Peg 6, Burrows Lake
Friday 11th May 2023
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| Peg 6, Burrows |
Needless to say I assured him that as far as I could tell, that wasn't the case and I was still fishing, albeit not very successfully. This prompted a discussion on the whys and wherefores of catching carp on Burrows and to cut a very long discussion short, I had been doing it all wrong!
Well no change there then…
I have always considered the best tactic to be to fish the far margin as tight as possible, casting as close to the trees as my bravery permitted. This of course resulted in the loss of multiple sets of gear in the tree branches amid much chuntering and bad language from myself.
Richard 's tactic was to fish only halfway across with boilies - as simple as. Nothing fancy. Just a plain and simple tactic requiring no brain surgery.
On my way off the lake I happened across another member who I had never met before who was fast into a fish 🐟. I stopped in case assistance might be required and was fortunate to witness the successful landing of a fine common. Chancing my luck, I enquired as to the method used and was astonished when my new friend showed me his rig and bait but also explained exactly where to cast it! Not only that he gave me a pot of baits to use on my next visit!
In these days of selfishness and self interest I found my faith in human nature fully restored by his act of kindness and I am very grateful to him for it. So here I am today fishing this rig:
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| Boily and wafter rig |
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| Spod Mix of Hemp, Corn, boilies, ground bait, Pellets and anything else laying around in the garage that looked as if a carp might eat it. |
I see there's been a couple of shows from fish over by the trees and I'm tempted to cast over there but I know this is folly because it's what I have been doing previously. To no effect.
The definition of Insanity is repeating what has failed before - but expecting it to succeed now. No, not going there. Shan't. Won't be tempted.
(If they keep showing over there I wonder how long it will be before I succumb?)
08.45
A fish jumped not 5 or 6 yards to the right of my rh bait. Expecting a take here - I've shortened the hook lengths to 7 inches as I think they were a bit too long for fishing over spod mix. Recast both rods.
9.10
Fish leaping all over the place… surely I must get a take?
9.40
Changed the boily rig for this:
9.55
Changed the wafter for a pink offering. Again on the shorter rig. Retied the other rig to include the kicker.
10.36
Absolutely nothing… should have had a take by now; can't understand it. My terrible run continues. This is not a good run-up to our week in France in a few days time.
Severely lacking in confidence. Badly need something to happen.
11.00
It's eleven o'clock and things are looking grim. Not because I haven't seen anything move, but because I have. I have that feeling that something should have happened by now.
11.24
When in doubt, stick to what you know:
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| Conventional hair-tied boily rig with kicker to 15lbs. mono with anti-tangle sleeve Nothing fancy... |
8 inch boily rig. Simples.
11.39
Recast both rods. Sort of reasonably happy with them now. Red boily on the rh rod and bright pink wafter on the other.
12.40
Tired of watching fish move over under the trees, I have finally relented and changed tactics. Spodding at 9 wraps and fishing at 9.25 I've got both baits against the bushes opposite.
I knew I'd give in sooner or later:
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| The bushes over on the far side. You often see fish 'showing' right in under the branches and very close to the foliage trailing into the water. How brave are you to cast as close as you dare? |
Hoping my hemp, corn, boilies and other junk will lure them out from under the tangle of branches.
13.10
There are definitely fish over there. One has moved 6 yards to the right of my rh bait, under the trees.
What have I got to do to get a take?
I've seen no bubbling or other indications over my short spot half way across.
13.40
And then it all changes…
There's a scalding take to the boily rod as the rain begins to fall - but I pay no heed, I'm on it in a flash (well not at my age; more of an exagerated stagger) but I connect with a fish obviously thrashing to get under the foliage yonder. He's no match for me though and I drag him out and towards the bank to the net. He's only a small fish of 11lbs. So I don't bother with a snap - but I'm delighted to have got one and for the change of tactic to have worked. Happy days!
A top up of 3 spods over the top and we await the next fish…
14.40
And we're away again - this time on the beige bait. An identical experience to the first fish and it even weighs the same - 11lbs. It looks like the first fish. Is it the same one?
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| 11lbs. mirror. Only a small one but nonetheless very welcome. |
There is one big difference between today's session and those previous - spod mix. Previously, I have restricted myself to firing out scatterings of boilies, relying on the fish to eventually find my hookbait. It seems the carp in here have a liking for Corn and Hemp which is what I had been told by my bait donator. This seems to have made all the difference. Two fish in no time at all is not a fluke. Time yet for more methinks.
16.05
Fish showing over my baits and all around the general area. Another take must surely be on the cards!
17.00
Apparently not. And that brief flurry of activity seems to have finished. It was like all the fish in this area decided to party - and then just as soon as it started - they packed up and went home 🏠
17.30
I had a couple of bleeps on the rh rod…followed by another 3 bleeps and picked up the rod and wound down to see if there was anything on the end. Sure enough there was solid resistance! Fish on!
It didn't do much except skitter up and down in front and I soon had it in the net - 12lbs. 4ozs. Another small fish, but a good looking common despite that. That's 3 for the day which is a whole lot better than I have done recently:
12lbs. 4 ozs. common
18.30
And I'm away on the rh rod again!.. this felt a better fish and so it proved. A very nicely proportioned common of 17lbs.12ozs. That's more like it!
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| 17lbs. 12ozs. common - that's more like it! |
I now look forward to France and some big girls...
I was of the same mind, hadnt seen anything from you for a long time, glad to hear you are ok! ive joined the lakes now as well! so might bump into you at some point! tight lines in France
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