over both weed and heavy silt. I've mentioned it before but I'm just not into the chod, its never appealed to me and as we know, fish were being caught from weedy waters long before it became known by the masses. I have about 5 rigs I use that pretty much cover any fishing situation, and I wouldn't class any of them as particularly 'modern' or 'fancy' but I know they're all effective when used in the right circumstances.

Mantis & Super-Nova Combi

Again, once you understand the few fundamentals of carp rigs, it's really just a case of experimenting and finding things that work for you. For newcomers to the sport I understand that it can be so confusing, it doesn't need to be though. I find tackle companies are trying to reinvent the wheel when it comes to rig evolution but they're all just a variation of a theme, and are usually designed to sell as many end tackle components as possible. Find what works for you, master it, stick with it, find the fish and you will catch them.

Finished Presentation 

Back To The Session

Both rigs were set up, my chosen bait was Pineapple CSL, I made a measured cast with both rods, aiming for the channels. Both rigs gracefully fell in between the weed beds, I was finally fishing. There's no real set time on the stockie as to when the fish seem to feed, I've caught them on and off through all parts of the day. With bobbins set and the alarms switched on I now had the time to soak up an environment that I'd sorely missed. It's only when I was sitting there waiting for the kettle to boil, did I realise, just how much I loved the place.

View From The Swim

In the image above the wind had eased off so you can't make out the weed beds, they were basically scattered all over the place. I positioned both rods where it didn't seem to be as dense. Either way, I felt 100% confident in my presentation, the rig I've explained pretty much presents itself over anything, within reason. Preparing for my first injection of caffeine for the day, I started to think about some of my previous captures.

The 29IB mirror I had was one hell of a surprise and the fact that it was caught on a very brief afternoon trip made it a pretty special capture. I've had a fish known as "The Grey", the clues in the name, it's an incredible mid twenty mirror which is a lovely vivid grey colour. I caught this fish after dark, on my 1.5 test curve barbel rod, it was such a humbling experience. I was really wanting to catch her again during the daylight hours. I was desperate to get a shot of her that captured just how majestic she really is. These were two defining angling moments for me and to think that these fish are still dwelling in such a small 'microcosm' of water is what makes them all the more intriguing. 

A Single Pineapple CSL Pop Up

A few hours past me by, the world around the stock pond was existing perfectly, but it was as if time on the water had stopped completely. There were no signs of fish anywhere, no liners, nothing to indicate anything was going to happen any time soon. This, however, is a common feeling, the place has a habit of spitting out a prize when you least expect it. I sat tight, downed a few more coffees and sucked on my e-cigarette, the combination of caffeine, nicotine and prescription medication tripped me out, I embraced the feeling, anything that pacifies the sense of reality is always welcome. 

Time accelerated so I started to pin my hopes on late afternoon, it felt right for a bite, I could feel it in my bones, so I extended my patience and sat confidently knowing that something was going to happen, I welcomed the wait. Late afternoon was approaching and just when I was starting to consider that a blank was on the cards. A clue revealed itself from the water. A few meters off my righthand rod, a carp jumped, it launched itself a good few feet above the surface. Even though it happened within a matter of seconds I could see every detail, it's eyes, gills and underbelly. 

Show Location

I wasted no time and reeled my right rig in frantically, as fast as I could. There was a hell of a lot of weed where it landed so I made my rig "long running". Basically I slide the back stop further up the leader, tied the PVA tape on it, placed a PVA nugget on to mask the hook, and out it went. I cast it as close to where the carp showed as possible. This was going to be a true test of the presentation, deep down I knew that it was going to be 'sitting pretty', I'd done enough tests on this particular rig to last a life time.

The bobbin was set, the alarm was on and all my attention was fixed on the rod tip. All of a sudden everything felt very serious, I waited it out, the water had presented me with a gift and I'd acted on it straightaway. Time now stopped, both on the water and on the bank, it's amazing what 'expectation' can do to you, and the environment around you. It must have only been 20 minutes before the rod tip shot round and the alarm started yelping, I was in. I grabbed the rod at lightening speed, I was going to have to be careful, there was enough weed out there for the fish to bury itself.

