Bank holiday weekend stragglers.

Graham and myself went down to Straits for 3 hours on monday evening, I had a couple of fish, an immaculate 14lb 6oz common from open water and a huge tailed 13lb 8oz common from under the rod tip. Not as many carp showing as recently, Graham blanked but he's had 5 twenties this year to my 1 twenty so it won't get him much sympathy!
Incidentally I have caught both these carp already this year.

"One whisker"

After a heavy night of showers the rain eased of about seven. After losing one fish to a hook pull and one in the pads, I was finally awarded with this 20.8lb Common carp! (Picture with little Emma)

A couple of nice doubles Graham caught when we fished in the torrential rain last thursday evening. He caught them from the 'Birdcage' swim, I was in the 'Alex' swim next door, blanked!

It's Stocky!!!

I had a really good second interview for a job today so decided that I ought to build on my good fortune and get another quick session down Straits!
I arrived at about 7.30pm and found a few carp in the weedy corner so put a bit of feed over the clear patch next to the compass swim on the left. After just a few seconds a huge common drifted over then spooked away, it was easily the longest fish I have seen in the water down there, the fish was easily mid twenty. A few fish were soon feeding over the patch including a big mirror of about 20lb. I stealthily lowered in my bait, a tiger wrapped in feed paste behind two of the feeding fish and waited for action. The second rod was fished round the other side of the bush with a plain tiger and much less bait to try and trick any fish lurking to the side of the patch. It was this rod that screamed off first and after a good scrap I landed a common of 15lb. Soon after recasting I had a knock on the patch rod, then a few minutes later it screamed off. I struck and the fish surged across the clear area towards the weed on the far side, I slowed it and it boiled on the surface and shot off towards the main part of the lake. I slowed it to prevent it going round the point bush and drew it back then played it out in the small clear area which was no mean feat as it was fighting like mad. As I netted it I knew it was a better one and it was an 18lb 6oz common with a two tone colour down one flank.
Then after a few minutes the other rod shot off and I hooked a fish that tore about 30 yards of line off in one go! As soon as it stoppped though I quickly had him in the net, it was one of the stocky mirrors which went in about 3 or 4 years ago, probably just finding out the dangers of eating tiger nuts!
Had another screamer on the same rod a few minutes later but after a big thump it came off, maybe it was that long common or the scaly mirror, who knows?

Back on track

Went back to Straits on wednesday evening and raked out a couple of patches near the compass swim, didn't get any takes over them but had a nice 14lb 8oz common at 9.20pm from under the trusty cave entrance bush on tigers! Tried and tested! I had to give it a bit of stick when it ran left round the point and somehow I got it back, plus the hook fell out in the net! Maybe my luck is changing!

Keeping it under your hat!

Fished Straits on Sunday afternoon, upon arriving the lake was packed! After a walk round I found large groups of carp down the carp park end and decided to fish tigers to the large clear patch four swims down. I didn't have to wait long for a fish with three within an hour and half(12.30 - 2pm?) 9lb ish, 12.4lb & 12.8lb all commons. But all this action had pushed the carp out off the swim area and with other anglers going home I moved further up the lake. I fished the area which is only a rod length out and a few foot deep, but this area had recently produced two stunning nice sized carp which looked to be uncaught this year! You can normally watch them feeding over your bait but the days angling pressure had made the carp a little more nervous, so I watched the rod a little further up the bank. After a couple of hours the rod took a couple off hard knocks and suddenly the line eased away. I could tell instantly the fish was a good size and she battled for a good ten minutes or so, with some strong runs. The fish went to 19lb on the scales and was maybe one off the original stocking, very dark colouring and a massive mouth.

Worse to come

What with all the time spent looking for work and looking after kids with chicken pox, it's not all lazing around when you're on the dole! Monday would be another job interview so with the 2 litte 'uns in bed and wife and eldest watching harry potter I met Graham down Straits on sunday evening.

He had fished well, taking 3 low doubles from the clear patches up the car park end while the rest of the lake was rammed with 12 other weekend anglers! As it quietened down in the evening he moved to the previously occupied compass swim and nicked an ancient 19lb common from a close in patch that I arrived just in time to witness.

