"Silty Mere" pt 1

Silty mere is a series I wrote about around 10 yrs ago, Its a very typical silty Cheshire mere of around 12 acres set in the heart of the northwest of England. I have changed the name of the venue and some details about the fish and venue to respect the anglers that may be fishing it these days, Sadly, i believe some of these great aged fish are no longer with us. 

Silty Mere

We arrived at the Silty mere early on a frosty November morning having checked in through the security offices. First impressions of the lake made us realise the size of the venue. At twelve acres this was to be a step up in size from the venues id been fishing on for the last few years. The lake appeared to be an open expanse of featureless water, with marginal reeds and an occasional clump of dying lilies along the meadow bank. With stocking levels of about 40-50 carp this was to provide us with a serious challenge for the coming season. With a long ‘meadow’ stretch, a long reed bed and a wooded ‘back wall’ section there totalled 12 pegs and 7 platforms, these being set among the dense south facing reed beds. 

We had been shown the lake the week previously and had instantly decided to obtain memberships. The following weekend saw us making the long haul from the car park to the back wall. A walk of about a mile. Not! 

We collapsed, two knackered anglers, too knackered to go any further, on ‘tench corner’ realising that a serious overhaul of the kit would be in order for us to get any further round the lake. Oh well this looked as good a spot as anywhere. We set up and proceeded to mark out the features of the lake.

For the first 5 or so yards the bottom of the lake was clear after which it was absolutely choked with weed so thick that it was hard to reel in. This weed was hornwort, a rootless, clump forming species that covers the bottoms of the Cheshire meres. It appeared to have about a foot of water above it, all the way out. We checked the area to our left and found no change. Having felt the leads hit the bottom, Peg 2 seemed a little clearer, but trying to find the same spot twice was nigh on impossible. Rick got up an oak tree and came down with a glum face, “the whole lake is choked” he groaned. Oh well back to the kit and a rethink.

I tied up three bags of pellet and crumbed boilie’s and launched those skywards 100, 70 and 40 yards. Sorted. Not much more I can do I thought, kit organised and kettle on. After an uneventful night we reeled in heavily weeded rigs and decided a walk round the lake was in order.

 On the back wall we met a couple of anglers one being the bailiff ‘Andy who we would later become good friends with and ‘Stuart’ who we would see little of throughout the year. One of the lads, we immediately noticed had two rods on the rests with unbaited hooks. It turned out he had just returned what he described as a small carp at about 18lb! Well if that’s small I’m going to be a happy chap on here I thought.

Andy proceeded to show us pictures of some of the larger residents in the lake. ‘The common’ and two big mirrors instantly caught the attention of both Rick and I. After a chat with these lads, it turned out that there were some clear spots on tench corner but you had to look hard to find them. That was it, back round we went to start chucking leads again. We did find some clear spots but they were not of any size. The same lad caught another fish that weekend and from what we could see, it seemed to be quite sizable. We caught nothing over the weekend but left happy and full of promise as to how to approach the lake the following week.

It would actually be on a freezing cold mid December night before any fish were to grace the banks to either of us. We had been fishing the back wall since our second weekend much to the annoyance of one of the regulars. The reasons were obvious, he had had success! plus, the weed problem was nowhere near as bad over this side. I had found a nice clear strip of clay at about 40 yards out and had been feeding these spots for a few weeks. Fish were still gracing the banks for a couple of the lads no matter where they fished, but neither Rick nor I could buy a take. We were down but not about to give up yet. Just as light was starting to break on the Saturday morning Ricks right hand rod went off like a rocket. He hit it and the rod went round and kept on going. The fish was going mad. Then ping nothing, it was off, his face said it all, there was nothing I could say, I turned and put the kettle on.

