commonly Posted August 19, 2017 Report Share Posted August 19, 2017 Nicked this little beauty after packing up with my son on his 2nd overnighter. Chanced a look at another little lake, saw a few basking, so put out a bit of bread. Lovely to get a carp, after waking in the night to a bream. yonny, carpmachine, ... and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yonny Posted August 20, 2017 Report Share Posted August 20, 2017 Having had a couple of very nice chunks this weekend I'm stating an extra night tonight. Will report back on Tuesday lads hutch, nigewoodcock and commonly 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greekskii Posted August 20, 2017 Report Share Posted August 20, 2017 Top work yonny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jh92 Posted August 21, 2017 Report Share Posted August 21, 2017 Couldn't do a 48 hour session over the weekend but I managed to get down the river for a few hours with a float rod and a pint of maggots. I didn't catch anything big, but I had dace, roach, gudgeon, chub, minnows and a brown trout..I think it's a brown trout anyway lol. Â Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigewoodcock Posted August 21, 2017 Report Share Posted August 21, 2017 I have a feeling that it's a salmon parr. The one spot on the gill cover and also the defined markings on its flanks. Looks to have more of a forked tail than a trout does too. jh92 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greekskii Posted August 21, 2017 Report Share Posted August 21, 2017 8 minutes ago, nigewoodcock said: I have a feeling that it's a salmon parr. The one spot on the gill cover and also the defined markings on its flanks. Looks to have more of a forked tail than a trout does too. Think you're right. Very difficult to tell them apart though at that stage. The mouth is not as 'sharp' and the body is more streamlined. Best defining characteristic is the adipose fin. Salmon have a dull colour whereas trout have an orangey colouration. Cant really tell in the pic. looks in between the two! The dorsal is also a lot more sharp too. jh92 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yonny Posted August 22, 2017 Report Share Posted August 22, 2017 So I had a decent sesh the weekend just gone. I'd booked Friday and Monday off as I was so sick of these work overnighters I'd been doing... I just wanted a proper sesh. I turned up Thursday afternoon and had a good look about. I kind of new the area I fancied and while watching said area I saw a carp jump out.... job done, I'd start here. Went back to the car, grabbed me gear, back to the swim, started setting up, disaster strikes!!! I'd forgotten one of my bags which holds my alarms, rod support, distance sticks, all sorts.... I checked the car and the kit wasn't there which meant I had a 3 hour round trip to go and get it... IDIOT! I took the opportunity to borrow some distance sticks from another member and found my spots/baited up before leaving. The area was exactly how it was last time I was in here, a longer chuck for this water, tight to an absolutely MAHOOSIVE weed bed. I spodded a couple of kilos around the spots and somehow managed to lose a spod as it came off the quick change swivel I use to fix it. I was starting to wonder if this sesh was doomed from the off.... but at least I had a spare spod at home. On the drive home it became obvious that every single road user was for some reason intent on preventing me getting back before darkness. There where also 3 sets of temporary traffic lights that had appeared on the journey. All this during rush hour, I was in bits..... This was not how the sesh was supposed to pan out. Got home, grabbed gear, back to the lake... I arrived in the dark, it must have been about 21:30. Got the rods out OK (although I'm never 100% happy with hitting tight spots in the dark) and decided I'd earned a beer so I drank a couple and had an early night. No more sightings at this point which proved to be a recurring theme, no shows at all after about midday for the duration of my trip. My alarm clock goes off at 04:00 and I'm up and about watching the lake for signs of life. I see nothing until 05:15 when I see 2 carp smash out over the top of the weed bed beyond my spots. The next few hours sees the odd sighting here, there and everywhere but the majority are over this weed bed. It's frustrating I can tell you.... there they are, smashing out between 10 and 20 yards behind my spot. They don't seem willing to come any closer for some reason, clearly enjoying the sanctuary of the weed. There's no way I can fish into this weed, it's savage, no chod or long link would present and even if it did it'd be loss-city. The day goes on and nothing happens but I've seen enough to persevere, they are right there, I just need to think about my approach. I start by changing the position of one rod. I'd had all three over there but it was a little busy tbh so i reduced that to two. Just a couple of spods tight over each rod this time, I'm sure there's loads of bait still there. However, this time I get the throwing stick out and peppered a kg of boilies right into the weed in an attempt to get them on it