Linear Video Shoot

A couple of months ago, whilst sat at work, I received a call fromMartin Bushell of Gardner Tackle asking me if I’d like to representthe Carp Company on the forthcoming video ‘Baitwise’. Of course Iwould, anything to help Bob and Jules. And so began thepreparation.

Now I’m not shy, far from it, but talking about bait! Hmmm, that’snot an easy subject, especially when I leave it to the experts to getme on a good bait. I’ve not dabbled in what goes into a good bait nowfor 10 or so years, so I was a tad intimidated at the thought ofdiscussing the finer points of this complicated subject.

I therefore paid a visit to the premises of the Carp Company tochat with Bob and Jules to find out what they wanted me to talkabout.

I was so relieved when they said “don’t get technical, be yourselfand just explain why you use a particular bait and when”. Now this isgetting easier I thought, and so that was my plan, just talk aboutwhat I do, why and how.

Next up was to make contact with Len to arrange the date for theshoot. Date set, which was nice seeing as it got me out of work on aMonday! (Total bliss) The days soon passed and before I knew it thereI was waiting in the car park of Linear Fisheries. Len arrived and we were then off to our swim to make a start. Fortunately we had the point swim all to ourselves, and the fish were there, not in numbers but there were enough to go for. I’d made up a mix of trout pellet, maize and some of the Dynamite Baits Koi stimulant groundbait. The theory was, if I put out a bit of this in big balls ofgroundbait it would get the fish digging about, I would thereforefish a bottom bait (Black Squid) over the top and in a PVA bag.

Well, I did have options in front of me, first rod was going to beplaced in the bay to my left, now in the far corner of this bay aresome reeds along with an overhanging bush. Oh, and did I mention somebig plumes of bubbles rising, feeding fish…ideal.

Second rod was to be placed just over the back of the bar thatruns out from the point of the gravel workings at about 25yds range.And finally the third rod was chucked out on a clear patch at around80yds, where some fish were showing. Len filmed most of this alongwith the baiting up and all seemed to go well. Traps were set, the fish were stillthere, so we both sat back in high anticipation.

Later that evening whilst we were waiting for Lockey (Martin Locke) to arrive, we started to hear a few fish crashing out around the corner from wherewe were. Off I went for a look. Well, a few is an understatement,there must have been about 60-odd fish leaping and rolling on thesurface. Len set up the camera on one spot and filmed the show,whilst I went and reeled in a rod and set about re-tackling it for aspot of floater fishing.

I couldn’t get a fish to even take a free offering let alone ahookbait, they were just so pre-occupied on a “hatch” that we stood nochance, so we just watched in amazement. Wonderful site on a summer’sevening.

Lockey arrived, we told him what had happened and showed himthe spot so that he could hopefully take advantage. In short neitherof us caught that night, bit of an anti-climax really but that’sfishing.

Next day was another glorious day, and in typical fashion I got hitwith a massive dose of hay fever, perfect for the video…not!

Chris Ball arrived early that morning along with Martin and RickGardner, we sat down and chatted about the interviews and thenproceeded to get on with them. It all seemed to go well, in typicalfashion I talked too much and probably too fast, but the governorsLen and Rick thought that it went well and so we got it all over anddone with first take.

Lockey also talked for England and wrapped it up in one. Ballythen disappeared off to find some fish to have a go for in histraditional floater style, cane rod, old Mitchell reel and straw hat,bless him. Word soon filtered back that he’d found a load along thebottom bank and had already lost one. We didn’t need telling twiceand set off to join him.

The bottom bank was alive with fish, many though just chilling out and going about their business. Bally lead the way by hooking and landing a pristine common of around 18lb, and then one of around 16lb. Lockey and I struggled though. Personally I couldn’t get a bite, not even a slight nose of the bait came my way.Lockey managed one though of around 12lb using a zig-rig, but todaywas just not my day. I left around 7.00pm fishless, but determined.

A week or so later we arranged another session, pressure was onthis time though as I needed to catch a fish from the point swim as Ihad spoken about it during the interview! Dead clever me!

