Still On A Roll

Went to Newlands AC again for two nights, Tuesday and Wednesday

Got there about 06.30 and it was pouring with rain. I still went for a walk around the lake though. I saw 3 other people bivvied up but all them were tucked up in their doss bags!!!

As you might know, I like to fish on the point. But honestly, I walked around the lake in the pouring rain and the only place I saw fish moving? You guessed it- the point. This time it was the Left Hand swim. There was somebody already in the Right Hand swim but I didn't get to see who it was. He left in between the downpours!

As I have already stated, the weather was atrocious. I managed to get my bivvy up in a slight drizzle. The inside didnt get too wet. By 08.0 my bivvy was up and the kettle was on. The rods weren't out yet, I was waiting for a break in the weather. By 08.30 my chance came. I whipped out the rods, banksticks, landing net and unhooking mat and by 08.50 I   was fishing. When I eventually got the chance I got the other gear into the bivvy as I like my luxuries.

Nothing happened all day except it rained and rained and then rained harder still!. It was like staying in a drum. The weather was that bad at times, I couldn't hear myself think and had to get out and have a walk around. Then at around 16.30 I had a run.

I lifted into it and knew at once that it wasnt a carp. It fought for the first 10-15 seconds and then gave up. It turned out to be a 4lb tench. Back out went the rod and I settled down to watch a movie.
 I went to sleep around 23.00 and before 05.00 I got rudely awakened by my bite alarm screeching in my ear. I shot out and sure enough I had a carp on. It fought hard all the way in, kiting left and right, diving deep and generally making it difficult for me to get him in. I eventually land him and that's when I noticed that I had left the scales out after weighing the tench.

Damn and blast (or words to that effect!)

I went to use them and found that the damn things weren't waterproof. What bloody use are weighing scales if they are not waterproof. Do the manufacturers think we only catch carp in the dry weather?

 16lb+ - Guesstimate

Anyway, I had to guesstimate the weight. It wasn't less than 14lbs or more than 18lbs so I took the middle and called it 16lb+.

Later in the day, Vic rang me and asked if I wanted anything from the shops. I asked if he could get me a new 9v battery but it was a long shot as I was positve that the damn innards had got wet in the rain. Vic duly turned up with the battery but as I thought, it still said err01. So I hung the things out to dry, now that the weather was more appealing. The sun was particularly hot out of the wind and cloud. To cut a long story short, it worked and my electronic scales are now working again. It took a few hours though.

A few hours later, I had another run and this time another tench was netted. This was bigger than the first but my scales weren't working at this time. Guess it to be around 5-6lb

There were plenty of fish to see on the surface so I decided to give zig rigs a try. I normally get tangled using these so I wasn't too confident. I rigged up an adjustable rig and cast it out. It seemed to cast out OK, so the wait was on.
By this time, Vic was also trying out the zig rig. He was using a 3ft fixed length hooklink. Suddenly Vics bottom rig screams out and he's into a decent fish. He lifts into it and the rod immediately takes up the battle curve. Its kiting right and Vic is trying his hardest to stop it but unfortunately , mr carp makes it. I run round to see if there is anything I can do and find that the line is stretched across the concrete slab in the RH swim. I use my hands to pull the line but dont feel any resistance.

The carp is gone

Never mind, Vic has felt what it is like to get a double figure carp on the end of his line and that's another step further in his carping career. Vic packs up at 22.30 and I watch another movie. I go to seep about 00.30 and wake at around 08.30. No action during the night even though conditions looked perfect. I hung on until around 12.00 then packed up and went home to a nice bath!

etang du bois

Hi Steve here.

Just a report on an unbelievable session I had in France last week.

To cut a long story short I was invited to join 4 other guys on a trip to France, at a venue they had been to before a few times.
We arrived at the venue and I was escorted round the lake by the lads. I chose a swim called the Cobbs. I was third out on the draw and this swim was not favoured by the guys apparently. It looked right to me though.

The first night we were all knackered from the drive so bait placement was a bit haphazard.
The next day I put one bait to a far corner where I had seen fish jumping: the other two rods were again cast to where fish had shown earlier.

Monday morning. I had a run on the corner chod rig and after a mighty battle a 41.08 mirror graced my net .

All pressure was off now and I could really get to enjoy this first French trip.


41lb 8oz

Tuesday. Late afternoon.

I was again lucky to get a take on the corner chod rig. This time it was an even harder fight and a 45.8 mirror was brought to the net.I was blown away by my good fortune and really wanted the other guys to catch











45lb 8oz

My other two rods were not doing anything so I moved one 6 ft away from a small snag, opposite me, slightly to my right in a slight depression in the lake bed. I was using the new Grange boilies on this rod, tipped with corn (on a short 5 ins suffix heavy braid rig). I put out about 10 freebies around the spot.

Tues night 1930 I was rewarded with another 45.8 mirror.

 

This was followed by the amazingly new lake record 57.7 common. 

Jesus!

I could then have packed up and just sat around enjoying my immense good fortune !!

57lb 7oz. A new Lake Record


I was desperate for the others to catch but the lake was fishing slow. They all supported me royally during my stay and I really appreciated their support.

