This is something new for me so bear with me and try not to laugh... not too much anyway

In the early months of this year my angling has been limited some what due to comitments both in and out of work and my returning to school to hopefull better myself and get me out of the hole of a place i work and the mundane job i do!

I have however increased my number of club cards i own and have spent days dreaming of the chance to get out there on the new waters and my new ideas for tackeling the old ones.

As well as the lymm and warrington cards the two new tickets offer a totally different chalenge from that i have faced so far, one being a carp anglers club and a very sought ofter ticket by myself and many others and the other a local card that covers the water i fished when i started fishing, and to my knowledge now holds fish to over 26lb and a good head of 20's to back this up! Top that with the fact that only a dozen or so anglers at most fish this water for carp means a swim is always avilable.



Session 1 of my year.
Sat 8th april.
An over nighter with a working party on the sunday, not very long i know but the fact i was out angling was more than enough reward for the waiting, and catching was a mear bonus if i happened. Me and fellow new member arrived at a slightly more packed carpark than expected but was quickley on route to a couple of swims and base camp quickley erected.
Time for chuck! Being on a short session i didnt bring the carp scaring kit and intended to fish singles and bags. WEED WEED and more WEED. After finding some clearer spots the light was closing in and the final bits done before dinner, liners were a plenty as a fine curry was destroyed my myself and angling buddy! I got into the bag and was hopefull of being awoken by the worst of noises that means the best of things!........ to be continued.

That was a hailstorm n half on Sunday had to be seen to be believed huh mate?

Must find out how to post that video I took without infringing on da management.........dance choones by Micron MMX

Felt sorry for Archie on t'other side tho, bet he was like a drowned rat

Get your hols out of the way lad, we be doing some regular time straight after!

come on 007 wheres the rest of it, i settled in for a nice read there

well 6 more nights and still nothing to show for it... then a night else where and still nothing to show!!!!



THEN THE NEW BAIT IS SORTED OUT AND BANG!!!!!!!!!!!!

A good nights fishing topped by a 23 mirror followed a few days later by a nice 18 mirror.

Followed by my trip to france which finished only this saturday!

The details of which will follow!!

dave

Here we go

Etang du rouge
France
29.07.06 - 05.08.06

Saturday 29.07.06
Arriving to find that the lake had fished really poor for the two weeks before out trip with more than 5 anglers blanking was a shock to say the least. The thought of travelling all that distance and all that cost for a blank is not worth thinking about! A quick walk along the west bank shown that the water seemed to be rather green looking but the sighting of one or two fish moving did much to increase hopes of banking one or two of the residents during our week on the lake.

With our party having booked the gite we had the 3 swims outside it reserved so choice of swims was nothing to consider(well as long as the 3 of us angling could agree). I will mention here that out party consisted of 8 persons. Me and zoe my better half, my mum and dad, family friends john and liz and their two friends mark and mike. It was a holiday as much as a fishing trip.

We had arrived before the others and decided to go down to the bar to see if our broken(very broken) French would pass and make our introductions and have ourselves a beer or two. Well job done and a beer or 3 later we were still waiting for the others but decided to set up the gear in ready for the choices of swims being made. Swim 18 was the most sought and 17 the next with 16 the last choice. When the time came it was with a closed eye and a trembling hand i landed swim 16...with john claiming 18 from the start, me and the old man drew for the others. O well time to erect the sti motel. After what seemed like an eternity the rods were baited and placed, the sti motel was sorted and the matt was ready and waiting.

It was time so see what the trip would bring. The merguize(sp) were cooking on the bbq and the beers were a plenty....in was around two hours later in the middle of our leg of lamb amongst all that first night excitement around the patio set dinner table that my receiver let out a single ........beep..........




to be continued...(my work break over)


dave

where was i..o thats right...beep..

Then nothing




Then 10 seconds later the mother of all runs....one of them that just goes...one tone that seemed to be getting a higher pitch the longer it went on. As i bent down to hit into what was clearly a very angry fish i was looking at a buzzer about to hit meltdown point with 2 inch of solar union flag trying to drill a hole in the front thinking this was it!!!! Well it was for around 5 seconds when my expression changed from utter excitement to total depression as a result of a hook pull!
GUTTED!!!

Rod chucked back to spot i wanted to mope around in the sti motel for a bit on my todd.... but no... had a cold dinner to go and finish! sat there eating cold bbq looking as dejected as everyone else it was a bit of a come down to say the least. That was it....my chance to get of the mark and save the blank...and its gone....

