As I drove through the gated entrance of this nearby day ticket venue, I was greeted with an array of Crocus in various colours. This pretty flower is often given as a mothers day gift as it emerges in late winter, early spring and is a sign of longer, milder days. Officially, according to the UK meteorologists the last day of February sees the end of winter, so I suppose my winter campaign on that chosen venue is over.
My aim during the spring and summer is to fish 2 different venues, both day ticket, in search of larger carp and I have set myself a target on the number of twenties I would like to land during that time. I do not normally set targets in numbers of fish, however, I am relishing the challenge. The last time I set such a challenge was 10 years ago whilst fishing a Linear syndicate with good success, I go into great detail about this in my ebook "Fishing The Dream" which will be available for download in the coming months.
The staff at this venue are always helpful and after a chat I chose my swim, the lad then pointed out that I could drive directly to it, bonus, no need to use the barrow. The swim I chose had access to deep and shallower water with some tempting margin features. Regular readers of my blog will already know that my favourite type of carping is at close range, fishing to overhanging trees, reeds etc. Alot of anglers avoid the margins and prefer to cast at range believing all the carp are holed up in the middle, im sure some might be, but certainly not all! In this session I adopted 2 tactics, I chose a margin feature and baited up sparingly and left it for 2 hours. During those two hours I would cast the rods around at regular intervals to various features to see if I can find out where the carp are feeding or receive any line bites.
The only sign of carp in those first 2 hours was when a single carp head and shouldered near a dead patch of lillies on the far bank. I walked around the lake, threw in a half a dozen of the Charwoods MPP boilie and then cast to this feature and decided to leave the rod there for a while.
The other rod was now cast to my prebaited spot on the edge of the nearside reeds and did not take long to give me my first fish of the session. The hook bait had only been positioned there for 10 minutes when the alarm screamed out and I played a strong carp away from the thick reed bed. The water was obviously still cold and this reflected in the fight, the carp plodded and never really troubled me once he was in open water.
At over 13lb it was my first fish from the lake on my first visit and it came from 4 feet of water. I introduced a few more MPP boilies and recast, sat back and had my own lunch.
The Charwoods MPP boilie has served me well through the winter and its a bait I am sticking with 12 months of the year. With its candy like aroma and good nutritional value, as soon as you open the bag you want to stick one on your hair. They are a good food source all year round and have caught fish from the very first time a venue has seen them. For more information look up Charwood Baits on facebook or follow the link above.
A cold wind sprang up in the afternoon which made it feel wintry once again. The wind punished the left hand bank rustling through the lifeless reed stems sending a firm ripple across the lake. The afternoon remained quiet, no showing carp, no liners.
Two other anglers turned up mid afternoon to fish a night session. Sure enough it was not long before single hook baits were sent flying out to the middle of the lake, directly in front of my swim, just as well I was fishing the margins! This is the drawback with day ticket venues, they can become busy even early in the season and although each swim has a sign with your fishing areas marked on them, they are not always adhered to!
Above all this, there is a reason why I keep returning to carp fishing and that is the stunning variety of carp you have the pleasure of catching. At over 13lb, its far off the venues best however it was a cracking looking fish from a lake I had not fished before, that has to be a result.
Over the coming months I will go into more detail on my boilie only approach for carp, my preference to use glugs in the warmer weather and more in-depth look at margin fishing.
Blenheim Palace has produced some special days for Dad and myself, it is the venue both our personal best pike have come from with the Old Mans being a fish of over 28lb. We have fished it regular over the last 15 years, however due to family commitments we have not visited the water for about 2 years. This was a couple of days fishing I was looking forward to.
As always we had booked into a B&B and arrived the night before the first days fishing. We collected the keys to the room and made out way up the stairs to our room! I'm surprised they did not provide a Sherpa to carry our gear, talk about in the rafters, I was half expecting oxygen masks in the room when we arrived, it was a lot of narrow stairs! After our recovery we were soon in the local and enjoying a couple of cold beers.
The morning was cold and frosty as we loaded the rods into the van then made our way into the estate park that Capability Brown designed in the 18th century. The Palace is steeped in history including being the birth place of Sir Winston Churchill. The gardens are magnificent and you experience a taste as you walk from the car park to the boat house and pass the impressive fountains.
