I have to admit, after missing last Sunday I was looking forward more than usual to getting out on the bank! It's been nice and mild too, with temperatures in to double figures - I chose to try and ignore the wind which woke me at 5am!
When I drew the current form pegs nearest the car park had all gone, and I pulled out peg 66 on the end of the island. I had mixed feelings about this - it's normally a decent peg all year round, but it's recent form has been poor, and I struggled off it not too long ago, catching just a few roach.
While the wind was quite bad, unlike last time I could manage to hold 13m of pole to fish the bottom of the slope from the island. The wind was awkward at times, but by using a longer than usual line above the float, and two no8 back-shot halfway and holding them, I could get a steady presentation on my rig. A .4gr NG Decker on .15 mainline to a .125 hook-link and a size 16 B611 was the rig, matched to Preston 11h lakky. With a tinge of colour I also used the same rig at 5m for a throw-away line where it was just two inches shallower - just under 5ft in both cases. I also put up a rig on the same terminal gear, but using a 4x14 Preston Chianti, just in case the wind settled. Last up was my 10ft CarbonActive Mini Carp for fishing the bomb along the island. As usual, I had various hook-links for this to change between different multiples of corn or punched bread.
On the whistle I fed half-a-dozen grains of corn and a tiny pinch of hemp at 13m, before starting on the bomb and double corn. I was just going to drip an odd grain at 5m by hand.
I had four or five chucks on the bomb in the first hour with no signs of life, and with the wind at times dropping or turning enough I thought I could hold the 16m of pole to fish the island. When I saw some fish move right along the island without giving me a sign it made my mind up! I hastily got the two extra pole sections from my bag, and put up a rig to fish 2ft deep using the same terminal gear as the other rigs, but using a small 4x10 Preston PB2 float. First drop in on a big bread punch I had a bite that I missed, then dropping in again the float went and I had a bitterling! After that the wind got a bit swirly again, and holding the pole became awkward - typically, the wind was just teasing me!
I had a brief try at 13m that bought me no joy, so I went back on the bomb with double corn. After the first hour of getting my eye in casting, I managed to get the bomb as tight as I could without clipping the vegetation and needing to bring it back in. I left it for ten minutes and was just saying to the next peg that I could see fish in the area but was getting no sings on the tip when the rod went round! A small carp of about 3lb was the culprit. Despite a fair few drops being bang on the money after, I couldn't get another bite on the bomb even varying the baits between multiples of corn or bread punches.
After going through the motions on the 13m and 5m line without a bite, and plugging away on the bomb as well I couldn't raise a response. I was only fishing corn as I figured with one carp it wasn't worth fishing for the roach, and I hadn't bought any maggots! With just over an hour left the wind settled a bit again so I decided to try the pole across. With the fish ignoring anything still on the bomb I decided to try a corn skin on the hook, hoping the fluttering of the bait would make a fish snap at it. First drop across doing that and the float was away and carp number two, a twin of the first was soon heading to the net!
I plugged away along the far bank on the pole but other than a liner I couldn't muster anything else. The wind had an odd gust which twice saw me snag on the vegetation, but both times I managed to flick the rig clear without needing to pull for a break! Lucky, eh?
With half an hour to go I dropped in on the 13m line again, and the float sat for only a few seconds before the tiny pimple of bristle wasn't there! Carp number three was soon in the net - it's a while since I had that many carp! Topping up with two grains of corn and number four was joining the others five minutes later, both about 3lb, but very welcome. I missed a bite next drop before I saw the next peg catch one carp then lose another form their close line. I had a drop in on mine but nothing came of it, so with just a few minutes left I was back on the 13m line. The float plinked away and something a little more lively was on the end. A 5lb'er was netted and no sooner did it reach the keepnet than the whistle went!
Predictably, pegs 70 and 72 (either side of the rushes) had both caught well, with 70 just coming out on top with 50lb and a few ounces, and 47lb being second. My five carp went a little over 17lb which was good enough for third in the end, with eveyone else finding it much harder. The weather hadn't helped my day (the first two pegs barely had the wind), but even then I doubt I could have got near their weights. Anyhow, I was just happy to have caught!
I'll be back on the bank again between Christmas and New Year - most likely on the usual Sunday, but I may just manage to sneak out on to one of the midweek matches too! I'd like to wish everyone reading this a Merry Christmas, and I hope that all of you that manage to get out on to the bank of the festive period manage to catch a few fish - hopefully with some nice shiny new gear! Tight lines, and have a good one!
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