I'm stood in the water playing an angry carp "Wow what happened there one minute i was eating some spuds and the next minute i am playing another carp" That's what happened, was just thinking i was too depressed to eat and whallop..same rod off again! This time i was in for a better deal and the resulting fight was rewarded with my first rouge carp of the trip.....all 24lb 2oz of it. COME ON!!!!!
The fish returned and not 5 minutes later the middle rod was away, could i believe it.... well at a slightly smaller 18lb 10oz i was really happy with my first evening. It was time for another beer.


Sunday 30.07.06

An early start of around 07.30 was had on what looked to be a rather overcast morning. "Happy days" were my first words to zoe who decided that on account of the poor weather she would stay in the fleece lined bag within the sti motel. When she decided enough was enough at 13.00 i was still awaiting the action that i was sure was just waiting to happen. I was glad to see that one or two fish had shown up around the lake and although disappointed that none had come to swim 16 to have as feed i was content that i had already had a few fish.
It was again around tea time and as i was in process of building the bbq that a single beep came over the receiver. I was on the rods instantly to see a positive drop back on the right rod. Bang a hard fighting scrappy carp hooked, playing around in the swim it picked up the left hand rod..."er hold on no its not that's another run!" I will describe the comedy of errors that followed but the resulting photographs show me with a brace of carp, one common at 16lb 3oz and one mirror at 23lb. Was i happy?? You bet your arse i was! Then disaster!

A jerky run that stopped as quick as it started but only for a second before it took off again at serious speed. I was on the rod in a millisecond and instantly felt the power and spotted the huge vortex that only a catfish shows. With line emptying my spool i tightened down to put the pressure on the fish that was now 60yards away from where i hooked it with no effect at all! The with a huge splash inches from the dam wall 100yards away i was able to start to retrieve some line...... only there was the horrible feeling of a serious grating. The weight of the fish was immense and i was winning....for a short time..... the grating on the line was the final winner and as it snapped i was almost @rse over t!t in to shallow margins. Gutted! AGAIN!


Monday 31.07.06

Much the same as Sunday but with fewer fish landed around the lake and it was once again around tea time that my rod chose to rip off. This time the resulting fish was a very angry carp of Just over 28lb and it gave me hell on the mat. (Thank you to zoe for getting video of me receiving a good hiding from the tail of this fish!) The camera was also on hand to record me being destroyed by another catfish that much like to one before it didn't seem interested in stopping even with an almost solid clutch. Really Gutted!! AGAIN!
****i will say that apart from two dropped runs on the livebait this was it on the catfish front apart from the 1lb pussey my old man had on his waggler rod!****o and the only can to be landed was in the shallows and weighed in at 92lb. SO NONE OF THE REALLY BIG ONES WERE LANDED!!!!

And in the true forest gump style
"and that's all i have to say about that"

dave

Tune in tomorrow for the next instalment.

Tuesday 01.08.06

Rain, rain and o more rain. Party decided this is a good day to hit the supermarket... with a quick look into decathlon and McDonalds!

What started as a quick pop down the supermarket at 11am turned in to a 6 and half hour day out!!!! Had i not have picked up my bottle of Johnny red i would have thought it a wasted day!

Anyway back fishing and within an hour of starting the left had rod is away again and the feeling of a bin bag on the end tells me something i dont want to hear! When all of around 5 seconds later a huge chub like fish pops up infront of the net i was the old man to get ready. Having caught grass carp in the past i know what was coming..... as soon as the fish felt the mesh of the net all hell broke out and les was soaked to the skin. Fish was out, un hooked and send the needle to 20lb 11oz quick photograph and back.....me i was in serious pain from thighs to face where it had battered me. If you have had them then you will know!

That was it for Tuesday!

As i climbed into bed with the rein falling again my mind was set on thinking how i was going to get these fish feeding in my swim throughout the day... as it seemed clear they were passing through and only staying for a short time in the evening!
A thought struck me and i fell into a dreamy sleep with a plan.


Wednesday 02.08.06

Awaking later than usual at around 10.15am to a strong wind and over cast conditions i was rather happy...again zoe looked out the door and rolled over heading back to the land of nod! I had in the back of my mind my plan but could not put it into full swing until the wind died down a bit! Around 1pm the women decided more shopping was needed and a request to fill up the beer reserve in the fridge was well received. Within the hour the wind had died and i was out in the water up to my knackers sending the spod out to my markered spot.
About 5kg of pellet and boilie went out and two rods were places in the general area. Time for a game of boules and a cold kanterbrau.

