First trip to the coarse lake on my syndicate water.

As mentioned in my last diary entry, the coarse lake on this syndicate water is hardly fished. So I’ve found what for me is an ideal location. One could imagine it as one of those lakes mentioned in carp fishing books, with all the mystery of possible whoppers. But perhaps I’m romanticising too much.

In fact the lake was wildly overgrown and just getting to the water was a challenge. Lots of blackberry thorns and thistles to negotiate. It seemed that without a machete there was only one swim that I could get to, and that wasn’t easy. I had looked at the lake in April, when the syndicate membership was mooted, and at that stage I walked around it without too much difficulty. I think I need to return with some secateurs to carry out some vegetation management.

Click any image to launch large format slide show.

Anyway, to the fishing. Having finally got to the swim, there was a platform that was part overgrown. In front of me were two patches of lily pads and to the left marginal reeds. It wasn’t that deep near the edge but was about 4-5 ft by the pads. I started with a waggler and bread but this was attacked by hoards of small roach. Meanwhile I saw some carp near the surface further into the lake.

Thinking that the float was perhaps not the right approach, I got my Hardy Marksman rod out and cast a free line with a fair-sized piece of luncheon meat into the gap between the lily pads. I was hoping for a run, but it didn’t come, and eventually the line sunk, removing my means of bite indication. However, when I picked up the rod a fish was on, which turned out to be a roach of about 8 oz. I decided, therefore, to return to the float rod with luncheon meat as bait.

Small fish were still nibbling at the luncheon meat, but at 17.10 the float dipped under positively and I tightened to a good fish. After a spirited fight, and a number of attempts to get the fish into the net, I landed a 7lb 11oz common. Landing it was difficult as there was so much undergrowth behind me it obstructed the net pole! It was a lean fish but had a good girth. I think it was probably a wild carp strain. Space didn’t permit laying out the fish for a photograph so I snapped it in the net.

I carried on with the waggler and luncheon meat, trying different spots around the edge of the lily pads, but most of the time there were just nibbles. After a while one nibble progressed to a sunken float and this turned out to be a roach, again of about 8 oz. In fact, from the marking on one gill, I’d swear it was the same fish as I had caught earlier.

I had set my leaving time as 19.30 and, fortunately, at 19.20 the float shot under and another carp was on. This fish also fought hard, resisting a number of attempts at netting, although the restricted space was making netting quite awkward. I thought it was smaller at first, but when weighed it clocked in at 7lb 12oz. It again looked identical to the first fish, the weight being almost the same, give or take the accuracy of the scales. However, the photo seems to indicate that it was indeed a different fish.

So, the first trip to this lake wasn’t too bad. I now know that bread is a waste of time because of the number of small roach. Next time I may try putting out a light ledger with luncheon meat. I’ll also try to beat a path to some of the other swims. Quite looking forward to it really.