Shame not all anglers think the same, nice one mate

I went into the same swim and once again went through the process of wading out to the front of the swim and casting around looking for the essential clear areas amongst the weed. This done it was back out with the PVA bags of pellets and crushed boilies. I had run out of Gardner’s new flavoured blue PVA bags so was back onto the Kryston ones. I had used the Gardner ones most of the Autumn and my last three fish had all fallen to them when using other makes on the other rod without success, A coincidence? Well try them for yourselves, I for one like the idea and so do the carp. I did not feel too hindered by using Kryston ones though as they too are an excellent product – something about that flavour though!?The cloud was still around so it was still mild but not long after real darkness the stars showed, the breeze stopped and once again the temperatures began to fall. I was sitting on a log looking out across the lake when my friend turned up (as he had the night before) to put some bait in. He was not amused to find me there again as it meant that he had made a wasted journey as he would not put bait in whilst I was fishing. As he said, ‘Do not do to others what you would not want others to do to you’. Shame not all anglers think the same, nice one mate! He was pleased to hear about the common falling earlier in the day and as we looked out across the lake, a carp rolled right over the spot the common had come from. I was certainly hoping for a repeat performance. After I assured him that I would not be there the next evening, he left. He was planning to fish the following night himself so that was good. It is a small lake and to get the best of it, fishing on your own there is certainly the best way. Two is okay but more than that and your chances certainly reduce. The sky stayed clear and the temperatures stayed low, just hovering above a frost. Sometime in the night I woke to find the inside of the oval shelter very dewy and the lake still and misty. A glance at my watch showed it to be 3am. If it stayed like that I doubted a repeat dawn take as I had received from the common. However, as the cars began to sound again as people awoke, a bank of cloud came over and the temperatures recovered – perhaps there was hope yet. I had to pack up a bit earlier that day so I started to slowly pack up but then asked myself what was the point? I was there to catch a carp, so decided to stay regardless, work could wait. I was not that confident of a take really but it was great being there. In the end I wound in and found both baits perfect in clear areas. The carp were just not having it. As I hadn’t had time to walk round the lake for the last two sessions due to not arriving until nearly dark, I decided to stroll round before I left – I told you I was reluctant to leave! I was really concerned about finding any more carp in distress as I knew that few people visited the lake in winter, especially when it was in flood as it was now. So I took the torch and strolled round. The reduction in water level now was apparent. The water was back in the lake’s banks, the road track now not flooded but it was very muddy. I wouldn’t fancy driving round to the far side until things dry out a bit more. Around the far side I found the swim my friend was going to set his winter campaign on. It was just about dry and it was here I’d found three carp laying up in bushes just a couple of weeks before, now the water had receded. Further around, I reached the next swim where I had previously discovered the 30lb mirror in distress. In the gloom I could see something white lying in the shallow water that still covered the swim. Sure enough it was a dead carp. Fortunately not the 30lb carp but one a lot smaller. It was still fresh and probably died just that night or the afternoon before. It was one of the leather carp. Over the last couple of years we have lost two other leathers, now with this one there was just one left. This dead one was a well known fish, one that always looks a little ill as it was often seen laying up in weed looking like it was on its last legs, but year after year it had defied death and when caught, always fought well. Now it had died, probably the pollution had pushed it over the edge. I had watched this fish (and the 30lb mirror I had found the week previously) a month before, just after the pollution, from a high tree as they wandered around a weedy bay. I thought then that both fish looked very pale with white areas on their backs. I thought it was just a trick of the light then but now I guess it was something more sinister. I pushed the dead carp into some flooded bushes and planned later to phone the club secretary so the body could be disposed of, or given to the EA for a post mortum. I wandered on a bit up the flooded bank and there out in the lake proper on the edge of some sunken branches was another dead carp. This one was a common; it was too far out to see properly so I got a long branch to pull it towards me. The carp was very bloated and as I was making progress it sank down into the black water and disappeared. This was not good; I retraced my steps looking again at the dead leather and wandered back to the swim. This time I went from swim to swim rather than following the track. In an overgrown area of the shallows was yet another body. This time a small mirror, perhaps 15lb. It too, like the leather looked fresh so once again I pushed it up into some flooded bushes. Back at my swim I packed away and left, again not as happy as I might be, I just hoped this was the end of the deaths. Later I phoned the secretary and the bodies were recovered; we await any further developments.

Have fun!