With eyes on the water we sat around glumly for the rest of the day not really saying much, both feeling that we had been cheated. It was obviously a good fish, and a chance missed. The night closed in early but we were adamant we were going to watch the lake for signs of fish activity. The security lights from the offices in the distance enabled us to see right across to the far bank. All night we watched but saw nothing. It went below zero that night and whilst shivering in my bag eventually sleep came to me. I was blasted out of it in the early hours by the sound of Rick calling my name. “I’ve got another one on” he said. I looked out to see him with rod fully curved into what appeared to be a good fish; it was still taking line and heading towards the snaggy sunken island to the right. He managed to turn it and under steady pressure gradually ease it towards the net; the fight seemed to last a lifetime but eventually it was in the net first time. I lifted it and smiling turned to Ritchie and said “good lad there’s the first 20” She was near leather, with just a few scales along her dorsal fin, of huge proportions weighing in at just over 24lb. There and then she was sacked up, for the remaining hours of darkness in the peg along from our position, and left to settle in peace. Kettle on, we were buzzing!

She was photographed at first light and returned, she bowed out in a big way as she left the swim, straight towards the snag island she had been trying to get to during the fight. We left that morning full of hope and cheer gagging to get back before we had even got our kit to the car park. We fished another couple of weekends right through to the freeze up in mid January,

getting out past the marginal ice

this was to last for about three weeks, and by the time we were able to get back there, Ricks baby was well due and he didn’t want to be that far away, which was fully understandable. It was to be late February when we could make another visit.

Boy was this place hard. We had fished Friday till Sunday morning for the last 10 weekends, for one loss and a twenty, not counting numerous Coots, Grebes and Mallards, what have I got to complain about, well I hadn’t had a touch. Although it was winter I was used to catching carp in the heavily stocked club waters. I got us a guest permit for a day session on one of the club waters and sneaked us on the evening before, big mistake we got collared, and I was shortly after kicked out of the club, oh well you live and learn. Anyway this was the break away from these smaller waters that I needed. It was the silty mere or bust from now on.

March came and was nearly over before fish started to get seen and caught, one chap had shown up regularly again and was starting to catch in the shallows, this had to be worth checking out. Seeing as when we plumbed it we found no more than 18 inches of water we had discounted the peg as useless. Big mistake, this chap had 14 fish in a 5 day session! Good angling. His catch comprised mainly of the newest stock fish  ‘the Simo’s ‘ with a couple of the ‘ocean fish’ stock and a twenty. We were never sure which one it was, he’s a quiet one that lad.

By mid April I was starting to feel like there was something seriously wrong with my rigs, Rick had had a good session on the shallows with a few Simo’s and  a heavily plated mirror at just over 20lb. I had started to fish tench corner again as often as I could get on it as the weed had died off during the winter and hadn’t started growing back just yet. Whilst my rods were out, I got up into the alders at the edge of my swim and had a look about with the polarising glasses on. There was my braid going out to my lead core and rig and bait, all nice and visible. Shit this was 30 yards out, if I could see it then I’m damn sure the carp could see it too, that would explain the couple of times fish had bowed out from in front of me. Down the  tree I went and dragged all the rods in. Gutted, had I been wasting the last 5 months? I went and chatted to Rick, telling him of my predicament.

OK, shock leaders on to start with, we had a look at the rigs in the water, much better at least the braid stopped 6 yards away from my rigs. After a few other refinements comprising of me coming off braided hook-lengths and going onto combi rigs with 2 inch supple braided hook-lengths, I was reasonably happy to put this set up in the water, it was pretty much invisible from the point where the shock leaders joined the braid, my confidence was back. A week later saw me back on tench corner, fishing 2 rods at range where we had seen fish regularly show in the last few weeks, brimming with confidence, all rods in, baited and settled. With no other anglers near on this bank, except Rick fishing on peg 2, I had quite a large area to myself. 

Once the old close season had arrived, so had a lot of lads from a local big fish circuit water, the lake was very busy with all pegs taken by the Friday evening. Two people we spoke to and got on well with, Chris and Rob, both seemed pretty sound lads. Well between myself and Chris, nobody else had fished tench corner for weeks, he had been catching a few good fish from range and the occasional fish off a small set of reeds next to the peg. This weekend he had seen some fish moving on the far bank and gone round to the back wall.