There were only 2 other boats on the lake when we arrived and chose boat number 17 for no particular reason. Our tactics were deadbaiting and lure fishing so hopefully covering most situations. It was great to be afloat again on this magnificent venue and we gently rowed to our first swim an overhanging tree just down from the boat house. Our tactics would be to cast our deadbaits towards any bankside features for patrolling pike and then chuck the lure 360 degrees searching for pike, it is a tactic that has provided us with many memorable days at Blenheim.
The fishing over the last few years, according to other fishing blogs and forums has notquite lived up to its reputation and that is another reason why we have not rushed back, however if you want to find out how a venue is fishing then it is always best to check it out for yourself for peace of mind.
It certainly was a slow start, we searched each area thoroughly with the lures and our floats on the deadbait rods remained motionless after fishing four different swims. We tried a deeper area of the lake and again after sending our lures to various parts of the lake, stopped for a bit of lunch. Whilst eating a sandwich I noticed a red kite circling above, I reached for the camera, I managed alot of photos of the blue sky, not realising how much of a challenge photographing a circling bird of prey would be from a rocking boat!
We then witnessed the kite fold in its wings and steadily swoop in between the trees onto the ground, a quick rip of its beak it was soon back in the air with a small mammal in its talons, which it proceeded to eat on the wing before the resident gulls mobbed it to no avail. Its these experiences that I appreciate when out angling, its nature in full effect.
We rowed towards the Grand Bridge where the water is a lot shallower around 3-4 feet hoping the pike might be feeding or preparing to spawn. The deadbait was cast towards the structure of the bridge which shadowed us in all its splendour. The old saying "location, location, location" rang true as within 3 minutes of the bait settling it was taken, the float sailed away and I struck into what was obviously a jack pike, however on a slow day all pike are welcome.
The pike took a Gadda Baits Bluey with the head cut off for maximum attraction. We fished on for another hour in this spot hoping that more pike would fall to our tactics however they did not so we decided to row back towards the boat house stopping every 50 yards to cast our lures.
It seemed as if the recent reports and forums were correct and perhaps Blenheim has seen better days with regards to its predator fishing. Over 2 days fishing between us we would normally land a double or two or at least several jacks. We discussed this over a few pints that night and decided we would fish the "arm" tomorrow, an area of about 5-6 feet of water, a place where the pike retreat to spawn.
The next morning, carrying slightly fuzzy heads, we had renewed confidence as I took to the oars and headed directly for the arm, passing the deep water we had fished the previous day. We were in our third spot of the day half way up the arm when the Old Man had a merciless take on his shad. A spirited pike of similar size to the one I caught, had brutally swallowed the lure which was deep in its throat.
This is why it is important when piking to have the correct equipment, long nose pliers, long handled cutters and long traces even when lure fishing. The pike was unhooked and returned quickly to the water.
As the fishing was slow going I had plenty of time to photograph the bird life that thrives on the palace grounds, which gave me a break from chucking the lures about.
Blenheim Palace will always hold a special place in my angling memories and we will return in the Autumn to have another go for the resident pike however as with many venues perhaps the best days are behind it, for now. When you visit you will notice the dozens of cormorants that litter the trees over looking the lake, I would not be surprised if a lot of the prey fish have been decimated leaving the pike little to feed on, only time will tell.
I would encourage anyone to visit this spectacular venue and have a go for the pike, bream or tench, the scenery is stunning, the wildlife abundant and more often than not the sun shines, tight lines.
The sun shone brightly as I made my way along the cycle path however the biting wind made it feel that spring was still a long way off. I was on the banks of the River Taff in search of grayling that seem to have flourished over the years with my biggest, a fish of 2lb 9oz.
Swim choice would be critical in such cold conditions, and like many other rivers over the years the swims change the banks erode due to high water and as I stepped onto the sandy banks, the swims looked alot different when I last fished here a few years ago. I chose to fish an area that had fast running water which produced slightly slacker water on the near bank. Grayling enjoy the feeling of water running over their backs. I would fish the crease, where the fast and slacker water met.
The taff was once an industrial river running through mining villages and towns in the valleys before reaching Cardiff and at one stage ran black with coal waste supporting very little in the form of fish species. Now the Taff is home to Barbel up to 18lb, big chub and also migratory fish.
