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  1. Ginger9991

    June Catch reports

    My first visit to my new ticket. Took the kitchen sink with me as I had no idea about the lake. Few friendly lads gave me an idea of the lake and its stock (only 40 carp apparently) so I wondered around the lake aimlessly looking for a sign of life. 3 hours later I had picked a swim. Only to see a fish jump a few swims down so quickly moved the gear down and by midnight I was into my first match pit carp. 32.2lb. Chuffed to get one on the first night.
    20 points
  2. Where do I start, arrived at a relatively quiet lake, bucketed the usual swim as it was free went for a walk round, decided I had a decent chance, got my rods set up LH Ronnie, middle rod multi rig and rh rod solid bag,after pulting quite a lot of boilies out I chucked them out, LH rod is my banker rod and it went out sweet, middle rod was another story about 15 before I was happy, bag rod 1st cast bad, got a birds nest and had to set it up again after handlining the rig back in, redid it happy enough with it, so I was fairly surprised to get a bite within a couple of hours, even more surprising was it was a belter and a new PB, Happy days and there is still time for another, come on the carps
    18 points
  3. Me and my little lad had a good day out today, we caught a few nice carp, scranned a sack full of cheese and ham buttys, crisps and cakes … were now back home watching some episodes of monster carp lol…🎣👍
    18 points
  4. kevtaylor

    June Catch Reports

    With the weather forecast showing rain Saturday and temps in the mid teens after Friday a scorching 30 degrees it seemed perfect for me - and maybe a bite, I felt I had to give it a go. An early start Saturday was rewarded with 2 fish - one late morning and another early evening. This cracker was the bigger of the two.
    17 points
  5. So I've just got back from a long overdue session on my local water which I call zombie sheep lake. It's a spooky place at the best of times, being in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of a farmers fields surrounded by sheep. At night when you look around with a head torch, all you see are the reflections of eyes looking back at you. On my first session, I woke up after a blank night to find a dead sheep in the margins under my rod tips! How it got there without setting 3 alarms off I could never work out. Hence the name zombie sheep lake. Now I've fished it a fair few times and done pretty well, but something usually goes wrong there at some point, I've bogged the car in, slipped on sheep droppings and slid into the lake, had my bite alarms mysteriously stop working despite having fresh batteries, only for them to work fine when I get home... Yesterday I arrived to find the pond perfectly still, Sun shining and everything ok with the world. I made my way to the swim and flicked out the rods on 8 bait stringers, right rod to an island, middle to a hard spot surrounded by silt and left up the margin. Now this lake was an old WW2 gun emplacement with two concrete bunkers set into a hollowed out valley totalling about 2-3 acres. After the war, the guns were removed and the hollow flooded to create the lake. In fact the islands are actually the roofs of the concrete bunkers. With a slight breeze blowing into my face, I set up the 50 brolly with storm poles so I was sheltered from the wind, bedchair and camp all arranged and sat back to enjoy the view. The middle rod melted off, the Neville screaming its high pitched tone demanding attention. I picked up the rod, 12ft of fox torque carbon bending pleasingly into its battle curve, spool on the fox 12000 reel purring like a contended kitten as I did battle with a sprightly 15lbish common. Netting the carp, I slip the hook from his bottom lip and slip the carp back, happy to have caught. Another stringer soon finds its way out to the spot among the silt, and I clamber back in the bedchair. A few hours pass before the bobbin on the left hand rod creeps up an inch with a resounding beep from the neville, my eyes settle on the rod as the rod tip slowly starts to bend round to the left. On striking, the rod is quickly pulled down, I pump the rod and can feel a weight on the end, it was not a spectacular fight, a few gentle plods in the deep margins (6ft under the tips) and the carp quickly hits the surface and is in the net. I estimated it's weight at mid doubles during the fight so when this lump surfaced I was very surprised to see it was a good fish. On the scales, the carp went 31lb 8oz which was the biggest carp in this pond. I went to bed ecstatic and curled up in the bag with my hot water bottle and DSI Steven Fulchers autobiography. As sleep overtook me, I went to sleep happy that I had finally seemed to have broken the run of bad luck I have experienced at this lake, however, the lake had other ideas... at 7am this morning, the gentle wind increased to galeforce, the rain hammered down and the bankside became sodden. With a tremendous gust, the wind whipped round, and tore my storm rods and pegs clean out of the ground, deprived of this stability, the wind, now firmly under my brolly front, continued its path of destruction, tearing out the pegging points and flipping the brolly onto its back, snapping the spokes. My shelter now a write off, in torrential rain, I pulled together my soaked and ruined gear and trudged off home for a hot bath... Seems the zombie sheep lake curse hasn't released me from it's icy grip... 31lb 8oz common
    17 points
  6. muftyboy

