Bushnell Carp Diaries - Willow Park

So the last bank holiday had myself and dad heading down south to Willow Park Fishery in Aldershot . We were heading down to fish with Wychwood consultant Darryll Slater who is a baliff down at willow park. The drive was set to me a mammoth 4 hours but with excitement filling the early morning air we were on our way. Apon arrival at the fishery we met up with Darryll and walked the lake there’s 3 lakes at willow park a small lake medium lake and the specimen carp lake it was pretty obvious where the fish were we'd found them coming in and out of a secluded bay at a swim known as Jasons . The Water was just black with Carp with a known 20 milling about in the water I couldn’t wait to wet a line but first thing was first after that drive a full English at the on­site café and a discussion on tactics. The tactics I was going use to use were simple really a size 6 korda krank hook (barbless) with some korda kamo coated braid simple knot less knot with a Hinders Blitz Boilie trimmed down to add extra attraction to the hookbait by releasing the flavours into the water also for a visual element a piece of yellow pop up maize glugged in betalin and black as a topper for the bottom bait. For more attraction by my hookbait a castaway pva mesh bag with the Hinders Blitz Multi Mix dry straight out the packet with a little sprinkle of the PVA Friendly Particle Sweet Maize which is pre boosted with Betalin. Ive found with testing in the edge that a dry mix gives a load of attraction through the water drawing the fish down to your baited area. Speaking To Darryll the far bank tree line was the best bet to catch so accuracy was going to be key the right hand rod at eight and a quarter wraps just inches of trees and the left hand rod at nine and a half wraps into a really nice overhanging tree area where fish were constantly showing. Instant success is always a massive buzz on a new water and when my right hand rod roared into life a stunning low double mirror visited the bank. Then a pristine common on the same area couldnt resist my trap what a great start. Bites dried up a bit and I felt a change in bait or tactics might see a few more fish hit the bank so I popped a multi rig out on the right hand rod with a 16mm CCMOORE Northern Special pop up and on the right hand rod instead of tipping the bait with the Maize.

I used a northern special as a topper to balance the bltiz boille making it waft ever so slightly. Ringing the changes worked and the rods both jumped into life not long after each other resulting in two more mid doubles hitting the bank. In thetime id been there it had become obvious bite time was morning and late afternoon evening. So with that I pre baited a few stalking spots to visit when I knew I would struggle in my area for a bite. Bailiffs bay was a great stalking spot I had nothing on my first stalking session but knew the fish were visiting the area so went back another day to try again an under arm flick to some overhanging trees twenty minutes later the reel whizzed off the scrap was phenomenal but eventually got the fish under control and slipped a stunning fully scaled willow park carp into my net, Weighing in at 15lb on the nose what a bonus fish. Now for something truly special I had just slipped the net under a fish for dad it looked like a great fish nudging the 20 mark when my alarm burst into song leaving me rushing to my rods. This was a better fish trying to get under the trees and into any snag it could desperately find but it wasnt long before I had a 16 pound stunning scaley to match dads 19 and half stunning mirror what a brace our first father and son double take picture. This made the trip absolutley one for the books and by the end of the session we'd racked up 23 fish on the bank with a few losses too I think you would all agree an absolute blinding session Tight lines wet nets 

James Junior

Bushnell Carp Diaries