And that's exactly what it did, straightaway, everything went solid, I didn't panic, I just kept the pressure constant, gently increasing it and then releasing it slightly. A minute or so passed and I felt something give, my heart sunk thinking it had come off, but the rod arched back around and the clutch came into play .. result !! the fish was still on, slowly and steady, I teased her towards me. Managing to keep her head up, she was unable to bury herself anymore, she did her best to try, but to no avail. Closer and closer she came until she was in arms reach, I spotted my chance, quickly slipping the net under her, she was in .... the relief was immense.

It felt pretty dam special to catch this carp after being away from the water for so long, "and what a carp she was", a perfect example of a 'Stock Pond' mirror. She was a right lump, dark, moody and had obviously been through a few wars in her time, but that's what it's all about. With each carp you catch you also capture their history, and on it's release you then become part of it. I felt honoured to now be part of hers. I did contemplate a recast but I felt happy with the result, as mentioned before, I was going to give the pond a few fleeting visits before heading back up to Braxted.

A Brute Of A Mirror

The stock pond is a perfect example of how easy it is to overlook things, usually because you have a preconceived idea about something. Sometimes the idea doesn't necessarily sprout from your own mind, it's from someone else's. The amount of fish I would of done myself out of if I'd listened to the opinions of others in regards to the 'stockie', would've been a great shame. My advice to you is simple, "if it feels right for you, then do it", and I'll repeat my main point "Don't Judge A Book By Its Cover" and "Don't Judge A Lake On Its Size".

Micklem Mere 'Fishing For Mysteries' Part 3

It's hard to believe that as I sit and write this blog another year has passed, it's now January 2016. After months of abnormally mild weather it appears winter has finally arrived. Outside my window looms blackened skies, and that 'dull' sense of 'January' is making the days drag. I find this time of the year especially hard, people start back to work after the Christmas break and the cogs of the system slowly start to turn once more. It's the monotony that gets me down, it always has, I like to thrive on unpredictability.  

2015 had been a fairly productive year on the bank for me, but when I look through my note books it wasn't a touch on the previous year. Admittedly I had a lot more work so I didn't have a huge amount of time to fish. But in general my waters were very hit and miss, and during the summer especially, I was struggling to get any real consistency with my catch rate. I've still got a load of blogs from 2015 to complete, but, already I'm looking forward to the 'angling' year ahead of me.

For now, I'd like to take you way back to my third proper session on Micklem Mere, out of all my waters it's the 'unpredictability' that keeps me venturing back. My last session on Burrows was so satisfying, the buzzers were screaming and the carbon was creaking. I knew that this trip was going to be more subdued, but that's just the nature of the water. The priority was to continue to try and get steady bites, it's logic that if my results remained consistent then eventually the better carp would once again pay me a visit.

Between my 'blogged sessions' I took a trip to Micklem with my wife, and by adopting the same tactics as my previous trips, I managed another lovely double figured common. The fish was in immaculate condition and further confirmation that the myths about Micklem were in fact a reality. Once again it fell to a solid bag approach with slop fished over the top, I knew I was on to a winner with this tactic, but this time around I wanted to concentrate my bait into a tighter area, I was going to swap the slop for a dryer mix. 

There was still part of me that felt using the spod was going to lose its effectiveness, because Micklem isn't really heavily fished and spods aren't overused, the carp don't appear to be too bothered by them. I felt it was only a matter of time before they'd start to get spooked, I was going to play it by ear and pull it out of the equation when it felt like the right time to do so.

An 'Un-blogged' Common

The morning of the session was magic, I was out the door by 6:00am, the sky was an abyss of blue, not one cloud was present, the air was fresh and the world seemed quieter than usual. A quick stop at the garage for fuel and coffee was needed, then it was the simple task of flooring it all the way up the A12. I drove as responsibly as possible, trying not to the let the visions of big carp swimming in my mind cloud the speedometer.

The journey up to any of the Chelmsford waters can go two ways, I'm either nice and relaxed or I have a crazy sense of excitement that seems to make the drive last twice as long. On this specific day I just couldn't get to the water quick enough, off the A12, careering through the winding country roads, my head had already cast my baits out and I was sitting soaking up the sights and sounds of the mere, intently waiting for a rod to rip off. I collided with reality when I reached Micklems gate.

