Having started work at 3am and finished at 10:30, most
sensible people would have gone home to catch up on some sleep, but no, not I,
I had to grab the essentials for an afternoon’s stalking, besides, the sun was
shining, and on my local pools I knew just where the carp would be. Plus, the added
bonus that most folk would be at work.
I got to Tithe Barn and began trotting around the perimeter of
each pool, there were anglers present, but only a couple on the top pools, and
nobody on the bottom. The middle looked very quiet, the water was coloured, not
much weed was present and without the snags which were recently removed, it was
tricky to locate the fish. They’d obviously be amongst the pads, but they were
in their prime, and there was no way I’d be trying to extract a carp from them
bad boys. They’d also be on the bottom, but fishing blind on these trips isn’t my
game.
The top pool, however, showed signs, the same signs I saw a
few weeks back, great carp, twenties swimming around in and out of the weed,
pausing to nudge the fronds of willow, following each other out into the centre
channel and then to repeat the process. They were playing, busy frolicking and
certainly not feeding, at least not strongly. I did think though that they
might just snatch at a single piece of crust, so toured the lake looking for
fish, watching their directions and trying to cast baits a few metres beyond
their path.
I gave this a good hour, and in between visited the middle
pool also in the hope of seeing something; it only takes that one opportunity
to show itself to make a blank day a memorable one. By 2pm I sat with my back
against a large oak, ate my sausage bap and drunk some water. It was warm and
although I saw plenty of fish, they just wouldn’t play ball. I could have actually
fallen asleep against that tree, but I had a job to do, so soon enough I was up
and back on my travels. The bottom pool was worth a look.
I was glad to did; the surface was electric, lots of fish
moving, and mostly carp. Upon closer inspection is was clear that most of these
were small commons in the 2 – 4lb bracket, but I felt sure that with a little
searching I could find something a little more worthwhile. Having said that, a
fish under my belt would have been a good start, so I selected one of the
better commons, gently made a cast and tricked the little blighter into taking
it. Minutes later I had a perfect little carp on the matt posing for a photo.
It felt good.
With the little fish released I continued my stroll of the
bottom pond, without tackle, just a look. At the far end I stumbled upon a
slightly better common, but then caught sight of something larger and darker.
It looked as though it could be a mirror, nestled head first into some weed,
but the final two thirds of the fish looked very nice. I fetched my gear and
made a cast gently just beyond the fish, drew it back carefully and allowed it
to settle among some weed a few inches away.
The fish must have smelt it straight away, its tail flicked
and as it swam out from the weed backwards it came parallel with the crust.
Another fish, a smaller common, came over to inspect too, which could well have
spelt danger, but the mirror clocked his advisory and quickly sucked in the
crust before the other one had a chance I struck and the fun and games began.
The weed here is much less dense these days but still dense
enough for a fish to get wedged in. But, by keeping the carp moving I managed
to avoid said disaster and safely netted a gorgeous looking fish. It was a fish
I’d caught before, but when they look this good, and things are a little tough,
they really can brighten your day. I took a quick self-shot and was back off to
the top pools, brimming with confidence.
Things were pretty much the same as before on the top and
middle pools, carp were there, but either inaccessible or just not up for it. I
had fun for half an hour watching a shoal of bream try to eat a large lump of
crust, but that soon got old. Finally I decided to call it a day of Tithe Barn,
but that doesn’t mean going home, it was only 6pm, more than enough day left to
tempt one from Carron Row. Just down the road Carron Row was another venue with
multiple lakes to wander, and with more familiar spots to search out.
I arrived to find only 2 other cars in the car park, always
a bonus. I had a quick look at the first two pools, but it was the third I was
really interested in, that’s where the real gems live. I figured that with the
hot weather they’d be up at the shallow end, which means a stealthy approach,
the amount of times I’ve crept up quietly only to find massive bow waves
leaving just as I arrive. This time was no different, I couldn’t have been any
softer, but still they knew I was there.
I sat beside the lake, still as stone and ready to be called
into action at the drop of a hat. The fish came back after half an hour, but
upon close inspection I realised it was two small common so I upped sticks and
went in search their friends. A good stroll looking into all the likely spots
releaved nothing, I’ve seen it before where they just melt away and become invisible,
but I guess it keep things interesting. If they were easy to locate every time
I suppose it would get boring and no longer a challenge.
I ended on lake two, mostly containing small commons but I
was sure there was likely to be a surprise or two still lurking. I fished the
disabled swim; the right hand margin is very overgrown, and culminates in a
submerged tree that usually holds a few small commons. I made a cast with
double mixer and immediately small fish came up to investigate. The issue was
that most of the fish were too small to take in the double hook-bait, and it
being thrown about all over the place I watched the line instead of the bait.
Sure enough, the line tightened and started to take off
across the surface, I struck and wound down, but I just wasn’t quite quick enough,
the fish made the sanctuary of the underwater branches and broke me. It’s always
a sad affair to leave a hook in a fish, but they were barbless, and sometimes
it’s just unavoidable. From then I fished slightly closer to my own position,
and tightened the clutch a touch more. It didn’t matter though; two mallards
came in and ruined the spot shortly after.
I was stood there, line out of the water swinging in the
breeze with just one mixer left on the hook when I spotted a common cruise
through just under the surface a rod length out. I crouched down, gently laid
the bit on the surface and watched as it rose higher, broke the surface with
its quite large shoulders and made no hesitation in sucking in the mixer. I
struck and half expected to bundle the fish in the net quite quickly, oh how
wrong I was. The water erupted, the tail slapped the surface and I had made a
fairly substantial carp very angry indeed.
It ploughed around for what seemed an age, this way and
that, out then back in, it was immensely powerful, and the few occasions I did
see it I understood exactly why, it wasn’t the longest fish, but it was very
deep, chunky and had an abundance of brute strength. It governed the fight from
the off, the Elite gave line in a stuttering fashion, not the smoothest of
clutches so I used the backwind as well, just as some added security, I didn’t
want this one to get away.
It seemed like forever, a friend across the pond came round
to see what was happening, my arm was aching and this carp just would not give
up. Finally and with both of us beaten I slid the net under a glorious fish, a
real bruiser and an excellent way to end the afternoon session. My friend
snapped away while I held aloft my prize. Possibly one of the heaviest fish
left in pool two, and certainly one to remember. I gave the fish a little peck
on the head before returning it to the depths. Session over and mission
accomplished.
