Up in T’Hills

Having been given the opportunity to fish a small intimate one acre water high up in the Staffordshire hills My angling buddy Mark and I set off on an August morning at 5am, we arrived in good time at around 6.30 and did a lap of the waters, Instantly we would see fish mooching around on the first two waters but it was the larger of the waters that we would be fishing. We did a lap in torrential rain and were very surprised to see carp cruising around on the surface. Opting to fish the double swim, on the left of the lake, it meant we could have more of a social time together without bringing the rods in or being off the rods.

Unusually for me I got the bivvy up straight away to try and get out the incessant rain. Once the home was sorted it time for a feel around with a lead to see what the substrate was like in a couple of likely looking areas. Instantly I lost a lead from casting too close to the island, and after a few trial cast found I could not present a hook-bait much closer than a few metres out without hitting submerged rocks. Clipping the rod up I measured the distance out along the banks and set 2 marker poles so I could return to the spot with little trouble for the rest of the session. The second rod was to go out in front of the point but again it took a few leads to find the edge of the rocks. This point really does go out much further than I anticipated. Once I found a clear area I clipped the rod up and got it out on the chosen area. I was fishing B1 on both rods on simple blow back rigs presented with a single bottom bait on each, with a Pva bag of crushed boilies and pellet. The island rod received a kilo of the rolled bait spread across the front of it at a range that would give me a bit of safety just away from the rocks in the event of a take. The point rod was baited with around 20 baits.

By mid morning and with little of no signs of the rain stopping, and with fish cruising around on the surface I just had to don the coat and get out stalking and within an hour was rewarded with an ever so gentle slurp from a lovely dark mirror, the fish took the floater in the corner of the point and ran me all the way down the length of it keeping tight to the bank, after a struggle I managed to turn it into open water and it was soon to be mine in the folds of the net. Onto the scales and it went 12lb 1oz of fighting muscle.

A nice fish to start the session off with,
 especially as it was off the surface

Made up to be off the mark so soon into the session and soaking wet I retired to the bivvy, recast the rods and got out of the soggy clothes and brewed up. Late afternoon came and went with no activity on the rods and by early evening id be out there in the wind and rain stalking again. To no joy I must add. The fish really do seem to be educated on the surface and were cleaning me out of mixers but shying away from the one with a hook attached. I was tired out from the early morning so popped the clipped up rods back on the spots and snoozed!

Waking to a violent take and seeing a fish crashing to the island I hit the rod pulled into a good fish, leaning to the right to try and turn the fish into the open water and away from the point of rocky land that sticks out into the lake. Once turned it steamed towards the outlet pipe and again I had no choice but lean on the rod to move it from Mark’s rods, after a few scary moments with the sunken wall in front of me she went into the net on the second time of trying and a huge grin spread across my face, This was a really good common. Once on the mat and the net folds removed from its flanks I realised how gorgeous a common it was all 19lb 3oz of it. With the photos done, back it went to its watery home.

Lovely way to end day one on a new lake

The last few years have seen me bank a few big mirrors but my album has been short on commons, well that fish was certainly for the album! With limited time before it would be too dark to cast accurately the rod was measured out to the markers and cast back in with a hefty bag of crumbed B1 and pellet mix.
The night passed uneventfully baring a couple of liners from the island rod when at around 7 ish I was woken by the sound of an alarm, but not mine, this time it was Mark’s right hand rod and after a short but spirited tussle he banked himself a lovely 12lb+ common.

The day had started of beautifully, a fish on the bank and the sun in the sky! I spent much of Friday stalking the fish off the surface, but I'm afraid they spent the day laughing at me, I think; I lost count of the amount of aborted takes I received at the last second. The evening came round far too quickly and it was time to get the rods out and more bait in. Another kg of crab went out to the island and this time I opted to fill in the point spot too even though the rod had seen no action during its time in the swim.

Exhausted I got myself to bed at around 11 and decided to sleep late and leave the rods quiet till around 11 am before I’d decide whether to surface fish again. Waking at around 7am to an absolute screamer from the left hand Delkim I lifted into a very powerful fish that, even though the spools were tight, was still stripping line. This was going to my right and there was little I felt I could do as it started to take me around the point, keeping the rod high and the line away from the sunken rocks I ran to the left of the swim and lean't on the fish, the carp gods smiled on me and the fish turned back and shot across the end of the point towards me in no more than 2 ft of water. I felt the line ping of rocks on more than one occasion but thankfully the line held. The fish turned out of the bay and came steaming across my bows and went directly to the outlet the same way the large common had done. The fish powered off again backwards and forwards in front of me and the tussle went on for a few minutes till it was finally beaten and mark slipped the net under another big common, and what a common carp! Weighing in at 20lbs 13oz of brassy scaly beast.

The end of a stunning first session

A quick call to Jules, who was fishing on one of the other lakes and the photos were done. Back she went none the worse for the ordeal. Unbelievable 2 great commons to add to the collection.
Elated at capturing 2 fine commons in a session, I decided to have a pretty lazy morning and instead of stalking I flicked out a zig rig with a trimmed down pop up to the island but to no avail, again the fish were cruising right up to the bait and shying off at the last second. I’ll have to get on top of this as I can’t believe how many times they are interested till the last second and I feel if I can just get things right then the fish are there for the taking! The final night came and went without a touch for anyone on the lake and with an early dart to get home in time for the F1 the rods were brought in by 9 and off we went on the long happy journey home.