Stewart Bloor

Field Tester

0

I’ve really enjoyed my chub angling so far this year but this month I fancied tackling a different species, and in particular, carp. Although I take conditions into account, of course, that’s pretty much how I determine what I’m fishing for, it’s basically whatever takes my fancy. I’m serious about my angling in one sense, but the basket everything sits in is the one called enjoyment.

The featured venue was a local pool, which is on a country estate. Not as popular as other lakes, but certainly as far as winter day-time carp fishing is concerned, it’s one of my favourites. Pleasant surroundings, great wildlife and general nature, and above all from an angling perspective, always a chance of banking a carp even in the colder months. 

What a day it was weather-wise, when I made my first visit. Very, very wet and very, very windy. But I’m a great believer in just getting on with it and not allowing the conditions to affect us, other than in venue or species choice. It was a couple of hours in before I had my opening fish, a common on 14mm  lobworm boilie pop-up. It’s always great to bank that first one.

Exactly an hour later and the other rod went off on a screamer. Another pop-up, this time it was M1 (again 14mm) that did the business. This was followed by a third run, that unfortunately resulted in the dreaded hook-pull. So not a case of ‘third time lucky there, but as I’d already netted two, it wasn’t exactly a blow. In fact, even if I hadn’t, it still wouldn’t have been. This is just fishing, and must always take its proper place in our lives.

I added another couple of carp, pretty much towards the end of the session, which was a dawn through dusk one. I’ve been doing a lot of short outings so far this year, hitting the canal for a few hours, so it was nice to actually have a full day’s fishing. It was also different in that I was sitting behind the rods for the first time, waiting for the alarm to kick me into action, as opposed to watching a quiver tip.

I’ve already mentioned the wildlife, and that was topped by a muntjac deer that I spotted grazing right by the car park. In a split-second it was gone and that’s why we need to be switched on and alert to the natural world around us if we are to make the most of it. On the flower front, as well as snowdrops in bloom I noticed a number of species in leaf, such as lesser celandine, cow parsley and broad-leaved dock. The evidence of an extremely mild winter that we've had here in the UK.

For my next session, on arrival at the lake, the first thing I noticed was that the rain had taken its toll on the colour. Having never fished it in such a state, it was new territory. I’ve never blanked on there, even in the harshest of winters I have managed a few fish. However, as the hours rolled on I was beginning to wonder if maybe I was about to register a first. It was quite obvious that the sediment washed into the lake had seriously affected the appetite of the carp at least. But he who perseveres to the end, and all that. Although just the one fish, and not a big one at all, at least I had managed to end up on the right side of the line. The line between success and failure in angling is a very thin one at times.

Returning for a final session, I managed a total of six fish in all - five commons and one mirror. Before I left (the day before) I threw out a good handful of boilies over each spot. Although the fish weren't as mobile as usual, I figured that once they came in to the baited areas they would stay. My plan worked as within minutes of casting out I had a fish on the bank. I've never had one so quickly from the venue. I've really enjoyed carp fishing this month. No monsters, but as always, you can only catch what's in there.