stevetheangler

Friday, 4th July 2014, at 0730 and I arrived on the bank of my club’s most popular water at peg 10 – a new swim for me in terms of ‘silvers and carp’ fishing although it is one that I’ve pike fished from before in the winter.

Generally I fish pegs 1, 2, 18 or 19 but I ‘d heard that the pegs along the chosen bank was where the tench tended to congregate in this pool – although personally I’ve not seen one caught anywhere here. Carp (the most numerous species in at least terms of captures if not population), bream, chub, perch and roach I’ve seen and caught personally.

Anyway, on arrival at the swim the first thing I noticed was the  shoals of carp that were cruising the surface around the area – although nothing huge was spotted,  most being in the 3-5lb range by my reckoning. So getting out the the depth/fish finding device I cast out towards the island directly as front – and found some interesting readings. About ¾ of the way to the island water depth was around 28 feet, then coming back in the following was noted… an almost vertical drop down to 40.5 feet for about 3 yards with a sharp rise back up to 28 feet then a sharp rise to 14.5 feet then another sharp drop to 28 feet and then a slow rise to the bank where it was around 4.5 feet at the waterline. I confirmed this by recasting the transponder several times – and changing the depth range of detection (autofit to screen, fixed 60’ max) – and the same results each time suggest that is the true picture.

Anyway, having checked the depth situation I then proceeded at bait up the chosen swims per usual – one swim being out towards the island about 30-40 yards which was fed with crumb, particles, meat cubes and maggot by use of the spomb, the other swim being about 2-3 rod lengths out just off the end of a overhanging bush which was also given a small pre-feed similar to the first one – and also topped up from time to time with catapulted maggots.

Having done the feeding and setting up my stall for the day I set up my rods for action… and three rods were set up – two for initial use being standard leger rigs on 1.75lb TC rods, 8lb line with 8lb braid hooklengths fitted with size 6 hooks and the other being my floating bait rod (1.75lb TC, with 30lb braid straight through to a size 4 hook) ready for possible use later in the day.

So… first casts were made… bait on the distance rod being sausage coated in extra hot chili powder and bread on the near rod – and it was the bread that produced first blood with a 4lb 8oz leather carp coming quickly to the net.

And this was soon followed a 2lb 11oz common carp on the chilli meat, and a mirror of 2lb 10oz followed on standard luncheon meat – and whilst I’d that fish still in the landing net on the unhooking mat behind my stall, the alarm on the bread rod – now baited with cheesepaste – screamed into action meaning a quick jump down the bank to take up the rod, a clamber up the bank, rod in hand, to get the net from beneath the already landed fish and a jump back down – and with all these shenanigans the hooked fish managed to get sanctuary under some bankside vegetation and slip the hook.

At this point, I’d been scattering bread/Yorkshire pud fragments to the ‘cruisers’ and a few reasonably sized fish had appeared – one literally under my feet so close I could almost stroke it. And so I decided to pack up the leger rods and put the floater rod into action – and for around the next three or four hours that was how I spent my time – casting out bread and Yorkshire pud bits. And I was rewarded – reluctantly, as the carp were very cagey and throw out 12 pieces of bread/pud, one having the hook in it, then 11 pieces would immediately be taken whilst the twelfth would be tail bashed into oblivion – and you can guess which piece that was! Anyway, persistence paid off with carp of 4-4, 5-4, 5-5 (mirror), and 7-11 being landed together with a 8oz roach that took when I was playing with the idea of using a slow sinking crust (basically, crust with enough cheesepaste added to make it just sink as a solution to the ‘bashing’) and testing it at the water’s edge.

Anyway, for the final hour or so of the day I decided to put the leger rods back out – partially in response to the rain that had started – had another carp of 2-9 on chilli meat.

One highlight of the day was the cormorant on the water – bereft of my Barnett Hunting catapult and ball bearings which I’d left at home, I made use of my Guru maggot ‘pult and the few pebbles at hand around my seat – and at around 30 yards range and on my seventh shot I scored a direct hit on the centre back upon which said cormorant dived and wasn’t seen again by me that day… unfortunately, the shot would have lost its force and have been ‘spent’ by the time it contacted but it sure created a big scare!! J

Next week – not sure about early week’s plans but as Liz now seems to have her Friday fishing days back – she’s been caught up at work in non-standard rotas and covering, etc leading up to her company’s moving into a new building this coming Wednesday but now hopefully with more staff and new rotas all will become more normal and she can work to her official rota – we’re planning to visit Kinver Freeliner’s Woodland Lodge Pool 1 which is available on day ticket. We’re actually on the KF waiting list but didn’t make it this year – it’s a LONG LONG list – but fingers crossed for 2015.