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He is also a very keen angler, having come back to the sport in 1995 following a break of several years. In this regular column he will tell us about his progress as an angler – his thoughts about the sport, what he learns, the fishing trips he makes, the anguish, the humour, in fact everything he experiences as his angling career develops.
Pilgrim’s Progress – read it everyThursday!
Update From The Island Pool
Last week I set the table, as it were, and wrote about the waterwhere I am currently spending my angling time, the Island Pool. Inthis week’s article I want to share how I’m faring, in pursuit ofcarp, which are my current target fish. As the pool is so close tohome, all of my sessions so far have been overnighters.
True to form, my first three trips to the pool produced a blank.The conditions were perfect, I was sure that I’d catch something. Butin fact, I didn’t even get a bite. The only time my buzzers went offwas when the local swan Mafia boss chased the Canada geese into myswim. There are a couple of swans nesting on the pool at the moment,and the cob (male swan) is certainly an aggressive bird. He literallyspends every moment in pursuit of the Canada geese, chasing them fromthe water.
After the third session, trudging back to the car with all mygear, I considered taking up something like train spotting, butknowing my luck, they’d probably not run on time (as if they doanyway). But seriously, specimen fishing is about confidence andsticking with your well thought out tactics, knowing things will comeright in the end.
Island Pool has many features
The Island pool is full of features, both above the water andbelow it. The visible features include several reed beds, woodenfishing platforms that extend some distance into the pool,overhanging trees and lily pads. Beneath the water, because I fishedthere three years ago, and spent time getting to know its contours,are shallows, drop-offs and deeper holes. For a three acre pool itoffers a lot of choice.
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After carefully thinking my plan of attack I decided to fish up toone of the reed beds. Fishing with two rods, a cast of 20 metres putsme at one end and 80 metres at the other, with the option to fish atvarying points along the reed bed if necessary. Knowing that thetench and bream, not to mention the roach and rudd, love sweetcorn,meat, etc, I have opted for a boilie approach.
I’ve been fishing 10lb Sufix Synergy line with a combination ofvarious hook length materials – fluorocarbon, Dacron etc. A size 4hook, tied with a knotless knot and hair rig, have completed theterminal tackle. For lead I’ve used a 1 1/2 oz in-line fromInvisible Leads. I’ve been really impressed with these leads sinceusing them over the last few months. They come complete with anchortubing and cost £ 25 per pack of 25 post free. Swivel leads aremuch cheaper at £ 18.75 per pack. For more information, or aprice list, contact Mark Jones on 02380 – 867098 or e-mail him atinv.leads@talk21.com.
At last – a double!
So, after my first three blanks, how have I been doing? Well, Imust say it was a relief on my fourth trip to catch a mirror carp.Even if it was only a mid-single (5lb 13oz), it was certainly a verywelcome fish. My first double came from the pool a few sessionslater, a nice looking common of 10-6-8.This was followed a trip ortwo later by a mirror of exactly 10lb taken off the top with mixer.My slow campaign start was now beginning to gather momentum. Inbetween I had caught the compulsory tench and bream that all carpanglers pick up from time to time. But I don’t actually mind a bit ofvariety and I wouldn’t label them nuisance fish. And I certainlywouldn’t treat them with contempt, as is the case, sadly, with a tinypercentage of carp anglers.
I’ve also had a nice surprise by landing the same chub twice at3.6 and 3.4. A great fish, but of course, hauling it in on 10lb linedid not do it justice. Catching it though was really ironic. I spentthe winter mainly chasing chub. I really struggled, and only caughtsix fish over 3 lb, and here I am catching two 3’s (albeit the samefish) in as many weeks, while after another species. But that’sfishing.
As I’ve already written, on my first three trips to the IslandPool, although conditions were perfect, I blanked without even asingle run. However, some of the sessions I’ve fished have been farfrom perfect, and I’ve still managed to catch. One night inparticular, there was severe weather. I have never known a storm likeit. The thunder seemed to last forever and the lightning lit up thesky so much it was like a bright day in summertime. That night itwas a miracle that the Brotel stayed attached to the ground. As forgetting wet, I couldn’t have been wetter had I sat in the pool allnight.
