Gravel Pit Tench

After a series of trials fishing for tench [here] on my previous blog, the time had come to put my rigs into practice for a really big tench. A Cotswold gravel pit had been chosen with 2 nights available to bag a nice tench. 

The first task upon arrival was a bit of feature finding. The use of a Deeper sonar supported me in finding the change in depths quickly and I was able to pinpoint some areas with less weed growth to fish on. This resulted in two rods at 11 wraps and one much shorter on a higher plateau to my left. Besides tench, the pit also contained carp and these were regularly giving their presence away by leaping from the water. The left rod was set up with a solid bag, baited with a bright pink pop up on a multi-rig. I've never seriously fished for carp at any stage in my life, but it seemed a good idea given the activity and the likelihood that bites would be hard to come by. I absolutely did not want to blank on this trip. The other two rods were set up with standard heli-rigs and a maggot approach although I had worms as an alternative. At this stage, I did not introduce any bait via spodding. I wanted to catch tench and I feared that putting bait on those spots would only attract carp. It was also particularly windy so I didn't want to risk spreading bait about. Instead, regular casting began to build up an area of maggots that would hopefully catch the eye of any patrolling tench. 

7lb 12oz and a great start

It was no surprise that my companion for the trip, Coops, hooked and landed a carp from the next swim. There certainly seemed to be a lot of carp in that area. However, it was myself that drew first blood on the tench front and guess what? It came on the solid bag rig. Typical. A nice tench that went 7lb 12oz was banked and I was up and running after just a few hours of the trip. A carp followed to maggot not long after that went around 16lb. 

By late afternoon and into the evening, I had baited one of the tench rods with the worm kebab. It was this rod that was next to fool a tench with a really positive bite. A spirited battle saw another female tench on the bank. Although it looked larger, this one went 7lb 7oz. A lost carp to a hook pull was the only other action that evening, but I went to bed feeling really happy with the first day's results. 

A 7lb 7oz tench 

It was 3.43am when I awoke. It was still dark so I decided I should wait a little longer before recasting the rods. The heavens then opened and I was forced to listen to torrential rain for about half an hour before I could venture outside. The crayfish had stripped the baits meaning a rethink would be required for the following night. There was no dawn tench even though it looked perfect. A sunny day developed with another lost carp and a lost tench souring things slightly although Coops bagged his first tench of the trip with a 5lb male fish. I did spod a bit of bait on this day, with hemp and 2mm pellets placed in small quantity over the rods. It was later in the day when my popped up maggot bait was taken and a tench was on. All was going to plan as it approached the marginal shelf when it all went solid, and I mean solid. I was convinced the fish was still on but it wasn't moving. A spell with the bail open failed to change the situation and no matter which angle I applied pressure, nothing happened to fill me with confidence. In fact, I'd practically given up hope when my final throw of the dice was to pull directly with the rod pointing at the snag. A perilously dangerous manoeuvre that I was convinced would result in a snapped line. Miraculously, the feeder and fish were dislodged and I was back in business with the tench soon landed. It was a good one as well. The net revealed a plump looking tench that was clearly bigger than the ones landed on the previous day. The scales settled on 8lb 12oz and provided me with a new tench PB. I was delighted. 

My tench PB at 8lb 12oz

The night came and went with no action even though I changed to hook baits that survived the crayfish. That last morning turned out to be a little frustrating. Lots of tench were topping but despite what looked like perfect conditions, neither myself nor Coops were troubled by them. I lost a really nice carp that I had successfully battled to keep out of the nearside tree line only for the hooklink to snap when it felt like the hard work had been done. I didn't get the best of views but Coops, who was waiting with the net, suggested it would have been good enough to beat my carp PB. Nothing else materialised and the 48 hours came to a conclusion. Although  I failed to catch a fish on that last morning, the session as a whole had been a huge success. Three tench including a PB was a really satisfying result and had me making plans for another gravel pit adventure soon. Of course, the opening of the river season will provide further distractions but I'll do my best to fit it all in. 

