A mirror in the sunshine.

At last weekend’s work party I asked if I could tag along with Pete and Jan on their weekly Friday night jaunt to one of the local ponds. They agreed and we arranged to meet at The Barns at midday on Friday, the plan was to fish through the afternoon and night and leave early to get to the work party, we didn’t want to miss the last one, one final push to have the water ready for the June 16th start. I hoped that there might be a chance of something from the surface during the afternoon but worried it might be too hot for them. Perhaps the night, once things started to cool down would be the best time, but a social with a few buddies was sounding better and better by the minute, and fish would be a bonus really.

I got to the layby and found Pete’s car already there, I walked down to the ponds and found him having a look around. We spoke about swims and decided on the left hand bank where the three of us could set up stall and command the majority of that side of the lake. We got back to the cars to load the barrows just as Jan arrived. The short trek to the pond was fairly tiring work in the midday sun but as excitement was high it didn’t seem too bad. Jan opted for the bottom dam corner by the overhangs, I went in the middle and Pete chose the top weedy end of the pond. Everyone set about getting things ready, houses built, rod out, but I just fired out a few mixers and watched the water in no rush to get rods out of put up the brolly.

A day's floater fishing with Chris Ball

Last week I received a message from my friend Chris Ball. I asked when he was fishing next and he told me he’d planned a day’s floater fishing at the Linear complex near Oxford the following day and that I was welcome to join him. I cleared it at work and with the Mrs and replied back that I’d meet him there at around 9:30am. 

I arrived on time but Chris beat me to it and was already walking around searching for signs that the fish would be in a good mood. I found his car before I found him, it was parked in front of Brasenose One, and the carp were heavily spawning in the reeds right in front of the car-park. Not a great sign but when I eventually caught up with Chris walking around Hardwick he assured me that there was no spawning activity, I think due to the deeper nature of the lake. After saying hello and having a quick chat we got the essentials from the cars and headed to the lake. We spotted a few fish in an early swim and fired out some bait. The fish here didn’t seem too interested but I decided to give it a try whilst Chris moved further up the lake. I made a few casts and had one enquiry to the hook-bait but after half an hour or so I moved on. 

Return to the Barns

Sunny, that’s not something that had been branded about for a while, but that was the outlook for most of the week. “Floater weather” I thought whilst trying to persuade the Mrs to let me get a few hours in after work. As Saturday afternoon proved successful I opted for the same venue and the same tactics, I arrived just after 4pm and found only one angler on the top pond, but he was in the spot I had the fish from on Saturday. It didn’t matter too much, there was evidence of fish cruising and topping around most of the pool, but the wind was on the other guy’s back and that always helps when floater fishing with fine gear. I browsed various spots and set up in the corner furthest away from the weedy swim, a large tree hangs over the water to which I saw a group of fish swim under and back out again. As soon as they’d swam out and into open water I made a cast just a few inches from where the lowest branches almost touch the water, the wind was swirling but this corner was sheltered so it had little effect on my free-lined crust.

A weekend of ups and downs...

On Friday I’d planned to fish for a few hours and after finding that my chosen venue was too busy I opted for Carron Row Farm. I managed one tench but lost a very special fish. I had been told that pond three held a linear but hadn’t seen it or even a picture, but a few anglers assured me that such a fish existed. Well on Friday afternoon I was float fishing alongside an island when I noticed the float slide away, I struck and was connected to a carp that hadn’t quite realised it was hooked. As it rolled just out from netting distance I spotted that tell tale row of linear scales along it’s flank, I couldn’t believe it, after all this time, maybe five seasons, I’d finally found her and she was drawing closer to the net. She looked a decent size, not massive but I’d estimate around 18lbs, but she’d started to wake up a bit and started trying to bore deep into the pads. I got really close with the net a few times but one time just as I was reaching out the rod tip sprang back and the hook had slipped. That loss really hurt, but I vowed to make amends the following day.

A day at Vale Farm

The weekend after returning from France is never a good time to ask the wife if I can go fishing, but when she says she’s busy on Sunday and I just as well go, well, I’m not one to pass on such an opportunity. But where to go? A day session means I need to find somewhere I can catch some fish but to enjoy the day if that doesn't happen, it’s carp season and that usually means one of the local day tickets fisheries, although with such weather forecast they were all sure to be full. So the plan was to visit Vale Farm Fishery, a delightful spot at Longparish near Andover in north Hampshire. There are three ponds, all containing very pretty, hard fighting carp which can be caught right under the rod tip, meaning that surface tactics with light river rod and centrepin were worthy of a trial run.

Moulicent, Normandy 28th April 2012

The time had come to start thinking about what to take, the ferry was booked, the venue secured and the bait was either prepared or ordered. Two of us in my Passat estate was going to be a squeeze but with a kind gentleman lending me a roof box we had more than enough room to store our gear, enough gear for a week’s fishing at Moulicent, a secluded, quiet and very pretty 4 acre lake in Normandy set in a deep valley surrounded by forest, deer, wild boar and countless song birds. The lake itself holds a few real gems, our job was to get there, enjoy ourselves and hope that the wonderful fish that lived there would make an appearance.