The Wizard of Oz
Still, I never learn my lesson. A week later and I’m back againwith the weather forecast hardly looking good. A sudden change inwind direction meant a NE bore down all night. Tucked up inside theBrotel I expected any moment to get lifted up like Dorothy in theWizard of Oz and transported to some far off place. However, itdidn’t seem to bother the fish and that night I caught three carp,the best a mirror at 11-1-8 and a couple of commons which weighed inat 10.5 and 9-0-8. Although the smaller of the three, the ‘9’ put upsuch a struggle. Actually, it fought almost as good as John Prescotton his election campaign. In fact, it was the night before that MrPrescott let rip, so to speak. If I was Tony Blair, I would march himoff to the nearest cash point and make him pay up. Anyway, back tothe hard-fighting carp. Although the carp in the Island Pool don’thave names, I was tempted to give it the title ‘TwoJabs’……..
Was it just a case of turning up?
My next session on the pool was conducted in perfect conditions.I was so full of confidence, it was just a case of turning up. Or wasit? My expectations looked like being realistic when, as the sun set,I hooked into a double figure mirror carp that had taken a surfacebait. However, as I struck, and the fish turned, my tackle returnedto me. Minus the hook length. For some reason I had tied a dodgyknot, and this had parted company with the swivel as I hit into thefish. The saying ‘I could kick myself’ was very real to me thatnight. Still, the conditions were spot on and I would catch duringthe night. But nothing, not until the morning, when returning to asurface-presented bait I was rescued from a blank by a mirror of5-0-8.
Mrs Sedge and the immortal words
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My report on the Island Pool brings me up to date. Last Wednesdaywas my wedding anniversary (the seven year itch twice, i.e. 14years). Lunchtime I took the long suffering Mrs Sedge out for a slapup Chinese meal. I held her hand all the way back to the car andgenerally did my best to make her day. Getting home early afternoon,she looked me in the eyes and said those immortal words that all menlong to hear after they’ve just wined and dined a beautiful woman,’It’s a nice day, why don’t you go fishing?’
So I did.
Fishing a surface bait, I lost a double-figure mirror carp. Myfears that this would be an ominous sign were allayed when indarkness I hooked and landed a common of 12-2-8 and a mirror of10-5-4. This was followed shortly afterwards by a 6 lb mirror. Areasonably good night’s sleep (just a few bleeps on the buzzer, butnothing serious) saw me up at the crack of dawn to land the thirddouble of the session, a mirror of 10-5-4.
Now I was on a roll
Now I was on a roll, so Thursday saw me again heading for anovernighter. As the sun set, I started to fish mixer on the surface.Didn’t catch any carp, but ended up with a tench and a bream. I don’tthink anyone told those fish they are supposed to be bottom feeders.Again a great night’s sleep (ie. no fish) to be woken at 5.30 by achub that tipped the scales at 4-0-8. If my bream and tench off thesurface were a surprise, this chub was an even bigger one. Irecognised it as the same fish I had caught on my previous sessions.But it was the weight gain that baffled me. I checked and re-checkedthe scales, there was no problem there. It certainly packed on theweight in a month.
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Finally, my last fishing report concerns the Bank Holiday weekend.I worked every day over the holiday (goodness, what’s the worldcoming to, I hear you say) but managed to slip in a couple of hourslate on Sunday evening floater fishing. I had the smallest carp todate of my campaign (2-5-0), which was not taken off the Island Pool,but the adjoining Spring Pool. Sunday was also my daughter Rebekah’sbirthday. She was actually officially a teenager (13), but in realityshe’s been one for as long as I can remember. Those of you withdaughters aged 10 coming on 15 will know what I mean.
As the Bank Holiday slipped away, I was able to squeeze in my lasttrip before the article was signed, sealed and delivered to MrMarsden. Monday evening saw me back on the Island Pool for anotherovernighter. Arriving at the pool, a combination of a Bank Holidayand beautiful weather meant there were more deckchairs out thanBlackpool beach. So I retreated to the seclusion of the islanditself. I caught a couple of carp, the biggest a common at 9-11-12.
So, as May draws to a close, my tally so far from the Island Poolis 7 doubles. I’m well pleased with the way the campaign is going sofar, a further report will appear in a few weeks. But I’m well ontarget for the 20 doubles I’m aiming for.
Well, after my success on the carpfront, I feel I’m now fully qualified to tell everyone how to becomean expert carp angler too (only joking for those who think I’m beingserious) so join me as we look at ‘The Tongue In Cheek Guide To CarpFishing’. See you next Thursday.
The Reverend Stewart R Bloor
Sedgley International Christian Ministries
PO Box 1216, Dudley. DY3 1GW.
Telephone : 01384 – 828033
Web site : www.sicm.org
e-mail : missionscentre@sicm.org