If you enjoyed this blog then please do comment and subscribe. It's always nice to hear that people have checked in. Tight lines. 

    

Spring catch up

It's been a while since I have posted. The reason? Well, I've done very little fishing. The heatwave during early May saw my son and I visit a local fishery to target some surface feeding carp. We managed five to just into double figures, all taken on dog biscuit. My assistant kept the feed going in and hung on to a few of the fish which put up a good battle. We saw a hedgehog and a deer on the way home which added to the experience. 

Next up came a trip to the Birmingham to Worcester canal. I didn't intend to fish but set my son up with a 2m whip and half pint of maggots. Sport was unexpectedly slow with a long wait before the first bite arrived and saw a small perch landed. Unfortunately, bites were not too regular but we were lucky that a family of ducklings kept us occupied. Several more perch arrived as did a beautiful looking rudd of a few ounces that added some variety. Then he hooked something altogether different. Despite hitting the bite brilliantly and hanging on, the fish snapped the light tackle and escaped. I suspect it was a larger perch but he already wants to return with 'thicker line'. It might not be a bad idea as there could be some big perch in residence.

With just two weeks until the rivers opening no doubt attentions will start to turn to running water. I still enjoy the build up and hope that we have a few more years of the close season to go before any changes are implemented. In the meantime, I have promised myself a tench session or two. I have a couple of venues in mind so I will hopefully bring some news in due course.

In the nick of time

December has been tough. Snow, changeable temperatures and high water have sent our rivers into disarray. Apart from my PB chub earlier in the month, I have had to settle for a run of blanks despite targeting a variety of species. With the last day of the year upon us one last trip to the river beckoned. I had hoped to visit the Wye for pike but the a rising river put paid to that. The Severn suffered the same affliction but the Warks Avon was falling and would be fishable.

I arrived at lunchtime. The river was tearing through but I knew that some swims downstream would afford me some more favourable conditions. I started by throwing a lure around a backwater that contained lots of prey fish sheltering from the high water. It was a bit of a long shot given the heavy colour and so it proved. After half hour or so I trudged off downstream empty handed to where the river widened and the flow became more to my liking. Two rods were cast into place. One on meat, the other with homemade paste. A couple of hours passed with nothing to report. The thermometer

Finally, the December barbel arrives

showed 7°C so I remained slightly optimistic that something would feed. With an hour or so of light remaining, the paste was swapped for lobworm. Soon after the meat bait showed a few signs that some fish might be on the move. Time was running out as New Year's Eve plans beckoned. Eventually, the worm rod started to bounce as the upstream bait was dislodged. A fish was on and was brought to the bank without much fuss. I suspected a chub but a small barbel was the culprit and how welcome it was. I have been attempting to catch a barbel during every calendar month of the river season. December had let me down so a barbel on the last day of the month was a bit of a god send. The fish was returned and no sooner had I put he net down then my other rod lurched round with a typical 3ft twitch. A fish was hooked and it felt good. It powered downstream and I have to be honest and say there was little I could do to stop it. Unfortunately, the pressure against the extra water in the river proved too much and the hook pulled. Moments later I slipped on the treacherous banks and ended covered in sludge. An eventful 5 minutes or so!

This Wye double proved to be the highlight of my summer

The light soon faded and no further fish
showed and with that came the end to my fishing for 2017. It's been a decent year. The start was of the year was slow. A uneventful winter didn't match the previous one when I experienced some great perch fishing. The spring saw me have a go at some carp off the surface. I'm not a huge fan of carp fishing but find this particular tactic rewarding and I had fish to just over 16lb. Not monsters but good fun whilst the rivers were out of bounds. The summer came and it was all about barbel for me. I had set myself a challenge - to prove that the Warks Avon could produce barbel away from the popular venues. It turned out to be a huge success. Choosing a less than obvious venue I  went on to have a one of my best summers on the river. There were no monster but I had fish over 9lbs and proved that you don't have to be fishing Marcliff, Salford Priors, Fladbury, etc to experience great fishing. However, the highlight of the summer had to be my first Wye double. A superb looking specimen that came from spectacular surroundings. But the seasons soon change and with it we travel full circle back to my PB chub of 5lb 7oz that turned out to be a bright light in an otherwise bleak winter so far.