Hastily unlocking the padlock, I pulled into the car park semi expectant to see a number of cars already there. To my surprise it was empty, a huge sense of relief washed over me. The mere looked perfect, the morning sun was kissing the waters skin, there were rabbits darting in and out of the landscape, and the very familiar sound of the geese and bird life came calling to me like a twisted fanfare. As I made my way down to the waters edge, it felt like I'd been away for an eternity.

The Keepers Of The Water

It's amazing how isolated you can feel in such a large sprawling environment, it enhances such a sense of 'escapism'. Angling is the ultimate escape for me, it allows me to turn my back on the pieces of the world that I find suppressive. I've mentioned it before but when I cast my rigs out, all my anxieties are cast out with them, this frees up my mind to concentrate purely on my fishing. 

Once at the waters edge I was in no rush to get setup, I slowly walked around the perimeter of the mere, keeping my eyes on the water. It was going to be a warm day so ideally I didn't want to be targeting anything deeper than 7ft. Fish were showing towards the middle but I suspected that they were cruising in the upper layers, if I was to target them where they were showing, I'd be in at least 12ft of water.

A New Rising 

Fishing zigs did cross my mind but I felt if I was applying loose feed into the shallower water and the fish were in the mid to upper layers, I'd stand a much better chance at drawing them down. I continued walking, paying close attention to the back bay area, as stated before, the fish do tend to hold along the 'No Fishing' bank. 

I spotted a small group of carp milling around the mouth of the bay, they were huddled together just under the surface. This was evidence enough that fish were about, I decided I'd set up in the same swim as last time. My plan was to target the water that led into the mouth of the bay. If I could get a concentrated bed of bait out hopefully I could pick up a few as they moved in and out of the "safe zone". I thought about surface fishing but with the amount of birdlife around it just wasn't an option.

Lake Position  

  
On previous sessions I'd kept the bait going in all the time, today I was going to put ten initial spods out and leave it. I would recast my solid bags on a regular basis so a small amount of bait would be left in the swim after each cast. With all this in mind I rushed to get everything set up, then proceed to mix up my spod ammunition. 'Ingredients Below'

Spod Mix

My rigs were exactly the same as my previous sessions, the only difference being that I'd gone up a lead size, I was now opting to use a 3oz, 'semi-fixed' with short hook links. The lead I was using was a flat inline that I got "Carpy Chris Knowler" to make me. It has a super flat profile and slips into a solid bag perfectly.

The bait was a single grain of corn topped off with some yellow zig foam, the foam had been soaking in almond oil. This gave me a lovely buoyant bait that would sit temptingly among the contents of my solid bag. Once again it was all very simple, my main point of focus was making sure that both my bait application and my casts were spot on.

Flat Inline 3oz

Finished Presentation

In regards to tying up my solid bags, it really depends on the angling situation, if I'm fishing at short to medium range I don't worry too much about making them super tight and streamline. The shape of the lead I was using sits from top to bottom in a medium sized solid bag, this distributes the weight perfectly and I find I can get really good distance without worrying if the bags aerodynamic, 'like many things in carp angling, we all have our own little ways of doing things'. 

Lead Placement

End Result

Both rods were clipped up at 13.5 wraps, the spod rod was clipped up to 14 wraps. Both of my hook-baits were going to be fished about two meters apart from each other. I was going to do my best to keep the loose feed going in on the exact same spot, my bags would be fished either side of where the spod was landing, ..... well this was the plan. Ten spods went out closely followed by both bags, the casts were comfortable, they felt right, now I was finally fishing.

View From The Swim

I have to say that it was an utter pleasure being by the waters edge, there was a lovely warm breeze, heavy clouds were periodically covering the sky overhead, temporarily projecting a solemn atmosphere, then within moments they'd disperse and it would feel like summer again. It was a day of 'two halves', I sparked the kettle up and took a seat. 

A few coots had made a beeline for my spot and were diving away, I just left them to it, after all, it was me who was imposing in their front room. The least I could do was let them help themselves to a few mouthfuls of "the good stuff". In the distance I could see that the swans were heading my way, I'd already foreseen this and placed back leads directly underneath the rod tips, I'd learnt the hard way in the past.