I arrived at the complex at midday and made my way to the swim. The fish werenot so close to the workings this time, which gave me time to get mybaits in place before they moved in. I decided to fish the swimslightly different this time. For starters I fished different spots,left hand rod on the corner of the point which in effect is theentrance of the bay. Middle rod went out just in front of theoverhanging bush that sits on the edge of the gravel workings. Andfinally my right hand rod went out to the same clear spot at around80yds range.

Baiting wise I used one of the Gardner pocket rockets to spod outsome of my trout pellet and maize mix to all three spots. I only putout six spods on each area and again fished a bag over the topwith a single Black Squid bottom bait.

Len arrived a couple of hours later to find me settled in nicelywith the kettle on. By this time fish had started to appear near myareas, so my confidence was high. Nothing had occurred by 9.00pm thatevening so I decided to make up some fresh bags and put them back outon the spots. Len and I sat up to midnight that night watching thecarp lump out all over our areas, expecting a take any minute. Itdidn’t happen. Never mind, we thought, it’ll happen during thenight!

Famous last words, I awoke at first light to see a flat calm lakeand no fish showing. I couldn’t believe it, Len got up soon after andwas equally puzzled as to why nothing had happened. Roy was soonround to inform us that a couple of fish had come out during thenight from the social bank. Well we were a bit concerned that we’dnot had any fish and started to make plans for a move. First though Ineeded to check out a few other marginal spots I had baited up theprevious evening. Not one of the six spots I’d baited had been touched.

“That’s it then Len,” I said, “lets give it another hour then we’ll headoff to Hunts corner or Hardwick to see what we can stalk.” Twenty minuteslater I said, “No that’s enough, lets make our move now”. And withthat we both started to pack up.

I got to the point where all that was left out were the rods, whenout of the blue my middle rod indicator dropped back a couple ofinches and then pulled tight. I got to the rod, looked back at Len, andsaid “I think that’s a fish mate”, with that I picked up the rod andleaned hard into a solid object. It kicked a couple of times, just tolet me know that I’d hooked a fish,and then it just powered off. I’mnot sure if Len managed to get the run on the video but it was quiteamazing, she must have took 60 yards of line off me, the spool was avirtual blur, and there was no way of stopping her. I turned to Royand said “I do hope that this isn’t a catfish after this wait”, Roydeclined to comment as he thought it probably was!

I managed to turn the fish and start to gain some line, she camein a bit reluctantly but under control. She kited round to my leftinto the bay and then came back along my margin. The margins over onSt. Johns are beautiful, nice and deep, yet crystal clear. As she camepast me I could see this long scaly carp, which looked a goodtwenty. Excellent, I thought, this looks a lovely fish for thevideo…please don’t fall off! Finally she rolled safely over mynet cord, and there she lay in the bottom of my net.

First thoughts were that she was an upper twenty – what a fishcaught live for the camera! Roy kindly wetted my unhookingmat whilst I gathered up the net. Upon lifting her I suddenlyrealised that the fish was easily 30lb. Top result. I lay her on themat, unhooked her, and slid her into the weigh sling. I was about tolift her up for weighing when my left hand rod gave a couple of quickbleeps. Len was on the rods watching the tips, and then started towave at me. Roy took control of the thirty whilst I made my way downto the rods. I lifted the left hand rod and struck into a fish thatwas swimming rapidly towards me. I gained line fast and tookimmediate control, which felt strange after that last battle. We sawthe fish in the margins, a common of around 10lb. I gave ita bit of stick to try and land it quickly so that we could deal with thethirty, which Roy had kindly placed in a sack for me. No sooner had Iturned this fish and was leading it to the net when the hook pulled and shesank slowly back into the watery depths. Totally my fault for notplaying her carefully enough.

Back to “Scaly”. We replaced her in the weigh sling and liftedher up on the scales – 31lb 4oz. Now that was a top result for thevideo. She sparkled in the bright sunlight that morning and I beamedfor the camera. I held her in the water for a while and then slowlylowered her home. She sank slowly, in no hurry to escape, and thenplodded off along the marginal shelf right in front of Len for afinal pose.

We stayed for a couple more hours after that, but then decided tocall it a day as the job was well and truly done.

I just hope it comes out well on film.

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