The Old Hall pt 5

Thoughts had been bouncing around in my head since i had returned home from the previous session, id had fish all over me in the shallows but i couldn't get the fish to feed. I was positive that they were only up in the shallow water to sunbathe and to receive the higher levels of dissolved oxygen in the water around the areas of the two streams. Id watched fish come and go from the area at regular intervals, but not once had i seen one drop down onto baited patches. This session i had already decided to opt for the deeper water at the opposite end of the lake, the forecast was for a little sunshine but with prevailing low pressure i was positive i would have more fish in the vicinity at the deeper end. New rigs were tied and a handful of premade pva bags were constructed in readiness for a 1.30 am arrival. I'd had a call off another syndicate member the day previously to say he had managed two stock fish in a quick overnight session, looks like i was correct and the fish were in the deeper water.

The journey passed uneventfully and i made good time, lugging the gear in total darkness into a peg i had previously fished, was a chore but soon out the way with, rods out into open water and one flicked down to the bottom end around 15 yards out from the reeds to keep things safely away from the boulders that cover the area. As i cleared the edges of the peg of brambles, to put the bivvy up, the reality hit home that i had dropped into the wrong peg. They swims on the lake are a tight fit at the best of times but this one i could just about manage to get set up in. With the bivvy at a crazy angle, leaning downwards, i had a slippery slope to slide down to the rods. After getting unpacked the kettle went on, with the first brew in hand and sleep beckoning me, the right hand rod went off on a powerful run.

Fantastic start, again the early arrival had paid off with an early session take. A good spirited fight ensued and i was soon the captor of a stock common of a little over 14lbs, with daylight due in a couple of hours i sacked the fish up in the retainer, sorted the rig out and got it back out in the general area it had come from.
It seemed seconds later when the dawn chorus would blast me out of bed and i soon had the fish photographed and returned.

14 lb 3 oz stocky common

With daylight soon full, the wind had picked up and was pushing to my right, the bottom corner receiving the full ripple, as the sun broke through the thin cloud, temperatures started to rise and a lovely spring day arrived. By mid morning the sun had been popping in and out from behind cloud cover and the promise of a hot sunny day soon dwindled as the cloud cover built up. I had spent a lot of time watching the shallows for signs that the fish were turning up but there was only ever the odd fish visible. Certainly not in enough numbers to warrant a move with the rods. Over the day i would see the odd fish show out in front of me, but there is so many bream to consider as potential culprits and none of the shows were definitely carp.

Evening drew on and while having a couple of cuppas with a visitor, were were watching a few fish show out in front of me, not too far off the heavily baited area. Earlier in the day i had applied round 2kg of the 16mm SAE Bacteria B1's,  I had been fishing just the one rod over it through the day and considered adding an extra hook bait to the area when a fish shouldered out and slid back in, right above the rig. With signs of other fish in the area i decided to leave things alone and not risk disturbing the fish. With my visitor about to leave the rod over this baited zone went off, with using a tiny back lead under the rod tips to stop the wildfowl catching the lines, the rod was frantically nodding towards the water, i lifted into it and the fish powered off, in no time it was wallowing around in the margins, then it woke up. After a few 10 yard dashes it was soon subdued and in the net. A mirror carp of 16lbs was the reward, and a lovely, long, but lean fish, that would turn out to be known as "chestnut". With the pictures done it was returned and powered out strongly. Perfect timing to have a guest with me, many thanks for the pictures mate

"chestnut"

The evening soon turned to night and it was time for some much needed sleep, id refrained from using the B1 pellet this session in a bid to try and keep the bream away as much as possible, opting for 16mm boilies to feed the swim and 18mm hookers on the simple 6inch blow back rigs, with large mesh bags of crushed boilies used on each cast. I like to make the bags really tight and also incorporate a few pva nuggets in there, once in the water these help the bag to explode outwards scattering the crushed baits into an area around 8 inches in diameter, my thinking behind this is that it gives the outward appearance of other fish having been in the area chewing up bait and it may help to keep the bream off the larger hook bait. Just after darkness a bream picked up the rig and hooked itself. Putting the rod back out i dreaded what the night may bring.

I woke at the dawn chorus and got the brew kit on. Sitting watching the misty water come to life as the first light crept through, and the right hand rod was away. Dropping the cup i scampered to the rods and was greeted with a powerful angry carp kiting towards the outlet, having to apply loads of pressure, i saw it finally turn and head out into open water, then the hook pulled. I was so gutted to put it mildly, my first loss and it had felt like a good one too, reeling in to find i hadn't hook pulled but the 25lb Fox Cortex hook link had been cut in half. I have to presume it had either been clipped on a mussel bed at some point or i had clipped one of the boulders and i guess the potential for one of those to have been in contact during the fight is possible, the  hook link finally giving out after putting so much pressure on it to stop the fish reaching the sanctity of the reeds in the corner near the outlet. Dejected i lost faith in the batch of rigs i was cycling through and started to build a new batch, the hooks were in excellent condition and in fairness the rigs all looked fine, but the fact they had been used put doubts in my mind so i had to start afresh.

