With my plaster cast now off, I was itching to get on the bank. After a month of staring at the walls at home, cabin fever was setting in good and proper!
With the sun it didn’t take long to find the carp, even if they did go for a swim round the lake twice a day! I decided on a swim that covered the end of an island and had the bonus of being on the end of the wind too. After hobbling around the lake in the rain, this is where I had seen the most activity, with the odd small blow and a carp boshing out giving away their whereabouts.
With the traps set, I went about resting my ankle (Doctors orders!). After a couple of days in my first swim I managed no less that 5 bites, all being hefty 20lb plus fish. On the last night I made a move into a swim tucked away in a corner after hearing some large fish bosh out in the middle of the night. Some anglers might think I was mad moving while having bites, but I really did think there was a margin monster to be had from the new swim.
Within an hour of casting out I was doing a hop skip and jump down the bank, to a locked up bent round length of carbon. Disaster struck and as soon as I picked up the rod I was cut off. The margins were littered with muscle shells and I didn’t have to think too hard as to what had happened. After tying a new rig, a new set up was carefully tied on and landed perfectly back on the spot. I sat and patiently waited and waited…
Within a couple of hours my margin rod let out a bleep, and then took off signalling something was leaving my spot in a hurry! The lake was like tap water and I could see every twist as I carefully played the fish in. I soon slipped the fish into the waiting net and after parting the mesh I could see a lovely scaley mirror sulking inside. These scaley fish really do make me smile!
In the rig department I used 15lb GT80+ main line, a length of Covert Tungsten Tubing which helped hide and blend in my end tackle into the silty lake bed, a Covert Lead Clip set-up, a silt Trickster hook length and a size 6 Covert Mugga hook. Hook baits were my ever faithful Nutrabaits Trigga.
By dawn the corner was devoid of fish, the carp obviously didn’t like the pressure right on top of them. I’m certainly glad I moved from my original swim, I’m still smiling about the stunning fully scaled!
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