A PB chub 

Some fun off the top

With 2018 upon us I do hope that the predator fishing will improve. It simply hasn't got going yet. I also aim to snare a barbel for the the final three months of the season to hit that personal challenge of a barbel every month of the river season. Hopefully, it will prove easier than the last few weeks. Have a great New Year and tight lines for the rest of the season. 

Carp off the top

This spring has seen a distinct lack of fishing trips but the recent sunny weather afforded me the opportunity to fish for carp using my favourite method: surface fishing.

A trip to a local stillwater saw me settle in a quiet corner that is rarely fished yet always has a few fish present. It always amazes me how many anglers choose their swim by proximity to their car rather than where the fish are. I was in no rush to set up so started feeding dog biscuits. It wasn't long before a few fish started showing interest. By the time I had set up I had a number of confidently

The 11 pounder

feeding carp in front of me. I cast out using an imitation biscuit with nothing else on the line. The weight of the biscuit was enough to get me a couple of rod lengths out and I had no need to go any further. It was no surprise that a fish was hooked soon after and after a spirited battle on a 1.25lb Avon rod, a common carp of around 9lb was banked. This of course sent the other fish to cover and I spent the next half hour feeding to regain their confidence. The next fish arrived in the shape of another common at 11lb 7oz. As the sun set, the fish became more confident and a good fish was hooked that shot for the nearside cover. On this occasion, the fish won its freedom but it wasn't long before I found myself connected to what turned out to be the best fish of the session. The fish rarely displayed any rapid runs but instead stayed stubbornly low. A fat common came to the net and troubled the scales at 16lb 7oz.

The best fish of the session

Two more fish came to the net at around 7lb and 4lb respectively but their splashing about killed the swim and at just gone 9pm I wasn't going to hang around for another one. An enjoyable three hours in the sunshine!

Perching

With the rivers still cold and uninviting, a perch trip was planned to a small pond that has produced some reasonable fish in the past.

Tactics would be to attempt to attract some small roach to the net and eventually the prospect of a 2lb plus perch. The problem with this lake however is the huge population of carp that make catching live baits really difficult. The recent frosts had also made bites harder to come by so it was something of a struggle to put anything in the net. A small carp inevitably kicked off proceedings before a bream also made its way to the net but sport was generally slow. I eventually acquired a live bait and placed it near some overhanging willows.

I then hooked a good fish on the float fished maggot set up. It was obviously a carp but of a much better standard than I'm used to catching at the venue. On relatively light tackle, a spirited battle ensued before a fine looking carp was netted. At around 10 ½ lb, it was a good return for a chilly afternoon. No sooner had I returned it when the alarm of my perch bait sounded resulting in line being taken purposefully. I struck into a fish and the first perch was on the bank. It was not a monster but at 2lb 1oz it was a nicely sized perch. I did manage another perch soon after to a maggot which was somewhere around 1 ¼ lb but there was to be no further action as the light gave away to another cold night.

A brace of perch

Almost there!

One of the small carp tempted by dog biscuits

It's been a quiet close season for me. My quest for tench never materialised and I barely wet a line. A couple of evening trips for some surface feeding carp threw up a few small fish but much of the last few weeks has seen me with one eye on the 16th. Whatever people say about the close season, there's no doubt that the 16th is evocative. For the river angler, optimism is high. With the tackle box refreshed, I'll be kicking off on the Avon before spending the first part of the weekend on the lower Severn. Hopefully, a barbel will find it's way to my net. After a dry few weeks, the last few days have seen biblical weather. The Avon has just started to rise so it'll be interesting to see what happens in the next day or so as this will dictate tactics for the season's start. Good luck if you're out on the banks.

