Anyone who regularly does sessions like these will know that they need planning for at least a week prior to going and this was very much the case!,i even purchased new battery's for everything that required them,even for my samsung phone!!
I arrived at the water around 5.15 to find the swim i wanted and very quickly dumped a bag in it whilst i got the barrow,which was loaded already, out the van.I put a few handfuls of cell dumbells in on the two spots i had been fishing from ,whilst i set up,rods were in by 5.40 and i set about getting the house up.This took about 40 minutes! i had brought loads of stuff!!
I started getting liners straight away and i was optimistic that i may be in for a good session,i'd not done a 48 for a few years since a social at sandhurst, where i caught the smallest carp in the lake,this was pure skill on my part,but that's another story......
Around 6.45 the left hand rod was away and a tiny dame Judy graced the bank!not my choice of species but a fish is a fish!! after a quick rig check and a recast i set about making a brew and trying to rat proof my stuff.Come 8.30 i turned in for the night as it was getting chilly and all the while a good fish was crashing near my right hand spot,it sounded like a cow taking diving lessons!! this was actually keeping me awake ! i was shattered after being at work all day and setting up but i couldn't get a bait right on it due to the overhanging trees. i finally nodded of to be woken by various liners and being blinded by my alarm leds! they are far too bright,when they lit up i couldn't tell which rod it was, it blurred my vision so much!
around 3am i had a stuttery take which then turned into a full blown one toner and the battle began,this was unbelievably strong and it was trying to get up to the shallow end with out stopping, and the old prodigy was at full bend and more,! I eventually managed to turn it and then it decided to power back down the lake whilst i was winding like fury! After what felt like ages but was only minutes i finally saw it roll on the top just within reach of my headlamp beam and it looked a good one,possibly the twenty i'd been hoping for but as it happened it was just short at 19lb 2oz.
I say this weight ,but my digital scales decided not to work, so i had to butcher the back off them ,and remove and refit the battery which booted them into life,a quick zero of the sling then the display read 19lb 2 just before going blank! not happy to say the least... a quick photo on the mat then i returned her to swim amongst her own.,well pleased, i recast only to put it in the nearest tree ,not once ,but twice so i had to tie a new rig in the near darkness,does it get any worse? yes in short...i retired to my bed and slept well for a few hours only to wake about 6.30 so i got up put some bait out and had a cuppa.
Around 8am i had a screamer with the rod hooped hard round to the left hand spot, and i was straight on it trying to steer it out the snags.At first i thought it was another carp but after a while it started nodding its head like a tench ,not your average tench though,a very good one,I've never been so pleased to see a tinca!!
Things during the day were very very slow,i even tried all the usual,bread,mixers and oily floaters ,trying to tempt one from the pads even at only 2 rod lengths away,sadly they were not having it at all.Around 4 i had a visit from an old friend and we chatted and i fed him till he chirped then flew off! Always love to see a robin whilst on the bank.they really are beautiful little fellows.
The day turned into evening and around 6.45 a fish crashed out in another area so i cast straight over to it,shortly after,i received a screaming take and a strong tussle ensued and after a couple of minutes a cracking mirror was my prize,my second mirror in 2 trips,very happy with this one .
I recast to the same area from which the mirror had come from and within around forty minutes it was away again,and a smaller common graced my mat, bringing my total to 3 carp and one notable tench,very pleased ,I recast once more and got into bed, but sadly this was to be the end of the action,i woke early the following morning after a chilly night and packed up and headed home for a much needed bath and to catch up with my good lady Claire,due to having phone issues,we'd not spoke for most of the session and a sort out.looking forward to returning over Easter.