The next 5 hours were a bit of a blur but the results started quickly with a 16lb common quickly followed with a 29lb 04oz mirror then a few more games of boules and a few more 20s was added before tea. The fish didnt seem to come and visit me that evening but i didnt mind. I had done what i had set out to do and was happy sitting down to my piece of chaval(sp) followed by some stunning pork chops with noodles.

A missed drop back at 2am didnt even faze me from my happy spell.


dave

Thursday 03.08.06

"what" "er" "right"
Dad was into a fish when i ran out the sti motel to hit what i thought was my buzzer. I was just about to go and offer my self as nets man when my left had hanger hit the rod and it ripped off. Not bad i was thinking, two generations of Penny's playing angry carp at day break....an think we could have been working on what was becoming a cracking misty morning.

Mine was in and registered at 25lb 10oz before dad had landed his, which turned out to be a real prize,(see my photos). What a start to our day. Anyway back to bed it was for me!
Next thing i was out again but now it was around 09.30 and my 3rd 16lb common of the week was landed. I was really happy that the bait was doing its job and bringing the fish into the area. A top up was done with the spod and breakfast was had!
The remainder of the day produced two more 20s for me in the shape of a 23lb 09oz mirror and a 20lb mirror before it was time to reel in and head into town for our meal booked by the women on their Tuesday shopping spree!

As always with french food the meal was amazing and the beer was good! Arriving back after dark a little later than i would have hoped getting the baits out in the correct spots was not easy and zoe wisely stayed out the way watching a dvd on the laptop in the sti motel! A few more beers whilst watching the exploits of Joey, chandler, Ross, Rachael and Monica. Then off to sleep.

Dave

Friday 04.08.06

The final full day.

Again the fish were troughing in the swim and my first sight of the day was the bubbling of carp on my baited patch. I didnt have much chance to get a true picture of what was in front of me as an angry carp took a liking to the double botton 18mm bottom bait on the left rod. A cracking battle was encountered and as the winner i lifted my 23lb 11oz common up for the picture just before first light.
Two doubles followed before 11am and then the lake just died.
What turned out to be my final run of the week came totally out of the blue in the middle of the afternoon and produces a reall scrappy 27lb 04oz mirror. The last of my fish.
The even turned into a cracking sunset and some amazing pics were taken. Our last night in the sti motel was a quiet one with the only nois coming from our new friend harry the hedgehog as he trudged past on his rout to annoy my old man.


saturday 05.06.06

Nothing, no bubblers, no showing fish, nothing! Much the same as friday afternoon. Packed up packed in and good bye's said. It was time to hit the road!

TOTAL
fish 18
largest 29lb 4oz
smallest 15lb 12oz
A very happy man i was when leaving and although nothing massive came to my rods i had the most out of our party and i did it from the least favoured swim!

Our total fish haul for the three of us was 45 fish upto 38lb(my old man) fir a total weight of 1038Lb. average fish weight was just over 23lb.


A great week was had by all!!
EVEN ZOE!!


dave

Pics up loaded if anyone wants to look! just check the gallery!

dave

forgot to add this:

Sunday 6th Aug

Back on the local section of canal.
Two hours fishing under the rod tip with the waggler.
Just got them going, had a tench about a pound and a carp about the same and missed a few bites then a guy thought he would come and sit with me. A guy who thought he needed to shout in order to be heard. No more bites came my way.

dave

Sorry about that Dave, that was me... I'll keep it down next time MATE.

Sunday 13th August

local canal.
Sat in the rain without brolly for two hours for one skimmer!

dave

not to be put off!
Off on the bike again for some exercise and a hours fishing!

Monday 14th august
same local canal but different peg!

3 Tench 1.5lb 2.5lb 3lb Approx.


Today sees me in work haveing been and paid deposit on new angling caddy (aka bike, get to halfords people, as they are doing gt's at great discount). Will be off down the canal again tonight! Taking advantage of the missis not being here to mither me!!!

Dave

Looks like a great week Dave Well Done

Cheers mate

Cheshire weedy water

Thursday. 17/08/06
First swim-- blanked.

Sunday 20/08/06
3rd swim-- blanded!


