Friday the 13th, saw me heading back to the club/park lake for my 3rd session on there. It’s a small lake of a few acres, with a nice stock of mainly common carp. I took this ticket up to boost my confidence as it’s been difficult just fishing the harder waters, like the Albert Canal last year. Fishing needs to be fun and catching fish is always great in itself.

I was really excited as the weather was very good, especially considering that the first 2 sessions on the lake where in very different colder conditions; plus there was a new moon on the way, always a good time to get out fishing.

So, on the Friday it was my 3rd session on this lake and I was looking forward to it as I had caught 7 fish in the previous 2 sessions. I started fishing at around noon on the Friday, as the choice of swim was on the hotel bank approximately half way down the bank. Before I put the bivvy up I carefully positioned the 3 rods. They were fished in a line, all at the same range (18 3/4 wraps = middle of the lake).

Why did I choose this area of the lake to fish? Well I got some inside information off a friend who caught the better fish angling on this side of the lake at the middle right hand side of the lake on the hotel bank. Fish can be quite habitual and I hoped this helpful insight would help me snare some of the lakes larger residents.

I baited with about 10 medium Spombs containing a mix of a few different sizes of boilies plus half a kilo of rock salt. The use of this rock salt, in the silty bottom made a difference as I think the fish keep rooting around in the silt to get these elements/minerals from the salt and the rest of the bait.

On arriving at the lake, I noticed much more activity as fish showed all over, but after the bait went in more of the fish showed on that line I baited up. I’d had barely settled down and before I knew it one of the rods was off and while playing this fish a second rod was away… a double take (double bubble) and two fish in the net! What a great result! Good job I have 2 spare nets with me, as I felt I would need them on this session.

After doing some self takes and some filming the rods where put back at onto the same spots and topped them up with 4 more Spombs of boilies to keep the fish rooting and feeding around the hook baits.

About and hour or so later, the middle rod is off… and then the left hand rod, and 5 second later the 3rd rod as well! Crazy stuff, but despite the utter carnage I still somehow managed to land all 3 fish – and I was over the moon to see that one of them is a really good one (after some info, one of the A team) again after some pics and filming and returning these fish, I put the rods back out… and the rest goes in a haze as, on Sunday afternoon I caught 14 fish with a few very good ones and a few of the lakes rare scaley mirrors!

The rig I used was the Ronnie rig with either a size 6 Covert Dark Continental Mugga hooks or one of the new size 4 BCR Rigga beaked point chod hooks. Using these BCR maybe a bit strange in conjunction with Ronnie but the hook hold with this hooks are awesome – that’s why I will keep using them.

My main line on the reel was the ever faithful 15lb GT-HD and the boom for the Ronnie Rig was the 0.70mm Slinky, which I always love using it as it’s very stiff and kicks the hooklink out really well…

Now I am really looking forward to the next session with my batteries recharged and my confidence on full! It will be at a new 70 acre lake, targeting a few big girls. Back to fishing for chunks in a low stock water… Wish me luck!

Tight Lines,
Tommy De Cleen