Taken from my Carp Diaries -
The last fish I caught was over a one night session down at the local water. it was a somewhat surreal feeling when I got there, even more so when we decided on the session.
I say surreal because of the possibility for a run and who knows what's on the other end. Upon arrival I set-up in our chosen swim - rods at the ready and baited up the swim with a handful of boilies to start with. I left the swim alone while getting the rigs sorted out. I had made new fluorocarbon rigs and was testing various lengths on this session. I have also taken out the lead inside it's sleeve since I really can't take a liking to fishing leadcore as it were. My fishing partner arrived and set-up next to me and all the while talking we noticed the fish activity in the bay area, naturally he went to investigate (I'm older so the youngsters do some work). Anyway we decide it's time to move swims and move we did after some banter.
Our new swim was tight but open water and structure was available to us. My friend decided on fishing towards the reeds on one rod and his other towards the point where reeds ended, baited up and his were out before long. I decided on 'open water' but some fifty metres out if that so the right hand rod was placed on a gravel patch and the other two somewhere into a clear silt area and the third rod 'open water' cast into oblivion.
Night fell ... we had moved late afternoon and hunger was setting in. I sat down with a cuppa and a snack when my friends right hand rod beeped and took off. The fish was into the reeds the minute he was onto the rod, sad indeed but patience does pay off. He couldn't get the fish out and settled on waiting for it to decide on a way out, the fish wouldn't budge and it was man and fish pitted against each other. I know the fish wanted freedom and to make his life difficult. I took the rod and bullied the fish into submission ever so subtly as not hurt the creature. Clearly it wasn't happy - he landed an 18lb common.
Some time later he was into another fish - I think it was a 22lb common - Can't say for sure. Must be the recent accident and bump on my head that made me forget. Moving on after dinner I retired to my abode and enjoyed a quiet evening laying under the stars. Much later my right hand rod was away - a few beeps and line ticking off the spool I was in..23lb common. Things were looking up and sleep was far away. It wasn't long and while sipping on a cuppa the same rod was off again - Murphy's Law and what are the chances of another 23lb common that graced my landing net.
By dawn we had landed 3 twenties and a few upper double carp - not bad for a move and a night of action. Goes to show a move does pay off on the best of days.
Two weeks later and we were back on the local reservoir - need I say more when it turned out that the fish were lockjaw - and no-one caught anything ? That's fishing.
On Christmas and giving:
The end of the year is nigh my fellow anglers and it's that time when we reflect on the year gone by and the great captures some have had, and other's that were not so fortunate: In the words of one of the worlds greatest body builders and wherefrom I take motivation: Arnold Shwarzenegger: 'IF YOU GOING THROUGH HELL..KEEP GOING.'
So it is in fishing too - it can be hell at times. So it's that time, who's looking for carp gear and who's looking at giving something away? There are always guys looking for something they don't have no matter how small. Come on if you have an item you don't need, collecting dust or the wife is nagging, post it here and make someone's Christmas worthwhile.
Oh and finally the GT Boilie Revolution 2015 is on the cards. I'll be entering this event and hopefully make a success of it. It's been a while since I entered a carp competition.
That's it for the year 2014. To you all I wish you the best of luck in your Carp Fishing endeavours and all the best for the rest of the year.
Get out there - fish hard - fish smart - stay safe
John'O
The last fish I caught was over a one night session down at the local water. it was a somewhat surreal feeling when I got there, even more so when we decided on the session.
I say surreal because of the possibility for a run and who knows what's on the other end. Upon arrival I set-up in our chosen swim - rods at the ready and baited up the swim with a handful of boilies to start with. I left the swim alone while getting the rigs sorted out. I had made new fluorocarbon rigs and was testing various lengths on this session. I have also taken out the lead inside it's sleeve since I really can't take a liking to fishing leadcore as it were. My fishing partner arrived and set-up next to me and all the while talking we noticed the fish activity in the bay area, naturally he went to investigate (I'm older so the youngsters do some work). Anyway we decide it's time to move swims and move we did after some banter.
Our new swim was tight but open water and structure was available to us. My friend decided on fishing towards the reeds on one rod and his other towards the point where reeds ended, baited up and his were out before long. I decided on 'open water' but some fifty metres out if that so the right hand rod was placed on a gravel patch and the other two somewhere into a clear silt area and the third rod 'open water' cast into oblivion.
Night fell ... we had moved late afternoon and hunger was setting in. I sat down with a cuppa and a snack when my friends right hand rod beeped and took off. The fish was into the reeds the minute he was onto the rod, sad indeed but patience does pay off. He couldn't get the fish out and settled on waiting for it to decide on a way out, the fish wouldn't budge and it was man and fish pitted against each other. I know the fish wanted freedom and to make his life difficult. I took the rod and bullied the fish into submission ever so subtly as not hurt the creature. Clearly it wasn't happy - he landed an 18lb common.
Some time later he was into another fish - I think it was a 22lb common - Can't say for sure. Must be the recent accident and bump on my head that made me forget. Moving on after dinner I retired to my abode and enjoyed a quiet evening laying under the stars. Much later my right hand rod was away - a few beeps and line ticking off the spool I was in..23lb common. Things were looking up and sleep was far away. It wasn't long and while sipping on a cuppa the same rod was off again - Murphy's Law and what are the chances of another 23lb common that graced my landing net.
By dawn we had landed 3 twenties and a few upper double carp - not bad for a move and a night of action. Goes to show a move does pay off on the best of days.
Two weeks later and we were back on the local reservoir - need I say more when it turned out that the fish were lockjaw - and no-one caught anything ? That's fishing.
On Christmas and giving:
The end of the year is nigh my fellow anglers and it's that time when we reflect on the year gone by and the great captures some have had, and other's that were not so fortunate: In the words of one of the worlds greatest body builders and wherefrom I take motivation: Arnold Shwarzenegger: 'IF YOU GOING THROUGH HELL..KEEP GOING.'
So it is in fishing too - it can be hell at times. So it's that time, who's looking for carp gear and who's looking at giving something away? There are always guys looking for something they don't have no matter how small. Come on if you have an item you don't need, collecting dust or the wife is nagging, post it here and make someone's Christmas worthwhile.
Oh and finally the GT Boilie Revolution 2015 is on the cards. I'll be entering this event and hopefully make a success of it. It's been a while since I entered a carp competition.
That's it for the year 2014. To you all I wish you the best of luck in your Carp Fishing endeavours and all the best for the rest of the year.
Get out there - fish hard - fish smart - stay safe
John'O
