Some trout pellets over the top and this one was ready

After last weeks ridiculously low temperatures the fickle English weather threw up really mild temperatures with days of 13 degrees and nights not much colder, so I had to get down the Colne Valley pit. I had heard before the ice that carp had been getting into a small channel that I had caught some big fish from during the summer so when I arrived on a lovely mild cloudy day I was in two minds whether to give this area a go or stick with my usual area. In the end after a lot of walking around and thinking I went for it and drove the car round the far side. One bait was lowered down onto the gravel in the channel; it really is right below the rod top. Some trout pellets over the top and this one was ready. The swim is not a swim, just a gap in the trees but a few yards further up there was a small swim so from here I put the other rod out with a PVA bag full of trout pellets and crushed boilies onto the edge of a island where the gravel is clear. Carp have been caught from here before in winter so I was happy with that one, hedging my bets really, as I was not too convinced about the channel, especially after dark. The afternoon and evening passed with me shooing away tufties and the two swans that had returned to the lake. They flew off back in October but now they were back and I guess they will be here for the summer now. Last year I went through bags and bags of mixers feeding off these swans, otherwise they were straight on the baits in the margins. They also of course made surface fishing a nightmare. As darkness fell I became less confident in the channel rod but more so with the island rod, especially when a couple of fish moved close by, probably not carp but a fish was a fish, at least something was alive down there. The night remained mild with a bit of drizzle so I made myself comfy under the brolly that was situated between the rods on the path. Each rod was then just five yards away from me, one each side. I was conscious of the close snags to the channel rod so I was just drifting in and out of sleep. When the run came at 1:30 in the morning I flew off the bedchair and on hand and knees started towards the channel rod only to realise it was the island rod that needed attention. Dashing back the other way, still on hands and knees, eventually I got to the rod. The run had been going far too long when I struck so I found the fish had gone right up the lake away from the island. There was a dull thud on the end and then it was gone!! Standing there in the dark, rod in hand, I was not best pleased and let the dark sky know about it. I was so cross I had lost a chance due to my own inefficiency. It was the first chance I had missed since early November with half a dozen successes in between, on a lake that does not give up its carp easily – it was not a clever thing to do. Even now as I write this the pain still hurts like hell. I eventually recast and started to think, perhaps it was a tench, perhaps a liner, hell no who am I kidding it was a carp and I blew it. The rest of the night remained mild cloudy and superb, January nights come no better, in fact by now it was February, I knew I would get a chance and it was pleasing that it came to different area. Pleasing too that it came to fishmeal bottom bait instead of the white pop-ups I had been using over the old weed. It’s better to fish on clean gravel with a bottom bait I think, much better presentation, usually the hookhold is better, it helps though if you hit the run within a decent time! I packed up before dawn. Typical that I could not get back down there again that week, with the mild weather I was sure I could have got another chance. However the builders are in and I have to do my family duties as well so I will have to hope February is a good one and I get lots of mild weather and more chances. I canít grumble though, the winter has been good so far, two 20s, the rest good doubles and a 6lb tench as a bonus. Some have had nothing; some have not even tried. My problems of where to fish during the spring were answered when an application form for a small syndicate water in the valley dropped on the mat. I put my name down five years ago and had virtually given up on getting in. A small lake again, my favourite, with only twenty odd carp, a quarter of them 30s, ideal. It’s open all year so the carp will be pressured buts it’s got to be worth a go so the cheque was in the post straight away. So Iíll fish my current water until it closes on 14 March, then a couple of weeks saying goodbye on another small water near Staines moor that I have fished the last few years that closes 31 March and then onto this new water. I canít wait! So I guess thatís it for this week, Iíll try not to notice how mild it is and try to stop the mental torture of the lost carp and hope for mild weather next week and try to get back down there.

Have fun!