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Julian

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  1. Julian

    27lb Carp On Deadbait..!

    By Julian,

    Maybe I was attacking the Main Lake all wrong at the weekend. A friend of mine has just informed me that he had a cracking 27lb+ mirror out of the same lake on a small deadbait last week! What can you say to that! It appears he cast out the small roach tail and sat back to let it develop. Shortly afterwards the rod rattled off and he thinks he’s into a decent pike. A few people gather by his swim to see how big the pike is going to be, only to be greeted by a cracking fully scaled mirror hooked neatly in the middle of the bottom lip!!
     
    I’ve heard a few accounts in the past of carp taking deadbaits but it’s the first time it’s actually happened to somebody I know. It does not really surprise me though. Having witnessed big fish rooting around on the bottom on countless occasions I’ve seen them pick up allsorts, and I guess a nice little piece of roach tail could be quite tempting at this time of year!
     
    Better get some traces tied up!!
     
  2. Julian

    New Pb Surface Capture..!

    By Julian,

    What can I say, when I left the house last night I had no idea what was to come. I’d been watching the weather out of my office window (at home) all day but had not been outside. I live in an old Town House and my office window faces out north so its afternoon before the sun comes through the window, and as such it can be deceiving as it often feels colder than it is until the sun pokes through. It was about 3pm when I nipped outside to speak to a neighbour and I was gob-smacked at how warm it was.
     
    Within minutes my head was racing ahead with the possibilities, a few of us from my Northern-Monkeys site had decided on a floater fishing challenge - trying to take a carp off the top during each month of the year. It stemmed from a fascinating article I’d read whilst at Birch about this guy that just fished off the top who’d had some absolutely stunning results. The upshot was that he had caught fish off the top in every month of the year and so came about the challenge.
     
    In the past I’ve had fish from April to September so the challenge is to take one in each month from October through to March. With the last few weeks remaining quite warm I thought it was going to be a much easier proposition than it has been, time fishing has been the main problem, and it’s getting too dark too quickly after I finish work. In all honesty I’ve only had about two or three day sessions over the last few months.
     
    Hence my eagerness to get out for a couple of hours last night. Elton was kind enough to give me a few hours off so I was out of the house just before 4pm with a couple of hours fishing ahead of me before it went dark. I decided on a little day ticket venue a few miles outside of Leek. I’d been doing a little bit on there a month or two back and had managed a cracker of 17lb 2oz and had even lost one much bigger at the net. I’d only fished the place four or five times so I felt there was much more to come. Whilst one always dreams of big fish, the main reason for choosing this venue was the fact that that there were a couple of pools to go at, and whilst I’d been concentrating on the upper pool where I’d taken the better fish, there was also a bottom pool that contained smaller fish that seemed easier to get going when the upper pool fish did not want to play. On arriving at the water my plan was to start on the upper pool, and if nothing developed move on to the lower pool.
     
    When I arrived at the water my plan was immediately flawed. I had not taken the wind into account. I had checked on the web before leaving and it had said 15mph winds, but as the pools are in a valley I did not think it would be so bad – I was wrong! Most of the upper pool looked like the North Sea! The little bay that had provided the goods on previous occasions was the best sheltered area but was still getting hammered with the wind pushing straight into it. As it was a fresh wind I knew there would be fish about but could I get them going? I put out a healthy amount of mixers which went across the lake in minutes. During that time three fish crashed clean out of the water so they were definitely there, but after fifteen minutes not one mixer had been taken. I tried a few other spots where the cover was better but still no joy.
     
    I decided on a switch to the bottom pool. The area that offered the best chance was already taken, a point swim behind a large island which was well sheltered from the wind. The only other area free was a small bay in the South-East corner so I settled in there. There were two young lads fishing down to my left, lots of noise, lots of commotion, and lots of bait flying – the joys of day ticket fishing. I was not to be put off however, as time was running out.
     
    I set about the business of trying to get a few fish feeding. By 5pm I’d not seen one definite sign of a carp, the wind was making it very hard visually and to be honest I was almost at the point of calling it a day. But then unexpected happened – the guy on the point had packed up and was walking back round with his gear. Within seconds I was off around the other side of the lake and dropped into the swim. I timed it so that we passed on the path and politely asked how he had done?
    “Crap, nothing all day, mate.” his reply.
     
    I immediately went about getting some mixers out. In my excitement to get out of the house I’d forgotten to put my catapult in the bag so could only fish at ‘chuck-distance’. Even so I could get most of the way out to the point just off the island and started feeding mixers to another area to my right in open water; I had the whole side of the lake to myself but was governed by wind as to where I could fish. After ten minutes there had not been a swirl, apart from a few over excited silver fish trying to wolf down a dog biscuit in one go. I was beginning to get that sinking feeling in my stomach and had visions of having to wait until next October for another chance when out of nowhere came that beautiful sound… ‘Schooooooolp’. Something, somewhere, had just nailed a dog biscuit! My head whipped round to trace the source of the noise and my eyes fixed on a small circular flat spot rapidly extending outwards where a carp had just boiled on the surface. In that instant my heart lifted and a grin spread across my face… time yet my boy, time yet!
     
    I immediately unhooked the dog biscuit and hook from my rod eye and cast to the spot where the fish had appeared, applying a few more mixers soaked in Essential Shellfish Plum. Minutes later another floater disappeared and then another. I kept feeding the two patches and making casts back into the zone as the wind was pushing the controller through the area much quicker than the free baits. Many prefer to cast over the baited spot and drag the controller back into the zone, which is fine. However, I prefer to cast right into the zone and feather the cast so it lands with just a tiny plop. It’s often the case that if you get your cast right you will get a hit quite quickly, as was the case when after a cast to the island patch a carp attacked the dog biscuit almost immediately. Either through lack of skill on my part or lack of conviction on the carp’s, I failed to connect – gutted. This is often the case with surface fishing and to some extent goes with the territory. This is one of the reasons why I like to feed two spots, so that when you have a fish or spook one from one area you can work on the other for a while, feeding both as you go.
     
