well im fishing a unknown place on the river seven(well its known but its not very popular and i aint seen a carp angler there in all the time ive been fishing there) i just though id let you all no how im getting on (as ive got about 2 hours to kill at work)

i arived on sat morning aroun 4am to a freezing frost, it was that cold it was like ice skating to the peg.
ive been fishing this area for barble and pike for about 3 years now, but last summer noticed a fair few carp moving through the area.
nothing to sizeable mostly look about mid doubles to upper 20's at the max.
when i arived i just sat around for a few hours watchin the sunrise and the pike chase the roach. nothing carpy at all suppose there wont be at this time of year.
managed to get the rods out around 2pm and before long the indicators were twitching. got me all excited. the off she goes at a million miles ahour, wahoo i though and played the fish in GREAT was the first words that came to mind after that run i kid u not it was a bream of about 2lb (i was fishing 4oz leads)
another 8 bream later i was getting quite annoyed. so i just through them out with any freebies
8pm another screamer, and this was no bream straight into the current and off upstream,barble was my initial though as it was going against the currnet. 10 mins later an i had still gained no groung at all. these river fish dont half pull back. a few more tense moments (well 15mins) passed and eventually i had it in the margin. she just plodded deep for a few more mins and was then up for the net i couldnt believe it not only was it my first carp out of the seven but at 23LB 9OZ and a fin perfect linear i was the happyist man aroung (will be in my gallery as soon as i can. the rest of the day went un eventful.

i was just tuckin into my dinner at about 8pm and BOSH! had me on my feet looking over the river, BOSH BOSH BOSH just of the margin shelf i could make out a huge fish acting like its been on speed. i had a bait around 3 feet away. nothing more so i went back to the camp with a good feeling about the night ahead.

6am nothing, i awoke to the indicators still in the same place. i had to be back by 12 (missis instructions) so only 6hours more fishing to go. i sat with a brew looking over the water when a chap walking a dog appeard. conversation started and all of a sudden we was interupted by a almighty scream, the delkim was in overdrive. never in my like have i seen a spool losing line as fast as that. i bent into what felt like a freight train on what could only be descibed as rocket boaster. 30,60,90yards of line still not stopping, all i could do was hold on for dear life. then BANG it was all solid. i felt gutted i didnt even gain an inch and what ever was on the end had me solid on something around 100 yards away.
no dont get me wrong i no this is stupid at minus something degrees and in at river with only a old man around as help. i decided to take the plunge. It was cold VERY VERY cold i locked up couldnt move. but i knew that what ever was on then end of that line was something special. i waded across the river with a slow progress (its only around 4 1/2 feet where the fish was locked up) the water was nearing my shoulder when i managed to get to the fish, she was still on i could feel a beating down the line.
By now there were around 20 people on the bank watching in great amusment (only 1 pearson in 24 hours walked by untill now)

i had my rod in one hand net floating on a string attached to my other and was pulling at the debrie which the line was snagged on

then all of a sudden PING i stopped breathing for a secong (i was only just breathing due to the cold water) everything went slack my heart nearly floated away in the current, it needent had as the line tightend up and the rod when over again. off again she went but she was tiring now as it was only in short bursts. i managed to slowly walk over to the bank and get up onto dry land. By this time i had forgot about being cold i WANTED this fish on the bank and soon at that. The gentleman with the dog that was origainaly talking to me was a real gent (he had help himself to my bivvie and brought over my spair set of cloths and open my sleeping bag to put round me. 10 more mins passed and i still hadnt seen this fish but she was only aroun 10-15 yards out now. a few big swirls appeared then she surfaced for the first time. I was speechless couldnt say anything what i had just seen was by no meens a record but for me its was huge. I looked round at the gent and i dont think he could believe what it was even his dog was looking at the water with a lopsided head in disbelife. and then i heard "thats a rather large kipper mate" a litte smirk crossed my mouth but i still had to land it. another 5 mins and i think she ws ready no more taking line i gave her a tug and up she came. i lower the net trying not to think about what was about to pass ouver the cord and she went in first time. FINIALLY she was mine i couldnt believe it. i lifted her out of the water and felt my arm buckle due to the cold but i managed to get her over to the mat with no problems. hook out and i could not believe what was mine. i scumbled through the side pocke of my rucksack looking for the scales. i had to get a few people to help me lift her. My personnel best is 31lb 4oz and i new if she was going to top that she was huge. arounf the needle went 10,20,30 and eventually stopped at 34lb bang on i was exstatic i was grinning like a kid at xmas. i was soaked through, FREEZING COLD i was infact blue i was that cold. i sacked here and put her in the margin and got into the bivvie, shut up and hit the coleman on full, 5 mins later an i was warm dry and ready for some pics.
just as i got out the bivvie the gent that had been so kind earlyer had came back and was caring a bag this time. he came down the bank and offered me a glass of port to celebrate and say thanks for showing him what a determined angler i was (a complement i will treasure). if you are reading this mate i thank you for all your help and hope you are well.
Pictures taken and i was sat on the bedchair looking over the river when BEEP BEEP BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP! the other rod was off i though please not again but this time it was a small chub few!
after that packed up and off i went feeling elated what a session! and on a river to boot

sorry if i bored you all but i felt the need to tell you as im still on cloud 9 and everyone else is tired of my story

Ricky

Nice one! Which part of the Severn was it (roughly if you don't want to pinpoint it)?

around kidderminster/stourport way

Well done , I can't imagine how cold that water must have been , get a photo up in the gallery..

