crusian

I was out Sunday as soon as my fishery reopened.
Whilst it was still hot, it was overcast. The fish were a lot more active. From about 11 am, I had 8 bites and landed 5, all mid to upper doubles. I lost 3 in what I think was snags that were  unknown to me. My mainline just parted which started to get concerning. Overall I used least thank 1/2 a kilo of boilies and packed up around 5.
I think they're on the feed now. It's good to hear others are able to get out and are having good sport.

I went yesterday to my local  days only park lake and managed 14 with 13 doubles with a 16, 17 and an 18. Kept them coming all day by regularly sending out the bait boat and got through a pressure cooker of spod and about 3kg of pellet split over 2 spots. Probably going again in a few days time and have 2 pressure cookers soaking as it's cheaper then pellet. That said, I have started buying my pellets in 25kg sacks as it brings the cost down a fair bit.
It really is a case of "buying your fish". The more I chuck in, the quicker and more aggressive the bites.

I felt the switch Sunday night.
After a few trips not using the bivvy it was put up as soon as the rods were in this trip. 
As I was setting the rods up we had a light shower in North West Suffolk, and at 2.30am it rained properly for an hour, and fish started crashing.
Yesterday a massive difference, fish moving during the day. First time I have felt comfortable putting in any more than a PVA stringer or bag full for months.

Big switch this week lads and while it's still warm, it's looking mega outside in Northants. Overcast. Rain overnight. Great temps. I predict the carp will switch on big time this week. Best of luck to anyone out this week.

Thanks , Yonny .

Had a look at the website. All the flavour combos are classics, tried and tested.

After my Son excitedly watched his tadpoles growing in our pond a Magpie went and ate them 🤬 .

A Dragon Fly hitching a lift on a Common , extraordinary ! .
The only way I can think of to get an even better 'photo would be a Kingfisher sitting on one of my rods .
😃
 

After my Son excitedly watched his tadpoles growing in our pond a Magpie went and ate them 🤬 .

During the long blistering hot summer we've endured, I've had more joy with the camera than the rod on some waters! The shot with the rods were on zigs just under the surface and the dragon fly was on that Common for quite a while.

One from this weekend.. Only taken on a phone but with some editing they can look ok.. 

From a few years ago. 

At Brackens I knew everyone else was going to recast around 6pm at night, so I would make sure I had my baits in place long before that, and use their disturbance to move the fish out of their areas.
Quite frequently I would get fish about 8 o-clock at night while they blanked.
I also try not to change hookbaits, even after a fish. The smell of 'me' is gone, the first fish found it acceptable, so changing it might upset that.
That attitude also comes with me now at the end of a session. My pop-ups are already counterbalanced, on floss and lighter blobbed, so don't come off unless pulled. I can quite easily just attach a fresh bag or stringer without actually touching the bait.
The only time Sky goes silly, talking and jumping, when someone comes to visit, and most people she loves, but there are one or two who she is not keen on for some reason, possibly because they are nervous about her.
I don't mind the majority of people if they move in next door, but sometimes there are some you wish hadn't. I make sure Sky is on bark mode, lol.
I try to spot fish, and if I do have to move in next to someone I will just stringer and one cast rather than make a massive disturbance.

This is something that bothers me always has and something that came up on a recent Korda Podcast where Dovey of all people admitted to doing it all the time.  To me this is pure noddy!
Re-casting at dusk, what is that about?!?!
Was taught early on you get the rods set and leave them ready for the key bite times with no disturbance i.e dawn and evening into dusk.
So on what planet does it make sense to reel in during bite time, cause commotion and smash the lead back out for no reason whatsoever?
We find a spot were happy with, cast accurately, use rigs we know present and reliable bait that stays as it should, it washes out (ages) along with the freebies and can stay out for the duration of your trip, unless you suspect something has got away with it.
Why would anyone re-cast at key times when you should be sitting on your hands - it's beyond me tbh - smacks of not being confident with all of your previous steps so doubts have set in, if not that why would you want a fresh hookbait that now looks alien to the rest?
Stupidity IMO

I've been known to move swims if someone shows up next door with a mallet and a ten billion lumen headtorch. Can't be doing with that.
Tbf I'm not bothered if someone moves in next door and they're quiet and show etiquette. If I see fish in an empty swim I'll move in there regardless of who else is about, but I'd be mindful of the situation. For example, I'd not cast out at bite time if there's guys on the fish next to me.
 

Gets me when on a pretty quiet lake a new arrival will choose to go right next to you or bang opposite - I mean really?!?!
I've been doing this fishing lark for a long time now so if I want to go down a particular end of the lake but find it to be busy down there I go the other end instead of fitting in and spoiling it for those already present.  I'm not desperate to catch these days and it usually works that the pressure pushes them away anyway. 🤷‍♂️

I had this last year as the lake I was on had a lot of catkins and they dropped into the lake causing a huge raft of drifting debris. It was so thick that I had to stop retrieving the reel after about 10 turns and carefully bite it off the line. Unfortunately the berg became saturated and dropped to the bottom and sucked in oxygen out of the water and at least 25 carp perished. All the catkin trees were removed and the lake pruned to prevent the worst of the leaf litter problem. 

Went back to Belgium Carp Arena Lilly Pool late July-Aug and was regretting the booking in the run up with the extreme heat forecasts.  First day set up camp and got my son fishing and he got off the mark with 2 x 30s within the first 12 or so hours so all pressure was off.  Sunday I got my rods sorted and didnt take long to get off the mark too with another low 30.  The heat midweek killed the action but we got a couple late on in the week.  We ended up with 7 for me including the biggest in the lake and 4 for my son.  Mega week for me practicing boat skills to drop rigs, bait up and play a few that became weeded up, my son loved the bait boat and wasnt keen on the actual boat as he felt unsafe with me moving all over the place trying to help him hand line fish out of the weed etc.
Tactics were my low pop-up rigs, match the hatch baits and small scatterings of boilies which seemed to work well considering the conditions.  No night bites which seemed odd but great, all fish came between first light upto 10pm with 7am - 10am the most productive.
Will go back coz I love the boating element and a lake exclusive.





 
 

Exactly! What's wrong with these people? 🤣

Well done for rising above all the provocations and triumphing . I mean did these numpties not realise from your hat that they were dealing with a serious carper ?.
😁 

Well done for rising above all the provocations and triumphing . I mean did these numpties not realise from your hat that they were dealing with a serious carper ?.
😁 

You've certainly got the swim covered lad!

Last week in Belgium, rods far and wide on a lake booking between me and my son.