    Over the next thirty minutes I pulled out twice more. These losses were more than I would usually expect but I put it down to the wind making things difficult. By now it was turning dark and time was running out. Mixers were drifting right across the bay by now and fish were picking them off all over the place. I’d also been feeding a few down the margin just inches off the bank – many a time the fish think these have been swept in and are safe to eat – until they get nailed by the hookbait . Some of these had made it down to an overhanging Hawthorne bush in the bottom corner and were getting mopped up from the safety of submerged branches. As darkness neared the wind was dropping and the bush area was now fishable so I quickly and quietly changed spots and got a bait back out in front off the tree. Obviously on 7.9lb hooklink I did not want to let it drift too close into the bush as a big fish would make light work of snagging me. However, I wanted to give the illusion that the hookbait was out of harms way and so let it drift in as far as I could until I felt it was too dangerous, at which point I’d wind in, recast, and let it drift in again. The freebies were getting picked off and the fish were slowly moving further out of the snag. It was too dark to see their size but that was unimportant – I would have been ecstatic with a 2lb’er!
     
    Then it happened, nothing spectacular, nothing out of the ordinary, just a little swirl and the biscuit was gone. The controller immediately slammed forward as the hooklink tightened and I gently lifted into the fish, this time the hook had been set and battle ensued. To be frank, I nearly wet myself. It was obvious from the outset it was a good fish, a very good fish, and all through the fight I had visions of it making the bush, snagging me and leaving me to pack up and go home thinking about what might have been. However, happily (very happily) I can report that everything held and I soon had a rather large carp wallowing in the bottom of my net! By now everyone else on the lake had given up and gone home, so I was left to investigate my prize alone, just the way I like it to be honest – just me and the fish!
     
    The scales registered 24lb 4oz - ‘Ecstatic’ doesn’t do justice to the way I felt but you get the idea! Technically it’s not my biggest surface caught fish as I had a 25lb plus mirror off the Main Lake back in June with a free-lined worm off the edge of a lily pad, but it’s certainly my best floater fishing capture to date, and to class it as anything other than a personal best would seem to be splitting hairs!
     
    So, my October surface capture is firmly in the bag and I couldn’t be happier – roll on November! The picture was a little disappointing but it’s the fish that counts. The rechargeable batteries on my digital camera seem to have given up the ghost overnight. They have given over two years of trouble free service and usually last for a week or more with constant use, but since my trip to the Main Lake last weekend they now last for about five seconds! The first effort with flash switched off the camera as it took the image, and registered nothing. I managed to get two more without flash before it was game over. I’ve fettled with the better of the two in Photoshop and although the contrast is a bit ropey you can at least see the fat old girl on the mat.
     
    No matter though, it will remain pin sharp in the memory for years to come.
     

  3. Julian

    Birch Grove Bonanza!

    By Julian,

    Finally managed to sort my Birch Grove Pictures from the week before last.
     
    It was a great week even though I had to go home a few days early for my brothers wedding, how selfish was he - getting married during our week on Birch!!
     
    It was a great week as usual, although it was a little sad in one regard; Anne who has been the Landlady at the Admiral Duncan for the last six years or so has decided to move on, and things definitely won’t be the same without her, and typically, she held a leaving do on the same day as I had to shoot back home for my brothers wedding. The guy’s tell me it was a good do though – from what they can remember!
     
    Anyway, back to the fishing, we took 12 fish between us, with as far as I’m aware, no losses – I know Chris and I banked every one we hooked, which was pleasing for a water with so many snags. Arrived at dinner time on the Sunday with Chris and Myself fishing the Main Boards, with Shaun and Miffer in the Compound. I think these are in the order that we had them;
     
    Chris - 11lb 12oz common

     
    Miffer - 20lb 6oz common

     
    Me - 23lb 12oz mirror

     
    Shaun - 15lb+ common

     
    Chris – 21lb 6oz common

     
    Me – 21lb+ common

     
    Miffer – 29lb 3oz common

     
    Me – 20lb 4oz common - stalked

     
    Chris – 22lb 12oz

     
    Me – 27lb 12oz mirror

     
    Chris – 24lb 3oz mirror

     
    Only one missing is Miffer’s 17+ common which he had after I left on the Friday morning.
  4. Julian
    Having just re-read my last entry, I have to raise a wry smile. I added it just before I set off for a few days fishing with Elton down on the syndicate lake. In the entry and wrote about how I just had a feeling that it was going to be a good session as all the omens were looking good.
     
    Just how good it actually ended up being surpassed any hopes that I might have had before hand, and looking back I still can’t believe how everything just seemed to fall into place. That’s not to say it was easy fishing, far from it, there was quite a bit of weed about and it took time to feature find accurately in order to locate spots I was happy with, but once I had, it all seemed to go like clockwork – my best ever session, topped by my first UK thirties, and yes, that’s plural! – A 30 mirror and a 30 common amongst a whole host of absolute stunners – the stuff dreams are made of!
     
    Sincere thanks to Steve Burke for making it all happen, to be honest, it’s still not sunk in yet!
     
    Final tally for four nights was;
     
    27lb 12oz Mirror
    27lb Mirror
    26lb Common
    33lb 4oz Mirror
    30lb 8oz Common
    26lb 6oz Mirror
    21lb Mirror
    14lb Common
     
    A few pictures;
     
    Arrived at around 3pm Monday and decided on ‘Middle River’. Had a bit of a social with Elt and finally got my rods in just after 8pm;
     

     
    First action came at 10am the following morning from my distance rod, a stunning mirror at 27lb 12oz.
     

