Wednesday 11 November 2015

2015 24 August 29th Nursery Fields, Edenbridge

Today, as it turned out would be my last trip of the season to the club's mixed fishery at Nursery Fields.

I was up and out slightly later than usual as the mornings were now a little on the dark side at my normal time.It was therefore about 7 am when I pulled into the empty car park.

I quickly unloaded the car and headed out to the back stretch of the lake. The water looked very fishy, would today be a good one. I felt like it could.


It was the usual two rod approach again today. One waggler set up and another small leger set up on a feeder rod. I was all plumbed up, swims fed and ready to make my first casts at around 7:40.

I spent an hour on the corn but never even got any signs of interest let alone a bite. I decided to make the switch to meat and was rewarded at 9:20 with my first bream of the day. No blanking for me today.

Sixteen minutes later, still using the meat I was into my second fish. This turned out to be a meat loving roach!

It was now just after 10 am and I was back on the corn. Fish number three was a nice bream.

I had to wait another two hours for my next bite. Again it was on corn however this time the victim was a tench.

Thirty minutes later and still on corn I bagged my first crucian for a long time. I thought they had all emigrated!

Just after lunch I switched back to meat and was rewarded with this fine bream. Twenty five minutes later I netted another one - I was on a bit of a roll.


At 15.29 the tip of the feeder rod went round for the first time of the day. When I lifted the rod I knew straight away that it wasn't a carp. It did fight but not for very long. When it hit the surface I saw it was a big bream. The scales confirmed this as it weighed 3 lb 12 oz which I think is my personal best.



The first carp of the day turned up at 16:54. It was taken on the waggler rod and weighed 1 lb! It liked meat though.

The next carp, also caught on meat,turned up at 18:00 and weighed 4 lb. A good scrap on the float rod.

I decided at that point to give up for the day. It was a decision that would come back and haunt me for ever!

When I pack up I start by draining the excess water out of the bait boxes and throwing the small amount of ground bait that is left into the edge.

Next I fold up the chair and put the bait boxes and terminal tackle back in my box. That just leaves the two rods and the landing net to dismantle.

When I reeled in the float rod I saw a big carp right beneath my feet! It obviously had been attracted by the ground bait and flavored water that I had previously tipped in.

I made the decision to have a go for it, so I put a piece of meat on the hook and gently lowered it over the side. Immediately the line tightened I struck. The fish took straight off towards the island. I managed to turn it and also managed to keep it out of the lily pads to my right. When it was in the net I could see that it weighed about 8 lb. What a result.

Things turned sour when I was unhooking the carp on the mat. I heard a thump and turned to see my feeder rod heading out across the lake. I watched it stop and sink when it got to the far bank.

I was dumbstruck and really annoyed, mainly with myself!

So a day that saw me catch 11 fish ended up with me losing my feeder rod and reel. Lesson to be learnt here I think.

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