Ads

Not a million miles from me...

[starts planning a trip to the river]

Right result, top angling hooli. Bet there are some right lumps in there, keep up the good work

water was stupidly cold, it locked every part of my body up but i wasnt letting that fish beat me :O, will keep blog goin as im off again in about 2 hours
so hopefully more news tomorrow

sammycarp will have to plan a social some time next year?

Good luck with the next session.

Social sounds good, when the water warms up a bit ;-) What ticket is the stretch on?

thats the best part, there isnt its all free

I was hoping that you might say that!

Right result

thats what i love about most of the river and canal this way it dont cost you a penny and there some right gud uns in there

Yup!

Someone had a 30+ grassy from the free stretch u/s of Tewkesbury shortly after the floods, and I know of a few 20+ (and shed loads of pasties) coming out nearby. Even the odd Catfish (both Severn & Avon).

catfish :S sounds intresting, im keeping this little spoy quite at the min last time i mentioned an area i found (it took me about 8 months to get the carp to feed on bait) i told a few people and the next thing you no all summer i couldnt get even close to the area for carp angler

Can't blame you - its nice to be left fish in peace.

Smashing story. You don't know how lucky you are having such beautiful stretches of water around you.. and they don't freeze.

say nowt.. not even the area.. they'll come bank walking in bird watching gear looking for you .. next thing .. bivvies.. bait boats etc..

nothing to sizeable mostly look about mid doubles to upper 20's at the max.

upper 20s not sizeable then?

well for me there huge but compaired to todays standards, its seem every man and his dog its catching upper20s all day long

been delayed not gonna get down till about 7ish tonight now

Awesome result
But you were deffo bonkers going in for it

Just wish we had some rivers with carp in these parts but somehow I don't think the Salmon boys would like the idea of Carp in the Tweed

Cheers
Saul

There's some huge fish in the severn around that area. Back when Larford was a BAA water (that had some huge lumps in it as well) the river used to regularly flood over into the lake and I'm sure fish went in both directions as the lake ended up with barbel in it lol.

18th december 19:00

i drove down the long winding road heading toward the riverbank, i could see the mist thickining as i got closer i was itch8ing to get thre rods out as it was pitch black by now and i only had around 12hours

i got out the car the cold whipped up my spine, i dont think ive ever been soo cold while on the bank. i loaded myself up with the barrow and the holdall and made the 20 min walk down stream.
i eventually got to the peg after a few fight with the ice on the ground.

it was about 21:00 when i eventaully was all sorted rods out brolley up and the infamous brew on.
i could make out in the glimmer of the moonlight the occasional little roach making a leap out of the margins.
then next thing i new it was beep! beeeeep! beep! beep!
i bet you cant get what i was bringing in on the end of the line. SNOTTY! eugh! slipped the hook out in the margin and rebaited this time i overcast but just left it there as it was to cold to make a new bag and get everything ready again.
over then next 3 hours i managed to land 22 of these things ikid you not 22 of them. i was now very pis**d off and was in desprate need of some sleep as i was just about to chuck the road out the was a BOSH BOSH right in my line of veiw, followed by a nother bosh as my bag landed right on the spot.

06:00 suns up and not a nother sniffel on the baits i had a hour before i had to go so was thinking i was only going to be blessed with the shed load of bream.

06:40 beep beep beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep! she was off at pace this cant be a bream. on the rod in a flash and bent over double, dont these river fish go, nothing to unlucky this time and she was over the cord of the net. a chub its better than a bream i thought. but as i put her on the net i noticed i was wrong it was a common a very long lean common of about 5lb. i was chuffed to bits this peg seem to be producing even if i have to wade through shed loads of bream and wait all night
so all in all a good session.

(if my writing style is annoying anyone please tell me to stop i just think its abit more entertaining than i caught this and that and this and that was it)

Your writing is fine...tell it like it is..

Intresting read keep it going Hooligun

crackin results mate, writings fine.

Any piccies yet, Hooligun ??

nothng up loaded yet will get them up soon

Lovely read.

part 2?

not had much chance to get out over the festive few eeks, im out on first session again on the 12th so will update you all then