Well that year passed quickly, unlike the journey to Linear Fisheries which took me six hours that should have been no more than three. Ro I was a bit late to the party, our fishing partners had been drawn out a few days earlier, so just needed the draw for swims. James Dixon my fishing companion for the weekend had that in hand, we had drawn a decent area on Brasenose 2 in the far corner 40 to 42. It was the longest walk from the van, sods law kicking in again as I didn’t think I would need the barrow. James chose 42 as it offered some good areas in the corner of the predicted wind direction and me in 40. Well 8,000 steps later I was all set up ready to start fishing so I did get my 10,000 steps in for the day LOL. Inbetween trips back to the van I had spotted a few fish in close, just behind the strip of marginal weed. So after every lap I trickled a few 10mm baits into the areas where they were showing.
First Carp of the Day
The kettle was on, ready for a long awaited cuppa and some food. Well the kettle didn’t get chance to boil as the left hand margin rod was away. After a very good fight in and out of the weed, James was on hand with the net as I walked backwards and the fish was gently eased into the waiting net. We weighed and photographed our first carp at 18lb. As the night progressed it was clear some of the smaller carp were spawning in front of both our swims. We both wound in and let them get on with till just after mid-day on the Saturday. The spawning had stopped by then and the consensus was around the lake that it was just a few of the smaller fish having a go, out of the three thousand estimated carp in the lake.
By mid-afternoon we had the opportunity to feed some floaters as fish were showing normally a bit further out. They didn’t take them so readily in the breeze blowing towards us, they definitely like the mixers just behind the wind in the calmer water. We tried for an hour or so with no luck, James then tried a bait just sinking off the controller and had a take first cast with a lovely 27lb mirror but unfortunately the fish didn’t show to the floaters after that capture.
The social was around 5pm with food which we were both looking forward to. With a few signs of the smaller fish starting to spawn again in our margin, I decided on the much talked about three rods on the same spot. Spodding twenty plus spods to an area that I’d found out in the lake that was a foot shallower than the 11ft all around. I had prepared some Hemp before the weekend along with different sized pellets, scalded with boiling lake water and some crushed boilies. They all went on the spot, ready for the return after the social which was set up between the lakes 1 & 2 .
Some old stories were swapped along with our Nick’s version of the castable Hawke to deter the seagulls when floater fishing. We had the real thing in our swim with lovely red Kite circling our end of the lake. It’s uncanny how Nick talks and sounds like Paul especially when he calls out “Treverrr” after I had walked past him in his unmistakable northern accent.
I’m not a drinker, so I sloped off a bit earlier to get the 10 mm hook baits with size 8 hooks in position for the night ahead. As I got back to my swim, the carp were very active again in my margin with some in the rushes, so fishing out in the pond was a good call earlier. As I settled back after getting the hook baits on the spots, the sound of friends telling stories could be heard in the distance, all the time getting less and less until all went quite on the lake. As I was about to settle back, the right-hand rod was away, another lengthy battle ensued. James and a friend who had travelled up to see him walked into the swim on their way back from the social, with the same walk-back tactic into James’ waiting net.
Nice 27lb Mirror
A quick weigh and photo and away went a lovely 27lb mirror carp. By now the full moon was out and getting higher in the night sky, lighting up the lake like it was daylight. No more action for either of us during the night or next morning. So getting my steps in again and ferrying all the gear back to the car park, I stopped off to see Mogale further down the lake who said Micky Bullen had turned up after I had left the social who I hadn’t seen for many years. So I went off to find him for a good old catch up. Meanwhile Dee had got the fish going on the top and Dave put out the call for anyone who hadn’t caught, could catch one in their swim where the calm water was now full of carp. As I left for home there had been sixteen carp caught from the surface with everyone joining in the fun.
Already looking forward to next years event, while raising money for MND a very worthy cause and something close to me, losing Paul and two other fishing friends now battling the crippling disease.