Well the opening my clubs 2016 season started with me attending the opening as a spectator. I joined the 9 anglers  for the pre fishing BBQ. The draw had been made with the swims being divided up.

With the rods cast out the first fish fell to Phil in swim 10 followed minutes later by his brother in swim 4, followed by Tony in 5. 3 fish out in the first 40mins.

Many more fish were caught by the anglers through the upcoming days with top rods going to the brothers, with Phil taking an impressive 25 fish haul in 5 days. Ralph topped out with the biggest fish with the first 30lb from swim 2.

I got to the lake on Wednesday morning after a night shift and jumped into swim 4 knowing that fish were coming from the back margin. Phil was the only angler left on the lake and watching him catch repeatedly was fantastic and has off to him for getting it right. I opened my account at 15:35 with my first fish coming from off the back of the pads after Phil had left a nice 14lb7oz mirror.  The forecast for the rest of the day was rain which was a complete change for the glorious sunshine of the previous days. Steve Sturt joined me in the rain and promptly set up in swim 5. While ducking the rain showers I picked up my second at 20:15 a lovely looking zip linier mirror weighing in at 20lb6oz from in front of the willow tree.

My next fish came at 01:45 form the willow again another 20 pounder. This one was a mirror weighing in 20lb12oz. Steve then picked up his first fish a 17lb8oz mirror at 5am this was followed by me taking an 18lb10oz mirror off the far bank. The morning weather had cleared up from the previous day’s rain and the lake was looking lovely, the water had taken on a little colour from the rain but was still relative clear compared to previous years. Steve continued to catch with a 25lb8oz mirror at 11:15 the closely followed at 12 noon a 28lb4oz common. Steve believes that this may have been a new PB for him.

We were joined by another 2 anglers during the morning Neil Beaumont and James Eglinton.

Neil chose swim 1 and James swim 6. The next fish fell Karl who had popped up for a couple of hours fishing. My next came with a repeat capture of a long common that gets mistaken for the long common. It weighed in at 28lb14oz which was about ½lb down on Karl's capture of it on Tuesday at 29lb9oz. I weighed it on 2 sets of scales dial and digital with both giving the same reading.  This fish is now has some distinctive splits in its tail as well as the growth on the upper part.

Another day drew to a close with James in swim 6 taking a couple of nice fish. A hearty dinner and celebratory beers were downed. Bed was calling and unbroken night’s sleep was had by both Steve and me. I was woken at 05:20 to a take which resulted in another common of 14lb12oz which rounded off my session of 6 fish. Steve later had a 24lb Common to cap off his tally of 4 fish.

James left the lake that morning saying he had a total of 5 fish. We left leaving Neil in swim 2 with a possible move to 4-5 on the cards. It was a great time with good company and some good fish.

Some of the fish are showing clear signs of spawning with scales missing and marks down the flanks, ad some of the females letting some eggs go while in the net which could explain the drop in weight for the big common I had. I plan to get back over there during next week for a couple of hours. Fingers crossed to catch some more and maybe if I’m lucky I can christen my new rod n’ reel.

A 17 hr session

So on Monday evening I pack the car with the gear and head on out to the lake for a overnight session. Having spoken to another member, I was informed that the fish still hadn't spawned and that there was no one else on the lake. a quick pit stop at Salisbury's for some milk and food and into Johnson Ross for a new weigh sling getting the Trakker sanctuary.
I arrive at the lake to find 2 cars in the car park. I load up the barrow and my mate I spoke to earlier arrives and unpacks. I head out to the lake finding a guy set up in the far end of the lake in a swim I didn't fancy. I plum for swim 6, a swim I have caught in many times before. I set up the rods with a Mainline Cell wafter on a semi still D'rig with a COG lead setup cast out to the pads. and the second a coated braid KD rig with a Cell barrel and 10mm milky toffee snowman style, again attached to a COG lead and cast to open water. Dad arrived with tonight's dinner of Fish n' chips.