More perch success and a fisherman's tale

With my tench campaign just around the corner I am close to concluding my perch chapter for the season. So a second visit to the stillwater that gave me my first 3 pounder on my last trip was unsurprisingly my venue of choice. The weather forecast a cloudy day, perfect for perch fishing. The reality was a glorious spring day coupled with bright sunshine. With the weathermen wrong (when aren't they?) I knew my chances would have to wait a few hours until the sun dropped down behind the far bank trees to the west. In the meantime, I fed regularly to attract the silver fish. The plan worked because after a couple of hours I had dozens of roach boiling on the surface to beat their shoal mates to the feed. I caught a few, well it would have been silly not to given not much else was happening or likely to.

At last, the sun began to drop and my fishing became a bit more focussed. With this a neighboring carp angler appeared and decided to start what turned out to be a very long chat. Now I don't mind exchanging pleasantries but this chap wanted to tell me about everything from his holiday to his mountain bike trip. After a while it became somewhat tedious but fortunately one of his bite alarms beeped which had him sprinting back to his peg. Moments later my bobber float slid away and the first perch of the session was hooked. A spritely looking perch of around a pound and a half kicked things off. Surely another would be in close attendance? My own alarm sounded as the ledgered prawn was taken but the surging runs told me I was into a carp. A nice looking common was soon tamed and it was a decent fish too that I suspected was not far off a double.

The first perch of the day

A nice common

It was at this moment that the 'carp' angler started to call. Whilst my peg has suddenly jumped into action after hours of slumber the friendly angler had managed to get himself in a mess. Despite having a carp on, his reel had somehow gotten in to a twist and he had a bird's nest. The phrase 'All the gear......' sprang to mind. Although I admit to it being a wrench to leave my swim at that time I did in order to help him out. With line everywhere I attempted to unravel the mess but it wasn't straightforward. Meanwhile the carp, which was marauding out of control had decided that despite having the whole lake to swim in it would station itself right in my carefully and painstakingly prepared swim! At this point I suggested we hand line the fish in. I assertively took the rod and brought the fish in with the specialist carp angler doing the honours with the landing net. With the fish safely banked I decided I would return to my swim and actually do some fishing. In went some maggots but there were no boils this time as it looked like the disturbance had cleared my swim out. I was a little frustrated by now. Light was begin to fade and I was convinced I had missed the window of opportunity. It was at this point that our friend appeared again deciding he would like a photo of the carp as it was 'a venue record' for him. I then proceeded to take a photo of him and his fish refraining from pointing out that I caught the bloody thing.

Finally, I was free to fish on into the final 30-45 minutes of what remained. I felt I deserved the good will of the fishing gods and it came. The prawn rod went off and I was hooked into a definite perch,

The 2lb 14oz fish

and a good one. The head shaking always gives a perch away. It was promptly landed and another prawn recast. Perch often feed in short spells so I was keen to make the most of this window of opportunity given the earlier disturbances. About 5 minutes elapsed so I decided to weigh the fish but before I could do so the alarm sounded again. This perch was smaller at around a pound and half but it was stocky fish that was fit to burst, I then finally managed to weigh the bigger perch - not quite a 3 pounder at 2lb 14oz but a fine fish all the same. The light was disappearing fast but there was time for the final prawn to be hooked and cast. Within moments I was rewarded with the best fish of the session and another new personal best of 3lb 2oz. By the time I weighed and photographed this fish it was dark. It had been a hectic hour or so with 4 perch and a carp in addition to the events in the next peg but I trudged back the car a happy angler.

My new PB of 3lb 2oz

In search of specimen perch

The best carp was around 4lb

After blanking on a perfect looking Warwickshire Avon at the weekend, a change of plan was the order of the day. So a return to the pool that gave me a personal best perch a few weeks ago beckoned [here] and with a cloudy albeit a very windy day, conditions looked promising.

Tench in December!