Waiting For The Unknown To Unearth

A good few hours evaporated without any action, I was getting a few liners but nothing that translated into a full blown take. On Micklem it does seem that you either get into fish quickly or you're scratching for a bite. I stuck to my plan, no more spods were going to be put out, I would continue to recast my bags every hour or so and just be patient. I had a feeling that things might pick up come late afternoon. 

Another hour passed, I'd just done my second recast when all of a sudden my right rod gave out a few small bleeps. The bobbin had moved up and stopped, because there's a lot of small carp in the mere, you tend to get bites where a really small fish picks up the bait without taking the hook in, and they bolt off, if you didn't know any better you'd think it was bigger carp "getting away with it". On closer inspection though, I could see my rod tip knocking, the movement was very slight. 

I decided I'd lift into it, sure enough there was something on the end, I reeled it in very carefully. If it was a small carp I didn't want to damage it in any way. There was a faint tugging and as my lead appeared out the water so did a lovely little common, once again, I was really pleased, I value each and every carp that Micklem delivers to me.

A Glimpse Of The Future

Slipping her back I launched another solid bag out, this cast was feathered perfectly and as the line hit the clip, it felt very satisfying, "nothing beats a perfect cast". The bobbin was set and I was back in waiting game, I was surprised at how slow it was fishing, my mind was already questioning why this could be. Maybe the initial spods spooked the fish away? maybe I'd put too much bait in from the off? maybe there just wasn't any fish in front of me? I was thinking that they might just be holding in the upper layers. There weren't any definitive answers to these questions, again, that's the beauty of angling. 

Just as I was starting to resign myself to the fact that I'd got the approach all wrong, my left rod gave a few beeps and the tip started nodding. I suspected it was another scamp, just like before, I reeled in very carefully. Soon enough I was met with a lovely little mirror, its scale pattern was perfect. Looking at this fish I started to think again at what Micklem was going to be like with a good few years behind it, when all the smaller carp had grown on, I seriously believe it's going to be a pretty special water, all it already is.

A Picture Of Mini Perfection

I loaded up another solid bag and whacked it back out, the hours were now whittling away, the breeze had dropped right off, the mere was like a sheet of glass. Fish started to show in the back bay and very close to my baited area, it appeared I was approaching the 'magic hour', I honestly felt like something special could happen. It was at this point when I felt cemented to my chair, my eyes fixed firmly on the water, I was willing something to happen, anticipating chaos, it felt like time was accelerating all around me. 

Before I knew it late afternoon was now touching early evening, the carp were continuing to show, it was very obvious that they'd become active. What happened next was something that I will never forget, it was pure poetry. Four fish showed directly over my bait, they came up all together, it was reminiscent of a synchronised swimming manoeuvre, one fish out of the four looked like a lump. Within seconds of this happening both my rods were away, the right rod was obviously a small fish, the tip was knocking but the drag didn't kick in, I didn't think it was big enough to be able to shift the lead, however the left rod was ripping off at a crazy speed.

I left the right rod and lifted into the left, instantly I knew this was something special, the rod arced right round and the fish was stripping line like crazy. Conscious of the fact that whatever was on the end had probably not been hooked before, I loosened the clutch and let it run. I didn't want to cause any kind of mouth damage, 'if I was in the process of landing perfection, I wanted it going back in the same condition'. Slowly the fish started to tire, I was more than eager to witness her but I had to be patient. 

Very slowly she started to wain, the heavy pulling became less frequent and as she came my way I witnessed a very broad back and dorsal cutting through the water. I waded in to net her, otherwise she would of grounded out in the shallow water. As the net mesh engulfed her I knew I'd caught something very special, I let her rest out of respect. This fish encapsulated angling for me, before I'd laid eyes on her, she was part of a myth, something that may or may not have existed, it really was a perfect carp. Leaving her resting I reeled in the fish on my other rod, it was a tiny little mirror, a pound at most.

Another Micklem Secret

I waded into the water right up to my chest to set her free, it was a special moment, just for a second I became a part of her world, just as she'd become part of mine. That's one of the many beauties of carp angling, it's full of fleeting moments, many great memories that get filed away in the mind, eventually all these memories ferment and become 'nostalgia'. 