     
    After we spotted a fish boil in the margins during the morning I found a clear spot and dropped some of Mick’s new bait on it at around 2pm – two and a half hours later and off it went – 27lb mirror.
     

     
    The following morning at around 6am the same rod produced another; a mint 26lb common.
     

     
    During the day Elton banked the 18lb 4oz, then, at around 11pm my distance rod produced the big fella, all 33lb 4oz of it!!;
     

     
    After a bit of a celebration I baited up again and the same rod produced the big common at 6.30am the following morning!
     

     

     
    10.00am and the same rod produced this stunning 26lb mirror;
     

     
    Elton snuck the 21lb common minutes after and his stunning linear came later in the day. I then had this 21lb mirror at around 8pm.
     

     
    My final fish came just after 1am on the Friday, a small but stunning common of 14lb which fought well above its weight.
     

     
    Big thanks to Elton for all the piccy’s and to Steve for the hospitality, a session I’ll never forget!
  5. Julian
    What is it about preparing for a big fishing trip that makes us behave like little children?
     
    I don’t know the answer but it’s an interesting thought. I used to have one big ‘build-up mission’ prior to the ‘off’ on the Top Pool each June, where I would spend a whole week in pursuit of genuine Leney originals, but with Izaak’s arrival this year my fishing to date has consisted of one rod and a bag of dog biscuits - so not much sorting required there!
     
    However, last weekend I got the green light for four nights fishing (starting tomorrow). Yes, that’s FOUR NIGHTS, count them! I don’t think I’ve done four hours in one session this year, never mind four nights - so I can’t wait! As such, the week has been a preparation marathon – obtaining new line, tackle and bait, spooling reels, tidying gear, tying rigs, buying food, and everything else associated with a big session away.
     
    I’ve been like a kid at Christmas every morning on waking as I count down to D-Day with my first thought being an urgent awareness of the days pre-fishing tasks I need to cross off the list. Well, almost my first thought – my first ‘urgent awareness’ is usually that Izaak’s nappy is in dire need of changing!
     
    The preparation is almost complete; rods are set-up, bags are packed, bait has been prepared, and food is chilling in the fridge. However, there is always the is the anxiousness before a big one; have I packed everything, will I catch, what will the weather do, will the lake look ‘fishy’, will we get a decent swim, will we, will we………?
     
    There comes a point where everything is ready and all you can do is twiddle your fingers and thumbs until you are out of the door and away. That point will not come until 9am tomorrow morning, and I know today is going to drag on forever, and that I probably won’t be able to get to sleep tonight, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. For me it’s what it’s all about – the nervous excitement when I think about the treats that may lie ahead.
     
    Whether I ultimately catch or not makes little difference. Don’t get me wrong I shall try my hardest to bank a few whilst I’m there, but when in such good company, on one of the nicest lakes in the country, and with over one hundred hours of non-stop enjoyment ahead of me… who cares!
     
    … but I guess it would be nice!
     

  6. Julian

    Frustrated!

    By Julian,

    Did another early morning session today – first time on another new water! I’m getting about a bit lately! Lovely lake of about three acres with more features, bays, points, snags, pads and back waters than you could shake a stick at. I went up with Izaak for a quick reccy at the weekend but he started balling ten minutes into the job so I had to come home, but saw enough to know it was worth a stab (couple of good doubles and one perhaps a scraper twenty).
     
    Got there at dawn with the intention of fishing off the top, and quickly found some stunning mirrors in the margins – only problem was that I could not get their heads up! They were up and down the margin every five minutes but proper tails-up and heads down – not interested in surface baits whatsoever, even though it was only about a foot deep?
     
    Just happened to have some particle mix in the car so went back, changed tack and used a bit of maize from the mix as hookbait. For the next two hours they mopped up big time, inches from the bank, but could not get a pick up. Very frustrating – If I’d have had a worm I reckon I could have nailed one in a matter of minutes. Some you lose, eh?
     
    Plenty learned though, and some stunning fish spotted, a group of three mirrors kept coming back time and time again. Two were about 14-15lb and the third was about 19lb – a lovely lightly scaled mirror with a very long body.
     
    A couple of coarse anglers turned up at about 7am, set up right opposite, and started hammering in poles of every description for about twenty minutes. That was the last I saw of the fish. Decided to pull off early as I was only getting more wound up the longer I stayed so stopped off at Deep Hayes on the way back, and snuck a nice 13lb mirror off the top. There were a few kids on with it being the holidays so I had an audience for the duration – just glad it stayed on!
     
    Right, were did I put those worm rigs…
     
     
  7. Julian

    From one extreme…

    By Julian,

    Went back to Deep Hayes last night for a few hours surface fishing. I went in the evening as a friend has joined but he’s not as keen on the early morning sessions as me so we went down after work!
     
    Straight away I noticed a massive difference in the behaviour of the fish. Although they were about in numbers like normal, they were much more on edge and were much harder to get going – no doubt because for most of the day they had been subjected to all manner of ‘approaches’ from the local school kids, who now on summer holidays, were occupying quite a few swims, though in fairness, the main competition between them seemed to be who could shout the loudest! – better that than stuck at home on the Play station though, I suppose.
     
    Either way it was a good hour before I managed to connect with my first fish, a little mirror of around 7lb. As the fish neared netting I could clearly see the dog biscuit just inside its mouth, but once netted and up on the mat I was amazed that the hook and biscuit had now moved deep into its mouth. I always carry some long nosed pliers but even with those it was a job to reach the hook and get it out. The only thing I can put it down to is the barbless hook (which unfortunately the club insists upon) as it must have dislodged immediately upon netting before the fish tried to take it further back. Another example of how they can end up doing more harm than good, in my opinion.
     
