The Syndicate 23-11-2013

Not a great start to the session, five miles away from the lake and I get a text from the missus telling me I left my mat, sling and sack on the line, gutted. I will have to go get them so I turn round and head home not a happy chap. Finally I get back to the lake will just over a hour of light left and find the lake empty, buzzing. Best place to start will be the middle of the lake then, I can spread the rods out and cover more area, plus I can see the whole lake from here so if anything decides to show its self I will be able to get straight on it. All three rods are out, one with Krill Feast 18mm boilie over a bed of 10s, 14s and 18s. The next rod is a single 18mm Krill Feast on its own with a little stick of EFG 661 Ready Krill Mix. The last rod is a Chod set-up on its own again. The temperature is starting to drop now its going to drop below freezing tonight so it wont be long before am in the bag. The night passed with no takes until first light, I was in the on the right rod. It was a slow fight with the fish just plodding along until she was finally in the net with minimum fuss. On the mat I was pleased to see one of the long Commons not quite a twenty but a lovely fish all the same.

 
I slipped her back with numb hands and got the rod back out before retreating to the warmth of the bag. As soon as I was warm I made breakfast and started thinking about what to do next. I sat and watched the water with not a sign of a fish so I carried on as I was apart from a couple of rig and bait changes for the first two rods. I put on a special hook bait, one which had been glugged for so time and coated to give a extra kick see if that got me a bite tonight. Nothing showed all day long so as the light started to fade on the second night I got some more grub down me and sat waiting. Its cloudy tonight so it wont be as cold as last night. I really hate just sitting there but I had no choice, I had most of the hot spots covered and with nothing showing there was nothing to move on too. Another night passed with no action. I was up at first scanning the lake hoping something with give me a sign so I move on to it. I couldn’t sit there any longer and moved up to the top end of the lake. I left the bivvy where it was and just took the essentials with me. I put two rods out on Chod set-ups and the other on a single chopped down Credence Fruit Spice. I gave it till last light with no takers and not a single show again, I have not seen a show since Friday when I got here. I would like to stay another night, its times like these when you could just get a double take as they switch on for a short period of time. I have found this to happen quite a bit in the winter and reason to carry a second net. Till next time...........  

Guesting 16-11-2013

Things are not to plan at the minute, the last two over nighters have turned out to be blanks. This week I was invited to fish a local pit which has been closed for the last three weeks. The has had three foot of water drained out of it, been netted and electro fished to remove all carp under 15lb leaving around 50 fish up to mid 30s. I didn’t arrive at the lake till late Saturday evening and had to set most of the gear up in fading light. This would have to be approached with caution as these fish were going to be right on edge but also wanting some grub. I decided to use a small amount of bait over each rod to nick a first bite and if things continued this way I would in crease the amount of freebies gradually. My first rod was using a simple Bottom Bait Rig with a Marukyu Credence Krill Feast boilie in 18mm, with this I will be using the new EFG 661 Krill Ready Mix in little sticks.

I also put in around twenty freebies a little mix of sizes from 10 to 18mm, the freebies were strategically placed in a line around the start of an bay with my hook bait being in middle. The reason I did this is I seen carp moving round this area I was trying to intercept one as it passed. The second rod was using a Chod set-up with a special Pop-up from a friend. The last rod was again using an Bottom Bait Rig with Credence Krill Feast in 14mm topped with an Pineapple flavoured Credence Change Bait, with this I put a little bag of crumbed Pineapple Boilie`s these are a high attract boilie so there would be no need for any freebies round this bait as there will be plenty of goodness leaking out.

After a few hours fishing with only one fish showing its self my middle rod roared off. Things did not feel right from the off and after a few minutes I could not longer get the carp any closer. I had hooked a trailer which got tangled around some trees on the other bank. I had to leave the rod on the alarms and walk round the lake to the other side and cut the line from the branches which released the fish. I rushed round the lake to get the carp in the net which by now was worn out and just slipped into the net. I had foul hooked this one just out the mouth so just had a quick pic and slipped her back in.

This was the only action I received in the session which was a big disappointment as this is now three blanks in a row I can only hope the next time I put some fish on the bank, so till next time...