It may not be as picturesque as the Wye or as intimate as the Monnow but what it lacks in beauty it makes up for in fishing. I decided to use the maggot feeder today instead of the float as I only had a short session planned. I rigged up a medium feeder rod, 5lb mainline with a 3lb hooklink and black cap feeder running on the line, fishing double maggot on the hook.
It didn't take long to build the swim up, I was casting every 2 minutes for the first half hour only filling the feeder half full with maggots and I was soon into my first fish and the familiar twisting and turning of a spirited Grayling fought all the way to the net. The fish in the Taff average 14oz - 1lb so this was an average fish around the 1lb mark, a beautiful male with its large dorsal catching the bright sunlight.
Larger Grayling do not twist and turn when hooked and my third fish of the session pulled away strongly as I gave a little line as it entered the strong flow. It was either a chub or a sizable Lady of the Stream. It soon became obvious as the colourful dorsal fin broke the surface, I readied the net only for it to become entangled in a sunken branch, as I freed the mesh the Grayling swam around in the clear water and I prayed the hook wouldn't pull. As I slid the net under her I could tell it was pushing the 2lb barrier.
At 1lb 14oz it was just short however it was still a splendid fish, I returned the fish as it swam away strongly.
One important fact to remember is Grayling are very delicate creatures and can take quite a while to recover, especially if deep hooked, even smaller fish. I have in the past taken up to 10 minutes holding a grayling in the flow before they have swam away.
The swim went quiet for a brief spell after that larger fish, however with constant casting the Grayling were soon back on the bait and I had a fish a cast for the last half hour of the session. I did not count but I certainly had over 30 fish in just a few hours. It was a very enjoyable session that kept me busy on a cold day when many other species would of not fed so v0raciously, the Grayling is a worthy target.
I will try and return before the end of the season and target a slightly larger fish.
The windscreen was inevitably covered in a thick frost due to the temperature dropping to -3 during the night and my finger tips began to tingle as I scraped away at the ice. Back inside the van with heaters on full blast I shook my head and rolled my eyes as if to confirm I had finally lost the plot, surely I would of been better equipped with the pike gear instead of my carp gear loaded on board!
I had decided on a winter carp campaign back in the autumn and had been trickling bait in over the past few months on a little and often basis in the hope that the bait would keep the carp feeding in certain areas of the lake.
The ground was hard under foot as I made way across the sloping field, crunching with every step. As I approached the lake it was clear that at least half was covered in ice, limiting my swim choice immediately however one area of the lake I had been baiting was ice free so this would be by first line of attack. It is a snaggy area with over hanging foliage, underwater branches and a good depth, perfect sanctuary for winter carp. Such areas provide the carp with a feeling of safety especially at this time of year when the clarity of water is greater.
The second rod was positioned in the only other possible area not affected by the ice, in open water, rigs were as described in my previous posts and just 4 boilies were placed around the hookbaits. In these conditions I am normally fishing for one bite at a time, in the colder weather the carp does not digest its food as quickly as it does in the warmer months, so just a very small amount of bait allows the carp to feed but not over feed and ruin my chances of catching.
The rod cast towards the snags had only been in the water 10 minutes before the bobbin shot off the ground and the alarm let out a short scream, I struck and played my first fish of the day before the hook pulled after about 30 seconds. It felt a reasonable fish and I was gutted to say the least, you dont normally get many chances in these conditions however it was a confidence boost and hopefully a good sign that the fish were willing to feed.
When carp fishing whatever season it is, it pays to be vigilant, watching both the water and your rods, dont always rely on the bite alarm to inform you a carp has taken the bait.
The alarm had not come into play by the time I struck into my next fish. I noticed a knock on the rod tip followed by the line twitching and slowly pulling to the left, instinct told me to lift into it and soon I had my first winter carp of the season on the bank, a spirited common around 5lb. Not big, however a bend in the rod in freezing conditions.
The next fish fell to the same rod within half an hour, about the same stamp as the first. When the temperatures drop severely, carp and other fish tend to be more dormant, move around a lot less and in some cases attract leeches or parasites which im sure weve all seen from time to time. Some anglers prefer to remove them, in doing so can leave a small open wound which is vulnerable to infection. I tend to leave the leeches alone, it is a course of nature and the carp will knock them off when they become more active.
