As the gate to my favourite syndicate creaked open, the relentless rain pelted down, a steady downpour that persisted throughout the night. Despite the unyielding deluge, the weather forecast promised a respite by 8:30 am. Donning my wet weather gear, armed with an umbrella and a trusty bucket to secure my chosen swim, I ventured out in search of the elusive carp, accompanied by my good friend, Mathew Mcmordie, who joined me as a guest for this much-anticipated 48-hour expedition.
The thrill of the unknown and the prospect of a successful catch tingled in the air as we discovered that we were the sole anglers present, the entire lake ours to explore. Our journey to the top end of the lake revealed immediate signs of fish activity, albeit at the furthest swims from the car park. With excitement brewing, we swiftly dropped our buckets into two selected swims, then retraced our steps back to the cars, still under the persistent rain. Fortunately, by the time we loaded our gear onto the barrows, the rain had started to ease, just as predicted.
Once settled in our chosen swim, wasting no time, I meticulously cast out the rods. A concoction of 12mm C Food, Mini Dumbells, Sea Salt and Chili Hemp, Salted Maize, and an abundance of C Food Glug was dispatched onto three promising spots. Opting for two rods in a deeper gully and one on a shallower area, my hookbaits for this adventure were cfood and plum wafters on uncomplicated blowback rigs made with Fox edges end tackle. To amplify the attraction, I added small mesh bags of Gemz 50/50 and Mini Combo
Within a mere 15 minutes, the thrill commenced with a magnificent upper 20s carp landing in my net. As I triumphantly secured that catch, my left rod suddenly signaled another bite. This time, a stunning scaley 36-pounder graced the scene. It was an unbelievable start to our journey, a promising sign of what lay ahead. Sensing the fish were hungry for more, I decided to escalate the bait quantity, a choice substantiated by the rapid bites received. Consequently, the bites persisted steadily throughout our fishing adventure.
By the session's end, an astounding 15 kilograms of bait had been consumed, yielding an incredible 22 carp catches. Among them were an astonishing 17 fish over 30 pounds, including a groundbreaking 42-pounder, which proudly claimed the title of a new 40-pounder for the lake. Undoubtedly, this session stands out as the most exhilarating experience in my entire angling history. The spots were getting ravaged within minutes of bait placement, a spectacle I've never before encountered.