Within 30 minutes i had readied another 6 rigs, 2 per rod, i have been fishing 16mm scuds on a pop up presentation as an alternative to bottom baits in the swims, just trying out various things to try and pick up bites, but so far all the fish i have banked have been on balanced bottom baits with a 10mm scud and all my fish so far have been hooked a long way back in the bottom of the mouth, so i am often reluctant to change, but when i do its a daytime change. The pop ups being white I'm sure they are highly visible in the clear water. I had been left a bag of the B2 off Scott to have a look at and give a try out but with my confidence so high using the B1 i couldn't bring myself to come off it and try them.

The day passed uneventfully, it had been brighter and warmer than the previous day, and after many excursions up to the shallows, with a thought to move up with the rods and minimal gear, that being the brew kit, if and when the fish turned up, but i was never seeing enough to warrant it, they weren't coming up here, I seemed to have got it right this session, 2 days of patchy spring sunshine wasn't enough to motivate the whole stock to ruck up up there. The jigsaw was getting some new pieces dropping in nicely. Content to sit it out for the duration now, i settled into the swim and opted to get another couple of kg of rolled bait out onto the middle rod, again refraining from adding the pellet, i'd had only 3 bream in 2 days, the rolled baits certainly not having the pulling power of the pellet to the slimey bait theives. Great news !

The left hand margin rod had not received a single line bite or any activity in 2 days so i gave it up to the ducks and opted to fish 2 rods over the large bed of bait, fishing this one right on the edge. The night came and went and again the cacophony of noise from the wild birds on the lake meant no lazy lie in for me. At least there was no way of missing my departure time the following morning. The rods had been silent through the night, not one bleep had come from the sounder box in the bivvy, the lack of pellet in the swim had certainly made a difference to the bream count, and i was getting some decent sleep. The wind had shifted from the north easterly that i had been sat in for the 2 previous days and was now predominantly pushing from the south, carrying a slightly warmer wind, although the sun was only occasionally breaking through the cloud. By mid morning the rods were refreshed and got back out on the same spots and the day passed away quietly.

Throughout the day , id made quick journeys to the shallows to find them devoid of carp, plenty of bream in the upper water layers but no sign of the ancient monsters that reside in here. I had kept my eyes on the water all day and seen little, until evening came, after a fine meal and cuppa, the carp suddenly started to show, all down the deep end with a hand full of shows over the bait area, and a couple of shows along the end wall where i had a rig. I finally succumbed and decided to give the B2 a whirl on this rod, after all it felt a bit rude that i'd had it for 3 days and not used it as yet. I baited up with 2x 16mm onto a long hair, crumbed a 4oz bag up with a couple of pva nuggets and flicked it further along the end bank, away from the other area i had been baiting. Running round i managed to get the remainder of the bait in, creating a small area of around a metre around the hook bait. At around 9.45 that evening this rod went into meltdown on a tightened clutch. I had not long retired to the sleeping bag, and when this went off the way it did, there was no time for shoes, out in the socks and i leaned into a lump, it was so strong, it powered away along the end bank and eventually after extreme pressure i managed to turn it into open water, it kept up the pressure and was soon on its way passed me to my left, heading up the lake, it finally slowed and turned on an arc and soon passed me again, this time doing its damnedest to reach the reed beds. After a few more short bursts it was nearing the net, so close to going in, but off it powered again, stripping 30 yards at a time, this fish was punishing me. I had little control and was on tender hooks after the loss the previous morning. On the fifth time of asking, the fish slid over the net and it was all over. Looking into the net i saw a long fish, securing it to the floor at the edge of the peg, i got myself organised with red headlight, camera, self take kit and sorted the mat and sling out, ensuring the spot was flat and safe, with the swim being so tight i had been doing my shots on the higher ground above the swim.

"Pale One"

Once on the mat and weighed at 16lb 3oz the common became placid and was no trouble at all during the quick couple of pictures i took and it was soon sat in my hands in the waters edge, regaining strength before, with a flick of the tail, it was off back to its home.

The rest of the night was undisturbed, the fish that had been in the area and over the big bed of bait had disappeared, i sat and watched the water for some time, enjoying a brew and a smoke, but i saw nothing, maybe the frantic fight had panicked them and scared them out of the area. Eventually i retired to bed contented, it had been a fantastic session if nothing else happened. Waking to a dawn chorus it was time to wrap and make the 90 odd mile journey home. I would later find out this fish is a stocky known as the "pale one"  that is going forward at a rate of knots, having gained 6lb in a couple of years, all i know is its given me one of the most memorable battles ive ever experienced in over 30 years carp fishing.