A mixed bag

The first job was to set up and catch some live bait. As my last visit proved, this was not easy as a string of lovely roach, some of which were around the pound mark, came to the net. I did manage a handful of suitable baits so set up a perch rig and continued to fish maggots for whatever turned up. Apart from the roach, a few skimmers, a rudd, three inevitable carp and a December tench all put in an appearance in the mild conditions. However my target, a specimen perch, proved elusive. I did manage a few on large lobworms, the biggest going 1lb 3oz but with fish over 3lb present I fished on in hope as the light began to fade. As dark fast approached, I had no choice but to call an end to the day. The big perch had not been tempted and my live bait was no doubt please about that as it swam away. It was an enjoyable few hours spent catching several species with the only negative being I clumsily managed to step on a pole section.

It will probably be after Christmas before I am out again so Merry Christmas and thank you to all those that have visited this year.

Perch to 1lb 3oz but no biggie this time

Carp: So near yet so far

Another sunny spell saw me again seeking surface feeding carp. I attempted to set myself a challenge. After four fish around 6-7lb last week, I attempted to search out a larger specimen.

Upon arrival, I was greeted with the sight of about two dozen carp basking in the warm evening sunshine. I didn't arrive until 5.45pm so I was aware I had to get fish feeding quickly to see a return. The basking fish had no real interest in feeding and were almost statuesque. A few chased each other, maybe suggesting spawning may not be too far away if this weather persists. Rather than flog a dead horse, I stationed myself in a quiet corner of the lake where my loose fed dog biscuits were noticed almost immediately. Furthermore, some of the fish looked significantly bigger than the ones I caught last week. A slight breeze had blown the baits to the next swim and it was here a decent fish was lying in wait. I moved positions and put my bait in just the right place. Minutes later, a carp surfaced engulfing the bait. The line snaked away at speed as the fish raced off towards the middle of the lake. It was a very good fish but it found its freedom all too easily when my line snapped. I have to say I was surprised this happened as my drag had been set correctly and I was using 10lb line. It was pretty disappointing as it was definitely the stamp of fish I had targetted from the outset. It was only when setting back up that I realised the problem. A twist in the reel line had caused a knot on the spool. It was obvious that the fish had run until it hit the twist and under the pressure it had snapped. It was enormously frustrating yet it was such a freakish event, the type that only seem to happen when you least need it. The loss was also compounded by the fact the fish were spooked. I did manage to land two carp, both commons with one around 7lb and the other going a bit bigger. Perhaps I'll be rewarded next time?

The session opener after the disappointing loss

This fish was tempted close in

Carp: Off the top

Warm weather equals surface baits

After the river season closed a few weeks ago, I decided to take a break from fishing. I think I needed it and they say absence makes the heart grow fonder. On the back of a beautifully sunny week, I decided to visit a local stillwater in the hope that the venue's carp would have been tempted towards the surface to sunbathe.

On my 4pm arrival, I walked around looking for any sign of cruising fish. Despite the sun still being quite strong, there was a distinct lack of action. A couple of fish were seen but it was hardly convincing stuff.

Fishing at last

The lack of activity on this site is indicative of how hectic the last few weeks have been. I won't bore you with the details but last week's sunshine finally provided me with the opportunity to visit a local fishery in the hope of some surface caught carp.

Whenever there's some prolonged sunny weather, carp will be seen just under the surface taking advantage of the warm rays. For a cold-blooded animal, it's the perfect way to warm up quickly. By offering them loose fed, floating baits such as dog biscuits or bread crust they can usually be tempted into feeding off the surface.

My setup for this method is pretty simple. Mainline of 10lb, connected to a similar breaking strain of fluorocarbon to form a hooklength of around 4ft long. Using fluorocarbon means that the line immediately above the hook is pretty much invisible and as a result fish are less cautious when approaching the bait.  A size 10 hook and an imitation dog biscuit complete the setup. I also smear a little Vaseline along the hooklength in order to keep it on the surface. Often I will freeline, using the weighted bait to cast since most of my fishing is within a couple of rod lengths. However, a small controller can be added if I wish to fish a little further out.

