The Old Hall pt 10

Much of my time on the lake had been spent fishing at either end of the 4 acres, i had decided that i was going to fish the main body of water for a couple of sessions and it was with that in mind that i arrived and settled into the very first swim i had fished when i started the campaign last winter. Halfway down the footpath bank and tucked in between tall vegetation either side of the swim.

Once true daylight was upon me it was time to get the bulk of the bait out for the duration of the session. 2 kg of whole 18mm SAE B1 bacterias and 2 kg of the boilies crumbed up, the crumb was spodded out to around 40 yards to a tight area of approximately 2m square, the 18mm's were then scattered over the top and surrounding the area to create a 6m diameter patch. With 2 rods settled onto the zone, one in the crumb pile and the other offset on the outer left hand edge, it was time to sort the deeper margin swim out.

As daylight had come through i noticed the elderberry trees around the margin area i had chosen were in full fruit and i soon had around 4 kg of the little black berry's cleaned, mushed up and applied into a tight spot around a rod length out in front of the tree, followed by a few handful's of corn.
By mid morning the cloud had dropped and shrouded the lake in a very fine drizzle, it wasn't actually raining but everything was soaked and id forgotten to pack a coat leaving me a bit bivvy bound compared to normal! The low cloud stayed for the day , thickening and thinning depending on the strength of the northwesterly breeze. Autumn had definitely arrived.

The nature reserve was quiet with just a few dog walkers, the weather turning had definitely kept them at bay. The day passed without incident and with little signs of carp in the area. I spent some time during late afternoon scouring the lake for my quarry, but for all my efforts i didn't lay eyes on a fish. The left hand margin rod over the natural berry's had produced  a couple of slimey skimmer bream to around 3lb on corn baited rigs, but no other activity. As the evening drew into an early dark at around 7.45, and having had a long day i opted for an early night in the hope of being blasted out of my slumber with a fish. It was 4 am when the right hand rod over the crumb came to life with a few bleeps but no proper run, i hit it and what i initially thought was a bream, once under the rod tip, changed its behaviour and started to power off up and down the reed edges, it turned out to be a small, spawned on carp of 8lbs. A very scaley mirror carp and certainly a good looking fish for the future.

With the rod back on the spot with a 3 bait stringer to help keep the rig nice and straight during the cast i contemplated going back to bed but i was now wide awake and anxious to catch again. I didn't believe for one minute that the carp I'd had was the only one present in the baited area, and my confidence in catching a 2nd fish was high.
Daylight seeped through the blackness and another damp day arrived, in the couple of hours between the fish and dawn, i had seen and heard nothing. The swim, although only a little over 4 foot deep appeared devoid of activity, and i started to wonder if the take off the little carp had spooked any other fish away from the area.
With plenty of time for a hearty breakfast and few coffees before i would even consider re baiting up the rods the morning soon passed, again during this time the margin rod produced a couple of bream throughout the day but very little other activity from fish was seen. The misty rain passed by mid day but the breeze remained constant from the north east, the forecast was for a shift to north west mid afternoon which meant it would start to push directly in towards me. Perfect, as the fish in here seem to move onto a new wind pretty quickly but never stay on it for more than a few hours. I brought the rods in during the afternoon and put a couple of laps in around the lake, searching for these elusive fish. Nothing, 2 full laps without a sighting. had i seen anything to go at i was prepared to move, but as i had seen nothing i decided to stick it out over the bait and hope the wind pattern shifted. It did and with it the sun had burnt off the misty rain and the afternoon was soon heating up with the late summer sunshine, with the promise of a clear starry night ahead.

As the last of the evening light drew in, the mats and slings were dried off and stored away under the bed, trying to tempt fate into having to get them soaked again, all the rods were baited up and replaced onto the baited areas and it wouldn't be long before the left hand rod on the main area was off with a half decent bream around 5lbs . a quick re bait and recast, again with a 3 bait stringer, and the rod was set. I filled the kettle and lit the stove, but before it had boiled the bobbin on this same rod pulled up tight, but very slowly, god damn bream.

result

I lifted into it and immediately i realised this was no bream, although the indications on the bobbin was a typical  bite from them, The fish plodded and i knew it was decent, it was heading for the island and in the darkness i had no idea how close it was to it, i decided to lean against it to turn it back into the open water, it kited around and headed towards the reed lined margin to my right, came along it towards me, all the time thumping and shaking its head, trying to lose the hook, it passed over my other rods and suddenly the calm fight erupted and it decided to try for its freedom, out into the lake it steamed, the spool was a blur but it was starting to slow when it turned again to head to the island. I turned it again and this time the fish bolted towards me into the margins, it was tiring but it still powered up and down the deeper water in front of me, it just wouldn't come up over the margin shelf to the waiting net. In time it tired out and was soon gasping air and it slid across the net string and was captured.
A quick glimpse revealed a lovely common. quickly sacking it up in a retainer sling  while i prepared the camera kit and made a couple of calls. It wasn't long before he was weighed, photographed and slid back to his home. The rest of the evening passed and i was soon awakened to yet another bream of no great size. With a few more of these slimey bait stealers throughout the night i was soon waking to the dawn chorus and it was time to depart for home, i wasn't ready to leave, always wanting more than i can have but that's carp fishing for you !

20lb and ounces of ancient common carp