               

Friday came and went uneventful as usual, this was becoming routine, Mid-day Saturday and I’m lounging in the sun with my chair next to the rods, watching, when a good fish rolled where I was really sure I had a bait. The bobbin hit the rod and went off on one. The line ripping off the spool, I had forgotten what I had to do! Seconds went by when I finally got to grips with rod and fish, this was a lump!

                Rick had seen what had gone on from his peg, dragged his rods in and arrived before I had the fish under control, with net in the water he crouched patiently for me to tire the fish out, in first time, Yessss! A silty mere 20 for sure as my first fish. I lost the plot and Rick had to do the weighing and treating, good lad. All I had to do was hold it for the camera. The fish had a huge frame for its weight and had a two tone colouring. It was recognised as one of the originals and weighed in at 22lb exactly.

22lb 

Elated we slipped her back and watched her swim away unperturbed by what had just happened to her. Me, I was a mess. We sat, and I smoked, and drank coffee. I couldn’t even be bothered to bait up and recast. I said a strange thing to Rich as we sat   ” How big are the biggies going to look !!”

About 40 minutes later as we were still chatting I got a bleep on my other range rod, as I turned to look at the bobbin the whole rod shook and the alarm started to scream and the reel give line, lots of it. A bow wave cut across the lake heading out towards the middle, I was not ready for this, my arm still hurt. With words of encouragement from Rick, I made a better job of playing this fish and soon had an enormous fish ploughing up and down the margins in front of us, not wanting to give itself up.

Minutes later she rolled into my net, Rick lifted and let out a shout, “you got the big girl mate”,  we placed her on the mat and settled her down, gradually pouring water over her, she was long and deep, I had never seen a fish of these proportions outside of magazines. I trembled so much during the weighing that Rick did a proper job and she finally settled the scales round to 29lb exactly, a personal best at the time.

 

29lb and a personal best fish 

After a couple more long blank weekends of watching fish at range, I felt as though a change was in order and decided that maybe a roving approach might be worth a shot, with maybe some surface fishing thrown in. After yet another strip down of the kit I was ready to go at them again, wherever they were to be found. I arrived equipped with a couple of kilos of dog biscuits which I was sure would get them up on the top in the fine sunny weather we had been having. Upon arrival at the shallows I could see maybe ten to fifteen fish cruising around in the shallow water, they were following the light breeze and looked like they were feeding, on closer inspection I could see areas that were clouded up, definitely feeding ! Brimming with hope and confidence I flicked out some surface baits, these drifted over the heads of the fish and were completely ignored, time and time again I fired out these irresistible morsels only to see the fish show no interest whatsoever in them. Time for a rethink.

I put out three rods, one to the little island on the left, one at about 60 yards and the other in the margin, tight on the reed bed to my right. After putting out some pellets to the marginal swims I sat back and got all my bits sorted. A few hours before darkness and I still had not had a touch. Yet the fish were happily cruising around the vicinity of all three baited spots,. They must be having it at night I thought. Rick arrived at about 6 pm, saw all the fish in my swim and left me to it, wishing me lots of luck. He made the walk to the back wall promising that he would see me in the morning. Darkness came along with the rain and wind. Just before midnight I received a run from the little island on my left, the fish fought hard and I was pleasantly surprised to find a small stocky, lost in the bottom of my landing net, nevertheless on the scales it went, for its size the fish weighed a staggering 9lb 12oz. A quick photo on the mat and back it went. This was certainly a fish for the future.