Can anyone else see a trend forming here?

dave

They were starting to show before we left mate its one of them moments when the thought of throwing a sicky come into your mind....but the cost of doing so when working for my company means a serious loss of ones bonus!

dave

They were on the top and taking floaters at 6.30 this morning.......just on the wrong side of the weed.


I hope this trend of yours doesn't catch on Dave.

thats the problem mate "it dosent catch!"

The back of the weed yeah they have been showing there in the mornings. A zig chucked out before first light could be the way forward.

dave

Me thinks some marker work from swim 3 may enlighten us if there is a 'path' through those weed beds......looked like someone had previously been busy with the old weed rake when I fished there Sunday night.

It might not be as thick as we all think it is & a zig with a light, quick release lead just may do the trick



Allan

There was a top quick release knot in carp addict a couple of months back. Really clever and works perfectly, expecially for zigs in weed.

Nice one Joe

Dave dig out those back issues boy!



Allan

The weed rake was in swim 2 (corner swim) last night, must have waded out a fair way to use it there.

Read the club web site, it says the weed rake is not to be used in certain areas.

It was there when me and allan was there on sunday and there was lots of small patches of weed floating about.

Problem is, yes its on the web site but not all members have access to the web and there is nothing on the notice board at all.
I thought it could have been printedand put up at least!!

dave

is that the canal i told u of dave?

Happy new year all, hope you have a great start to the new year.
Well it took me 13 days to get out in 2007, and i was out for a grand total of 5 hours. Lymm ac's Belmont pool was the chosen water and arriving at first light to find my favourite winter swims well stiched it was a walk over the far side into the teeth of the gale.... o and it was pi$$ing it down to boot.

Brolly up, brew on, and rods out....... Sh1t forgot the jacket...

...BBUUUUUUURRRRR....
Session goes as follows
The fish started to show off the back of the island in lea of the wind, so right hand rod cast out in the general area. Left rod single pop up fished off the lead at about 5 inch, cast just short of the island, not too close to the snaggs.
Short time later and the hanger on the pop up slowly rose all the way up to the rod... on thinking something had blown across the line i got up to see the line tightening still, then drop. Fish on! It could have only moved about 10inch since picking up the bait, but it was solid. So after 5-10minutes in the wind and rain, and the fish long gone it was time to pull for a break and start again.
Re rigged and re chucked it was the left hand rod again that was away a few hours later and this one was much more obliging...in coming away from the island at least... it managed to power into open water and stay well out for over 15minutes before meeeting the bottom of my net. It was clear at this point that the fish i had just landed was just what i was after. In almost 10years of serious carp fishing on this water i was still awaiting my first belmont 20. :D.... its been so long in coming.... having caught two known 20s down in weight in the past(one at 19lb 15oz) I was sure that the fish in the new was a 20 and a good one at that.
23lb 4oz :D. A cracking looking fish in its true winter colours.... I packed my kit up slowly and was on my way home a happy man.
I have decided that this coming summer will be my last on the said water and hope that one or two more of these larger fish will find the bottom of my net this year. Time will tell.

Cheers to the beers.

dave

Well in there Dave

Well done Dave there even more special at this time of year!

About time you caught something, sorry! I meant about time we heard from you again.
Well done mate, start the year in style eh?

Cheers chaps....i will post a picture if i get my machine at home sorted soon ;-}.
Back out again friday.... looking at the weather today i hope its not frozen!

dave

Session two on the same lake;

First choice swim fee. Rods in...Well first one in the tree!! So re tied and in on the second attempt, it was one of them mornings... the wind had started blowing into the brolly and the first cast in the tree... you know everything is going to go wrong.
Well i am happy to say it didnt!
First fish was banked within the hour a scraper double.. but in january thay all count!
Second fish an hour later as i was cooking up my partrigde(shot the week before)and at 17lb it was very welcome.
Third fish came at around 11.30 a bit smaller at just under 15lb.
3 fish in just over as many hours in january... i was buzzin....but knew it couldnt go on like this all day.....could it??

Well that was the last of my action untill about 13.15 when a ripping take produced my 2nd 20 of the year from this water at 20lb 4oz. No other takes were forth coming and 16.30 arrived and went and it was home for tea!

NOTE>
Not a single fish seen on the water at all, all day.
All the fish came to the same rod in the same spot with the same kind of rig. The other rod was changed to match this in every detail but it just didnt produce... not a single bleep all day!

Now when can i get out again... where is that diary?


dave


2007

2 days= 3x doubles, 2x 20s.

Now that is one big bird Dave
and you ate the lot in one go
Keith

Actually i had two....

