ups that are made with pop

Cloudy, still and muggy summed up the weather, still no one was there but no fish showed to give me inspiration as I looked out across the lake. The water was slightly coloured but it had that nice greeny tinge, the level was well up though, covering the fronts of most of the swims, the water table was obviously up. With nothing else to go on, the open water still looked the best bet so I set up there, slightly further up the bank due to the water level. The weed had started to grow and I was bringing in some fresh green silkweed and Canadian Pondweed over the last couple of sessions so I changed from bottom baits to pop-ups. However this time not the white unflavoured ones I had used in the cold dark nights of December and January but some that had been made for me by the Bait Company. They smelt and looked just like the bottom baits which is not what you always get with pop-ups that are made with pop-up mixes, usually you have to use a cork ball etc. These though were pukka baits, thanks guys. Once the baits were in position it was just a matter of waiting for a take, surely. A few bleeps proceeded a fast take just before dusk. The carp fought very well, taking line several times and charging up and down the margins. I waded out to the edge of the flooded swim and a flash of yellow belly showed as the carp rolled over trying to rid the hook. It did not look too big but just before it rolled into the net it stuck its head and shoulders out, certainly over 20lb, a common as well. No wonder it fought so well, why is it commons fight so much harder than mirrors? It was a deep fish and several permutations went through my mind of the size and identity of the carp before I lifted it onto the mat. It turned out to be the smallest 20lb common of the four in the lake at 22lb 12oz. Disappointed? I don’t think so! It was certainly the prettiest, all black, golds and dark browns, a fantastic carp. After the photos it slipped back to grow some more. After the recast it was dark, I was confident of more action, after all I’d had a brace a couple of weeks before on a night just as mild as this one. A liner had me striking prematurely an hour later resulting in having to recast, a regretful situation. Another hour passed however when the same rod screamed off again. The old adage of ‘it was like hitting a sandbag’ was true. Just the odd thud down the line on what was a strange fight. The carp in fact did not fight, it just hung there using its weight to stay out in the lake, putting off the inevitable. Slowly it rose in the water and swirled on top 20 yards out. The rest of the battle was similar, deep dogged thuds before finally it rolled into the net. It was long and very fat, I was sure I had one of the 30’s but as I lifted it out I noticed the deformed fins. It was the lake’s only big leather carp, but it was looking very portly. The hook was well imbedded in its rubbery lips and on the scales it went 27lb 3oz. Not 30lb, but a personal best leather carp anyway, and in March to, nice one. The beast behaved perfectly for the camera, I was expecting a bit of a row, and back it went, broad, deep and yellow. All leathers have deformed fins don’t they, weird, a genetic thing I suppose, even Heather in Yately is not quite right, not that that takes anything away from them, I just luv ‘em. After sorting myself out and recasting I was sweating, it was so mild. One of the guys popped in an hour later for a chat. Not much had been caught at the weekends, too many lines I guess, sometimes you make your own time and luck. After he left things went quiet, the liners stopped and the rest of the night was quiet. It got cooler as the sky cleared, even dawn was lifeless. A couple of days later I was back, the period of mild weather was continuing so I was even more surprised to find the lake deserted still. Not surprisingly I set up in the same swim and cast to the same spots with PVA bags of trout pellets with a pop-up fishmeal over the top. The odd flat spot in the rippled surface showed that something was moving over the baits but I received no action nor liners until after dark. The indicator rose slowly to the rod but as I reached it, it dropped down. A liner? That idea was scotched when moments later the indicator rose again and I swept the rod back. I had to give line straight away at 30 yards, I was into another carp that fought very hard. I got it to the margins quite easily but when I waded out to the front of the swim to try and net it, I was crouched there for a full five minutes as the carp powered up and down. I had it in the net once but somehow it escaped over the side. I became convinced then that the hook would pull so I was mightily relieved when finally it went into the folds of the mesh, I gave a whoop of delight to the empty lake. Again a very long carp that was in perfect nick; a mirror this time. The hook was well in, so it was not going to come off. On the scales it went 24lb 5oz. Was I pleased? I think so! It behaved like a perfect gent and was soon back in the lake after I admired every inch of it in the torchlight, a real dark brown cracker of a mirror. I recast quickly expecting rather than hoping for some more action but, as is always the case, good things always come to an end and the rest of the session was quiet, despite it being the mildest night of the winter. Nothing rolled over either, strange but perhaps the pressure was finally showing on the producing area. Now just the last two nights of the season to go and if the weather stays this mild then surely more carp will come, unless there are so many people down that it kills things off, the chats and drinks should be good though.

Have fun!