and draw them out. The third rod goes over to my left where I'd seen a couple of carp top, I find a small but solid spot within catapult distance so whack a bait on there with a couple of pouches of freebies. Again, no sightings in the evening so I assume they're still in the weed. This time I set the alarm for 05:00 and I wake up and watch the weed bed from my sleeping bag. It's still pretty dark but I'm sure I can see activity. In fact, I'm pretty sure I can see a few signs directly over my spot. My thoughts are confirmed when my right rod absolutely rips off (which surprised me as I thought the clutches were set pretty tight but this fish disagreed). Into the waders and I hit it. It is absolutely solid in the weed. 10 minutes it takes my to extract it and all that while I'm cursing myself for not fishing completely locked up. When it finally moves I take a couple of steps back to grab the net and that's all it takes for the fish to find another weed bed. You literally cannot take your eye off the ball for second here! Another 5 minutes and I manage to get it moving again and the fight plays out in a more enjoyable manner. A few minutes later it's in the net and I'm staring down at a lovely common carp, a decent fish, over 30 I reckon. I secure the net and get the rod back out. As the sky gets lighter and lighter this common gets darker and darker in colour and I realise which fish it is, one of my main targets, and I'm buzzing. I call a mate round and we take some snaps, it's an amazing fish, 100% scale perfect in every way, dark and richly coloured, a truly special carp. It's weighed at 31 lb 1 oz and we return it to fight another day. Not much happens for the rest of the morning although I can see plenty of fish on the edge of the weed which continues to frustrate me. The sightings slow down as we approach midday. At 11:00 I'm on the phone to a mate who's also fishing, just discussing what we've seen. There I am chatting away when I see the tip of the rod to the left twitch. As I watch the tip slowly pulls round before the alarms goes mental as a fish rips off with my hook bait! Into the waders, I hit it. Now this fight is a bit spesh, I know there's a huge weed bed to my left so march down into it sending the fish the other way into open water. Only one insignificant issue with a small weed bed I didn't realise was there, the fish spends the bulk of the fight charging up and down, left and right, it is not happy... awesome fun and for once I don't feel like I'm a second away from losing it in the weed. As it get's nearer I can see it's a mirror, a grey one, but when I net it I don't recognise it. I secure the net and have a closer look, it's a big fish, slate grey down it's flanks and pure black along it's dorsal, classically shaped, a proper brute of a carp. No wonder it fought so well. A mate walks into the swim, great timing, and we start to do the honours. He doesn't recognise it either and at 35 lb 4 oz we cannot believe we don't know it. The gaffa then shows up (more great timing) and he knows exactly which fish it is; as soon as he mentions its name we click. It's one of the old ones, an original, hardly ever mentioned as it's hardly ever caught, a very rare fish, not the kind you can really target, and as you can imagine I'm well happy. It's a stunner for sure and completes a brace of 30s!!! Pics done we send her back..... two special ones on the trot.... buzzing! Nothing happens for the rest of the day so I have an early night. Alarm clock goes off at 5 am again but this time it's not feeling so good, the sky is clear, the sun is bright, the wind has died.... I see a couple of fish but activity is at a minimum. It get's hot so I wander about looking for something to fish for. I find a few carp in a bay and get them taking floaters but the birds come and wipe me out and the fish disappear. I know the conditions are set to improve big time, rain on the evening and night, so I decide to stay another night and hopefully capitalise with another fish. The rain arrives and it's off to bed after a long and uneventful day. It's now the morning and even though I told myself I'm having a lie in by 05:00 I'm perched next to the rods watching the water, bite time approaching. It is looking perfect, overcast, drizzly, moody.... and I'm watching carp over the weed bed getting closer and closer to my spots. By 06:00 I'm convinced it's gonna happen and I've got the waders on in preparation. By 07:00 I'm at my wits end..... where's my bite? Am I presented OK? Have I over-baited? I'm literally sitting next to the rods in my waders, staring at them, willing one to go off, when the middle rod lets out a single beep. The bobbin twitches a fraction of an inch, I look at the tip and it's just pulled down slightly. That'll do me I think to myself as I hit it. It's a carp and it rucks like hell. Into the weed bed it goes, everything is solid. I'm used to that now though and I'm happy to to extract it over the course of 5 or so minutes. Once it's free it kites over to my right and I have to go on a wander down the margin to keep up with it. Another great fight and I'm praying I land this to make the extra night worth