A pretty mirror around 8-9lb

The key to this method is loose feeding using the 'little and often' approach. The idea is to get fish taking the baits and increasing with confidence. Once this is achieved, you can introduce your hookbait. Takes can be pretty instant and it's great fun (and frustrating) watching fish approach your bait only to turn away at the last second. However, a fish will eventually be fooled as you capture the moment it engulfs the bait or notice your line straighten as a fish moves off. This is the moment to strike!

After a slow start, I eventually found some fish that were cruising the upper layers of the lake. After a few false starts I managed to hook a reasonable fish just shy of double figures.
This went on to to be the largest fish of the session. Four more carp followed averaging about 5-6lb. Although none of the fish were large by carp fishing standards they provided great entertainment on a warm May evening, especially to an angler starved of fishing for the last month. Hopefully I will be able to get a few more times before my attentions turn back to rivers.

The next generation and a new personal best carp

A proud nephew

The start of the week saw me take my nephew you out for a few hours fishing on the Birmingham-Worcs Canal. I set him up with a 2m whip to fish down the inside. Bites soon arrived and he managed to catch almost 40 fish, mostly perch with the odd gudgeon thrown in for good measure. He was very proud of his efforts and so he should be. I'm sure he can't wait to visit in the summer with perhaps the promise of his first river fish.

Yesterday evening saw me looking to take advantage of the recent warm weather by surface fishing for carp. I visited the same pool as a few weeks ago [here] where I managed six carp, the biggest just over 14lb in an evening session. With me looking to emulate that success I set off with hopes high. I arrived at the venue and immediately saw dark shadows sunbathing just beneath the surface. I headed towards the area I had fished last time out. Although I could not see any fish, I was aware that the nearby island represents a carp magnet so remained confident. However, a breeze had started which seemed to cause the carp to be less interested in taking surface baits. I did briefly try a bottom bait but apart from a few liners there was nothing to report so I persevered feeding dog biscuits. There were carp taking them but not with the gusto they had showed on my previous visit. By now the breeze had blown all the tree pollen that had fallen on the water into the area in front of me. This made fishing very challenging since I could not spot my bait easily amongst all the other similar shaped floating objects and it made presentation tricky. I toyed with the idea of moving but two things prevented me from doing so. The first was that although the floating debris was causing problems, it also meant my line was disguised. If only I could keep a bait in the right place for long enough I was sure a fish would take the bait. The second reason, and the one that had even more bearing, was there was a sizeable fish now taking a fleeting interest in the baits. 

With the fish remaining cautious, I knew that I was only going to get one chance and finally it came. A fish approached where I believed my bait to be and it decided to take something from the surface. I have to admit I was not 100% sure whether my bait had been taken but a mixture of intuition, luck and a vague memory of possibly seeing the line move all meant I swept my rod backwards. The rod hooped over yet the fish itself didn't seem to be aware of proceedings and within seconds it was underneath the rod tip. Then without warning, just as I was reaching for the net, it took off on a blistering run towards the island resulting in the reel screaming; a sound greeted by every angler. A few more surges followed but eventually the fish was beaten and drawn over the waiting net. It looked a cracking common carp, which I knew would threaten my modest 17lb personal best. A quick check on the scales confirmed this at an ounce under 18lb. I had hoped it might be a bit bigger but I could not complain. I fished on with the carp giving my hope that another fish might be on the cards, but despite some interest in the biscuits I could not tempt another. As the light started to fade so did my chances and I left. A PB in tricky conditions, off the surface is a good result in my book and I was very pleased as I made the short trip home.  

My new PB carp at 17lb 15oz

Surface Carp Fishing

Although I love my river fishing, the close season does force me to vary my tactics and species. With cooler weather promised I took advantage to of the final day of spring sunshine to target carp. I returned to the lake which had seen my previous visit punctuated by frustration as I tried to tempt fish from the surface. However, today’s weather was much kinder and I was pleased to arrive just after 4pm to see only one other angler present.