    August catches

    I'll start off this month if I may. Went done to my guesting place yesterday armed with a tin of hemp and a couple of pints of maggots and my float rod. Ended up with 2 tench and 3 carp. 21lb and just shy of 25lb. Epic battle on the float rod for over 30 mins with both , got weeded up numerous times. Proper thrilled to land them. The other carp was a small double.
    17 points
  7. dayvid

    May catches

    Its not often I put photos here but here are a couple from the latter part of the week .
    17 points
  8. ...

    June Catch Reports

    16lb (on the Nose) Ghostie
    16 points
  9. 16 points
  10. Finally had my first bite of the year. 43lb 14oz
    16 points
  11. 29lb!!!! First fish this year!!! Well made up!!
    16 points
  12. spr1985

    May catch report's

    So as I can't find a may catch reports I thought I would start it off. So I came out for a last minute afternoo/ evening session and finally after sitting here for a few hours thinking to myself I'm going to chalk up another blank to add to the list the right hand delk beeped.....nothing unusual in that but...........it then ripped off like a steam train 🚂 The result being my pb smashed to pieces and a beautiful 27lb 14oz common in the net much to my delight 😁😁 not the best picture as she/he was rather lively anyway picture below......
    16 points
  13. Managed a couple from Bluebell's Swan Lake and lost what would have been a large catfish, mussels in the weed getting people cut off unfortunately. Will be going back soon 😎👍
    15 points
  14. Well I am joining the July Party with the One and only BOX COMMON 😍 After my prebaiting efforts of the prior week, I arrived to find the chosen swim in use. I had a big long look around and couldn't really decide, one of my friends was having a cheeky stalking session and after a chat with him I decided to set up in "no carp corner" a couple up from my prebaited zone but I said I would wait til he had finished stalking before I thrashed the water with the MARKER FLOAT 😳 Got the bivvy up sorted the rods out and once a tench had destroyed his chances I found 3 niceish silty clear spots that felt pretty smooth, just got 2 rods baited and ready to go, when the phone rings, my wife has a car in limp mode about 20 miles away, eventually I realise I am going to have to save them. Leave my gear set up and it's to the rescue, had to drive it home and they went in my car, head back to the lake. it's about 6pm now 2 of the spots are fairly close to one another, so go with one each side of the marker rod. All 3 proper jobs on spinners the best rig for the job, then I catapult a good couple of kilos of boilies around the area. Nice it was only when I went to do the 3rd rod I realised I hadn't checked the pop up on the middle rod before I cast it out, I sorted my left rod out first cast to float then sent out the boat with a big heap of home made particles and some boilies, I left the middle rod for a while but the nagging won, it was nearly dark by then so I thought balls I'll send it out in the boat with a healthy dose of particles 😂 Nothing through the night and slept like a baby. Woke up to a nice sunrise, made a cuppa and was just settling back down for a little doze, when the middle rod (the one I had redone) burst into action, at first I thought it was a tench as there was little resistance then I caught up with it and I thought possibly a small carp, then I saw it, mid double common, bit of a tussle under the rod tip but thankfully I didn't realise what it was til I looked in the net and I thought that's a wide mid double. And it grew and grew until I said that's pretty blooming massive. Unhooked it and put it in the sling for a rest and got my bits together and put the rod back out etc. Asked my neighbour to come and take some photos for me he got some great ones, weighed it first 36lb it was then I knew I had the one, The Box Common, the biggest common in the lake and the one I thought I had previously lost, the one I chose to use a nut bait for this year and the one I thought I would probably never catch. But I blooming well did 🎉🎉🎉 down in weight a bit after spawning but I don't mind I am still buzzing 😂 Happy flipping days.
    15 points
  15. yonny

