2012 07 April 30th Broxham Pond, Edenbridge, Kent

Due to the closure of EBAS’s two major fisheries I have been forced to look elsewhere for my weekend angling fix. One of the venues I’d looked into to was the club’s fishery in Bloxham.

I knew next to nothing about this venue other than it’s the only club water that is open every and all day. I wasn’t even sure where it was in relation to the other venues around Edenbridge.

I left home around 6:30am, the outside temperature was 5 degrees and it was pouring with rain. I arrived in Edenbridge about 7am and that’s when the fun started. Firstly you have to go from the B2026 to the B2027. Sounds simple doesn’t it? Well the signpost was so well hidden I had to go past it and come back on myself to actually find it. Secondly, according to the EBAS book “once on the B2027 the fishery is 100 yards on the right after the 40mph sign”. Well after going up and down the road I discovered that the sign should have read 70mph because the 40mph was on the other side!

When I finally arrived I saw another car in the car park but no sign of a pond! Leaving the gear in the car I set off to find the pond. I went up the hill and then right into a wood. No obvious sign of the pond so I made my way left until I saw the other angler walking around the pond with all his gear. Turned out it was B(ill)LARGUS on his way home! Ho told me he’d been there awhile and hadn’t had a sniff.

Undeterred I returned to the car and loaded up my gear onto the trolley in preparation for the long trek to the pond. In the summer (or more accurately when it’s dry) you can drive up to the pond. A few minutes later and somewhat out of breath (it’s uphill) I arrived at the pond.

I then had an exploratory look round and decided that the most attractive swims were on the piece of land that almost cuts the pond in two. I couldn’t get the trolley fully loaded to the swim so had to make a couple of journeys before I was able to start to set up.

After unloading I discovered that I’d left my groundbait mixing bowl behind. I would have to use corn, maggots and hemp as the attractors.

I decided I would use two rods, the first the normal 2bb waggler set up fishing a rod length or so directly in front of me and a second one set up with a very small bomb with a 10ml strawberry boillie.

Disaster number two happened when I was attempting to put the baiting needle through the boillie, it slipped off and went straight into my finger! I didn’t cry I promise despite the fact I couldn’t get it out. I tried to shake it out before deciding on just turning it. This was successful and painful. As I type this I can see it’s nicely swollen.

I made my first cast at 8:55(!) and sat back under my umbrella and waited.   

The feeder rod rig I cast into the channel between the two ponds.

Boy did I wait. I never got, in the first three hours any indication that there were fish in the swim and looking further afield any in the pond.

Around 11am the float dipped and I struck, the rod bent and the fish turned and ran away taking line with it. However just as I was getting ready for the fight the fish (presumably a carp) spat the hook and was gone. I wanted the earth to open and allow me to jump in! The fish took a single red maggot.

I baited the swim and hook again and re-cast out. Twenty minutes later the float went again and I was into a good one. I took my time with this one. I didn’t want to lose a second one. The carp (I saw this one) pulled left and right for several minutes before I determined it was ready for the net. Bad news though because just as I was reaching for the net it snapped the hook length and was gone.

I was now thoroughly soaked and totally despondent. Never one to give up though, I baited up and cast out again in the hope that perhaps I would get lucky a third time.

At 2:30 the feeder rods tip flew round and I was into a good fish. After 10 minutes of patiently playing the fish it was ready for the net. It was now that I discovered the weak spot of the swim; I couldn’t reach the fish from the bank with the landing net. In the end I had to get as close to the water as I could and stretch as far as I could before the fish was captured.

I was very pleased with the result – an 8lb common! The day hadn’t been a complete failure.

 With renewed hoped I cast the feeder rig out again. Alas that was it for the day. I did stay until 5:30 before deciding to head off home for a well earned hot bath.

In conclusion a wet and miserable day and because of that I feel I didn’t learn too much about the pond. I will have to return at some point in the season for another go.

Wildlife Update:

Nothing wild made an appearance today (can’t blame them) however as the pond is in a sheep field I was kept awake by their bleating all day.