I set off towards the island, scouring the surface for dark shapes basking in the late afternoon sun.  Upon reaching the island I noticed several carp cruising so immediately scattered half a dozen dog biscuits towards the island while I set up. I rarely use a controller. Since most of my surface fishing is done with 3-4 rod lengths, I prefer to use 10lb mainline, a 4ft fluorocarbon hooklength with an imitation biscuit hair rigged to a size 10 hook. Since the imitation bait incorporates a split shot to balance it I find that it provides enough weight to reach my desired spot. The main advantage of this is that it causes little disturbance when hitting the water and is very inconspicuous once in position. The fluorocarbon line again ensures my hook bait looks as close to the other biscuits as is possible. My final tip is to keep out of sight; on this trip that involved squatting, which was rather painful on the thighs but ensured the carp continued to feed confidently about 10m from the bank.

A great way to start the session at just over 14lb

It took about 20 minutes of regular feeding but eventually the carp started to show real interest and baits were being taken readily.  I made my first cast soon after  4.30pm. With the fish feeding well and competing for the bait it was hardly surprising that I connected with a fish within about 10 minutes. The fish produced a dogged and determined fight that seemed to last for ages. I managed to catch a glimpse a few times and could see it was good fish and easily a double. Finally, the fish was landed and the scales showed 14lb 4oz; a great start to the session.

By 6pm I had managed a further three fish of around 4lb, 7lb and 8lb. The fish as expected started to behave more cautiously so I wandered around the lake to give the swim a rest. I did find some fish but they were not really feeding so with about 20 minutes of my session remaining I returned to my original spot with the hope of one more fish to cap the evening. I had to be patient but it paid off as another carp of about 5lb was hooked and landed. The fish was safely returned and with I called a close to what had been a thoroughly enjoyable 3 hours, five carp to just over 14lbs and all off the top. Let’s hope the warmer weather hasn’t left us for too long.

Taking the biscuit

Friday saw me set foot on the bank for the first time since the river season closed. I have to be honest when I say I needed the break following my post-Christmas run. So with some respite and a trip to Dubai to warm the cockles I set off for a local pool.

Some of the roach were nicely sized

My plan was to float fish with maggots for whatever turned up while a carp rod would deposit a bait close to the island in front of me. Unsurprisingly, the maggot setup attracted lots of attention and saw me build up a steady stream of roach and perch. Some of roach were reasonably sized and provided good sport on light tackle.

I had been aware of carp activity near the island since my arrival and this obviously had a bearing on my swim choice. However, what came as a surprise was the fact they were up on the surface despite the lack of warm weather we have experienced this spring. Experience has taught me to always take dog biscuits with me when carp fishing as I find surface tactics for carp one of the most enthralling ways to catch a fish. Although the carp showed interest, catching them proved to be more difficult than I had first imagined. This was further compounded by the indifferent weather, which seemed determined to wreck my plans. Almost as soon as the carp were feeding the heavens would open and make spotting my bait difficult or send the fish back down towards the bottom. I switched back to my float tactics but despite continuing to feed this area throughout the rain seemed to kill sport and bites were very hard to come by.

At last, this carp finally took the biscuit

The afternoon wore on and with it my window of opportunity decreased, especially since I had to be home by 6pm. It was during the final heavy downpour that I decided to pack everything away except my carp gear. I was determined not to go home empty handed and when the shower cleared I once again tempted half a dozen carp to the surface. Finally a carp approached my bait but with the pressure on I struck too early and my chance was gone. With time almost up I had one last cast. A minute or so later saw a dark shape approaching my imitation biscuit and this time its lips closed around the bait and I was into a carp. The fish put up a spirited battle but was eventually beaten. At 7 ¼lb it was hardly a monster but it had not been easy to catch and to take a fish from the surface in unfriendly conditions was pleasing. Hopefully we will some rising temperatures and tempt something bigger.  

As always, comments and new followers are welcomed.