    April catch reports

    Alright strangers. Not been on here properly for a while as I've been putting 110% into a new job for the last 6 months, not to mention my daughter who just turned 1 year old. This week I managed to get on the bank for just the 2nd time since last August (!). Had a good'n that I thought you'd like!
    15 points
  16. A cricket bat I caught yesterday from a small water I’m fishing this autumn and upcoming winter. The stocks mostly small commons with some larger ones and about 3 or 4 stunning mirrors. Hopefully il be posting one of those mirrors over the next few months…
    15 points
  17. jh92

    September Catch Reports

    Yes mate I tried to get a couple by balancing my phone on a bucket and shouting "cheese" not sure if it's my southern accent but it didn't pick it up every time I said it 😂 Here it is Not the best shot but it will do 👌
    15 points
  18. ouchthathurt

    June Catch Reports

    18.5lb, first fish out this season.
    15 points
  19. So after banging on about zigs on here last week I got to Thursday and the conditions are just looking more and more perfect for the black foam. I'm sitting chatting with the heavily pregnant Mrs and drop the question: "If you don't have a baby tonight and I can promise to be back within 20 minutes of getting the call, can I do a quick day session tomorrow"? She chuckled at me thinking I was joking then rolled her eyes as she realized I wasn't. "Go on then". BOOM. So Thursday night is spent rushing around setting up the big water rods, re-spool the reels (it's been a while since I've fished this place), new shock leaders, load up etc etc. By 11pm I'm done so get my head down. The place I'm fishing is days only and the gates don't open until 06:45 so no need for a silly early morning. Alarm is set for 6am. This will likely be my only day on the water this year due to the baby so I'd dearly love to make it count. 6am comes and by 06:30 I'm at the gate. The clock strikes and I head up the long track to the lake. It's looking absolutely glorious. The sun is already well up, the water is flat calm, and within 1 minute I've clocked where the carp are. I can see a handful of little black dots peppering the surface between ~130-~170 yards. They look like little leaves or even flies but I know that they tip the dorsals of some of the very cool carp this place holds. I eye up a couple of swims looking at angles but another chap is on which kinda forces my hand a little. I end up in a big open grassy area, plenty of room for the big chucking which is good, no shade at all which is slightly less good but no big deal. There's a sheer 5 ft drop to the water which could be a problem but there's little ladder so I'll worry about that if I get a bite. So I start with 2 @ 6 ft and one at 4 ft in 8 ft of water. I just bang them out as far as I can and sit back to survey the scene. It doesn't take long to see there's a pattern to movements and a couple of the rods need a recast. The 4 ft comes off and on goes a 7. One of the others fell a little short so that gets a recast too, still on 6 ft. They both land perfectly so at this point there's not much more I can do. You'll be wondering why if their backs are out of the water in 8 ft am I fishing a foot or two below them? Simple answer, I find you don't get zig bites off carp with backs out, the bites tend to come a ft or 2 down. So the next few hours are frustrating, it's baking hot and I kinda need a little bit of wind to get these carp right off the surface. The forecast is looking ok with a gentle 7 mph breeze set to arrive in the afternoon. I get a little kip and when I wake the breeze is here and looking PERFECT for it. I have a cuppa and keep my eyes peeled but don't see much which is either very good or very bad news. Either they've dropped in the water or they've done the off. Eventually I spot one milling about not far out in front of me which is defo a good sign. The wind is coming from the NE and has a slight chill to it, you couldn't ask for better zig conditions, and I'm just thinking that these rods have to go when the right hander on a 6 ft rips off. So I hit it and hobble about trying to get the waders on before sitting on the edge and hopping down into the drink. First thing I realize is the net's still up on the bank so after gaining a little line and steadying this fish I have to struggle trying to reach the net. I manage to get it and then I can settle down to enjoy the fight. It kites left and right but with bow string lines at distance it's dead easy to get the fish in without taking out the other rods. It's a great fight at range and I love every minute of it. I'm buzzing my you-know-whats off as it goes in the net, happy just to be out, let alone catch one. It's a common, one I've not had and I don't recognize. I call matey over to help with the pics and I'm glad he's there tbh. Dragging this thing up and down the ladders in a retainer would not be the one so it helps immensely to be able to pass it up to him. On the bank this common is looking cooler, and cooler, and cooler. It's a cracking dark fish with a black head and tail, classic overslung mouth, and a bit bigger than I'd thought it was in the net. I give matey a crash-course in using my camera and I can tell from his first couple of shots that he has the eye for a pic so no need for self takes. Another result. Pics done we put her back and I'm just smiling from ear to ear, over the moon with that result. This is not an easy water and to tackle it with one 10 hour session is a tall order so obviously I'm buzzing. It's still looking class out there and I'm just about to tie another zig to get the rod back out when me and matey spot a fish to my left. We're just staring at this fish when the middle rod gives a couple of bleeps before tearing off. It's a bit easier with matey on hand to help. I hand him the rod and climb down the ladder and he passes it down to me, followed by the net. Good man. This one fights completely differently. There's no kiting at all and it just wants to stay where it is, using it's weight to hold position. This is normally a very good sign so I just carry on trying not to get excited. Slowly it comes back towards me and as it gets near matey from his elevated position tells me it looks a good'n. Eventually it bobs about for a bit 10 yards out then this big black bony head with sunken eyes pops up, telling me it's very possible I have one of the handful of original mirrors on the end. I play it very lightly under the tip with a loose clutch on my 10 lb zig line and it does the trick, within a few minutes it's in the net. A quick check of it's flank and I recognize it straight away. It IS one of the special ones, and one I've not had before, so the session has gone from great to absolutely awesome just like that. I'm even more glad matey is here to help with is one. This mirror is proper ancient and rather heavy too, not the kind of fish you want to be messing around with. I pass it up to him and we check her out ready for the photos. She is AWESOME. Her old bony head looks every bit of its age which is getting on for 45 years now. She has clusters of irregular scaling, the scales being a dull bronze colour. You can tell they would have shone bright gold back in her hey-day in the 80's. She has a humped back and a thick wrist to the tail. Her black and grey skin is old and wrinkly. She's certainly what I'd refer to as a proper one. Pics done and we pop her back. Well after that little episode I'm that happy that I'm prepare to call it day. I bring the other rod in, pack up, get home early to surprise the Mrs, and thank her repeatedly for letting me go. If I don't get another session this year I'll probably not complain. I'd have taken a stocky today so to come away with that absolutely beautiful common and one of the special mirrors is just a fantastic result. I hope you like the pics and my overly wordy catch report. Until next year...... lol.
    15 points
  20. After blanking overnight the weekend before last , decided to fish over night last night ,and ended up with this fish at 6:00am ,which i caught in May 2018 at 29lbs 9ozs , it was substantially bigger this time round ....
    15 points
  21. smufter