Charlies first fishing session 22-09-2013

Today was my lads first fishing trip. Charlie is only three and has been wanting to go fishing for quite a while now. I took him to my local syndicate where I have been doing most of fishing this year. The lake is ideal as its full of Roach plus has Bream, Rudd and Tench all running to specimen sizes. Its was a nice day with the sun shining and a light breeze on the lake. As soon as we got out the car to look at the lake Charlie was jumping with joy to see the lake, we could see the Roach topping on the other bank just where the breeze was catching the water. I did put a couple of rods out on the far margin to try get a quick bite. We both sat and set the rod up Charlie helping to put the line through the eyes of the rod and thread the float on. I cast out quickly to check the weight was correct and the float just disappeared, I thought the weight was wrong until I lifted the rod up with a small Roach on the end. It had taken just the hook this was a great start the Roach were hungry and we had a pint of Marukyu Krilled Maggots to fill them up on. Things could not of gone better as soon as the float hit the water it righted itself and was then pulled straight under by Charlie`s first Roach.

His face light up while he was reeling it in and when he pulled it out the water there was big “I got one daddy” to say I was a proud father was an understatement. We carried on fishing with Charlie catching around 20 fish and each time his face was a picture. I was also very pleased he held all the fish he caught for a photo and gives a cheeky smile for the camera.

We had been fishing for around an hour and half when I got a call off the missus to come home as Charlie`s nannar was on her way. I did think he might get bored after a couple so I was over the moon he enjoyed it.

We packed up and Charlie feed the rest of the Krilled Maggots to the Roach using the catapult which he was very good with. I look forward to taking him again and it will be Ella`s turn next year. I cant wait the future of fishing is here....

 

Somerset guest session 16-07-2013

5 am start today with a 3 hour drive down south. We arrived at the lake at around 8.30 after a stop off at MacDonald’s for a breakfast, well, It would be rude not to! First look at the lake and am impressed, lots of big overhanging trees and even better there are plenty of carp on the top basking in the morning sun. It was nice to see a lot of the stock on the top but I knew it was not going to be an easy task, so first things first the stalking rod is out and am walking round getting a look at the stock and looking for likely places to put a bait.

After a few hours with no takers I started planning the attack for night time, this is when I thought I was likely to get a bite. I had a walk round with a rod feeling around in a few spots to build a picture of the lake bed, not much to go on feature wise with depths of 4 foot max; the margins seemed like the best place to start. I found a few clear spots in the slit and started putting a little bait in. The first rod was to be fished over the top of a bed of particles with Credence fruit spice boilies, the particle mix was made up of pigeon condition, hemp, tares and maize all from my local tackle shop Soar Tackle, in the cooking process I added a couple cups of sugar and half a tub of Horlicks, this helps to boost the natural aroma that comes from seeds. I also added to this mix a good helping of credence fruit spice some ground up and some chops plus the odd whole one these go very well with this sweet mix. The second and third rod was to be fished over small beds of boilies, I say a small bed because I don’t feel like the fish are going to really get their heads down tonight, if you think about its red hot at the minute pressure is high I don’t want to eat a big meal a little salad would be much nicer and easier to digest. Now am not saying this is the case all the time but the way the fish are acting today it doesn’t look likely I will get many runs.
I put 2 rods out on zigs for a few hours just to see if I could get a sneaky bite. An hour later I was in, from the off something didn’t feel right this one was foul hooked in the tail which after 5 minutes pulled out, I was not a happy man not for the fact I lost it for the fact of the damage this may of caused the fish and being un able to treat it. A couple of hours later I had a repeat on the other rod this time I did get it in and was able to treat a wound on the petal fin and return it. 

After this I bought both zigs in and changed over to my bottom rigs for the night. The left rod was fished with a Marukyu Credence Krill feast boilie topped with half a Credence pop-up, a good dose of Marukyu Credence liquid was also poured over the hook bait, this thick brown liquid sticks to the bait and will still be around my hook bait for some time. This was fished over a small bed of whole and chopped Credence Krill feast, the second rod was fished with a Credence pop-up over a bed of particles and the third was another bottom bait using Marukyu Credence Fruit spice boilie topped with a piece of Credence corn again with Credence liquid, fished over a small bed of Fruit spice boilies. All three rods were cast without rigs onto the opposite bank. I walked round with the three rigs and clipped them on, then I used a fourth rod with just hook to line, using a small piece of pva string I tied hook to hook and was able to lower my rigs in as if by hand onto the lake bed. Well the first night went by with no takers so it was back to the drawing board, the next day was the same as before most of the carp on the top basking in the sun all day long. I tried to get them on some floaters with no luck; I also tried stalking them with some free lined bread in the margins but still no takers. Again the night time is going to be the best chance of a take, so back out with the rigs on the baited areas repeating the process from the day before; I topped the areas up with a little bait. 