    Shortly after the sun dipped below the trees behind me I moved around the other side of the lake to fish areas that were still in sun allowing me to spot the fish, but the remainder of the session proved extremely frustrating. I was hooking them but just could not bank them – I think I lost around seven fish on the bounce. I don’t think any of them were particularly big, but once hooked they went hell for leather to reach a huge set of sedges and as I tightened down on the run each one would become the eventual victor.
     
    I managed to bank one at the death, a nice plump mirror of around 9lb, but I can’t say I was overly pleased with the evenings events and I might just have to concede that it’s best to stay away from that swim. The odd thing is that the other week I banked about nine fish of the same swim within two hours without one fish trying to make it to the sedges – I was able to play all in open water. The only difference being that it was on one of my early morning sessions – food for thought?
     
  8. Julian
    I did another session on my new little water yesterday morning; I set the alarm for 4am and was at the water for around half past, just as it was coming light. It was only my third time on the water, and like the previous two sessions, I went after the carp off the surface, armed with one rod, net, mat, essentials and a big bag of flavoured dog biscuits!
     
    The last session had brought a lovely 17lb plus common to the net, one of nine fish I took during a few hours fishing, and whilst well chuffed with what I considered a great result, I was strangely confident of a rerun for the session about to unfold.
     
    The conditions were perfect when I got to the water, completely free of wind and very hot, even at just gone 4am! I was the only one on so quickly got my gear and headed down to my favoured high bank swims, which sit a little higher than the rest so they are great for observing fish once the sun comes up as you can then try and target the larger carp to cast to in open water.
     
    As soon as I got on the swim I catapulted out a few pouchfuls of mixers, and before I had even finished I heard the first ‘Schlooop’ as a greedy carp took a bait within seconds of it hitting the water. A grin rapidly spread across my face as I quickly readied my rod.
     
    What followed was an unbelievable session, and one which completely surpassed any expectations I might have had beforehand. Between 5am and 9am I must have had around twenty to twenty five fish, the simple truth is that I stopped counting after about fifteen!
     
    Nothing managed to beat the 17lb’er from the last session, but with an average size of 8-9lb, all gave a great account of themselves on the light 6.9lb line I was using, and in amongst them were a handful of good fish to around mid doubles.
     
    By the time I left for work just after 9am I was exhausted. The water lies deep in a wooded valley and as soon as the sun peaked over the tops of the trees at about 6am I was in full sun for the remainder of the session, and boy was it hot! 27 degrees by the time I went home.
     
    I’m well chuffed with the way the plan is going thus far. Having walked around a few times after work near to the start of the season, there were always a few on, and the odd one or two who were surface fishing weren’t doing so well, so I decided on the early morning tactic when I figured the fish would not be so spooked from all the anglers, and as it’s a day-only water, I had a good chance of being among the first on so would be able to move around freely from swim to swim without worrying about other anglers. As it goes I’ve had the place to myself each morning with the odd one arriving just before I head off to work!
     
    The aim is still to have one of the larger fish. Research turned up about three or four that can and have done over twenty pounds at some point, the largest a common of around twenty five. So far I’ve not had any definite sightings but I’ve seen some impressive shadows drifting by just beyond my baited area when the sun is up, some of which would certainly be impressive on the bank.
     
    In the meantime I’m happy catching whatever comes my way, after all, the whole point of joining the place was that it was right on my doorstep and would simply allow me to do a bit when I had a few hours to spare, rather than having to drive distances to my specimen waters, and besides, it’s great fun…
     
    … and isn’t that what it’s all about?
  9. Julian

    Not This Year...

    By Julian,

    Ahhh… The 1st June. Traditionally the first day of the season on Stoke-on-Trent AS waters for those who have completed work party’s and historically the time when you’ll find me stuck up on the Top Pool for two weeks solid before the crowds arrive on the 16th – but not this year.
     
    Commitments elsewhere meant I was unable to complete the work parties and even if I had, I doubt I’d have been able to get an away pass from home. As such, last night was a bit of a weird one; I still found myself looking at the clock every few minutes leading up to the stroke of midnight - even though I was at home tucked up in bed watching TV with Lisa and little one!
     
    Old habits die hard I guess - this is probably my first time off the water at the start for maybe seven or eight years – ho hum.
     
    I made sure I switched off my phone before I went to bed - Not being there was bad enough, but to get a text off a mate to say he’d just bagged a biggie…well that would just be cruel!
     
  10. Julian
    I managed to sneak a few hours surface fishing on Blackwood last night. I actually went down to a day ticket water in Cheddleton first but there were a few folk on and quite a rip on the surface, so I went up to Blackwood where Mart and I had the place to ourselves.
     
    It took a while to get them going and they were quite spooky, I had the feeling somebody else may have been up there surface fishing earlier in the day but there was no sign of any floaters anywhere.
     
    We got them feeding off the dam and I left Mart to it and went stalking around the margins. I happened upon a couple of feeding fish in the shallows and managed to bag a cracking fully scaled mirror just under double figures – which was nice.
     
    Mart left at around 8.00pm leaving me alone to try and tempt another before dark. I kept moving around and stalked another stunning fully scaled mirror from the dam, having dropped a hookbait right in its path inches from the bank – result!
     
    I took a quick photo on self timer then slipped her back and went home a happy man!
     
  11. Julian

    Caught on film...

    By Julian,

    I took Izaak for a walk around my new target water early on Saturday and Sunday morning. Primarily this was so Lisa could have a few hours sleep but also because I want to spend as much time at the water as possible before the season kicks off on the 16th.
     
    I found a few nice fish lurking in various areas over the two reconnaissance sessions and I can’t wait to start my campaign on there. The fish are not massive but there are a few nice examples. I’ve been concentrating my observations on a few key areas, mainly areas with overhanging willows which are now well into the water providing perfect sanctuary for the carp.
     