    August catches

    I don't believe this!! The last time I brought Liddy up here she caught two to my blank... She's now just landed a 30.5 Linear. And it's a named fish. I'm never going to live this down!!
    15 points
  22. smufter

    May catches

    First fish out of White Cottage for ages this morning. 30lb on the nose. ABS Plan b again
    15 points
  23. emmcee

    April catch reports

    Had this 36lb 08oz mirror earlier today, the biggest of 5 fish today. Gone quiet now though.
    15 points
  24. Ginger9991

    June catch reports

    Well I only went and blooming done it! Had the session of my life Thursday night. Arriving at the lake around 5pm Fishing before work the next day and managed 5 carp. A low 20, 25.6 dark scaly mirror, a 27.14 mirror and the biggest in the pond slate grey, down in weight at 37.4lb. I caught it Friday morning and still can’t stop looking at it! Spent the whole of last year about 20/30 nights for 12 carp. A switch of tactics for this season and in 6 (1st one being a blank) sessions I have had 9 carp 5 being over 20lb (didn’t get anything over 18 last year). Absolutely mental it’s all come good. Typically it was only last week on here I was asking about getti a decent camera...
    15 points
  25. Not a carp but a new PB at 10lb 2 oz... and yes.. it was caught on a cane rod and an Abu77 Cardinal
    14 points
  26. ouchthathurt