I slowly got my tackle together and as I made my way back to the car I felt so lucky, lucky to have angling in my life. It takes you to so many places both physically and mentally, you get to witness things that the masses will never experience, it's our own private world. Once again, another blank Micklem page had been written, the lines and paragraphs were continuing to come together, even more than before. I feel grateful to be part of its story, it's a story that I'm going to continue to write, there will be no ending. 

Micklem Mere Summer 2014  

Burrows 'A Touch Of Synchronicity'

"Synchronicity is a concept first explained by psychiatrist Carl Jung, which holds that events are "meaningful coincidences"

Synchronicity in its many guises can be a beautiful thing, it's a moment in time where everything comes together, different elements seem to marry, thus creating the desired result. Through the years, to a certain degree, I've come to understand my own 'synchronicity', it's something that can't really be preplanned or negotiated, it's something that you very simply "allow".

Using my drums as an example, I slowly came to understand my own learning process, and as time went by the number 3 started to present itself in a very strange way, not only in my music but in my angling as well. When I was in the recording studio I would always get the take I wanted by the 3rd run through. When I played live it was always 3 songs in that I started to get "in the zone" and everything became effortless. When I would practice hand and foot technique I found that 3 blocks of twenty minute practice sessions seemed to be the most beneficial.

Recognise Your Own Synchronicity

Moving on to my angling, I've mentioned in past blog posts that there are times when I feel completely out of sync with my waters. This feeling always comes after a break, it takes me about 3 sessions to reconnect, things then seem to fall into place and I can read the water in front of me correctly. When finding my spots and clipping up to position the rigs perfectly, it takes me a good 3 casts to get it spot on. I change my hook-link after every 3 fish, these examples go on, none of it's a conscious decision, it's a natural occurrence. So taking this all into consideration ..... What number are you?

This brings me on to my first session of the summer down on the Burrows, it had been a long time since I'd last visited its banks. I had such a great winter on there and I was looking forward to checking back in. I planned the trip when I was very much 'in sync' with all of my waters. It was on this session that every element of my approach was perfect, simply put, I'd had a touch of "Synchronicity".

Unlocking the gates to the Paddlesworth complex always fills the pit of my stomach with nervous excitement, it's something I've done hundreds of times and this feeling never changes. I'm always in a hurry to get the gate locked behind me and get up to the carp park. Frantically loading my barrow, my mind was already running a sequence of events, the walk to the swim, getting my buzzers out, setting my rods up etc. I always do my best not to let the excitement cloud my judgement.

A Winter Memory 

As I made my way from the car park along the narrow paths, branches were brushing my face and brambles were clinging to my clothes. Everything was in full bloom and the bleak memories from winter that were etched so clear in my mind, were swiftly erased, I felt like a ghost back them, now, I felt very much alive. 

Burrows is such a unique looking place in the summer, the marginal areas are obscured by lots of overhanging trees, the water always seems to change to a lush green colour. The paths are obscured and overgrown, as you walk down them the water periodically reveals itself through holes in the bushes. 

Both the surroundings and the quality of the fish are in equal measure, that's the main reason why I love the place so much. I fish lakes for their location and atmosphere more than I do for their stock. I'm a sucker for waters that literally remove you from reality, every time I lock the gates of Paddlesworth behind me I mentally switch off from everything that isn't related to my angling.  

Burrows In Bloom

Making my way around the water, I was keeping a firm eye on any possible fish activity, most swims were free. I was tempted to go in the 'muddy double' but it gets so heavily fished, I passed on it. I decided to make my way further up, there was a lovely calm breeze moving from left to right. I clocked a marginal area with some prominent overhanging trees that I hadn't fished before, it looked very tempting, so I decided to target it.

My plan was to bait really heavy, I'd decided to use the Bio Cp2 Amino, when I use both "green Lip Mussel" or "fishmeal & Betaine" base mixes I always put a lot in. From past experience, I feel because these specific blends have so many natural ingredients and attractors in them, the carp can really get into a frenzy when feasting on them.