it. Eventually it goes in the net and I can see it's another grey mirror but with a few scales dotted here and there, it looks familiar but I can't quite put my finger on it. It's another good fish and for a second I think it's a hat-trick of 30s but then have second thoughts. I'm on my own now so self-takes it is. When I get it on the bank I take one look at it's tail and recognise it instantly; it's the massive tailed mirror I caught last year (in my September '16 catch report). It's a little down in weight at 28 lb 8 oz but it's looking pukka. It's the first time I've seen it in daylight, it's a lovely fish. That tail is just utterly ridiculous.... I mean it's massive, absolutely MASSIVE. I take some snaps and put it back a happy man. It starts to warm up and the activity slows so I pack up ready for home. It's been a long and tricky session but ultimately a successful one. Two very special fish and a high 20 to cap it off. It's the first time I've spent that long in a single swim for years, in fact last year I did 30 nights and didn't stay in the same swim for more than one night in that whole time. My horrible run of 4 losses on the trot are now behind me and this weekends fish were nailed so confidence is back. Can't wait to get back down in a couple of weeks.  gagnaccarp, nigewoodcock, greekskii and 6 others 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greekskii Posted August 22, 2017 Report Share Posted August 22, 2017 Cracking write up and cracking result for you mate. yonny 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yonny Posted August 23, 2017 Report Share Posted August 23, 2017 On 8/19/2017 at 13:25, nigewoodcock said: Just saw this..... Mate, that is gorgeous... ... and nigewoodcock 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigewoodcock Posted August 23, 2017 Report Share Posted August 23, 2017 Average for the lake that one mate!! Lol yonny 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yonny Posted August 23, 2017 Report Share Posted August 23, 2017 39 minutes ago, nigewoodcock said: Average for the lake that one mate!! Lol Sounds like a pukka lake fella! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigewoodcock Posted August 23, 2017 Report Share Posted August 23, 2017 It's a little bit special mate. Will sort you out a guest session one day! yonny 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigewoodcock Posted August 28, 2017 Report Share Posted August 28, 2017 Managed to get more than a night in at the lake for the first time since may. Trapped my fingers in the car door, fell out of a tree watching some carp feed on a margin spot I've been baiting and almost snapped a rod on one of the 3 swim moves! All came good in the end though with 3 fish. I certainly had to work for them mind!  commonly, hutch and yonny 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigewoodcock Posted August 28, 2017 Report Share Posted August 28, 2017 gagnaccarp, finchey, yonny and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluelabel Posted September 2, 2017 Report Share Posted September 2, 2017 (edited) Had this last week.... on a split cane Sharpe's 9' with a Mitchell 400 Edited September 2, 2017 by bluelabel carpmachine 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluelabel Posted September 2, 2017 Report Share Posted September 2, 2017 carpmachine 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluelabel Posted September 2, 2017 Report Share Posted September 2, 2017 Had three in total out of the water recently... all on the older gear... I'm starting to enjoy the older tackle more than the modern.... I've also managed to get a trip to Redmire next year and a trip to Ashmead... I'm in a quandary as to whether to go "Old School on both venues Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluelabel Posted September 2, 2017 Report Share Posted September 2, 2017 Just now, carpmachine said: Redmire defo, Ashmead not sure. S'probably what I'll do basically... heard the Ashmead fish go Heeeeeeeoooge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluelabel Posted September 2, 2017 Report Share Posted September 2, 2017 Its the other way round these days... Redmire's water is very muddy like any other commy water, due to the run off from the surrounding fields... whereas Ashmead is VERY weedy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crusian Posted September 11, 2017 Report Share Posted September 11, 2017 On 9/2/2017 at 22:33, bluelabel said: Had this last week.... on a split cane Sharpe's 9' with a Mitchell 400 Lovely stuff Blue . I'm a Garcia Mitchell 301 man , keep telling myself that a Cane Rod would need more care and attention than I would give it . Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yonny Posted September 12, 2017 Report Share Posted September 12, 2017 On 9/2/2017 at 22:51, bluelabel said: I've also managed to get a trip to Redmire next year and a trip to Ashmead. Just saw this..... You lucky so and so....... Ashmead is a water I plan to visit myself someday, it looks like a carp anglers paradise. And those fish....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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