    July Catch Reports

    17lb linear stalked on freelined dog biscuit. Only had about 3hrs so headed to this lil town pond. First time I’ve ever fished it.
    14 points
  27. kevtaylor

    Rod Shots

    Putting the 2 plus 1s to use
    14 points
  28. First one of the year for me. Only small one at 17.04lb but most welcome. Rod was only in the water for 5 mins.
    14 points
  29. dayvid

    April Catch reports

    Havnt been on here in a while , busy with life i guess but did manage this Common on the weekend , absolutely made up with this fish .
    14 points
  30. Well I managed to open my 2022 account finally, I turned up at the lake far from optimistic that soon changed tho after about 10 mins when I noticed a fish excitedly swimming on the surface in open water and the first fish I’ve seen show since autumn. Soon after I was chucking two zigs on the spot. Three hours later and four fish had visited my net… these two being the best…
    14 points
  31. Just had another about an hour into dark - same rod 27.8lb - happy with that 😊
    14 points
  32. Lovely to read all your favourites guys well done 👍 I think I've got 3 or 4 main favourites lol, This was the one and only fish I ever put in carp talk early 00's I think 🙄, I had been really struggling to catch anything from this lake, but then I think probably on the advice of someone on here, I prebaited a swim for 2 weeks almost daily tbh after night shifts and all sorts, this one was the first of 5, my first 20lber at 26lb, I had another scraper 20 but I had learnt prebaiting works, I got 5kg of free pellets for that too 😂 Then from more recent times it was these 2 first trip back on Virginia after losing my dad, I had already had the confidence boosting 10 fish hit on the other lake pretty soon before and I felt in the zone, I had done a little baiting but then in evening I had this one New PB 27lb3oz, that alone would have been enough I was buzzing but in the morning I recast a bag into the hole in the weed and it ripped off And this one was the result proper buzzing and I remember the lucky moorhen, not sure it was coincidence or not but it always seems to appear at significant times was here for this one too, my favourite from this year so far 😉
    14 points
  33. After moving on to showing fish three times and losing one in the thick weed, I finally managed to get one on the mat an hour before packing up.
    14 points
  34. Great to be back out fishing again😁 . Certainly a challenging session but I stuck at it & managed to bank a few in the end & always a great social too . lost a few fish but with the weed & the crays messing with my rigs constantly, think that was inevitable. The first 3 days had all the fish stacking up at the other end of the lake , with my mates picking up fish on the zigs , but dropping a high % of the takes in the weed ! . Last night the hot weather broke & with that my chance of a bite or two increased, just felt for sure that it would see a few fish venture my way. Just needed to be able to sneak a bite or two & finish the session off with a fish , so I upped my baiting dramatically thinking there going to get the heads down , was happy with all my spots , so was just the baiting approach I changed . First bite came at 11ish last night which I dropped in the weed !! had fun a games getting the rig back out .... having not fished for ages my casting was a little off 🙄 😅clipped up & sent it into the darkness ( no moon ) listened for the splash but heard a thud !! 🙈 as it turned out it had landed in the perfect spot to spoon out ....couldn't of planned it better 😁 That then ripped off at first light only to drop another fish ... proper gutted at this point . Then I get done on a drop back on my spot on the far margin . Was looking like the fish I had Wednesday morning would be the only one to grace the net . Beeeeeeep a take off a margin spot down my right hand side & after a battle in the weed managed to win this time . Was just sorting out photos in the rain & my far rod ripped off , so just like busses ended up with two on the bank at once . Rain drop on lens ^ turned out to be the common hiding in there ^
    14 points
  35. yonny

