Well just about awake still! Finished my roast chicken dinner with a glass of white wine - all excellent!
It's been a good day. Started really when I put up those photos from my river walk yesterday and today finishing the plan I started when I threw some boilies into a likely swim after that walk.
About 11.30 am I drove up the Lot valley, past a weir which looked a bit turbulent then over a bridge where I could see the height and flow would give me a chance. A few miles further and I arrived at "the Garden" - one of my favourite fishing stretches.....and where I had thrown a few dozen boilies the previous afternoon.
There was a good flow, the power station must have been generating for the lunches to be cooked!
I had two rods today. One was to try for the expected barbel and the other would cast a double 18mm boilie bait as far downstream as I could manage. Not much chance of a carp in February but it's a shame to miss the opportunity.
One of the reasons to pick this swim is to catch the winter sun, I hate getting cold now! Temperatures should reach 14 c this afternoon, despite it being -4 c this morning. In the sun, with no wind, it would feel much warmer!
My barbel rod had a couple of plucks, quite determined pulls but not hooked. I changed to a slimmer bait, two 10mm boilies and a thin coat of paste. Finally hooked a fish, a barbel of about 3.5lbs.
I dug my thermometer out to check the river temperature - it was only just 6 c. Oh Dear! or words to that effect! I felt my chances of a decent catch slipping away!
But I decided to stick it out with the big bait downstream, you never know!
A couple of hours past and I had two definite taps on that rod. Something was showing interest - patience required now!
Then the rod tip pulled down 6" and my hand reached the rod just as the fish took off. This fish ran 50 yds against heavy drag and I had to follow it downstream whilst dragging my landing net. It managed another powerful 50 yd run and was going around the river bend, fortunately the river level was dropping and I waded through the muddy bank to find the solid, stony river bed.
Now I only had my wellies on and the river was thigh deep this side. Easy decision to make, I wanted this fish badly, so I waded out about 20 metres so I could keep my line out of the trees.
Finally I stopped the fish before it reached the log-jam of trees under the cliffs downstream. It took about 15 minutes to bring the fish back upstream, a few more runs but it was tired now. So was I!
When I saw its profile I thought it might make 20 lbs. But once it was in the net I saw the width of its back, then when I lifted the net I judged this carp as close to 30 lb.
So after resting the fish, and regaining my composure, I decide to weigh it properly. Back up the bank it weighed 27lbs....and a bit!
A glorious February carp in great condition!
I took it back to the river, rested it for a few minutes. But it was still quite frisky and anxious to go home....
.....into Warp drive......and away!!!!
Despite being exhausted and soaked I put another bait out. One more good take, this time a 4lb barbel....
The sun had now dropped behind the cliffs and I was in shadow. Temperature would drop to freezing again soon so time for me to head home