    I even managed to catch one little kipper on film whilst trying out a new polarised filter. The water was a bit coloured so the pictures are not brilliant, but I like the atmospheric quality, especially the one where you can see his eyes and face a split second before he breaks through the surface!
     
    Hoping to get out for a few hours surface fishing on another local water tonight, I’ll let you know how I get on…
  12. Julian

    All Change...

    By Julian,

    All Change…
     
    It doesn’t seem a minute since my last entry, nearly six months ago!
     
    Although when I think back, a lot has happened in that time, not fishing wise, I think I’ve only managed two or three sessions since January, each being a few snatched hours here and there, but the house is pretty much unrecognisable from what it was and of course I’m now a dad!
     
    House wise we still have a fair bit to do but I got the bulk of the messy stuff done by the skin of my teeth before baby Izaak arrived. Walls have been plastered, staircases stripped, wooden floors and carpets laid, and walls painted again!
     
    The day after we got things straight, Lisa went into Labour!
     
    Izaak is now seven weeks old and keeping us on our toes, and as we have just begun to adjust to life with three, I’ve recently managed to get out for a few hours fishing here and there.
     
    Mainly this has consisted of a few hours floater fishing at Blackwood, and I had a nice little session this week which saw me bag the Parrott off the top, the waters largest resident, so I’m more than happy with my short session fishing at the moment; just added an article about it HERE.
     
    This will be the first year that I’ve not started the season by fishing on the Top Pool for as long as I can remember, but I simply can’t devote the time to the place that I’d need to in order to catch the big ones consistently. As such, I’ve been looking at a few little waters close to home where I can get out to fish when time allows. It’s been a refreshing change actually, just going and observing waters to see if they have potential.
     
    I’ve pretty much decided on a water just up the road which I’ve never fished before and will be getting a permit once the season starts. I’ve been doing my homework and Izaak has been joining me on regular reconnaissance missions to suss out where the fish are during the closed season. I’ve seen some decent fish and certainly have an idea where to start targeting my efforts, so I’m looking forward to the new challenge.
     
    The fish aren’t as big as those I’m used to but that’s not why I’m fishing it, I just want to enjoy and make the most of the time I have available. An old friend, Mart, who I used to fish with all the time has also come out of a self imposed fishing retirement and we’ve done a few sessions together over the last few weeks which has been great fun – just like old times, and mart’s also getting a permit for this new place so it should be enjoyable fishing whatever happens.
     
     
    The new arrival...
     
  13. Julian

    Help!

    By Julian,

    What a week, seems like I’ve not had a minute to myself. I’m in the throws of renovating the bathroom at home and had just five days to get everything done! Spent Monday night ripping out all the old suite and sorting a first plumbing fix for the new one, then spent Tuesday and Wednesday night stripping the old floor back to the joists in order to fit a new oak floor, have a plasterer in there going mental as we speak and then have to get all the sheets up as soon as he’s gone to get a few coats of varnish down before the plumber turns up on Saturday to fit the new suite - I’m knackered!
     
    Still, if I close my eyes and squint hard enough I can just about picture my next session…
     
    Oh well, back to it...
  14. Julian

    Thoughts On Weed…

    By Julian,

    What a day, I’m heady with thoughts of big fish – mainly due to the fact that after two days work I’ve just finished transferring around 165 reviews to the new forum section: Here. I finished by adding some book reviews, and there are some cracking reviews on titles by the likes of BB, Sheringham, and Sharman – well worth a read.
     
    Anyway, after the excitement of my weekend surface captures, I’m back down to earth with a bang this week - house work all the way. I have the plumber starting today and tomorrow on the new bathroom and then I have plasterers in later this week before I have to get a new oak floor down prior to Lisa coming home (from a week at her mums) on Saturday – its all go!
     
    Aside from the floater fishing I keep catching myself thinking about how to attack the weed problem on the Main Lake. I may just have the answer courtesy of a quick trip down to Mick Ball at MB Baits last Friday. I asked for Mick’s thoughts on the weed problem – at which point he disappeared into the back room and came back with a couple of tubs; the first of which contained a fresh batch of super buoyant Snail & Shell pop-ups that he’d been working on, the other containing a new Snail & Shell soluble fish protein paste to mould around the hookbait – On seeing (and smelling!) these two little gems a grin rapidly spread from ear to ear!
     
    Now I just have to find a way to present the hookbaits. The Top Pool weed is easy, as with Canadian Pond Weed you know if wont stick to the rig or mask everything – it will just tangle on the cast, so the trick is to either make a little clear spot or find one. It can also be predictable in its growth pattern so after a while you learn where to find the clear spots in any lake that is infested with the stuff. Not so with silk weed – It’s just a real pain in the backside as everything just gets masked from the second you chuck it out – it’s like trying to get chewing gum off a shag pile carpet!
     
    So, the plan is to try two things, both based on a single super buoyant hookbait approach. The first will be a medium length braid rig, using just enough lead putty on the braid to make the pop-up neutral density so hopefully the whole thing comes to rest just on top of the weed, and the second rod will be a hookbait popped-up straight off the lead on a short stiff rig.
     
    I’ll leave that with’em for a while and see what develops..!
     
  15. Julian

    As Suspected…

    By Julian,

    Had an enjoyable session on the Top Pool last night, although as suspected, I returned home fishless. Not that it matters much up there; it’s never an easy water and only gets harder during the winter months. Some people say I’m mad fishing on the Top Pool through the winter when I could easily be catching on other local venues, but where’s the challenge in that? After all, when they do come along it gives you such a sense of achievement that all the blank sessions just melt away. I remember doing countless winter overnighters on there last year with nothing to show for it, then, with just a few weeks left in the season I banked ‘spot’, which must rank as one of the prettiest fish I’ve ever caught – so for me its always worth the hardship (picture below).
     