I scattered a few dog biscuits to try and tempt them up in the water. I only succeed in feeding the wild fowl. While having a coffee I hear a noise that sounds like my baitrunner going! I look down and notice that my line is tight and the rod tip bouncing. I strike into a fish but it heads straight to the lillys embedding its self. I eventually loos the fish to the hook like breaking. The reason I didn't hear the alarm go was due to the batteries running out on me.
I re-rig and bait and cast back out adding a few fee offerings. I settle down for the night. Nothing wakes me apart from the cold air and the need for a wee. 4am rolls around and nothing. The kettle goes on and I watch the water. fish had been crashing, head & shouldering out up in the far end in front of the other angler. the morning goes by without a bite. So I pack up with the result of a lost fish to be had. Not the trip I was expecting but there is always a next time.

I plan to upgrade my Korda Stow bobbins to the mk2 version that have just been released as they have a improved line clip and a coloured body. The other the other piece of tackle I'm looking at upgrading are my alarms. I currently use Fox MXR that I have had for a number of years now. There is nothing wrong with these at all. I just want something else form my alarms that these don't give me. What it is I'm after is being able to see the LED indicator from either side of the alarm, which these only have on the left side. So what I'm looking at are the ATT underlit alarms but at £300 for 3 and the receiver its a bit pricy. I have seen the new Pro-Logic SMX which have the added benefit of having sound out of the head and build in snag ears which have L.E.Ds i the top indicating a forward and drop back bites. and only cost £150. Choices choices.

20th May - 22nd May – First session of the new season. Having had the last 2 years off through injury and operations to my bicep and shoulder, I panned a 2.5 day trip to the Lake. Tackle packed (too much as always) and off I went after a busy nights work. I arrived at the lake at about 07:30 with no other cars in the car park. Surprised at this I loaded the barrow and made tracks to the lake. The sun was out, giving the lake that attractive early morning look. I dropped the gear off by swim 4 and had a look around the lake for signs of the fish. There was one cruising the island between swims, and 3 fish doing the same by the small set of pads in front of another swim up th eother end of the lake. Not having any dog biscuit with me I fired out a few small pop-ups to see if they were in the mood. Not a sniff. I decided to plump for a swim in the middle as this gave me lots of water to fish as well as being in a great place for fish traveling between the 2 ends of the lake.
Having unloaded the barrow and getting the new 9ft 2¾lb Scope rods out, it was time to decide where to fish to. I baited the left hand rod with an 18mm Cell topped with a ½ 10mm white milky toffee. This was baited onto a Korda size 6b KD rig with a stick mix (crumbed cell, Cell pellets, desiccated coconut, and syrup). This was cast out to the edge of the pads in the middle of the lake over towards swim to my left, knowing that if someone came into that swim I’d have to move it. I toped this up with 20 free offerings scattered over the area.
The second rod was a homemade coated size 8 KD rig wit 3 grains of slow sinking plastic maze. This was also on a 2½oz COG lead system. A mesh PVA bag of maze & hemp was swung out 15yrds just to the right of the tree in the margin.
At 11:20 the left hand alarm sounded and line tearing off the real. I struck into a fish which went straight into the pads. Managing to get it out it took me on a merry dance in the margins to my left. After having worn it out in the net it went. Up on the scales at 20lb 14oz liner mirror dark top and lighter bottom half.
I was joined by my dad who jumped into the swim next to me so we could have a social. A couple of trophy shots and back t went. Rod re-bated and out again with a scattering of free offerings. The day passed with the sunshine being broken by the odd cloud and the rain holding off.
Dinner was made and I settled down for the evening. Then at 20:50 the left rod beeped into action again. This one didn’t fight as hard as the first keeping its head down until the gulp of air before the net. Onto the back it went and weighed in at 21lb 2oz mirror carp.
A couple of photos and back it went. Rod rebated and out to the spot aging. With that to bed it was. Nothing disturbed my sleep until the phone goes with the kids wanting to know how many fish I had caught. The day progressed with some nice weather. Others soon joined us on the lake.
Another member went into the swim to my left which meant I had to move my left rod on the pads, but I knew this when I put it there so wasn’t to disappointed (I did manage to get 2 before no5 was taken)
No other fish were to grace the bank for me during the rest of my stay. Which ended on Friday lunchtime.
A good start for me I think. Will need to up my game plan a bit for the rest of the season. I think the odd stalking/floater session after or before work will be the order of the day to winkle out a few more.