    July Catch Reports

    Managed to get an impromptu session on Saturday after convincing the Mrs it was a good idea on Friday. Popped over Friday night to put some bait in and got on there at first light Saturday morning. Not much happening and by 07:30 I knew I'd need to get on my toes if anything was going to change that. I spotted one a long, long way away so got the binos out and hey presto; I saw another pop its head out. In come the rods, onto the barrow, off we go for an adventure. Got round there and it was clear there were a few about. I had one chuck with a bear lead to see if the area was clear and unusually it went down with a nice satisfying bump first time. Result. Wrapped 2 rods up and popped them next to each other at just past 40 yards, 4 spombs over the top, sat back for a brew. Half an hour later and something is going on with one of the rods. Up and down the bobbin was going but I couldn't tell if it was a bream on the end or just crazy liners. Five minutes after it started the bobbin stayed up so I hit it. Nothing on the end. Odd. So I'm re-wrapping this rod up to get it back out and I get a beep on the other rod. I'm kinda convinced I have bream on the spot so I'm cursing them as it absolutely melts off. I drop the rod I'm wrapping and jump on the other one. It's straight into the long stringy weed that grows in this area. It actually does my a favour and once it's freed it comes back very easily with weed over its face. I recognise it as it comes closer. One of the odd'n's, an old pug nosed common with a bunch of ghostie in it that get seen a lot but rarely gets caught. Into the net, happy with that one. The carp are still about so I go back to the rod that was being wrapped up and get it back out quickly. Re-tackle rod number 2 and get that out next to it. 4 more spombs and hope that it hasn't scared them away. It hasn't, and the rod goes again within half an hour. This one fights a bit harder until it gets stuck in the weed. I manage to free it and it kites to the right round some reeds. Rod tip down and I manage to drag it back. It's just a stocky but my word the colour of it is immense. Lovely dark shades with a black back, leathery with a massive tail and tiny mouth. I can see how it fought so hard. The carp seem to back off after that. I sit it out hoping they come back but by late afternoon it's clear they've done the off. I'm not that bothered as it's been a lovely morning and I'm more than happy with the result. Already looking at the diary to see when I can get back down. Happy days.
    14 points
  36. Well, it was another work overnighter for me this week. Arriving at the lake the entire surface was covered in fluff and a slight ripple was coming in on a South Westerly breeze. It was warm and the sun was out. Perfect conditions for a floater really but alas, I needed to get sorted for the night ahead as the light was soon to be fading. As always, I began with a couple of laps, baiting up a few spots in the edge with a mix of boilie crumb, pellet and corn. I settled into a swim at the eastern end of the lake and got the rods sorted before cracking on with the important business of preparing Fajitas and a brew. Shortly after dark, I had a few bleeps before the bobbin dropped back. I assumed this was a liner at first but as time went on, I started to think I may have been done. As it was quite an enclosed swim with a tricky cast, I decided not to redo the rod and left it in place until morning. Not much happened for the rest of the night but I was awoken just before first light to a twitchy, Bream like take on the same rod which when I wound down into nothing, confirmed my suspicions. Looking at the rig, the hair was tangled which further confirmed the idea that I had been done the night before as I had cast it out with a mesh bag threaded on. Waiting for the kettle to boil, I looked around and conditions were very different. A cold overcast morning with a gusty north westerly. Not much was showing and with only one rod now in play, I decided to do what I love best and get mobile. Before long, I had found a couple of fish in a bay just off the wind. A small handful of bait went in which pushed them off the spot long enough for me to get a rig in the water. I couldn't quite see the bottom so opted for a short, low multi rig baited with an orange 11mm Scopex, Peach and N-Butyric Proper Job pop up (they smell good enough to eat) and sat back in anticipation. A few spots of rain had just began to hit the water when the rod arced round and it was nearly in the lake when I managed to grab the butt. The fish gave me the run around kicking up huge patches of fizz as it aimed for a snag just to my right but before long, it was safely netted and resting while I prepared the mat and camera. Again, not one of the lake's larger residents but two fish from two sessions on what can be a tricky little venue made packing up in a torrential downpour a little more bearable.
    14 points
  37. kevtaylor