    I met up with a new member last night, Phil, who was fishing the next swim (just two of us on the lake). We’d been talking a bit via email so it was nice to finally put a name to a face. Had a good chat about previous exploits, and it would appear Phil’s become addicted to the Top Pool like the rest of us… Oh dear, another victim!
     
    Check your brains in at the gate my friend, it only gets worse from here on in!
  16. Julian

    More Off The Top..!

    By Julian,

    Picture the scene; yesterday (Saturday) morning and I awake after a nice lie in – well, 9am is a lie in for me! Lisa was going out for the day to meet up with some old work friends and I had an unplanned day ahead of me – a rarity nowadays. As we lay there she asked what I was going to do and at that precise moment I had no idea. That is, until the sun poked through the cloud outside and suddenly lit up the bedroom through the curtains, “Hmmm, well, I might just nip down the road for a few hours floater fishing”
    “I thought you might say that” was Lisa’s reply.
     
    It was cold, or certainly colder than it had been over recent weeks with the temperature hovering at just 7°c as I readied my gear, although the sun kept peeping through the clouds giving a warming effect. I arrived at the Pools that had produced my 24lb 4oz October result a week or so ago and decided which pool to go for. The pools lie at the bottom of a steep sided valley and the sun had only just appeared over the hill so things were still pretty chilly on my arrival. I felt the carp would be in the bottom layers of the water and it may be some time before they moved up to the top layers and as such, I decided the shallowest pool would be a good start. In addition I felt a roving approach would probably suit best, in effect trying to stalk one off the top rather than try to get them going in one area throughout the day. As the bottom lakes can get busy of a weekend I settled on the very top pool, furthest from the road up a very muddy track with most of its banks in a similar state due to the amount of rain over the last few weeks – thus a really messy affair. To be honest this was just what I wanted as it would probably mean I would have the place to my self for a few hours at least. Bingo – on getting to the top pool there was nobody in sight.
     
    I had a walk around to see what was what and settled on an area that was getting the most of the sun’s warming rays. It was the first time I had fished the pool for many years; in fact the last time must have been when I was about nineteen years old, and so the memories came flooding back. It had changed a lot since those halcyon days, having been extended further and then left to mature. If anything it had been left to nature a little too much and the shallow water had become infested with sedges which had continued growing out into the water and now occupied about half of the total surface area. However, what this did do was to offer lots of nice little bays and alcoves to drop a few mixers into. After ten minutes in my chosen spot nothing was happening. The water was free from wind and from my vantage point I would have been able to make out any activity. Once everything was ready I poured a brew from my flask and sat back to watch the water for signs of life whilst feeding in mixers every few minutes. At this point the sun went back behind cloud and a small rip developed as it started to rain (great!) pushing my mixers right into the back of a little bay, fringed on all sides by masses of dead sedges. However, the back of the bay was not the back of the lake, if you imagine a canal with a lock gate, it was a bit like that; the 'gate' being a few sedges separating my side of the bay between the back of another bay which could be fished from around the other side of the pool. The wind that had picked up started pushing a few of the mixers through this nest of sedges separating the two bays and moved them through to the back bay beyond. Shortly afterwards whilst I was pouring another brew I heard a slop of water from somewhere in the far bay. I stood on slightly higher ground and saw ripples emanating from a spot near the edge of the sedges – it had to be a carp.
     
    I fired a few more right into the back of the bay in the hope of drawing the fish (if they were fish) through into my side of the bay. It had been over an hour since I fired out the first mixers but I fully expected a protracted operation. Shortly after firing the last lot of mixers to the back of the bay they arrived. They being the carp - their arrival signified by lot of ‘shlooooop’ sounds as they began sucking in the mixers close in to the sedges. Game on – in November!
     
    Presenting a bait effectively was always going to be tricky to say the least. Not just the cast that was required to get the hookbait to the back off the bay but also with regard to the chances of actually landing a fish hooked in the area – quite remote due to the dense sedges on both sides. The amount of line out would simply mean they would be deep in the sedges before I could get in control of the situation. I needed to pull them further out from the back of the bay to stand a better chance of banking a fish. So, patiently, I kept applying the mixers but it was a tough call, every now and then they would come out to pick off the odd one only to return to the back of the bay and wait for the mixers to be blown in on the wind – not stupid, these carp.
     
    I was thinking about the possibility of attacking them from the other side of the bay but the problem would be the same, the swim just reversed. If anything it was better from this side as the wind was working with me blowing the bait into the ‘zone’ whereas from the other side it would constantly be blowing the hook baits back towards the bank. As my hookbait drifted in to the bay on another pass through, my attention was suddenly diverted to something in the corner of my eye away to my right, and I turned my head to see a decent sized fish just under the surface heading out towards the island. Then, as I looked back to my hookbait I saw the controller jerk backward with a massive swirl right where the hookbait was – I had just missed a take by moving my eye of the ball. I was gutted. The three fish I had spent so long getting to feed confidently all disappeared in unison leaving me all alone to contemplate my own stupidity.
     
    I decided to wind in and rest the swim for a while - hopefully they would return. I decided to have a walk around to the back bay to see if I could spot where they had skulked off to. As you walk around the far side of the pool it becomes almost unfishable due to the sedges, there is a strip of clear water from the bank to about six feet out and then solid, dense, sedges – a bit like a stream running around the margin with an island of sedges in the middle. As I got around to the back of the bay it opened out a bit – certainly enough room to land a fish but you’d have to get them feeding in one area to be safe. As I neared the back bay I was stopped in my tracks by a loud ‘schlooooop’. It was so close that I immediately dropped to my hands and knees, my heart rate doubled. I peered through the overgrown marginal cover to see a fully scaled mirror of about eight pounds happily scouring the surface for mixers among all the leaves and debris – his mouth opening and closing to sample whatever was there and his pectoral fins gently keeping his head upon the surface – a small but beautiful fish. I looked up to the bay to the opening and realised that my mixers were being blown through the bay where I had been fishing, into the back bay until they hit the far bank, and were then slowly making their way down this little back channel of water and within moments I heard the distinct sounds of carp taking mixers all around me!
     
