Up and running 

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First overnighter on ‘the’ lake and finally the final piece of the [Carp] puzzle fell into place – result. 

My first fish from the lake; it’s seems to have been a torturous journey to get here. This upper double mirror tripped up at 8am and fell to a single 18mm Triple N boilie tipped with buoyant corn on a KD rig, all presented over a few Spombs of boilie and particle. I kept the faith, kept it simple and kept believing in the bait.

But it didn’t always look like this first overnighter would end with a bite, let alone a fish in the net.

I arrived at 7pm and all bar two swims were occupied and this was a Thursday night!

Option one, No. 14 at the northern end of the lake, was near the pads and the party. Next door and in the next swim down a “social” was in full swing, with the bailiff holding court.

Option two, No. 8 at the southern end of the lake, was quiet but with limited water, having said that, a fella told me the carp were showing in that corner the previous night.

No. 8 it was and I went and chatted to the man around the corner in No. 9, to see where he was fishing – in my water was the answer! But he agreed to wind in his third rod, which was great.

The good side of carplife.

Out went the rods, one in the left margin and the other straight out (eight wraps). Slightly different baiting up, boilies only to the left and boilie and particle out front.

With the bivvy up, curry eaten and the coffee on, the angler in No. 7 was into a fish. A low double and I helped with the pictures – both sides – as he was sponsored by a bait company and needed to post everything on social media; yeah, yeah, yawn.

The modern side of carplife.

Then the bailiff arrived pissed in his nail of a car with a blown exhaust, not a great advertisement for the venue!

Now the night passed quietly [well at my end of the lake, but more of that later] without any liners or shows. I was up at 5am scanning the water. It had rained a little over night and the pressure was low, it looked good.

I had rebaited and recast at nightnight but was unhappy with the margin rod. I wound in and there was some debris on the KD so I switched to a Withy Pool and a white Mainline Banoffee pop-up.

I also wound in the right rod, rebaited with four more Spombs and in the morning light I was happier hitting the clip and thereby the spot.

The sunrise was red, very red, a shepherds warning if ever I saw one. Torrential rain was forecast for the afternoon and I started slowly packing away.

And then wallop I was in on the right. The carp came quietly to the margin and then started lunging left and right in the deeper water. It took two attempts to net but what a relief and what elation at finally having a carp in the net.

Pictures done, weighed (16lb 4oz) and back it went. It’s only after the fish is returned you think perhaps you should have taken a few more shots. I did resist the temptation to photograph its arse!

The odd side side of carplife.

Out went some more bait and the rig. From passed visits I knew that multiple bites were possible and sure enough after ten minutes the bobbin crashed into the right hand  blank.

This felt better initially, more resistant and then again no. What broke the surface shocked me – an eel! About a foot and a half long.

Figure of eight, in No.8

At that moment the bailiff appeared and his car now had a smashed windscreen and stoved in roof! He’d rolled it at the other end of the lake driving like a drunken loon. God help us if he’d hit an angler or a bivvy last night!

The ugly side of carplife.

By now I was done, and so were a couple of others, the antics of last night putting us off staying any longer and in some cases ever returning.

I think I’ll come back but not for another overnight. Don’t get me wrong a love a party but when I chose to fish that’s want I want to do.

Tightlines.