Carp Fishing ~ A New Start ~ James Clarke

2018 unfortunately has not been my best season to say the least! Moving house, crashing my work van (oops, sorry Mr & Mrs Gardner) and ending up in hospital and starting a new job working for Gardner Tackle all took priority over getting the rods out more often than not.

January started with a boom and my annual winter trip to ‘lac de passion’ with my friend James started really well. We nailed a 50lb+ within two hours and this was backed up with three forty’s, an upper thirty and a 20lb+ common. Not bad for three nights fishing during cold conditions in January.

Spring offered me the chance to join a lake in Cambridge. It’s 18 acres in size, littered with islands, gravel bars and deep margins. Even though I only fished during the spring period I did manage to get amongst a few nice fish. In the eighteen nights I fished I totalled around twenty fish up to 39lb 9oz and all were caught using the ever-faithful Hinged Stiff Rig.

By the time the summer had arrived and was in full flow it was unbearably hot, so my fishing took a back seat as I moved house and I needed time to settle in and face the unbearable task of decorating. I did manage to fit in a few trips around the Lee Valley and I alternated sessions between two local club waters, landing a couple of special fish along the way.

In late august I went to France to fish a lake I had visited around 15 years ago and it’s one of the most beautiful lakes I have ever fished in France. It’s situated in the region of Brittany set in a valley amongst rolling hills and it really is an amazing place to spend a week and have some down time. The fishing was slow for me but I did manage to catch a 50, a 44, two upper 30’s, a 33 and 26. All were caught using the Ronnie Rig using size 4 Covert Dark Continental Mugga’s. The boom was made with our new Stiff Link green in 15lb. This truly is the best boom section available in my opinion and it out performs any other on the market. I prefer the 15lb as this allows a little more flexibility over the 20lb & 25lb that we offer.

My plans for the autumn were unfortunately scuppered after having a car crash, so there was a large gap whilst the rods were hung up to gather dust! However, I did manage to have a return trip the ‘lac de passion’ in France with my friend James at Christmas. I wasn’t so lucky to get amongst the big girls this time and I only landing three fish to low thirties. My friend on the other hand managed a few to just shy of 44lb. It was a great few days and to say we had a giggle would be an understatement! The temperatures were a little colder than last year, so single popped up hook baits presented on a Hinged Stiff Rig bought me two bites whilst the third came on two grains of fake corn fished on a Ronnie Rig. Fishing for a bite was the only way in my opinion and baiting heavy was a no no!