They were going mad

Since then I had taken a brace of fit looking winter mirrors and on the first session this week I was party to a show of carp aerobatics that would put a summers night to shame. They were going mad. To make things even more exciting the carp were rolling consistently over my baits cast out over the silt and fresh growing weed in open water. However, showing they might have been, but what the hell they were doing I have no idea. I got plenty of twitches, line lifts and even a short sharp four bleep take that resulted in a slightly chewed boilie, very tench like. The carp, and tench, kept showing sometimes head and shoulders, sometimes rolling on their sides right up to and beyond 10pm, and still I had no hittable takes. I became convinced both baits had landed in weed or bad silt and I was missing out on a bumper catch. Reluctant to re-cast with carp obviously out there I sat on my hands. At 11pm though they stopped showing, so dreading finding the worst, I wound both rods in. No, they were perfect, baits still smelling sweet. Even the re-casts were fine. So what were they doing, obviously not feeding with gay abandon? I guess they were just cleaning themselves of leaches, as many as 60 or 70 on some fish that I have seen. The two mirrors last week though were largely clear, just one or two. So perhaps now all the carp were waking up and getting going. Perhaps by my next session a couple of days later, they would have finished cleaning and fancy a bite to eat. Frosts were frustratingly forecast for a return though so time would tell. Time did tell and although it was not exactly frosty, the next session did coincide with cold north-westerly winds and a clear night that was cold enough for me. It was like another lake; hardly a fish moved, two I think, both tench-like and apart from a couple of liners, nothing happened. Frustrating with only a week to go until the end of the season. I know the carp are out there moving but the cold nights keep putting them off a little feed. It’s possible of course that daytime could be productive but talking to others who have been fishing at the weekends during the day, nothing of note has occurred then either. Still, four more nights to catch that last 30lber the lake holds that has eluded me so far, otherwise Iíll have to come back next season to try again. Not such a chore though as I have enjoyed my four years on the lake. The first year was a struggle to say the least when I fished a lot of nights for just two tench, and lost two carp. The lake was more pressured then though with at least six anglers fishing every night. The lake is only two acres so twelve lines out really left the carp few places to hide. Most of the fish came out during the day when there was less pressure and the fortunate few were able to capitalise midweek. The following year I lost a 30lber at the net after stalking it for a couple of hours, most annoying. A week later though I did catch one, a 21lber, taken off the top. The lake was still busy at night and again I think all I caught on those night sessions were tench. However I was beginning to get to know the lake by now and an increase in weed was giving more opportunities to stalk the carp. So much so than in September I landed my second carp from the lake a lovely 25lb common, a personal best common at the time. The third year I had little time to fish due to the arrival of our first baby but I had got the hang of the carp by then and knew if I was going to catch consistently it was by concentrating on the margins fishing during the day. I only managed six such sessions all summer but caught two carp, both mirrors of 31lb and 28lb, a right result. Then this season I pulled out all the stops and from July onwards I spent all my time down the lake and reaped the rewards for a lot of hard work. Iíll spare you the details but I have caught all the big fish, all but one of the 30lbers and most of the bigger 20s, all by fishing short sessions in margin spots. Often spots that no one else would dream of fishing, often with just one rod, as thatís all room would allow. To tell you the truth I have surprised myself and have therefore given me enough confidence to always feel I have been in with a chance. Itís that confidence that has got me through the winter, fishing nights after and before work. Family life for me does not allow weekend fishing so thatís the only way I could fish, if not that then I would not be able to fish at all, an unthinkable scenario. Still one week to go, who knows, when it’s mega busy on the last couple of days of the season perhaps that last thirty will grace my net so all can admire it, it should be around 33lb at the moment so it’s worth catching!

Have fun!