At daybreak I came to realise that the fish that had been in front of me the previous day had left in the night. I searched the area thoroughly but could see nothing. A move seemed in order. I wrapped my kit and started to walk to the back wall to join Rick. Passing Chris on peg 3 on the way, he mentioned that a big fish had crashed out in the early hours of the morning in tench corner. Seeing as I was passing the swim I decided to pause and have a good look around. Up into the alders I went, and upon looking down into the water I saw a couple of fair sized fish at about 60 yards out over a clear patch. They seemed preoccupied, with their heads down, puffing up great clouds of black silt. That’s enough for me. As I climbed down out of the trees a fish bowed out from the reeds under my feet in the margin, it was the big common! How had I missed that? It went about 30yards along the bank to my left and stopped, turning out into the lake. That was it I’m in here I thought and proceeded to set up. Rods out to the clear patch and a lovely tight margin to my right. The margin was baited up with a load of big halibut pellets over a bed of smaller pellets.

Throughout the day fish were seen coming in and out of tench corner on a regular basis, but I didn’t see any sign of the common again. I had tried surface fishing for much of the day but could not get the fish to respond, they would not even take any of the free offerings. A couple of the regulars told me that these fish are never caught off the top. This I like to hear from anglers as I feel that most of them will have given up trying, I have never failed to catch on any lake using this method, although often it takes great effort. Time ran out, darkness fell and into the bag I went.

                

At some point before first light on the Sunday morning a roaring take on the marginal rod saw me out of my bag with a rod fully curved round and a fish belting off towards the reeds 60 yards away, there was no slowing it. The fish reached the sanctity of the reeds and went solid, with patience and constant pressure it came out and went haring off up the lake, for no apparent reason the fish shed the hook, and left me gutted. I reeled in the rod and threw it against the bivvy. Thankfully no one had seen the happenings. A quick check on the time and I had another two hours before daybreak. I climbed back into the sack and lay there, sure that I had just lost my prized common. After a few minutes I decided that I should get up and recast the rod into the margins again, so after drilling and mounting another pellet I re-positioned the rod. On went the kettle and a smoke was rolled.

Light was creeping in when the same rod buried round to the right again, I was ready this time as the fish roared off. Again it flew out towards the reed beds, you aren’t getting there this time thought and started to apply pressure to the rod, the fish fought for what seemed like an eternity before things were going my way. Finally the fish was turned and into the net it went, a quick glance told me it was big. Whilst unhooking it I noticed a very fresh, bleeding tear in the opposite side of its mouth . Was this the same fish as I had lost earlier? Nobody else was up and about, I like to think it was the same fish and not my sought after common. Into a sack it went and after tying it up tightly in the margin along the bank I went to find someone to photograph it. A bloke who I have never seen before or since, did the honor's and we weighed the fish at a little over 20lb. The fish was a mirror, with the biggest pectoral fins I had ever seen, no wonder it went off at the speed it did.

20lb and ounces

I was elated, photos done, fish returned and I was off round the other side to see Rick. The fish turned out to be another of the originals and was carrying extra weight, usually it showed at about 18 and a half pounds, Andy was happy to find out that it was putting on weight as he told us it hadn’t gained much weight in a decade.

Over the next two weeks I had seen the common many times and always in the same spots. That was it I thought I’m on to something here. Two weeks of blanking in the same peg saw me confused and brought back down to earth. I arrived on the Friday to find a new bloke on the lake, in tench corner, I chatted and found out he was only doing the night as it was his first session, so I set up in the adjacent swim ready for a move the next morning. As daylight broke on the Saturday morning I heard the sound of an alarm that wasn’t mine, I looked out to see this bloke playing a good fish under his rod tip. I ran out to help and got the net ready, gutted, I saw what he had on, my much wanted common, I could have cried. That’s it till later in the year I thought. He soon had the fish on the bank and after weighing her at 27lbs, I took the photographs for him and back she went. This chap started to wrap up, saying that he wouldn’t be back as that was the only fish he had come for ! I moved into the peg straight away and proceeded to blank for the rest off the weekend. The following few weeks saw the common get caught every time i was there to whoever was fishing near me, but never to me, Chris had it feeding on maple8 boilie’s at about 2 foot from the bank in the same spot on a daily basis and he was soon to catch the magnificent fish at a weight of just over 27lbs. Would it ever be my turn?