Search the Community

A scorching day, and my strategy was sound: (1) Until the sun climbed above the trees, I would fish the shady, shallow north corner, upagainst the lilies and winkle out some tench. (2) Once the sun hit the water, I would switch to the method feeder in the remaining shade of the shallow end to my left and (3) when the carp started to rise I would switch to surface-fished dog biscuits. What could go wrong? I had to admire my own watercraft and cunning. (1) No bits in 1.5 hours against the lilies, though several large fish topped close to the float. (2) Instant success. A rod-puller of a bite resulting in a Mirror that far outbattled its 3lb 4oz weight. No further bites (3) The carp were very visible, cruising below the surface, but only occasionally came into my 'zone'. The first time they did resulted in a hard-fighting 9lb 10 Mirror that again I thought was bigger. His splashing and general disturbance seemed to put the others off and they never returned in big numbers. What did come were diving terns and even worse, five bloody shelducks (I think), hungry for dog biscuits and able to spot them a mile off. They loitered around my swim the whole afternoon, taking every cast as an invitation to dinner, with me having to whip the controller float as they approached, even if the carp were showing. It was so frustrating. i even tried throwing biscuits to them in the distance, but one would always peel off and set sail for my hookbait. I missed one carp that took the hook when cast in section of choppy water when the breeze finally came, but didn't stick. In the last five minutes a biggy swam right up to my bait, took it in, I prepared for a strike, and it spat the thing out and disappeared just as the shelducks moved back in. I hate shelducks. I told them as much.