 At 10.30 just as the light had faded I was in with a drop back, a steady fight to get the fish under the rod tip and thankfully into the net. Not a big fish for this lake but a stunner all the same and one happy angler, I had to really work for that bite and my time was not over yet so the rig placing procedure was repeated once again and I sat back rubbing my hands hoping this was the start of a good night, but this is carp fishing and things didn’t quite go to plan there. That was the only proper take of the session well as they say it only takes one bite……..

The Syndicate 26-10-2013

Well this session started a bit different then the others and not in a good way. To start with I had to make a trip to a friends to pick up an additive I wanted for this session which was a hour round trip. Then I nipped in to Soar Tackle to collect my leads and have a quick chat with Scott to catch up on what had been caught around the area over the last week. Then a trip to get some gas as Scott had just ran out but unfortunately for me there was no gas for my stove but there was some for a stove I know Scott’s got at the shop, so I trip back to Soar Tackle for the stove before I could leave for the lake. Finally I arrived at the with two others already on, I choose I likely area and got the kit to the swim.

I had just got everything ready rods all clipped up to the spots baited up when Colin arrives. The fun is not over yet as he had forgot his alarms and did not have enough fuel to make the journey back home and then back to the lake. I offered to run him home while his missus looked after my kit, this was another hour and ten minutes round trip. It was just before six when I finally got the rods out. Colin on the other hand had to set most of his gear up in the dark. Conditions looked good for a bite or two with pressure low and still dropping for the some of the time there and a bloody great howler blowing with up to 80mph gusts. Saying this there was nothing really showing I had seen one leave the water for a second near to baited area but that was about it till first light. The night passed with Colin losing one shortly after the take at about five in the morning but that was it. I had a big bosh over my near margin rod at first light so was sure of a take but it never came. Time for a fat breakfast then as we always do about this time, yeah.....

 
The day passed with nothing showing and all alarms quite for all of us on the lake. A bit of a strange one as everything felt right but that’s fishing for you, if it was easy I would soon get bored of it. Till the next time.....

The Syndicate 19-10-2013

Another week at work finished and time for a 24 hour set on the syndicate. It was a bit of a rush to be honest, finished work at four but had 35 minute drive home to collect the gear before another 40 minutes to get to the lake. I must say the drive to the lake was nice it really felt like autumn driving down country roads with the wind blowing countless leaves over car, I was buzzing to get to the lake. By the time a had the rods out I set my home up for the night in the dark.

I was happy with all three rods and was confident for one of them to rip off. The conditions felt right for things to happen but morning arrived without a single bleep and it was the same for three others on the lake. All four of us ended up leaving with a blank after seeing the next day out. My tactics were much the same as my other times on here but this time I was fishing from a different bank. I fished this peg back in February for two nights in minus six and banked three carp so I had a good idea of the patrol route through this area and had strategically placed my baits to try intercept a carp or two.
 

The Syndicate 05-10-2013

Back on the syndicate for a quick over nighter. There is a work party on here tomorrow, thought I would get here early and try get a couple of bites. I did a couple of laps around the lake but didn’t see any signs of fish. The lake was empty so I choose I peg in the middle of the lake so I could spread the rods out and cover as much water as possible.

I set out getting the rods clipped up to the spots and walked them out on the bank placing markers at the distance, this will allow me to hit the spots at night with little effort. I only baited the spots lightly to start with hoping to get a quick bite. If I get a take or see fish over the spot I will top the spots up with a bit more bait. The first rod was fished with a 18mm Marukyu Credence Krill Feast Boilie with 18 and 14mm freebies. The second rod was a 14mm Krill Feast with a 10mm Credence Change Bait in Pineapple flavour with 18, 14 and 10mm Krill Feast freebies.

 The last rod was using two 10mm Change Baits in Pineapple and Orange with 10mm Pineapple, Orange and Strawberry freebies. Things were very quite until I got tucked up in the bag and the first rod ripped off. This was an unusual quick battle for this place before a low double Mirror was in the net. The mirror had certainly been having a bit of a munch as it ejected two 14mm Krill Feasts in the net. I walked the rod out to the marker and with a trusty Castaway Pva bag I was out on the spot in no time.

I topped up the spot with a good couple of handfuls of 14 and 18mm Krill Feast. Back in the bag it was hard to get back to sleep as I was sure for another take but I finally fell to sleep and woke up at first light with no more takes. I little gutted I got up and put the kettle on. Still no signs of fish so nothing to move on to I thought it best to stick it out here till the work party arrived. Well looks like the one take is all am going to get this session but still I enjoyed my time on the bank as always. Till next time..............