    May Catch Reports

    Just done 48 hours social on a new water to me, a small pond containing carp and cats. There was a rope through the middle with a shallow bar on the other side - I used the baiting pole to get under the rope and onto the bar between the sets of pads coming up. First night I had the first fish - a mid double at dusk of the bar. Then a mid double grassy at 2am on the marginal point rod. Mate had 2 double figure cats. 2nd night I dropped one rod short of the bar into a deeper gully and upped the baiting in the hope of a cat. Soon into dark I had a take from what was obviously a cat, it took some line and tried going round a corner into a bay but I was having none of it and gave it the butt - back in front of me I dragged it back over the bar and got it under control. At 29 and ounces not a bad first cat, might try for a real good-un one day.
    14 points
  38. Did a couple of afternoons at the beginning of the month. 1st afternoon looked barren for Carp so I got the perch rod out. Second afternoon I found a few carp milling about in the weed so put a nice lump of bread in amongst them.
    14 points
  39. Couple of commons this weekend and cats of 35 and 41 lb🤢
    14 points
  40. yonny

    August catch reports

    Having done next to no fishing this year I was very excited to begin my autumn campaign on Friday. I was actually due to start this week but conditions were improving so rapidly last week I just had to take the Friday off to get down there. I've only been baiting for 2 week so wasn't really expecting much to happen. I got down to the lake at 04:30 and spent the first hour or two just looking and saw very little. I decided halfheartedly to get the rods on the baited spot but it was clear that it wasn't exactly kicking off down there. I kept my eyes open and by 7am I'd seen some activity way out up the pit. I went for a walk up there and as soon as I arrived in the swim a couple of carp head and shouldered a long way out. That was good enough for me so I legged it back to my swim and chucked the gear on the barrow. Ten minutes later and I'm stood in the swim sorting the rods out. These carp were miles out and there was a pretty brutal cross wind so on goes couple of chods and I hit them full whack as far as I can. They land right in the zone and while I'm not expecting much to happen I now know there is a chance. I see two or three carp show over the next half hour before the right hand rod gives me a bleep as the tip pulls up and it's away. It's a long way out and with a number of weed beds between me and where I hooked it, it takes a while to get it in. I fished this place last year and really struggled to get through the stockies to the old originals this pit contains, so I was buzzing to see that the first bite was indeed an original. This fish was stocked in the 70's making it older than me. A leathery old character and a rare'n to boot (not been out in 3 years I'm told). At 32 lb 10 oz it's not small either. The rod goes back out but the shows I'm seeing are getting further to the right. So basically I start staggering the rods so the left is recast and becomes the right, and I carry on doing this every 15 mins for an hour. That hour passes quickly as I also sort the self takes out and not long after the fish is returned the right hand rod is away again. This one feels smaller from the start and so it proves, but size isn't everything and this 23 lb stocky common still puts a smile on my face. The action slows down after that, the sun comes out big time which kills the activity but hey, I'm not complaining. I keep my eyes open but nothing much happens so I end up going home a little early, more than happy with the result. Really happy with the start and hope it's a sign of things to come over the next 2 months.
    14 points
  41. I'm glad to say Alton Water has reopened again. Doing my first night on there since pike fishing. RH KMG still working, got woken up at midnight by a 15lb scamp
    14 points
  42. 10lb, Hopefully something bigger to follow.
    14 points
  43. muftyboy

    June Catches

    had my 1st fish out of the secret lake about an hour ago. A few fish were breaking the surface so cast to them , within 5 minutes it tore off.
    14 points
  44. yonny

