This was my second visit to this fishery. I was really looking forward to it as I'd had a really good day on my first.
As I knew where I was going on the farm now I was by the lake at 7:05. The temptation for me is always to go back to the swim I'd done well at before but this time I decided to try a little further to the right just before the 90 degree bend in the lake. Now what I thought was 'fishy' about this swim was that on my left the channel was wider and on my right it was very narrow and had a nice looking reed bed fronting it.
Unfortunately the photo of the swim didn't come out properly (my fault) so I cannot show it.
My set up for the day was now 5lb main line (upped from 4), size 16 hook on a 4lb hooklength. I mixed a good portion of groundbait which I intended to feed every hour or so. Inside the mix I added each time some hemp, corn and meat.
My secret weapon for the day was going to be strawberry flavoured (by myself) sweetcorn. I've had some success with this in the past.
I decided that as it was still early I would try the reed bed on the far side of the narrow channel first. So on went a piece of red corn and out went the float - the far side was so close I didn't have to cast, just flick it out.
After a few minutes the float started to move across so the water so I struck and all hell let loose. The fish shot off to the left and then back past me. When it went past me the disturbance on the water was so great that I knew it was a very good fish possibly bigger than anything I'd ever caught before. I managed to turn it and it returned to the area in front of me. I then started to think about netting it - however it wasn't to be. The fish spat the hook out! I was gutted - what a disaster and I hadn't been fishing half an hour yet.
I took a few minutes to regain my composure before I cast into my main swim. Going was slow however by 8:45 I'd managed a small carp and my first chub of the season!
For the next hour as I only had 2 bites on the strawberry corn I switched back to normal corn and caught a further 6 small carp.
I swopped back to strawberry for the next hour and again caught 6 carp. Maximum weight for these were about a 1lb.
I kept with the strawberry corn for the next hour but the bites dried up to such an extent that I only managed to bag two more small carp.
Had a sandwich for lunch and then it was back to the fishing on normal corn - yep you guessed it - the next yielded 6 more carp!
Switched back to Strawberry corn for the next hour and got another six carp. The carp I was catching were an even mix of Common, Mirror and F1s. Unlike my last visit I hadn't as yet caught any of the Ghost variety.
For the next hour I thought I would try some bread flake. Now usually I am not too successful with this bait as I seem to get pestered by the small roach etc nipping at the bait. I strike and there is nothing there. As I hadn't seen any sign of any silvers I was quietly confident of getting something on it.
I put a large piece on and then the hook fell in my corn turning the bread red. What the hell I thought and cast it out. Straight away the float went under and out came a carp. So for the next hour I dipped the flake in the red corn juice each cast. Six more carp made the net in the hour.
By 2:45 the average weight of the carp seemed to be going up so I determined that it was time to try the meat on the hook. The first hour was slow, only 5 carp but they were all around 2 or 3lb. This was enough to convince me to stay with the meat.
The next three hours was when the action really started. The meat proved very successful as each fish proved to bigger than the last.
I was alternating between my original swim which was slightly to the left of me and the reed bed which was closer and straight in front of me.
If the beginning of the day was unlucky for me the reverse cannot be said for the end as when I missed a bite the float and terminal tackle all came back tangled up. It was so bad that I had to set up again. As the fish were improving in size I took the oppertunity to increase the hook size from 16 to 14. What a decision that turned out to be.
First drop in after changing the hook size the float shot under and off went the fish straight down the lake. It was obvious that the best thing to do was to let it run. Eventually it stopped and I managed to get some line back. After a few minutes the float reappeared although still a fair way away. It ran to the right and then to the left and then in ever decreasing circles in front of me. At this point I still hadn't seen it.
Eventually I began to feel that I was getting on top of it so I carefully reached down for the net. The first attempt failed as the fish turned as soon it saw the net. Attempt two went the same way. Now I was really getting nervous. However it turned out to be third time lucky as into the net it went. When I saw how big it was I was astounded.
I weighed it staright away and after accounting for the net it was dead on 11lb! My first ever double.
"Yes!" I shouted. I couldn't help myself!
The only disappointting thing was that there was no one around who could take a photo of me holding the fish so I had to content myself with the usual in the net pose.
It was a bit sad to see it go back into the water.
It was half six or so by now and I wasn't sure whether or not to continue. Just to make sure I'd miss the traffic on the way home I decided to give it until 7pm. Just as well because 5 minutes later I landed a 7 pounder - god did it feel and look small!
After that I decided enough was enough and packed up.
I can't wait to get back down there.
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