A few opportunist hours were planned for after work today, I didn’t know how the local lakes were looking or fishing but with the stalking gear loaded I set off just after midday in search of carp. I arrived at my first destination, Tithe Barns, and took a slow stroll around the top pond. Recently have enjoyed looking for and finding fish to cast to/trick rather than just picking a spot and fishing blind, I always like to have some kind of sign that lets me know there is something down there. The top pond was high, very high with all the rain we’d had, and also very coloured. I couldn’t see much more than an inch into the water and could see no fish or any signs of activity. There was nobody fishing the pond which was a good thing but the lack of visual made me want to jump back in the car and head for Carron Row, so that was just what I did.
Carron Row was a different scenario altogether, cars littered the car park and anglers sat on almost every peg. I walked past a few on my way to the third pond and was surprised to see nobody fishing it. Perhaps there was something they weren’t telling me! I did the usual tour of likely spots and found a couple of fish near the pipe by the pads. They semi spooked when I saw them but were milling around the pads and didn’t go too far. I deposited a little Bait on the spot and wet off for a stroll. The other pond was fishing slowly with only a few tench coming out all day. After a few brief chats I returned to the swim and gently crept close enough to see if they were tucking in. I couldn’t see too much at first as the water was the colour of chocolate milk but a few bubbles later I knew there was something have a munch.
I set up the Chapman and Leeds centrepin, a small float and baited a fairly large hook with a chunk of luncheon meat. Every so softly I lowered the rig on the spot and lay the rod on the ground with my hand hovering over it half expecting it to be away straight off. I sat for somewhere near an hour and only had one tremble at which I struck and reeled in a twig. It was pleasant sitting there though, it’s a favourite spot of mine where you can see right down the pond and observe all that’s going on. Two Canada geese were patrolling with their single gosling, almost in adult colours now with just a little fluffy stuff still showing. I felt for pond two in the hope that some of the swims had been vacated.
At first it didn’t look great, but after fishing a dodgy looking corner for twenty minutes I saw a guy start to pack away in the bin swim. By the time I wound in and got round there he was gone. There was a lovely undercut with brambles shielding the entrance just to the left of the swim quite close in, a spot that has produced for me in the past. I sprinkled a few pellets and a couple of chunks of meat on the area and plumbed the depth. It was quite deep here, around four feet, so you don’t get much indication that the fish are there, but the float knocks around when they are so I guess there is still some form of warning system.
I was fishing for about twenty minutes when the float sat fat on the surface, I waited a second or two and it gently up righted itself again and started to slide away, I struck and missed. A new chunk of meat was attached to the hook and I lowered the rig back into position. Another ten minutes passed and the float did exactly the same, only this time I connected and the old Chapman transformed once more into a living thing. I saw quite early on that the fish was a common, and not a particularly big one, but a very spirited fish which hung on for somewhere near fifteen minutes. In the net she looked lovely in the sun that had just broken through. I did a quick matt shot and slipped her back into the margin.
I continued angling the same spot for a further half hour, at 4pm I decided to get myself home as dinner would soon be ready. Plus I was back out fishing early in the morning. I’ll tell you all about that trip later......
Carron Row was a different scenario altogether, cars littered the car park and anglers sat on almost every peg. I walked past a few on my way to the third pond and was surprised to see nobody fishing it. Perhaps there was something they weren’t telling me! I did the usual tour of likely spots and found a couple of fish near the pipe by the pads. They semi spooked when I saw them but were milling around the pads and didn’t go too far. I deposited a little Bait on the spot and wet off for a stroll. The other pond was fishing slowly with only a few tench coming out all day. After a few brief chats I returned to the swim and gently crept close enough to see if they were tucking in. I couldn’t see too much at first as the water was the colour of chocolate milk but a few bubbles later I knew there was something have a munch.
I set up the Chapman and Leeds centrepin, a small float and baited a fairly large hook with a chunk of luncheon meat. Every so softly I lowered the rig on the spot and lay the rod on the ground with my hand hovering over it half expecting it to be away straight off. I sat for somewhere near an hour and only had one tremble at which I struck and reeled in a twig. It was pleasant sitting there though, it’s a favourite spot of mine where you can see right down the pond and observe all that’s going on. Two Canada geese were patrolling with their single gosling, almost in adult colours now with just a little fluffy stuff still showing. I felt for pond two in the hope that some of the swims had been vacated.
At first it didn’t look great, but after fishing a dodgy looking corner for twenty minutes I saw a guy start to pack away in the bin swim. By the time I wound in and got round there he was gone. There was a lovely undercut with brambles shielding the entrance just to the left of the swim quite close in, a spot that has produced for me in the past. I sprinkled a few pellets and a couple of chunks of meat on the area and plumbed the depth. It was quite deep here, around four feet, so you don’t get much indication that the fish are there, but the float knocks around when they are so I guess there is still some form of warning system.
I was fishing for about twenty minutes when the float sat fat on the surface, I waited a second or two and it gently up righted itself again and started to slide away, I struck and missed. A new chunk of meat was attached to the hook and I lowered the rig back into position. Another ten minutes passed and the float did exactly the same, only this time I connected and the old Chapman transformed once more into a living thing. I saw quite early on that the fish was a common, and not a particularly big one, but a very spirited fish which hung on for somewhere near fifteen minutes. In the net she looked lovely in the sun that had just broken through. I did a quick matt shot and slipped her back into the margin.
I continued angling the same spot for a further half hour, at 4pm I decided to get myself home as dinner would soon be ready. Plus I was back out fishing early in the morning. I’ll tell you all about that trip later......
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