Visual Attraction

You'll see in the image above that I added two 10m imitation boilies in two different colours. In conjunction with this I was using both 12mil and 10mil baits, 4x 10mil boilies were put in a small mesh bag and nicked onto the hook for the cast. I really wanted to offer something a little different on this session, like I've said so many times in the past. To move forward you have to be thinking forward, this is a 'rule of thumb' for everything that I do in my life. 

Ready For The Cast

Before I even got my swim set up I applied the bait in abundance, I got into a good rhythm with the throwing stick and spread it all around both the far margin spots that I'd chosen to target. I concentrated on getting it really tight under the overhanging trees. I've fished Burrows enough to know that during the summer months the carp practically get under the bank, it still surprises me how close to the edges you can actually catch them.

My plan was to clip up so the rig literally kissed the branches on its descent, I wanted to fish fast so I had to have every element sorted in advance. Mesh bags were tied, my yards sticks were easy accessible, "no catching the line in surrounding trees and bushes". Two kilo of bait was put into a bucket of water so it was easier to be accurate with the throwing stick, dry baits just down fly out the stick as well. Once all 'anal' tasks were completed I wrapped my rods to 11.5 wraps and I was finally ready to go.

View From The Swim  

   

11.5 wraps put my rig perfectly under the bushes and trees, to make sure each cast was perfect, I stood directly in line with the front legs of my pod. Both rigs were placed with a perfect feathered cast, a few more handfuls of bait were put out for good measure, now it was the waiting game. 

It was hot so I took my shoes and socks off, rolled my trousers up and sat on the edge of the bank with my feet in the water. The silty clay felt soft and smooth on the soles of my feet, I felt strangely connected to my environment. I sat looking out over the water knowing that the fish were sure to move in on my bait and hopefully they were in the mood to scoff.

Skorpios 2 3/4 Test Curve

Twenty or so minutes in and I was starting to receive tiny little indications on both rods, both bobbins were fidgeting away. When I looked closely at the rod tips I could see them jolting so very slightly. The odd bleeps on my right rod suddenly turned into a 'one toner', the first fish was on and accelerating at crazy speed to the right of me. I had a very shallow margin so I decided that I would get in the water to land it - "I love landing carp whilst standing in the water"

The initial run was intense, letting my rod do the work, I just kept the pressure on. I was using my 'Skorpios' in 2 3/4, the blank was literally bending down to the butt, the communication between me and the fish was so acute. As it came closer I could see its broad back cutting the surface of the water, easing the net under her, my first carp of the session had been tamed. Before the unhooking and picture taking I launched another two handfuls of bait over the spots. 

A Broad Back Mirror

Once returned I clipped up to 11.5 wraps, hooked my pre-tied mesh bag on and got the rig 'bang on the money' first time. When you're going for a 'big hit' you've got to get into a solid rhythm, everything has to be as poetic as possible. The more "in rhythm" you are, the higher chance you have of getting the fish to compete, the more care free they are, the higher the chance of them tripping up on the hook-bait.

Once the swim had settled from the baiting up and recast, I started to get liners instantly, it was at this point that I knew it was going to be a manic session. All the big hits I've had down burrows always start with a quick fish and continuous indications that carp are present. Within minutes my right rod was away again.

Once again it kited tight to the right, I jumped in the water and a mighty battle commenced. This felt like a slightly better one, its initial run was immense, I stood strong waiting for the perfect moment to start guiding her my way. As she came closer I caught a glimpse of a plump little mirror, soon enough she was staring at me in the bottom of my net mesh. Again, before unhooking her I launched another couple of handfuls of bait into the swim.

Number Two Tamed

Before slipping her home I treated all minor abrasions with both "wound seal" and "propolis", you must always respect your waters and the carp that live within them. As anglers it's our duty to look after and nurture everything in our 'angling environment'.

Before I even managed to get the rod back out, my left one rocketed away, this fish shot to the left. Once again I got in the water, my feet were sinking in the silt, the bubbles from the air trapped within it shot up through my toes, my trousers were drenched, I felt strangely grounded. Another majestic battle resulted in a lovely mirror, the scales on its back were perfect.