    Immediately the permutations started to run through my head. Landing a fish hooked in the channel would be a big ask. Granted they were only small fish so I could bully them more than normal but still I knew I would need to hook one up in the bay section to land one safely. Besides, with so many about I would hopefully be able to wait for a bigger fish to come along before springing the trap.
     
    I carefully crawled back on hands and knees (I was wearing my chesties) until I was out of view of the fish and then hurried back around to get my gear with the sound of carp mopping up mixers filling my ears – I became heady with the tantalising possibilities that lay ahead – was a November surface capture on the cards?
     
    Once back in the vicinity I dropped my gear well away from the fish so as not to spook any and thought about how to go after them. After sound advice from a friend on my Northern-Monkeys.com forum I’d changed my floater set up entirely, now consisting of mainline down to a gizmo-clip, onto which you slide a controller and a hooklink attached via a small swivel before sliding a tail-rubber back over the gizmo. The beauty of this was that I could now simply slip the controller off the gizmo and fish the hooklink free lined in order to stalk the fish as I was now in such close proximity.
     
    Once everything was ready I crawled up behind the marginal cover with my rod at my side. Now was the waiting game; I plopped a few mixers right into the zone just a rod length from the bank and sat back to see which fish would appear first. I waited for a while crouched low but the only fish in the area seemed quite small, all averaging six to ten pounds. They were taking the mixers so confidently that I reckon I could literally have lowered the hook bait down in front of any one of them and it would have been sucked in at the first time of asking. I waited a little bit longer in the hope of something bigger coming along but then a few of the fish started to drift off. My concern now was actually banking a November fish for the challenge, and decided the best thing was to try and get one in the bag. I had several hours of fishing left ahead of me so I could worry about size later.
     
    At that point I noticed the fully scaled little mirror in the channel just away to my left. I plopped a mixer a few feet in front of him and he slowed, drifted underneath it, then slowly started to rise as his head came level with the biscuit and ‘schlooop’. Down it went. I fed a few more leading back into the zone and then as he came into the area slowly lowered my hook bait in amongst the freebies. He picked off one, then another, and then circled around lining himself up for the hookbait. He rose to the surface opened his mouth… and missed!
     
    I was sure he would spook but the greedy little fella just held steady with mouth open wide, wafted himself backwards fractionally so the biscuit came back in front of his mouth, and then sucked in again. His mouth closed around the biscuit and I gently lifted the rod round to set the hook - the water erupted in front of me.
     
    Knowing the size of the fish you’ve just hooked has its advantages as obviously you know how much pressure you can apply safely. The 7.9lb line allowed me to fairly pull the fish back towards the bank in one deft move and away from the danger of the sedges. After a brief tussle I guided the carp into the net and that was it – November target achieved. Size was immaterial; I was over the moon with the capture and went about unhooking the fish wearing a smile from ear to ear. I weighed the fish for my surface challenge log, the plump little fish sending the dial round to 8lb 12oz. A good deal lighter then my last fish but no less welcome! I slipped him back to the water and went in search of another.
     
    Basically, at each end of this strip of water there was an area just large enough to bank a fish safely, so for the rest of the afternoon I fed and stalked between the two spots. The beauty was that they were just far enough apart so that a fish banked (or lost) at one end would not spook the fish at the other end, and so with the water still completely to myself I could switch between the two spots. During the course of the afternoon I was able to bank a further three fish off the surface and pulled out of another two, the best fish banked was a mirror of 14lb 12oz – well chuffed!
     
    So, on just my first November session I’ve achieved my target and I couldn’t be happier. However, I’m not stopping there - I’ll be out fishing again off the top before the month is out for sure. The good thing is that the pressure is now off for the rest of the month so I can start thinking about the weed situation on the Main Lake and how to overcome it to bank a winter kipper of Capesthorne.
     
  17. Julian

    Fishing Tomorrow, Love..?

    By Julian,

    After spending all day Sunday fishing at Capesthorne, I was somewhat surprised last night when Lisa asked out of the blue if I was doing an overnighter on the Top Pool tonight - especially as the tone implied she would be happy irrespective of any answer I might choose to give. Never one to miss an opportunity I thought I’d dip my toe in the water and offered that I might have a bash if she were OK with the idea.
     
    That was it, with no objections raised from the floor (I gave her all of five seconds ) I had a mid-week away pass for a night on the Top Pool. As such, I then did a few jobs around the house (more valuable brownie-points banked) and then wasted no time in boiling up some hemp and preparing my gear!
     
    To be honest I’d half decided to knock the mid-week sessions on the head - for a few weeks at least. With the weed still rife and showing no sign of abating (a few heavy frosts needed!) and the clock now back, it becomes increasingly difficult to get a decent presentation as its pitch black by the time I get there. However, never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I’ll happily swap a night watching Peggy Mitchell romping about Albert Square like a headless Poodle, for a night sleeping out under the stars…
     
    I just hope the carp gods will shine down on me!
  18. Julian
    Did a day on the Main Lake yesterday.
     
    Did not catch anything but felt I did almost everything I could. Got down there about half seven and had a good look around before setting up. There was a strong wind heading right down from the shallows to the bridge with a proper chop on it (about 18-20mph wind). The garden pool was calmer but already had about six people on. I decided as it was so warm I would set up right in face of the wind (fool I hear you cry!) where it hit the bridge as I was sure there would be fish there having a mooch to what had been carried down the lake. Shortly after setting up I had two large fish crash right out in front of me.
     