By lunchtime I had 2 fish under my belt, with the sun shining brightly casting long shadows across the field the ice faded away from the main area of the lake giving way to a mirrored surface. I felt that the second rod was fishing in "no mans land" and could now reposition it into an area at the bottom of a shelf on the edge of the shallow water and the remaining ice.
I topped up both swims with half a dozen boilies and enjoyed the warmth of the sun. The frost clung to any area that the sun did not reach and the maximum temperature all day was only 3 degrees. I believe my chances on this very cold day were helped with 2 key factors.
Firstly although the temperature got down to -3 that night, it was not a sudden change in temperature. It had been cold both day and night for the preceding 3 or 4 days prior to me fishing, giving the carp time to adjust to the freezing temperatures. If it had suddenly became cold overnight my chances would of been greatly reduced as the shock would of briefly interupted the carps feeding patterns. Secondly my prebaiting had probably kept the carp feeding over the last couple of months in certain areas of the lake, which kept the carp visiting these areas in search of food. I would encourage any angler to put a bit of time into prebaiting whether it be a lake or river, done sensibly, little and often can increase your catch rate over a prolonged period of time.
To demonstrate this, the second rod burst into life within an hour of being on the the prebaited area the biggest carp of the day made its way towards the far bank hoping to reach the sanctuary of the overhanging trees. It was a strong powerful fish that fought well, with a few heart stopping moments as the line came into contact with the surface ice I was sure it would cut through it. As I heaved the fish up the bank it was clearly a double and the scales went to 11lb 4oz.
I managed another around the 5lb mark resulting in 4 carp and lost 1. A good result in freezing temperatures and a lake half covered in ice! As I wrote in my previous posts I choose my winter venues carefully, I prefer to catch fish rather than sitting for weeks on end biteless, that is not how I want to spend my winter. These fish are not huge however this venue is still bit of an unknown quantity as far as the stock is concerned so it could throw up a nice surprise.
Ill keep adding the bait little and often which will hopefully see me land a few more winter carp.
Rigs, there must be hundreds of variations and that's just for carp fishing! The main aspect of any rig is to present the bait as naturally as possible to give the angler the best chance to hook their quarry. All anglers will have their favourite rigs that they turn to time and time again, however in certain situations some rigs fish more superior to others.
It was a glorious Autumn morning, the sun was shining brightly as I cast out my second rod, I then removed my fleece body warmer. I was on the banks of the carp pool and as I fired out my Charwood Baits MPP boilies, I felt confident as the weather had remained mild.
My confidence was boosted within 20 minutes of fishing, I had managed 2 carp on the bank, albeit stockies, both very welcome. My baiting was the same as in my previous posts and I topped the swims up with about 15 boilies after each fish. The lake in question has a very soft bottom, a fine silty mud has built up and heavy leads tend to bury themselves in the bed and with it, sometimes the hook bait. In this situation to consistently catch, a specific rig will give you an advantage over other anglers.
Ideally the angler is looking for the bait to present itself on top of this soft silt and not be dragged into out of reach from the hungry carp. Enter the helicopter rig.
The helicopter rig allows the hook link to run up the line as the lead enters the water, allowing the hookbait to sit on top of the silt and visible to a feeding carp. Its a rig that can also be employed on weedy venues. For an extra edge I also prefer to employ a balanced hookbait, as I feel it gives me a better presentation as the hookbait settles more gently than a standard bottom bait. This has been my first choice rig in silty conditions for many years for the simple reason that it catches fish.
As this is very much a tangle free rig, I will not add pva bags or stringers to the rig, I will add freebies via a catapult or spod depending in distance.
Due to the lead burying itself in the silt a heavy lead is normally not required and I can fish with 1oz or 1 1/2oz as the extra resistance of the lead being pulled from the silt when a carp takes the bait gives a positive hook hold.
By lunchtime 4 carp had graced my net, the biggest a spirited fighter over 6lb, the bigger original carp were not playing ball today.