Another One On The Bio Cp2 Amino

The session was coming together nicely, both rods were now out of the water, I once again clipped them up to 11.5 wraps and made the casts. By this point the rigs were 100% hitting the mark, I had to be right under the branches to get the bites. I got a few more handfuls of bait out and decided to make a coffee. It was now really quite hot but I always need a good dose of caffeine to keep my mind sharp.

Taking my position, sitting down by rods, feet in the water and the sun on my back, I felt very much in the moment. On summer days such as this there's always a big part of me that would love to slap on a pair of goggles and go swimming. Propel myself down into the depths and see first hand what's going on, I'm sure whats below the surface is very different to what we all picture in our heads. 

Below The Surface 'Real Mystery Must Remain Hidden'

On the flip-side though, I feel the carps world has to stay secret from us, just as life above the surface is a secret to them. It's the "not knowing" that keeps the mystery safe, not once have I felt inclined to watch any underwater footage of feeding fish, to me, it's just another example of technology taking the charm out of something. Deep in thought, I fell back to reality with the sight and sound of my right rod contorting in agony, I sprung up to grab it and jumped into the water to commence battle once again. 

This fish was stripping line like crazy, I was very simply holding on for dear life, gradually I gained ground, tweaking the clutch as I went, slowly, she was coming closer, a quick glimpse of a lovely grey mirror greeted me as she tried to make her final bid for freedom. Her effort was futile, and as my net mesh engulfed her, a sense of relief washed over me, 'what an incredible looking carp'.

A Lovely Grey Slab

Once again, prior to unhooking and releasing her I fired another 3 heaped handfuls of bait over both spots, it was obvious the carp were reacting really well to the amount of bait going in. The rod went back out and I took a seat 'on my chair', put another coffee on, sat back and continued to soak up the sights and sounds of everything around me.

The main heat of the day was starting to subside, now there was a small amount of cloud cover. A family of coots were getting away with stealing the odd freebie or two, seagulls were milling around waiting for me to pick up my throwing stick. They were masters at infiltrating my baits mid flight, mallards were discussing politics, every so often an agile kingfisher would cut the water at lightening speed. 

The action was both above and below the water, the theatre I was witnessing was suddenly cut short with the sound of my left hand rod wailing. The initial take fired forward at speed and then the fish seemed to take a major 'U-turn', it flew towards me so fast, I was reeling like a madman trying my best to pick up the slack. To my surprise it gave up its ghost with little bother, it's as if he wanted to join me on dry land.

Number 5 On The Bio Cp2 Amino

Once released I decided not to put anymore bait in, time was getting on, I had about an hour left. During this time most of the other anglers on the lake had departed, everything became calm and quiet. It now felt like the "magic hour" and I had a strange sense that if something special was going to happen then it would be now. 

I sat quietly with my eyes fixed firmly on my rod tips, I was willing a bite to happen, I slowly started to get my kit together, breaking down the none essentials, dragging the most simplest of tasks out in hope another fish would pay me a visit. 

It was in the closing minutes when my left rod sparked into life again, this carp, just like the previous one, bolted towards me and proceeded to go crazy underneath the rod tip. The second I slipped the net under her my other rod went. This take was savage and my reel was literally smoking. Leaning into this fish, I was met with solid visceral aggression.

First Of A Double Take

It was a dead weight, taking more and more line, I nursed the clutch, waiting for the perfect moment to increase the pressure. Very slowly I started to gain ground, the fish was powering around and I was giving as good as I was getting. As it came closer I could see what appeared to be a 'reasonably large' carp, with my heart in my mouth and my legs shaking, I preyed that I would land her. As the fish surrendered onto its side, the net was slipped gently under her .... RESULT !!!!

A Beast Of A Fish To Close The Session

I stood for a moment looking at both my nets, "two nets, two fish", what a way to end the session. From start to finish it had been chaos - whoever said that fishing was a lazy mans sport? I felt drained but the adrenaline I had coursing through my body was enough fuel to aid me on the awkward trudge back to the car park. 

I was sweaty, covered in fish slim and I stunk pretty bad, but it was all worth it. The only downside was when I got home I was going to have to wash my feet, cleaning silt a clay from between your toes and from under your toenails is an art within its self.