How you doing keith been out doing much?
WOrk party this weekend? I cant make it saturday but will be there the week after.. sunday 11th. Will i be seeing you?


dave

Session 3 same lake.

No alarm.. as power gone off
m62 bad traffic
Arrived at lake an hour later than wanted to.
Decided to over the far bank again(same as session 1)As someone was in the swim next to the one i wanted and had his spod rod leaning against the bivvy.... not wanting the disturbance i thought best to head off over the far side. A quick chat on the way round and i learnt that he had taken 3 fish out in the night but the biggest was 11lb and odd oz.... he was fishing over spodded bait....

Rolled the barrow up into the chosen swim and decided to throw the rods in before anything as they were on the top. Rods cast with last sessions pop-ups still on and placed on the floor and net up.... whats next... bank sticks....where,,,what was ...... fish on!
18.8 mirror... nice way to start the day.....Sh1t, no camera. So snap with the phone and back in.
The rest of the session is kind of a blurrr. Something like this
Half an hour later 8lb 12oz mirror same rod... other rod next with a 13lb 8oz mirror
An old friend drove in to the car park at around 10am and before he got to omy swim i had another run, 21lb 8oz mirror and as that was netted my 2nd rod rattled off with a 16lb 10oz mirror.... It was something like " hello peter mate long time no see.... do me a favour and take a pic of this brace of carp i got in the net will you" Reply was "F**king hell you dont do things by half, ay dave?"
Here it went quiet again and it was around 12;45 that i had another fish at 14lb followed by another of 14lb 4 oz around 14.45.

Again all the fish came to the same single pop up approach with no free baits at all. Both rods received some action this time which has been uncommon of late.

So far this year i have fished for 2 and a half days( not nights) and total is standing at
3x20, 18,17,16, 3x14, 13, 11 one single

well happy..

dave

Well done, mate. It's nice to hear of someone catching, don't let it spoil you.

I've said it before, get the rods in first,everything else can wait.

The 23lb 04 oz



The 20lb 04oz



The 21lb 8oz



Few more pics on my gallery

dave

nice pics of your captures there fella

SESSION 4
Feb 4th
Cold with a freezing fog.
The colour has now gone out the water totally and the fish seem to be more wary.... only one run on this session... a 12lb mirror. Turned out to be the only fish out that day.

dave

.....and I did my usual 4 hours, and blanked, literally not a bleep.
I would have loved a 12 lber.

I'm not jealous,Dave.
I'm not jealous,Dave.
I'm not jealous,Dave.
I'm not jealous,Dave.
I'm not jealous,Dave.
I'm not jealous,Dave.
I'm not jealous,Dave.
I'm not jealous,Dave.
I'm not jealous,Dave.
I'm not jealous,Dave.
I'm not jealous,Dave.
I'm not jealous,Dave.
I'm not jealous,Dave.
I'm not jealous,Dave.
I'm not jealous,Dave.
I'm not jealous,Dave.
I'm not jealous,Dave.
I'm not jealous,Dave.
I'm not jealous,Dave.
I'm not jealous,Dave.
I'm not jealous,Dave.
ad.infinitum.

Same water;

Plans to get up early last friday were dashed and knowing i had a busy weekend i decided a lazy morning was due so only arrived at the lakeside for 11am..planning to stay till about 4. Within the first hour i had been smashed in a snag and landed one of the lakes two resident ghost carp. The smaller one at that. Scraper double but a welcome capture. This being a fish i have seen only once on the bank in over 10 years. Last time around 5 or 6lb.

This water is due its first 30 very soon...... now that would be nice!!!
Fingers crossed for tomorrow.

Dave

SAME WATER AGAIN TODAY.

After dealing with an angler who thought it ok to fish in my swim from his, session went ok with two fish hitting my mat.
14lb 4oz and 2olb 2oz.
Same single pop ups with no free offerings... five other anglers on today....all blanked.

Well happy.
Until the said angler came back with two mates... so dealt with them too.


Dave

Ohh your so butch big boy..........stop it your making me ????

Good on yer feller (drown em next time)

Only been out once since that last session... had a low double.... and lost one.
seems to have hit the back burner for the minute... however out this weekend for a social so i should get the bug back.....


dave

Is there a resemblance between Dave and this guy, or is it my imagination.

Happy birthday, young 'en, hope all went well en France.

lol... thats a new on for me.

France went well for me... others didnt fare too well.

cheers mate

dave