He was leaving at 8.30pm and I had seen some more fish when I passed the clear patches so plumped for the 'gap' swim.

About 15 minutes after Graham had left I had a slow take and hooked a carp, somehow drawing it from the clear patch to the clear margins in front of me. I had just got the net out when it rushed to the left of me and transferred the hook to a marginal snag.

I was in a foul mood and was contemplating packing up when the other rod was away! It surged towards the snags to the right of the gap and I clamped down hard and suddenly it turned back toward the weedbed. I steered it round this and soon had it under the rod tip, there was a thump and the lead shot out of the water! The bloody hook had pulled. I bit off the rigs and went home rather than fish the last half hour.

Ever decreasing circles...

Popped back to the 'Alex' swim on friday morning at opening time and fished one under the bush and one on the back of the little island, had a slow take and after quite a good scrap landed a 9lb common! Then fished both rods close in and took a 3lb bream! Getting further away from my first twenty from here.

Margin screamer!

Went down to Strait Mill on friday for a couple of hours. Fished the mega deep 'Alex' swim close in, one right under the rod tip near the left hand bush and the other a couple of rod lengths out in the silt. Used tigers on both rods and fed with a mixture of tigers and 'feedcake'.
The silt rod started getting masses of bubbles coming up and a couple of knocks at about 8.30pm so I sat down next to it. All of a sudden the other rod had a ridiculously fast take, the rod was bouncing and shaking all over the place, with the baitrunner buzzing like a wasp! I struck into the fish and it swum straight back towards me, then just circled the rod tip for a few minutes until I netted it. Another old looking common at 12lb exactly.
About an hour later the same rod went off but a more sensible speed this time! This fish went on a long powerful run towards the middle of the lake and I wondered if I had got a bigger fish on. As I brought towards me it seemed to behave smaller in size until it was nodding around under the rod tip again, another common, 12lb 10oz!

Hide and seek down Straits!

Had two carp this evening both off the shallow clear patches. First one was this stunning old 15.8lb common, then another common at 12.10lb.

Quick session!

After Grahams excellent session yesterday I sneaked out at 7.45pm after the kids had gone to bed. I was going to try the Alex swim as the wind was blowing into that bank but someone was fishing the birdcage swim next door so I did the lazy thing and plumped for the compass swim! Fished tigers under the cave entrance bush and choddy special right on a clear patch on the left of the swim a rod length out. Had a 15lb 2oz common almost straight away from the bush that took about 45 seconds to land!
Then a few minutes later the close in rod went screaming off and after a furious scrap I landed 13lb 6oz of common in about 20lb of weed!
Finally at 9.30 as I was getting packed away I had a whizzer from the bush again and thought I'd hooked one of the bigguns which turned out to be a hard as nails 10lb 8oz common!

The curse is lifted!?

Fished Straits Mill late afternoon into late evening, the lake was busy and I found some carp in the cave swim. After losing a carp I decided to move into the compass swim(6pm) and after scattering some tigers into a clear spot two foot from the bank the carp begun feeding confidently. Within a few minutes a mid double common bolted off, the fight was made tricky by the weed but I was rewarded with a 16.14 oz common!

The other rod was placed under the magic tree with meat and half an hour later the rod screamed off! The fish took about forty yards of line which was followed by massive bow waves, I was defiantly into a special fish.. And after an epic fight I had a definite twenty in the net, which went to 21.15lb on the scales.

Neil turned up at eight and after collecting my wallet from Michelle I came back to the sight of Neil playing a common from my rod which weighed in at 14.2lb. Then after nine I had a 13lb, again from the magic tree. All four commons were dark and in fantastic condition and some looked uncaught this season.

Fly fishing craze!

Recently I have got into fly fishing and though I haven't trout fished yet I have got some practise by targeting the carp down at Armigers. This is probably the easiest carp lake on BDAC and has several swims that have enough room behind to allow back casting. I have had quite a bit of success on the surface but by far the most productive method is to fish a slowly sinking fake sweetcorn. I have got some sweetcorn flies now that should be easier to cast as the fake corn tends to drag on the cast due to its weight and shape. Best fish on the fly rod is a ten pound common yesterday evening that took 15 minutes to land!