Hanging up the rods for now

Well having taken to a little lure fishing over the winter and only a landed baby Jack to my name from the Lee in Ware I now have to hang up all my rods till the start of the new season.

I have just had an op on my casting shoulder to grind a bit of the collar bone away that was rubbing on my shoulder. Not currently being able to feel my arm (Due to anaesthetic) and not looking to being back fully fit till end if march. I'm gonna miss it that's for sure and not sure how much help ill be at work parties.

But here is look to the start of the 2013/14 season for me.

My Season so far.......

Well my carp fishing started this season with a 2 night stint on my club water on opening night in May.
I arrived to find that there would only be 4 of us fishing the opening. We all lugged our gear to the BBQ area for the annual BBQ that starts the season off. With a few pound of meat and bread devoured by us we set about the draw. 
My membership card was first out of the hat and with that i plumed for a swim that gave me the middle of the lake. It had open water with a gravel bar about 40 yards out, a lily pad bed to the left of my swim about 30 yards into the middle, and another couple of pads to my left & right in the margins. I chose this as I have had success in this swim before and also because having the middle of a dog bone shaped lake meant that fish traveling from one end to the other would have to come through my swim and hopefully past my baits.
With the swim set up and rods baited up with Cell dumbbell hook baits and small PVA bags of crumb/pellet/Goo hooked up and ready to cast out, I waited for the 18:00 start. It came and the first rod went straight out to the gravel bar followed by about 30 free offerings scattered around the area.
The second rod went towards the pads in open water again with about 30 freebies.With the rods out and my season under way I sat back and waited.
The first fish of my 2012/13 season came at 01:45 in the shape of a 27lb mirror form my first rod in open water. I was using Mantis with a size 8 hook tied knotless knot and a 2½oz lead fished on a lead clip.
With the fish photographed and back in, I re-set the rod and cast back to the same spot and added another 15 scattered boilies. Back to the sleeping bag only to be woken at 04:35 by a nice 4lb Tench on the same rod. Fish returned and re-baited I was greeted by at 20lb 1oz mirror at 05:39 and another at 06:40 weighing in at 22lb 2oz. Both photographed and returned. I set about ready for a day of action.
I was wrong, nothing came until 2150 in the shape of a 19lb 2oz mirror again to the open water rod. I re-baited and went back to sleep. I was woken by my neighbour catching from the other side of the pads I was fishing to with my second rod.
Well no other fish to me through the night. The next one to grace the bank for me was at 10:15 from my second rod against the pads to my left in open water. This was a nice 23lb3oz mirror. This also fell to a Cell dumbbell hook bait with a PVA bag attached.

That was the only fish that I had on my first session.

I returned to the lake a couple of months later due to work around the Olympics. A Clear warm September day found me in a different swim. This one was at the beginning of the lake. It has a small set of pads about 20 yards to my left in the middle and a reed fringed island about 25yrds to my right.
I sent the first rod out to the island baited with Cell again and the second to the pads to my left. I used the same baiting plan as the opening session. I was rewarded with a run at 02:15 where a 18lb leather carp ended up in the net. That was the only fish of the 33hr session.
I have been a couple of times since with no luck. 

Now that the cold and wet weather has set in I have temp hung the carp rods up in favor of trying my hand at Pike & Perch fishing.
I will pen some details of how this is coming along later. In the mean time Tight Lines

About Col

First about me.
 I’m a 36 and I started fishing with my dad back when I was 12 on the boating lake at Alexandra Palace, London. Taking up general course fishing first then after seeing someone catch carp on sweetcorn at Boxers Lake, Enfield, I was in inspired and soon followed suit. And to say I caught the carp bug was an understatement.
 Dad soon followed and we moved onto other waters once our skills increased. We fished Walthamstow to not much success on and off (as it was a local & cheap water). We fished Birds Green in Ongar, Essex. This was back when the lakes had just started up and loved the fish that we were catching. We would go to Cuttle Mill for a couple of days each year and have had mixed success there. Will still try to get back up there.

I then Joined a small club water and have loved every session since.