dorsetandchub
Well-known member
It's a slightly ironic thought to feel like I'm treading water till June 16th but it is most certainly a fact. I don't always enjoy stillwater and carp fishing as much as I might and, especially during the close season, I tend to try to make it more interesting by experimenting with baits, techniques and the like.
I decided that today I didn't mind catching carp though and decided to go 20:20, this was going to be big hitting, the risk of some losses - in short, toe to fin. Real battling stuff.
Out came the 8m margin Shimmy Beastmaster Commercial tooled with a doubled elastic capable of stopping a trawler. I'd made up some close quarter combat rigs, 10 and 12lb mainlines with Maver Method 10s and 12s to 9lb bottoms. The floats were Colmics and had been described as bomb proof.
I decided on the main match lake at my local Commie, largely as it had a healthy stock of carp, a smattering of barbel (not huge fish but a nice break from Cypry) and a good stock of tench (not that they'll come my way).
I'd found an odd tin of garlic Spam and cubed it to 10mm size, a tin of Tutti Fruitti corn and a tin of Dynamite Hemp also went into the bucket.
After an hour or so, the float dipped and a common of maybe a pound and a half was quickly hauled in. The next hour saw two more, 2lbs and a 4lb. The third hour brought another of around 5lbs before a couple of 2's.
This was soon punctuated with a barbel of around 3lbs. Before shipping back out, I decided on a change and crammed four grains of corn on a 10 hook. It was either going to be shoot or strawberries, soon find out I guess.
A straight under bite, bold as brass and somehow I missed it. Cursing, I put four grains on again and went back out, this time with Status Quo on the i-pod for accompaniment. Ironically, just as they launched into..."Down Down...", the float did just that.
This time, like the deck of Das Boot, "Alaaaaaaarm..." Here we go, this was big, angry and not stopping. It fought like a tiger, in fact the bow waves had people pointing a hundred yards and more away. The fish did its best to tow me round an island and, at this point, if the island had been Cuba I'd have put money on it getting there. Inexplicably, however, it turned left and headed into open water. The doubled elastic was sapping its strength but it still had plenty left and continued to toil. Ironically, Quo then told me You're In The Army Now and exhorted me to stand up and fight.
On the second effort, I slipped the net under it. I'd estimate it around 12lbs. Not massive but big enough and I was quite pleased with it.
Two more small carp and, on a size 12 to 9lb hooklength and four corn, a roach around 10oz. It was a struggle but....ok, no, it wasn't really, was it?
As I started to think about packing up (after about six hours as I was supposed to be eating out later), the float (back on meat) dived again and another carp was hooked. It fought well and, after a time, a real old scarred warrior of some 7lbs or so graced the net.
So, there it was. Mid 40lb net at a guess. A most enjoyable Monday. Roll on the rivers, mind.
I decided that today I didn't mind catching carp though and decided to go 20:20, this was going to be big hitting, the risk of some losses - in short, toe to fin. Real battling stuff.
Out came the 8m margin Shimmy Beastmaster Commercial tooled with a doubled elastic capable of stopping a trawler. I'd made up some close quarter combat rigs, 10 and 12lb mainlines with Maver Method 10s and 12s to 9lb bottoms. The floats were Colmics and had been described as bomb proof.
I decided on the main match lake at my local Commie, largely as it had a healthy stock of carp, a smattering of barbel (not huge fish but a nice break from Cypry) and a good stock of tench (not that they'll come my way).
I'd found an odd tin of garlic Spam and cubed it to 10mm size, a tin of Tutti Fruitti corn and a tin of Dynamite Hemp also went into the bucket.
After an hour or so, the float dipped and a common of maybe a pound and a half was quickly hauled in. The next hour saw two more, 2lbs and a 4lb. The third hour brought another of around 5lbs before a couple of 2's.
This was soon punctuated with a barbel of around 3lbs. Before shipping back out, I decided on a change and crammed four grains of corn on a 10 hook. It was either going to be shoot or strawberries, soon find out I guess.
A straight under bite, bold as brass and somehow I missed it. Cursing, I put four grains on again and went back out, this time with Status Quo on the i-pod for accompaniment. Ironically, just as they launched into..."Down Down...", the float did just that.
This time, like the deck of Das Boot, "Alaaaaaaarm..." Here we go, this was big, angry and not stopping. It fought like a tiger, in fact the bow waves had people pointing a hundred yards and more away. The fish did its best to tow me round an island and, at this point, if the island had been Cuba I'd have put money on it getting there. Inexplicably, however, it turned left and headed into open water. The doubled elastic was sapping its strength but it still had plenty left and continued to toil. Ironically, Quo then told me You're In The Army Now and exhorted me to stand up and fight.
On the second effort, I slipped the net under it. I'd estimate it around 12lbs. Not massive but big enough and I was quite pleased with it.
Two more small carp and, on a size 12 to 9lb hooklength and four corn, a roach around 10oz. It was a struggle but....ok, no, it wasn't really, was it?
As I started to think about packing up (after about six hours as I was supposed to be eating out later), the float (back on meat) dived again and another carp was hooked. It fought well and, after a time, a real old scarred warrior of some 7lbs or so graced the net.
So, there it was. Mid 40lb net at a guess. A most enjoyable Monday. Roll on the rivers, mind.
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