Target Achieved

Following on from the last trip, when I bagged two, I was gagging to get back and I prayed "paddle" Woolys jewel in the crown didn't come out, as I could feel I was getting close.
The weather had turned cold again, unbelievable for May, cold easterlies.

Being a small enclosed lake it didn't seem to affect them as they loved cold winds, mind you it effected me, glad I had the extra cloths in the van!

Last session I notice from watching them after dark showing in area by a big over hanging willow and normally first thing in the morning before they moved out on their bait raiding sorties, this was my back up area if I couldn't find any about.

After loads a looking I found some fish showing on the cold easterly wind.

So I set up in a tight corner swim I call the pipe.

Chods were baited and they were quietly flicked out, the odd fish still showed so as it got dark, I was confidant of a bite, by 11 the following morning, nothing was seen.

So I was getting itchy feet, the hunting instinct in me started to take over, so I packed up and went for a  mooch about.

I walked and looked about but not a lot was seen, so I decided late that evening to set up in the middle swim on 5, so I could fish the over hangs and fish the middle gap.

Long running chods were cast out to the spots but as it was an 85 yrd cast, it meant getting bait out was a problem! So the spod rod would have to replace my trusty throwing stick.

So I loaded the Korda sky raider spod up with 10 x 15mm red fish boilies.

I little trick I do before spodding, is to seal the top of the spod with some chewed up red fish boilies, "any paste/groundbait etc will do", why I do this is to stop spod spill.

When I cast the spod out and just before it hits the water ,I snatch it back so I still get the spread of bait that I require.

With all this done I set up my Vision Kenwick ST shelter for the night ahead.I love this light weight shelter,which is easy to erect and brake down quickly for the mobile angler. 

That night was quiet but my alarm woke me for first light, kettle on.

As I watched the morning unfold in front of me as it was set to get warmer today and onwards, the odd tench rolled close in, then I saw a carp to my left close in, in front of the point swim, I ran down to mark the spot, it was 20 yards out, I quickly reeled in one of the rods and cast it straight into the area where Mr carp had rolled and I put 7 x 15mm Boilies in the area.

I watched but no other carp were seen. So I decided to get an hours kip, just as I laid down on my Vision Wideboy Bedchair, I got a glimpse of something, I quickly sat up and as I watched it was a ploom of bubbles and two carp surfaced 40yrds in front of me. They were coming from my left where the fish had rolled and was going to my right, I knew where they were heading for, the gap.In-between the swims Lumpys and the last in 5.

I quickly reeled in all the rods and made my way round to the gap and climbed a tree to watch and see wot fish they were, as I watched, paddle and a smaller mirror swam into the gap, I was now in awe of the sight that was beneath me, she was massive and covered in clay, she had to be 50lb plus.

She swam off through the gap and into lake 6 and disappeared from sight.

I phoned Steve and told him the story.

I went and grabbed my gear as I want to fish Lumpys for a change, I was sure she would return to sun herself on the shallow ground in the gap.

Two hours later, nothing much had happened, I couldn't wait no more, so I reeled in and went to find her again.

Later that evening she turned up in a swim called first in 5 and Sam was all excited and it was the first time he had seen her. He was on about the white on her falanks,I said....it was clay.

Then it kicked in where she had been?.

The point swim, plus I had seen her surface,coming from that area, that's where she got the clay from, as there's a clay area in front of the swim.

I then looked across to the point and it was free, my inner instinct was telling me to get in there.

I said cya Sam and be lucky.

As I headed round to the point swim with my gear. I remembered the fish that I had seen show there that morning, 20 yards out.

I was gonna fish two rods long and one short.

The two long rods were fished in shallow water at 85 yards on a weedy bottom, but as I had fished there the night before, I just fished singles.

I decided to have a cast around and find some nice fluffy silt,an area away from the clay were she might feed, after five or six casts I found what I was looking for, what I was looking for was an area where the lead pulled easy through it,like something was keeping it clean!.

I marked the cast with a tree, I then put the line in the line clip.

I checked the hook and it was pukka so all I had to do was tie on a new messed red fish pop up.

I baited up with around 200 x 15mm of dynamites red fish boilies around a big area, to get them moving about searching for it, plus it gives me a better chance of hooking one up, as there moving about over a big area looking for the freebies,because the more they move around,the chance of you have of them making a misstake....hopefully

I sat back with a nice glass of white and watched for carpy signs as the sunset. only tench showed, they were close in again, hopefully the carp would be about at some point.

For some reason I woke up just before first light and just as I was falling asleep, I heard something roll, I looked out and big the ripples rolled in quick, indicating it was a carp and close in.

Next thing I heard was a series of bleeps I sat up quick, but it was three little ducklings giving me some therapy, playing with my lines.

Twenty minutes later the same thing happened again, Christ boys give me a brake...
Ten minutes later it happened again but I ignored it, plus I had my face this time facing the back of my bivvy.....more bleeps, get lost, christ give me a brake as I turned over, no ducklings, shit it's a take.

As I quickly got my chesties on in doudle quick time, I then legged it to the left hand rod close in.

As I got closer I could see the line as it entered the water twitching, it was sitting there shaking its head, trying to rid itself of the hook.

I quickly pulled into the fish and all of a sudden there was a surge of power as this carp shot off on a 50 to 60 yard run. Christ this fish wasn't happy but I was in complete control of the situation.

All of sudden the fish stopped taking line and kited left and then right and I gained line quickly, then all of sudden I saw a carp with a stubby tail, I thought that can't be paddle, it must be piddle a smaller version of paddle.

I waded out, as it was clear the carp was close to netting.

I then rested the net on the bank and I had another look and said to myself one of the other big commons must look like her,maybe I just wouldn't allow myself to think it was paddle.

Christ this was heavy as I grabbed the rod and took her to the unhooking matt.

She filled the unhooking matt and I knew she was real big, well over 50lb.

I unhooked her and I touched her thinking Christ I've done it.

She weighed 51.4, I was blown away by it all.

It felt like winning the lottery a proper 50lb common is well rare.

I placed her in the sack and phoned rich Stewart the editor of advanced what I had caught, I knew he was on the way, as we had a feature to do for advanced, he said bloody hell I will there in 30 minutes.

I informed the missus and left Steve Allcott a voice message.

I rang Andy Stafford the fishery owner who was fishing on lake 8 with the good news.

I spoke to a few mates and while I was talking to Jon Mac, a few fish rolled, he said best get your rod back out uncle, I did as i was told and while I sent some texts out, I had another take ten or so minutes after casting out.

It turned out to be clover at 33.12c.

Pictures were done and they were safely returned to fight another day.

Andy Later return with a bottle of champagne, to toast the capture, thanks mate.

It's time to chill for the rest of the year.

I've just got a Dinton ticket, so well looking forward to catching some of these awesome scaley carp that live in there.
 
Until next time.
 
Be lucky.
 
Uncle Jim
 
KIR