As I pulled into the car park on my syndicate rain was pattering on the car window. I had 2 nights at my disposal. I had not intended to fish my syndicate lake this trip but after venturing onto my other target water and finding it busy beyond belief this was always to be my back up plan. It was around 3pm I arrived and with it getting dark around 7pm I knew I would have to make a swim choice sharpish.
Conditions couldn’t be better. A really massive low pressure system was currently sweeping across the south and with a good moon phase it certainly looked the part. I loaded up the barrow in quick time and began pushing around the lake. The first few swims I came to looked lifeless but the 3rd swim I came to I noticed some bubbles peppering the surface. I stood at the front of the swim for all of 5 minutes and a fish poked it’s head out amongst the fizzing. That will do me I thought to myself. The only other anglers on the lake were on the far bank so I knew the fish had likely pushed into this area under the pressure. I knew this area was also the weediest area of the lake so always a great area to find them in. I went about setting the bivvy up first as the rain was still peppering down. It was around 5pm by the time I was all set up and the rods were fishing. I was using my usual tactics that consisted of hemp, tigers and lots of C-food boilies, with lashings of C-food glug and chilli hemp oil. Rig was again the same as I had been using to great effect since I started on the lake. Blowback rigs consisting of Fox edges terminal tackle and hookbaits of tigers soaked in plum Betalin.
By 6pm I received a few liners on the left rod and had also noted some fizzing over that rod. I certainly felt confident that a quick bite could be on the cards. As expected the left rod violently buckled in the rests and the spool began spinning. I was on the rod in a flash trying my best to slow down a clearly powerful fish. During the fight the fish managed to find every weed bed possible. As I slipped the net under what looked like a 30lb mirror my friend Carl walked into the swim. I was ecstatic at such a quick bite.
Carl helped me deal with the fish and recorded a weight of 30lb 8oz a great start for sure. I
managed to get the rod out on the spot with more bait over the top just before it got dark. A further 4 fish came my way that night during the mad rain storms we were having. As light broke the action once again was hectic. A triple take and a double take all before 12pm. I managed a further 8 fish that day up to a mid thirty mirror. It really was an epic days fishing. The conditions definitely playing a big part as I struggled to keep the rods in the water during the morning.
Once again as evening loomed Smithy and Carl popped in for a brew or two. Around 7:30pm I received a violent take on the middle rod. Again clearly a good fish hit the surface as the Rx screamed away. After a very typical big fish fight I netted a stunning mirror that looked to be around mid thirty. I recognised it as one I had previously caught in the spring and one I certainly wasn’t disappointed in catching again. A quick weight of 33lb 12oz was taken and a quick photo or two was taken as my previous capture when I had the fish I had done self takes of were not the greatest. She was around 2lb up on my spring capture too.
That night I managed a further 2 fish up to high twenties. Just as daylight was breaking my left rod was away again. I rushed down the steps to the rod as the spool was spinning at an alarming rate. Again I felt straight away to be connected to a decent fish. The fight was certainly epic I had to get my chest waders on as the fish became locked up in a weed bed close in. After a 5 minute tussle close in through the weed it finally slipped into the net. I pulled the net back and was met with a simply incredible carp.
Massive big plated scales almost hand placed covering the fishes flanks. I didn’t recognise the fish as a very well known one. Clearly the fish looked around the mid thirty mark. Later on I found the last reported capture to be over 3 years prior so certainly I felt lucky to be holding one of the rarely caught ones from the lake. A quick weight of 34lb 10oz was taken and luckily a syndicate member San turned up to help with the pictures.
In total in less than 48hrs fishing I managed 15 takes landing 15 fish. Not a single loss showed me they were certainly on the feed big time that trip. Testament to the tackle and the bait I was using for that trip.
Bag a biggun
Craig Runham