Tied correctly the helicopter rig is one of the safest around. I normally incorporate a lead core leader in this set up, allowing a buffer bead to sit firmly on the leader above the weight and rig. In the eventuality of the mainline snapping, the buffer bead, under resistance will simply peel off the leader and the carp will be free of the lead, which is exactly what an angler is looking for.
I have been using balanced hook baits more often in recent seasons, especially on silty venues such as this. As I'm going to the trouble of presenting a bait on top of the silt with the helicopter rig, why then use a dense hookbait. I like to give myself the best chance of hooking a fish, so I believe a balanced hookbait does that. Whether its a pop up balanced with additional weight or a bottom bait balanced with a pop up or foam as is the snowman rig, it is important to test the rigs in the margin before fishing, to make sure the bait is behaving exactly as intended.
Generally I am looking for the balanced hookbait to "waft" around when disturbed, this makes it easier for the carp to suck up and hopefully hook itself. A hookbait with added buoyancy will enter the carps mouth easier, especially on silty venues.
Carp number 7 fell to the helicopter rig and balanced hookbait and my first mirror stockie from the venue soon slipped over the cord.
A stunning looking carp, one which I would love to see in a few years time, the scale pattern was incredible.
I have been guilty of turning up at venues in the past and casting out any rig without any thought as to the presentation and how the rig will act on that particular venue. It is something I now take a lot more thought over, whether im chub, barbel, pike or carp fishing.
The afternoon turned cold, as the sun retreated behind the thick clouds, the breeze stiffened, I once again donned my body warmer. The bites tailed off as expected, I had experienced the bast part of the day, however I angled on until dusk with no further bites.
As I sat waiting for my next bite I noticed a group of large fungi across the field I just had to photograph before I left, Fly Agaric I believe, however I'm not an expert so I would be grateful of a definite identification.
My next instalment will focus on carp location in the colder months, you will be surprised where cold water carp can be found. Tight Lines
With every gust of the chilling wind, leaves departed from the now, almost naked branches of the swaying trees. Just days after the remnants of Hurricane Gonzalo had swept across the country, I realised that my winter carp campaign will not be an easy task and the cold wind continued to make my face ruddy.
Today was a stark contract to the last time I graced the banks earlier this month when the sun shone brightly, today I was met with a fine drizzle and a harsh wind with the morning passing biteless. On arrival I catapulted about 15 boilies on each of my two chosen spots, my bait was the reliable Charwoods MPP.
As mentioned in an earlier post my winter carp campaigns begin in autumn and I will visit the venue and trickle bait in whenever possible between fishing sessions, this will keep the carp feeding and searching for food. My main tactic throughout the year will be a boilie only approach and I will stick with this strategy throughout the colder months, its only the amount of bait thrown in that will change. These boilies are spread over an area the size of a pool table, on a bigger venue I would spread them over an area the size of a snooker table. I am hoping to motivate the carp into searching for the next boilie which means the carp has to up end regularly instead of hoovering up a carpet of bait, I believe this also helps with achieving a good hook hold as the carp is constantly moving. The venue I have chosen has a good head of carp and that is no coincidence, I want to enjoy my fishing when the temperatures drop and give myself the best chance of catching on a regular basis.
Just after midday I had my first run, apart from a few liners earlier on, the left hand rod burst into life as a carp made for the far bank. It certainly knew its way around the lake and only a firm side strain kept it from reaching the sedges. After a spirited fight a golden common carp slid over the net, short of my target double at 8lb 9oz a nice fish on a cold morning.
I topped up both swims with another dozen boilies and sat back to enjoy my sandwiches. A winter flock of blue and long tailed tits darted from tree to tree picking off insects as they went, a true sign that the colder months are drawing closer.
The snowman rig has proved successful on this venue and I always keep a tub of pop ups in my bag especially in the colder months when single hook baits can be a devastating tactic.
I didnt have to wait long for my second bite this time the right hand rod ripped off and I was soon into another carp, this time instantly I could tell it was a heavier fish. Throughout the fight the fish stayed deep, regularly taking line, then I heard a bleep from the left hand rod alarm, the tip arched over and line crept from the spool as a fish picked up the bait. There wasnt alot I could do, I was obviously attached to a decent fish, probably my target double, all I could do was give the some stick and try to bully it in the net so I could get to the other rod before I lost the fish to a snag.
