I really find it extraordinary just how some waters get you by theshort and curlies and you’re always gagging to get back and haveanother go. Such is the effect that St. Johns Lake on the ShimanoLinear Fishery at Stanton Harcourt has on me.
However, so far this season I have been so heavily committedelsewhere that it was not until early April that I managed to blag afew days away. Therefore, my motor was soon hurtling down themotorway heading towards Oxford. I arrived at the Fisheriesmid-morning on Monday, and following a brief phone call Head BailiffRoy Parsons cruised into the car park – bless him. He is a mine ofinformation, and after picking his brains on what has been happeningand where it was happening, I was off to the Point on St. Johns.There had been a few fish out but Roy said that it was a bit slow dueto the inclement weather during the weeks prior, with torrential rainand sleet. The fish were a bit picky which was only to beexpected.
HALIBUT PELLETS AND MULTIPLEX BOILIES
With this in mind I opted to bait a spot along the Workings bank,a few Richworth Halibut pellets and thirty 14mm Multi Plex. The lefthand rod would be fished over this in conjunction with a mesh bag ofbroken Multi Plex and pellets and a Multi Plex pop-up.
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First rod out and fishing, the other two rods were going to berovers, fished wherever a fish was spotted, provided it was withincasting distance. These two rods would be baited with single pop-ups,which I make myself using the Richworth pop-up mix. The flavour,Caribbean Fruit and Esterberry with double sweetener. Having caughtusing this set-up before I was mildly confident, having seen severalrolling fish.
FISH CRASHED IN THE MARGINS
I was fortunate enough to be sharing the Point area with KeithMoores. This was the first time I had met him, but had read withinterest some of his well written articles, and what a thoroughlynice bloke he is, and a very good angler as well. You get what yousee with Keith and we were soon getting on like a house on fire.Hearing fish crash down the margins in the night he was sooncatching. He sneaked down and put out some pellet and boilie andproceeded to bang out four fish, two low twenties and twodoubles.
I was under pressure but my laid-back approach paid off in theend, a cracking 27lb Mirror, followed by a 22-10, a couple of doublesof 17 and 18lb plus a pastie, and I was well pleased. Keith caughtanother double and we finished the session on five fish each. All myfish came to the single pop-up fished at range, whilst Keith’s fishwere taken using pop-ups and bags over a bed of pellets and boilies -two different methods with the same end result.
BRITISH CARP CHAMPIONSHIPS
Those St Johns fish did as the always do, they jumped and rolled,showing everyone there just where they were and it surprised me thatout of all the people there – only Keith and I bothered to putourselves out to fish where the fish were showing – but that’sfishing. I shall be back at St Johns this year as Keith and myselfwill be fishing the British Carp Championship qualifier there inJune. I can’t wait, St Johns is getting better by the year. It’s justdone its first thirty common, plus three thirty pound mirrors andloads of twenties and upper doubles – makes St Johns a very specialvenue indeed. A tribute to those who run this awesome fishery.
Be lucky – Ron Buss.
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