    It was one of those weird sessions where everything seems right and you’re just waiting for a belting run, but then nothing develops! I think much of this was down to presentation as there was some heavy silk weed that just masked everything within seconds of casting out – it was a nightmare to be honest but I stuck it out re-casting every hour or so. Had a few wind-ins to view from the bridge and saw some monster kippers around the baited spots so it was just one of those really. At one point a group of six fish drifted into the area – all of which were over twenty pounds with three that looked well over twenty-five, a truly stunning sight – I was completely mesmerized as they all rooted around the dying-back pads following each other around. Majestic is not the word!
     
    Ho Hum. I’ll be prepared and armed accordingly for my next session. Odd that that seems to be the only area in the lake with heavy weed as the garden pool side seems to be clear, as does the majority of the main lake.
     
    Oh well, next week, eh!?
  19. Julian

    Isn’t It Funny..?

    By Julian,

    Isn’t it funny how life seems much richer in the days immediately after a big fish? After my little floater fishing expedition the other night I keep catching myself smirking or grinning for no particular reason. Funny that.
     
    My ‘fishing’ mind is now firmly fixed on tomorrow as I’m hoping to do a day on Capesthorne Main Lake. After a good initial session last Saturday on the Garden Pool end I’m looking forward to the new challenge this water offers, not to mention the possibility of banking one of the three stunning northern thirties that this water holds. However, my ‘home’ mind is firmly on babies today as Lisa and I are off out shopping shortly to look for prams, cribs, baby seats and suchlike. I saw some fantastic Recaro baby-bucket seats in a magazine the other night which would look great in the Subaru, but as they are only for babies over nine months old I guess I’m jumping the gun a bit!
     
    Oh well, I’d better push on – busy day. After shopping we are meeting up for lunch with friends before they jet of to Chicago to plan the wedding they are having there next year. Then it will be back home to do some more house jobs before hopefully sorting out some fishing gear for tomorrow.
     
    Must remember to get some new batteries for the camera!
  20. Julian
    Typical, last night was the first Wednesday night I’ve not nipped up to the Top Pool for a quick overnighter and the weather forecast last night said it was going to be one of the warmest on record for this time of year for us Northern lot. Ho Hum.
     
    That said, they gave out today as a scorcher as well, so who knows, I may just sneak out for an hour after work to try and sneak an October carp off the surface. Yes, mad I’m sure you’ll agree but I’ve set myself a challenge to try and bag a fish off the top during each month of the year and I’ve only got five days left to do it for my October fish!
     
    Lisa spent a few days over in Lowestoft with her Nan over the weekend which left me to get the hallway and landing completely stripped of woodchip and fit a new window in the bathroom. After getting back from The Blackwood Carp Match on Sunday morning (which incidentally I think I may have won with one 7lb mirror!) I cracked straight on and after working all day Sunday, Monday night and Tuesday night the job was complete. Although it was hard work the steamer I got to do the job saved the day - I never want to see woodchip again!!
     
    The upshot of all that is that I’ve got ahead of my schedule and may yet get an away-pass for a session on Capesthorne Main Lake at the weekend. I did my first ‘proper’ session on there last Saturday and although I caught nothing I learnt a lot by just sitting it out on the Garden Pool and watching the water. In the past I’ve only done quick stalking sessions, and whilst these have proved productive with fish to 25lb+, I think as winter approaches I will swap to a sitting it out for a few hours approach. Nothing came off the Garden Pool whilst I was there although a couple of scraper twenties were banked on the other side of the bridge so I’ll definitely have a mooch around up there at the weekend if I get chance.
     
    October always seems to be the month for Top Pool rumours; last year it was a supposed 37lb mirror, this year it’s a 30lb mirror with one eye! I’ll wait for photos to turn up before I believe that one!
     
    Oh well, time to crack on…
     
    A Few Pictures; one of the Main Lake on Saturday, and a couple of the bathroom and hallway woodchip free and ready for plaster...
     
     
  21. Julian
    Right, let’s have a go at one of these Blog things then, eh?
     
    I suppose I’d better kick off with a bit about myself for those that don’t know me. I’m in my early thirties and live in Leek (Staffordshire) with my wife Lisa; we’re busy renovating an old Town House at the moment and have a young’un due next March.
     
    My main work is with Elton, running http://www.anglersnet.co.uk along with many of his other ventures! In addition I run my own website for carp angling in the North-West of England: http://www.northern-monkeys.com and run a few other carp related websites for friends, clubs and businesses. I’ve also just started my own carp bait business this year http://www.bigkipper.com which is coming along slowly but surly.
     
    Fishing wise I’m a carp angler at heart and spend most of my available time on the Capesthorne Estate in Cheshire and a few other waters I’m involved with here and there. My other passion is writing (hence the rambling posts) and over the years I’ve had fishing and motorsport articles published on the web and a few magazines, etc. Currently working on a carp beginners series for Anglers Net and I’m also in the throws of writing a carp fishing novel, which is proving a real challenge!
     
    Other interests include motorsport & rallying. I’m mad on Subaru’s and have a new shape WRX Impreza that I love to fettle with, and between a group of us we rally Subaru’s, Escorts and alike, more on the team here: http://www.team-autotec.co.uk
     
    I’m also well into my music. I used to be a club DJ and Promoter in a past life and ran a DJ/Promotions agency for a few years, so if you ever visited the likes of; Golden, Ministry of Sound, Miss Moneypenny’s Cream, Hacienda, Back to Basics, Shelly’s and such like, we may well have rubbed shoulders in the past.
     
    Well, that’s about it for the moment, no doubt I’ll be back rambling about all things fishy very soon…
     
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