A little poetry....

This first poem I wrote a while back about my favourite place...Redmire Pool.

In the beautiful rolling borderlands of England and Wales, lies a Carp fishing flagship, complete with sails.
A Mecca for many from days gone before, to go down in specimen hunting folklore.
Just a farm pond of three acres in size, a place of sheer beauty, a sight for sore eyes.
It started way back before world war broke out, 50 small fish from a farm that sold Trout.
Slowly they grew into Carp to behold, Mirrors of chestnut, Commons of gold.
The legends of old were true pioneers; they moulded our sport through the forthcoming years.
Bob Richards was first to discover the pool, he knew all too well he’d discovered a jewel.
The cane rod arched over, the battle took place and the fish tore off with incredible pace.
Line he gained back on the spool of his reel, soon he was fetching the gaff from his creel.
A new record Carp and the world had been rocked, the secrets of Redmire had just been unlocked.
Ingham and Walker were next on the scene, never before were two anglers so keen.
They started so quickly to get off the mark, twas Maurice’s rod that took on the arc.
A 28 pounder was hoisted ashore, a wonderful start but they both longed for more.
Walkers turn next in the old Willow pitch; his heart skipped a beat as his line gave a twitch.
The hook driven home the water exploded, his trusty mark 4 test curve fully loaded.
With both angler and fish now reaching exhaustion, the netting was tackled with ultimate caution.
A fish so immense its bulk was unreal, his breathing still heavy from his recent ordeal.
Another new record, how could this be true; a Carp called Clarrissa sent a Zoo.
At 44 pound could there really be more, two records in two years never witnessed before.
Eddie’s monster the talk of the town, the Bishop’s first capture the gauntlet laid down.
Tom Mintram, John Nixon the list grew and grew, Jack Hilton, Bill Quinlan the talented few.
At the forefront of angling the pool then remained, the Carp were outwitted as knowledge was gained.
Yatesy and Hutchy arrived the same day, to show how to catch them in their special way.
Up in the shallows was where Chris could be found, always the stalker not making a sound.
Obsessive, eccentric, a little bit mad, and an uncanny knack for location he had.
His cane and his pen were his fondest of friends, and two grains of sweetcorn where the great Carp upends.
His line starts to move the hook is struck home, the Bishop’s sheer power turns water to foam.
All the while praying his knots would hold strong, his body exhausted the fight took so long.
But finally over the mesh slid his prize, it was then that they realised the extent of its size.
Another new record of that they were sure, long live Redmire forever more.

This next one is a take on William Wordsworth's "I wandered Lonely as a Cloud"

I wandered elegantly as a quill
That floats on high o'er brooks and streams,
When all at once my quill stood still,
An eddy, of golden hopes and dreams;
Beside the river, beneath the clouds,
Fluttering and dancing away from crowds.

Continuous as the roach that shimmer
And twinkle on their gravelly bed,
They feed until the day grows dimmer,
Along the margin full of dread:
For big pike saw I at a glance,
Tossing its fins in sprightly dance.

The roach beside them danced, but they
Out-foxed the jaws of certain danger;
The colossal pike sought out its prey,
In in search of silver, toothy river ranger!
I gazed—and gazed—the scene unfolds
A tapestry of greens, reds and golds:

For oft, when on my creel I sit
In vacant or contemplative mood,
But for now dry fly bumps across the grit
No time now for idle interlude;
My basket with sparkling brook trout fills,
I wander lonely homeward through the daffodils.

Another update...

Well the weather here has been nothing short of terrible; even if I had planned to fish I fear it would have been a wash out. As it happens it’s been a busy time what with preparing everything for this weekend’s France trip, and it’s very close now with the ferry leaving Portsmouth at 11pm on Friday.

I spoke to the fishery owner, Jon, yesterday and was informed that there is nobody fishing this week. Not sure how that will effect fishing. No bait going in could make them hungry and eager for a few boilies, and that’s where I come in. I made a few kilos of small baits to take, and all told I have around 35 kilo’s to take, I’m told that when they switch on at this time of year it can go crazy. The previous two weeks saw fish, but not many. Having said that, there were some monster carp caught including a new lake record of 48lb 2oz!! That’ll do……….

From what I’m told, speaking to others who have fished there, both in the past and recently, it’s a wonderful place to be, secluded, pretty, and Jon is the perfect host. I must say Friday, although only a couple of days away can’t come soon enough.

I think I will be hosting a live blog on www.carp-forums.com updating every few hours and giving news on how things are going. I'll post up the exact link once it has been set up.....

For a look at the venue log onto www.moulicent.co.uk