"Silty Mere" pt 7

We were loaded up by 9.05 and on the motorway by 9.10am. The following 50 minute drive was to prove slightly shorter than usual, even with a 50mph stretch of the M53. We signed in with security and were crossing the fields by 10am. After dumping all the kit onto peg 1 we decided to have a good mooch round. After all, there was no rush, we had four nights and five days. We had got it right, everybody had gone home, with the exception of Ian on the back wall. We knew Ian had already been on the lake for five days with only a single tench and a pike for his troubles, yet every thing looked perfect. We opted to fish from the back wall having seen what we though were fish moving at a good distance out. Dropping the adjacent swims either side of Ian, this looked like it was going to be a social evening. Ian, at this time, was contemplating going home in the morning which meant Rick and I could double up in the big peg. Until then I would fish the stump swim. I was happy about this as it was off the reed bed opposite me that the ‘Pretty One’ was last to be caught the previous autumn.

I began my session with the application of 5 kilos of hemp and pellet mix. This was spodded into a reasonably hard clay area about 60 yards out with deep silt surrounding it. A few 21mm pellets were catapulted on top and a rod dropped nicely on the right hand side of the baited area. The second rod was fished about 80 yards to the corner of the reed bed on a halibut boilie and the third rod was thrashed out towards the large clay area in the central area of the lake, on a single 18mm Maple8 boilie. A few baits were sticked out towards where the lead had landed and I was pleased to see all the baits were to land within a few yards or so of my hook bait. I was fishing this at the back of Ian’s swim slightly, but it was out of his casting range so it felt sort of justified.

As twilight crept in, all the rods were re-positioned with fresh hook baits and the traps were set. After a chat and brew we were all surprised at the lack of nuisance fish. I turned in early that night as I was tired and struggling to keep my eyes open. 11.30 and I was being woken by Ian telling me Rick had the common in his net. I struggled to wake and get out of my bag, but knew how much I had to. I approached Rick and shook his hand, smiles all round. Up she went taking the Reuben’s round to 24lb 2oz, a little under weight, but in excellent condition. Waking to the alarm clock on the mobile at 5am on the first morning of a 5 day was a little upsetting but up I got. A quick scan of the lake surface and I could see nothing. I sculled my rods in one at a time and put out fresh baits. Whilst doing this I heard what could only have been Ritchie casting a bait to a long range mark, once I was done I went to see him with cup in hand. A glance at his face and I knew I hadn’t dreamt the common. Drinking coffee and crouching in the dark watching a glass flat lake surface as dawn creeps on can teach you a thing or too about carp, as light filtered through we were sure we could see one or maybe even two carp cruising just below the surface at about 100 yards away straight out from us. They were definitely on the silt patch. By 10am even Ian had risen from the depths of his sleeping bag and we still had not had a touch. Well, other than tuftie’s and coots which were all over my hemp mix, I decide a wander was in order. Nobody had been near the shallows since we arrived and with the sun on the water I felt like it was worth a look. Rick joined me and we were soon clambering the stile to tench corner. We got to the shallows to find two stock fish about 10 yards out from the little island and a few other fish cruising a range. A move seemed in order already. As we turned to head back a fish chose to announce its location off the smaller set of reeds about 90 yards out from the bank. Three times it lumped out. That was enough for me. Within the hour Rick and I had stripped my kit and bundled it round to the shallows to find even more fish had moved in. He had decided to stay put on the back wall. Having had the common straight off, in his position, I think I would have done the same.

My left hand rod was cast to within inches of the overhanging branches on the little island, with a 21mm hook bait pellet and pva bag of 4mm pellets. The middle rod was fished on a Maple8 boilie with a 3 bait stringer, tight to the reeds where the carp had shown itself, and the right hander was thrashed to the sunken island 140yards away again on Maple8 but this time with just a single hook bait as a stringer would stop me getting the range on my cast. Instead I used the throwing stick to get some freebies out to about 90 yards, even the 18mm baits would go no further. All day long the fish were coming in and out of the shallows cruising in what seemed to be threes and fours. This had to go off, surely.

By late afternoon a light breeze had sprung up from the south west pushing water slightly in towards me. This was looking good. I could still see the occasional carp on the back of the wind in the flat water but there did not appear to be the numbers that had been here earlier. By darkness the water had flattened off and I was worried that they may have followed the breeze. I could see nothing. I could not even move back to the far bank as Rob had arrived around 7pm and dropped into my peg from the previous night.Wednesday morning and again I was up before the dawn chorus. As light levels rose I thought I could see fish out towards the sunken island so out went fresh baits. As the suns rays started to break through the haze thick, low, cloud cover arrived, creating a cool morning, this was soon followed by a south westerly breeze. Not good spotting weather at all. By 6.30am I was on my third coffee and hundredth prayer to the Pretty One or any other carp that may take a fancy to my baits. Come to think of it even a tench would be a start. Still seeing nothing, and nowhere to make a move to, I decided to put out a bed of 70, 21mm halibuts, at about 50 yards, directly in my vision, hoping to stop any greedy pigs in their tracks. These baits were in about 2 foot of water so I should see anything showing an interest in them. If this was to be the case then I could quite easily drop lead sizes and get baits amongst the fish with little or no disturbance.

11.25am and my middle rod, at the reeds, received a single beep, followed by a fast drop back, immediately I was on it and soon picked up enough loose line to come into contact with a solid fish, this was no tench. After a short but spirited fight a superb linear stock fish lay on my mat. Weighing in at 13lb 12oz, not a large fish, but I was overjoyed. After the photography was completed, thinking it was a repeat capture, I got my pictures out to find it was a different fish to what I though. Chuffed.