The carp continued to fight strongly and my first attempt to net her failed, as the fish turned at the last minute, on the second attempt I made no mistake and as soon as she was in the mesh I dashed to the second rod and lifted into another carp, double hook up! Thankfully this fish was only a stockie and within a couple of minutes I had two carp in the one net.
I quickly slipped back the smaller and got to weighing the larger of the two which I recognised as a fish that I had the pleasure of catching back in the summer at a weight of 11lb. A fit strong mirror which had gained weight as the needle proved at 11lb 7oz.
With my target achieved I was pleased and I fished on until dusk with no further action. As with carp fishing at this time of the year, all your bites can come in a short period, often the carp have specific feeding times and patterns, this is always worth remembering and keeping notes on as it may save you many biteless hours on the bank and you can fish at the best times of the day and increase your chances of getting a bite.
Before I leave any venue I always top up my swims to encourage the carp to feed and search for food.
In my next post I will go into more detail on my rigs and my reasons for using them. Tight Lines
Although my window of opportunity was short it felt good loading the fishing gear into the van, I had been looking forward to enjoying some time on the bank for months. My rigs were tied the night before and I checked my gear dozens of times however it still felt like I had forgotten something, as was the length of time I was last on the bank. The last few months have been a difficult time, with me and my wife separating and having to be responsible for my 14 month old son, not for the first time in my life, angling had to take a back seat whilst I sorted a place for myself and William to live and make sure he was looked after as best I can. Now a few months on myself and William have settled into a new place and my family support has been over whelming for which ill be forever grateful.
So here I was, travelling down the M4 heading for a small carp pool hoping to entice a carp or two onto the banks, what ever the outcome I was going to enjoy the afternoon, especially as the forecast was for warm sunshine.
Although I had not fished here since my last visit in June when I landed the venue record, I had not been a stranger, I had kept trickling in the MPP boilies hoping to keep the carp interested and searching for my bait. I enjoy Autumn, especially when I'm chasing fish, its a season of change, falling leaves, darker days and hopefully fat fish. This season doesn't always bring the heavy feeding spells that anglers talk of, however as I have a winter campaign planned on this venue, I will keep depositing the bait in little and often over the coming months hoping to keep the carp interested throughout the short days of winter. I will always start a winter campaign in Autumn, it gives me an idea of the carps movements and habits and also gains the fishes confidence on my chosen bait, Charwoods MPP boilie. Its a great year round bait and proven fish catcher in the colder months, being a milk protein it is easy to digest and gives off an attractive candy aroma. I will go into my baiting tactics for the coming months in future blogs as the winter progresses.
All I required for my session was loaded on my back and carried to the lake and I was soon casting out in the confidence that my chosen areas had recently been primed just the week before. I was sure to of missed a feeding spell in the morning however I was hoping that the carp would feed again this afternoon in the warm sunshine. The hours around midday are normally the most unproductive and so it was today with the first couple of hours passing without any action except for a couple of liners.
My first run was a real screamer which found the carp making its way towards the island and managing to tie the line around some under water roots. The line pinged as I played the fish and both carp and the entangled root came towards me. It was a peculiar fight, I was not in direct contact with the carp due to the accompanying vegetation, I slowly managed the fish towards my bank and as the fish swam strongly around in front of me the roots hung in mid air clinging to my main line, I leaned out and grabbed them and expected the fish to come adrift as I snapped the roots to free my main line as I came into direct contact with the fish for the first time.
I could see it was one of the originals as it wallowed below the surface a chunky looking Common soon slid over the net.
An immaculate fish registering 9lb with a stunning colouration and huge tail for the fishes size showing where all its power came from. I managed another 2 carp, both stockies which the club stocked earlier this year at 2-3lb and both now weighing over 5lb.
Going into my winter carp campaign I have total confidence in the rigs and bait I'm using, which is the most important factor. This leaves me to concentrate on locating the fish and learning their winter feeding habits. As I mentioned earlier, I will go into more detail on the rigs I will be using, baits and tactics throughout this winter campaign. I intend to enjoy the remainder of this mild Autumn we are experiencing before the long nights take over as I have another session planned in the next few days. If the rain arrives as they have forecast you may well be reading about me barbelling on my beloved Wye.