To cap things off I had a run Thurs afternoon and a stunning 38.3 common was landed. I'm glad to say, Russel in our party had a 46.2 mirror on Friday afternoon, but unfortunately Tim lost a good fish. When your lucks in eh!!!
Saturday arrived and time to go home. I got my payback on the way home when my car developed an oil leak 70 kilometres from Calais. Thank god for AA European cover. They got us a car and we got home 4 hours late. My car with all our fishing gear got back Monday and is now being fixed at the local garage. Nothing major so I had not used up all my luck.



I must say a big thank you to Frenchy, who was great company throughout and a lovely guy to have by your side and for helping with the long drive.

Still Catching!

Hi,

Went fishing for 2 nights the other day and had another good session. 1x Carp, 1 x Tench and 2 x Bream and a pike.

I arrived early and had a walk round the lake. I ended up in my normal swim!!

Anyway, I set up and put the rods out. LH rod was on boilies, RH rod was on hemp and particles with a plastic hemp rig in use for the first time.

I was reeling in my marker float when I felt the the rod pull as if I had a fish on.
"Hang on, that can't be right", I thought.
I continued to reel in and sure enough there was definately a fish on the end.
On my marker float, for Christ sake!

When I saw it was a pike I thought that I may have problems here. I haven't got no gear for unhooking pike, only a pair of small forceps. Luckily for me the guy in the other swim came over and helped me out. We removed a pair of treble hooks from the pikes mouth and released it back to the deep! I had caught the trailing line that had been dangling from the trace set up - a wicked looking thing you could ever see.

"That's a good start" I thought to myself.

Around 4.45pm I had a couple of beeps on my chod rig and then it screamed off. It stayed deep and I thought that this was definitely a carp - and a good one at that. It fought hard, taking line off me only for me to retrieve it slowly.It was trying to get under the hanging tree branches either side of me but I managed to stop it in time. A couple of lads had just turned up and they helped me to land it. I thought it was going to go over 30lbs but on the scales it went to 27lb 2oz. I was a little disappointed it wasn't a thirty but it was a lovely fish all the same.
 

Later, at around 10pm I had a stuttering take and a 6lb bream was caught. Not what I wanted but it proved that the hemp rig was working.

I had a few liners during the night but nothing major.

At 10am I had a one toner and lifting into it I immediately knew that it wasn't as good as my other carp. Turned out it was a small tench.

I carried on fishing and it was all quiet on the fish front. I was packing up when I had another stuttering run. This time it was a 7lb bream. Getting bigger but still not what I wanted.

Never mind.

I packed up and headed home

1st of the year - 4/5 April

I eventually managed to get out on the bank for the first time this year at the beginning of April (4-5th). I was a bit nervous as it has been over 6 months since I last went fishing. Having a blank was not on the cards!!

Anyway, I set up in my usual spot (middle Point swim). The weather was ok, sometimes cloudy but otherwise it was dry and sunny.

I wasn't using particles, only boilies. I cast out and put a few freebies around each rod. Not too many, about 40-50. I had a few knocks/liners/bird interest through the day, just enough to0 keep me interested.


A quiet evening ensued and I enjoyed a glass of wine and watched the lake. Suddenly my RH rod screamed into life and after a spirited fight a most welcome carp of 16lb graced my unhooking mat. Pressure was off now and I could relax. After taking the obligatory piccies I put Mr carp back into the lake and celebrated with a glass of red.

Next morning came around with no more carp. I had started to pack away my stuff when my LH rod gave a few stuttering bleeps and stayed taut. I lifted the rod and felt something on the end. This fish fought like a demon and it was about 8-10 mins before I could finally land the tench. Only 6 lbs but what a fighter.!

I continued to pack up through out the morning and finally left around 13.00.

I would have a few photos to show you but after a energetic clean up of my computer, I think I've deleted all the photos off of my computer<>. Imk going try out a few recovery programmes but I don't hold out too much hope.

We'll See anyway.

Until next time

P.S. Got my piccies back. Cost me £20 for a recovery programme but it did the job.

John

Annual Session

John, maz and myself normally do a winter session together at Orchid L ake,taking advantage of the cheap winter tickets. Unfortunately Maz was unable to make it so John and myself carried on in his absence.

We both arrived at the venue quite early and swims were chosen. I chose Chrises Bar and john was in Bradleys at the north side of the lake. We settled down to fish and the weather was not too bad. I was fishing a chod rig at range to my left and two rods out front in 5ft of water. John was fishing his rods a little shorter.

As usual on our annual sessions, once settled in and fishing we get together and share a wine or three. I'm. not sure if it was the wine but a bit later a firework display lit up the skyJohn and I watched it for sometime. Quite impressive it was, the fishing was less so but very enjoyable all the same.

On our second day things took a pleasant turn and I had a run on the chod rig. Things went well and John netted a a very welcome carp of 19.3 lbs sporting lovely winter colours. A carp for John would have been perfect but life ain't like that and he remained fishless. Again. I say fishless but not duckless as he hooked one and had to undress and go in to free it ,not a pretty site !!

On our last morning of the three days we stayed, a thick fog shrouded the lake and we were both glad to pack u. With the gear soaking, another very enjoyable session was had and we shall do it all again later in the year.