By mid afternoon I decided to reel in and go and see Rob and Rick, after a quick social and a brew I headed back towards my peg but this time going over the fields so I could get some freebies out over the trees, nice and tight on the reed bed where I had had the fish from. Once done I went back and repositioned the hook baits back onto their spots.

The sun broke through and soon after Rick hooked into a big fish, this turned out to be ‘Big scale’nice one Rick! Something stopped me from going round and seeing it. I don’t know why but I just didn’t bother, deciding to watch the weighing and photographing of the fish through my monocular. Shortly after the return and phone calls I was settling in behind my rods when one of the other regulars approached. I thought I saw my right hand rod twitch but then the other two rocked. Wind I thought. As he asked what it was Rick had caught, my right hander went off on a single tone run. This was an epic struggle as I had hooked the fish 10 yards off the snag island at about 140 yards out. I had it on a tight line from the off as the clutch was screwed right up. The stretch in the Daiwa sensor mono was doing its job nicely. Up and down it went along the island not trying to go in but also not coming any closer. Personally I don’t think it realised it was hooked. I had to put pressure on it. As I did so it started to turn in towards me and pick up speed, I struggled to keep it all tight but managed it, with some luck, I may add. Once it was within 20 yards of the bank it went ballistic. Coming right up out of the water, tail walking, was a big mirror carp. I could see the lead hanging off her chin and the little teeny size six peeking out of her rubbery lips. It didn’t look a very tight hook hold to me but thankfully into the net she went and out popped the hook. She had been netted well, up on the scales she went and at 25lb dead on.

This was an excellent weight for her. She was photographed by a newcomer to the lake, another Andy, a decent lad I had met quite a few times through the previous winter and early spring. I had learnt not to acquaint myself too readily on this lake as people came and went quite rapidly. Unbelievably as we were taking the photographs Rick was landing the dark scaley one on the far bank. This session was already looking promising.

As darkness started to creep up on us, baits were set for the night and being up at this end of the lake, alone I sat and brewed up, sitting on my unhooking mat watching the lake until the late hours when I finally dragged myself into bed. Thursday morning, same routine as usual, up early and sat on the rods. Just after first light a text from Ritchie reveals a new unknown twenty, 23lb to be exact. This fish was virtually identical to the one id had the previous day and so unsure of it we had to check Ricks pictures against the digital images from my capture the day before, Oh yes she’s different, just. I put another 70, 21mm pellets out over the same spot as yesterday just in case. If they don’t show at least it concentrates the tuftie’s and coots into one place. I had just finished a superb sausage breakfast whilst watching the reeds at the bottom end of the lake when I saw a very big fish crash out, I trained the monocular on the spot, up came the fish again. That’s enough for me. I wrapped the kit and made the move to the now vacant tench corner. As I passed one of the regulars he offered a hand and asked if I had ants in my pants. I told him what I had seen and he replied saying he could not be bothered moving again and I must be mad, he had left tench corner less than 15 hours ago. Twenty minutes later and I was in tench corner, scanning for any visible signs of carp. Up I clambered into the alders, but could still see nothing. I opted to fish two long rods over the silt bowl, and one towards the third platform off the reed beds. All were fished on Single 18mm boilie’s. As darkness fell the wind picked up pushing hard towards the reeds. The forecast was for rain and it was soon to arrive, not heavy but persistent.

5am and I am woken by the cessation of the rain drumming on the brolly. All was quiet, a scan of the lake and I could see it was flat calm. I swung my feet into my boots and threw the kettle on. Well this is it the last morning, come on fish, come on Pretty One! During the night I had seen a headlamp from across the lake where Rick was fishing and assumed he had landed a fish and would have it sacked up. I put my coat on and reeled all three rods I, re-baited and hung them on the rests. Grabbing my brew I walked round through the woods to go and get the photo’s done for him, I could then settle down for the last few hours of the session. I get round there to find he was recasting towards some fish showing at range, not far from where I had just dragged my rods from. Rick, it turns out, had lost the fish in the margins and had not received any other action all night. I scrounged a few boilie’s as I had about six left and that was it, I was off back to my rods. All were repositioned almost exactly the same positions as they were previously in.

At around 7 o’clock a fish visited my right hand margin where I did not have a hook bait, as I had opted to fish all 3 rods at range. Minutes later and it was back again. As it left I reeled in the right hand rod and placed it in the swim, surrounded by half a dozen crumbed baits. My eyes were closed when I distantly heard the unmistakable sound of a delkim. It was mine! Assuming it was the marginal rod I made a grab for it, suddenly realising the line was leaving the middle rod at a fast rate. I struck and smiled as I felt the pressure of a big fish. This was no stocky. After a hectic struggle I managed to manoeuvre the fish into the nearby margins, Andy was on hand with the net but the fish was having none of it. A quick sighting of a big yellow stomach and I said “ I think this is big scale, its going hard like big scale”, as the fish neared in front of the net I saw a series of huge moon scales on the fishes right hand shoulder. It was the Pretty One!

            I started to stress, she was punishing me up and down the margins always trying to turn out into deeper water and eventually i managed to guide her to the waiting net and in she went first time, Andy lifted and she was mine. A quick call to rick with the words “Pretty One” and as we sorted out mats, scales and the like he dragged his rods in and high tailed it round to us.

     What a fish, photo’s done and looking spot on she went back quietly and slid out of my hands seemingly without a care in the world. Oh yes and the weight 21lb 7oz.  

The following two weekends would see me start at the far end of the lake on tench corner for the day and night, then I would end up moving in the morning after sighting fish cruising in the shallows. Each time the move would produce fish soon after positioning baits along known patrol routes, the result, being a few stockies and the following weekend, an unknown fish at 19lb and a repeat capture of the damaged mirror at 18lb. Followed by another repeat capture of the small common. The fish were becoming easy to find and track around the lake, getting pick ups was becoming the norm in the sessions.