    May catches

    Best of a 2 fish catch on my one day session of the spring on a reasonably low stock res. Buzzing with that.
    14 points
  45. I’m absolutely buzzing with this one!! Couldn’t find a spot for this rod in a new swim, so decided to bang a bare lead over to the far margin on a whim. It goes down with an almighty crack. Gravel found. After a little less about the spot is surrounded by a wall of weed 4-5ft high and dense. A mix of parrots feather and Canadian. A 1 inch chod was the best way of presenting on here at the range with the crosswind. It took 10 casts but I was finally happy with it. Half a kilo of boilies sticked out and time for a beer. I never expected anything from this rod but just as the light was going it pulled up tight. I lifted in to it to find it had weeded itself solid instantly. 5 mins of constant pressure with the rod at full compression and it longs free and the weedbed starts moving. The fish frees itself now it’s on the surface some way out. (Thank god for high banks behind me) it decides to do the same in the next two weedbeds between me and the spot but soon I’m leading it in whilst in the waders. I assumed it was a large tench from the pretty uneventful fight. A ball of weed caught on the leader knot appeared and I went to strip it off when I see a carp swim past my feet with my pop up blowing out it’s mouth. Immediately going to a bag of nerves I quickly rip the weed away as it goes off on a powerful surge back out in to the lake. A bit more angry antics from the fish and it was in the net. I let out a huge YEEEESSS as I looked down at a lovely dark fish. A celebratory beer sprayed around the swim as one of, estimated 8-10 fish in 5 acres, is in my net. 26.12lb of unreal common carp, but weight is irrelevant. It’s the history of the fish that means everything. My third from the lake (I had two last year), all different fish too.
    14 points
  46. I see a lot of confusion over mainlines. Guys seem to compare lines that are intended for completely different uses. There are numerous different types of lines and each have different advantages/disadvantages, and I'm only referring to mono here.... not fluoro, braid etc..... Pre-stretched lines: These are your casting lines like Fox Exocet. They obviously have very low stretch and fine diameter vs. BS and they have a super smooth finish. The result is a line that casts really well. Unfortunately the abrasion resistance is what suffers. Hence in a weedy lake you want to avoid pre-stretched lines. Semi-stretched lines (I made that name up, not sure what they're actually called): These are the latest in line tech and include Gardner GT-HD and Shimano Technium. They are pre-stretched but to a lesser extent than the casting lines. This means they cast very well but maintain other qualities (so they can sink well for example). They beat the pre-stretched lines for abrasion resistance yet still cast a long way. All-rounders: These are the more traditional mono's, the meat-and-two-veg carp lines. they include stuff like Gardner Pro and ESP Synchro. Just because they're not high tech lines doesn't mean they're not very good indeed. They'll not cast as well as the stretched lines but they are hands-down stronger, with better abrasion resistance. If weed is an issue I'd not look past this group of lines. Snag lines: Brute lines, thick with immense strength and serious abrasion resistance. You'll struggle to cast these past 100 yards without casting lessons but if there's snags about this is what you want. Stuff like Gardner HydroTuff and Rig Marole SLS Specimon Tough. ***** Now I see guys comparing lines from different categories all the time. Just the other day I saw a thread on another forum asking if GT-HD or HydrTuff was best. They cannot be compared imo - the GT-HD would be best in a lightly weeded lake requiring big chucks, but with snags or heavy weed in the water the HydroTuff wins hands down. Therefore you can only decide what is best for your angling situation. You need to look at how far you need to cast and what kind of challenges your water presents (weed, bars etc) and choose a line to suit. I always err on the side of caution i.e. STRENGTH. What I mean by that is I would rather be a few yards short of the carp and be in with a chance of landing them, than being able to cast on their heads but lose them all to snags/weed. I have used pre-stretched lines on French trips to huge silty waters with no weed/snags, waters where you need to cast 150, and they've been great. But there is no way I'd choose to use them on the weed choked waters I fish in the UK. I think a lot of guys pay to much attention to castability. If you need to cast 150 then fair play, go for pre-stretched lines, if you don't (and most don't), go for a proper carp line, an all-rounder or semi-stretched line at least, one that will land you everything you hook. So next time you see a "what's the best line?" thread we need to stop and think before we go shouting out the name of what we're currently using. What is best depends entirely on the individual and his/her angling situation. If the angling situation varies, then it is logical that the all-rounders are best (the best of which imo is Gardner Pro). I'm currently suing HydroTuff due to a minimum diameter rule on my syndi, which is normally very weedy. It's been great, never let me down.
    14 points
  47. Got down after work today and saw a few fish topping at range so launched a single hookbaits as far as I could and within a couple of minutes the rod rattled off resulting with this 23lb 04oz mirror.
    14 points
  48. yonny

    September catches.

    Nice common from a morning session yesterday.
    13 points
  49. finchey

    September catches.

    Two fish today 6lb and a new pb 17lb 8oz well chuffed, ignore the daft smile. 😁👍
    13 points
  50. muftyboy

    July catches.

    Back down this evening with the float rod.
    13 points
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