Barons ponds - 23rd may 2013
I went barons ponds for a float fishing session this week.
I have neglected fishing this way the past few years due to my pursuit of Thames barbel, however my intention is to keep myself sane by having a few sessions with the feeder and float rods to catch a few in between my barbel fishing.
I took a drive down to the lakes on the wedsnesday to have a look around as I hadnt been to the lakes in around a year.
There were 3 people fishing so a quick chat to them revealed a few nice roach were being caught but not many carp.
I walked around both lakes and saw plenty of fish moving about, and plenty of areas with fish bubbling up from routing around on the bottom.
I sat in one swim for about 20mins and saw enough for me to give it a look the next day, plenty of fish bubbling up the bottom in several areas of the swim.
On my arrival the following morning, Im glad to say the fish were still all over the swim, with more being up cruising around the surface than bubbling up the bottom. Seeing as the lake has a very large carp population, as well as some large roach, perch and crucians. I decided to start on the pellet waggler with a method feeder on stand by incase I saw fish grubbing about on the bottom.
My tackle consisted of 6lb reel line, size 14 barbless hooks knotless knotted to 5lb daiwa tdr hooklength. Last time out I used my heavier float rod but felt under gunned with some of the fish I hooked. I landed fish to about 6lb then, but hooked some that lead me all over the place.
So this time I chose to use my fox kevlex specialist rod, its a multi tip rod that has 0.50, 0.75lb tc tips and a multitip feeder tip section. Its a really nice rod and has a lovely through action to it. So I chose the 0.75lb tc tip, coupled with the 6lb line, I felt this would give me much more of a fighting chance if I hooked into a larger fish.
A 3ssg maver pellet waggler fished about 3foot deep with a banded 6mm pellet finished the set up off and I was ready to get started.
I spent 10 mins before casting out, just catapulting pellets into the swim, around 10 pellets every 20seconds in a bid to try and get some fish mooching about. It took around half hour of casting and feeding before I had my first bite. The tip whipped round and I caught the rod before it was taken from me!!!
The result was a spirited fight from a small mirror carp about 3lb, quickly followed by another slightly bigger and another of the same size
About 3lb
About 4lb
About 3lb
I then hooked and lost several fish, one absolutely hammered off and was twice as far away from my fishing position in one run, before coming adrift. I cut back on the loose feed and changed my hooklength for an identical one, incase the hook point was slightly burred or something.
The reduction in loose feed seemed to work as several casts later I hooked into another fish and after a rather quick dullish fight, I netted the biggest crucian carp I've ever seen. I have never really caught many crucians, only really had them to about 1lb. But this one was easily 3lb, maybe a little more.
With no one else on the lakes, and no tripod with me for a self take I had to just take a couple of pics in the net, which I really didnt want to do as it was certainly a personal best, but I wasnt about to keep it in the net until someone came round. Edit - I have since found out that the fish is more than likely a hybrid of goldfish/crucian. More can be found on identifying crucian carp here - http://www.crucians.org/html/identification.shtml
Several casts later and clearly a bigger fish was hooked but I felt much more in control than I had in previous sessions. I managed to guide it in very quickly by playing the fish with the rod low and to the side. I feel you can control bigger fish much easier by playing them like this, as you guide them in rather than fight them.
This fish weighed in around 8lb and was a short fat little thing.
I lost one more fish before the heavens opened and it hammered some big chunks of hale. So not having an umbrella at the moment (something I really must get), I made the run to the car for a few minutes until it passed. Anyway it didnt, and I ended up getting soaked as did all of my gear.
So I called it a day, two and a half hours, a new personal best, several more carp and an absolute soaking.
Until next time, be lucky......
I have neglected fishing this way the past few years due to my pursuit of Thames barbel, however my intention is to keep myself sane by having a few sessions with the feeder and float rods to catch a few in between my barbel fishing.
I took a drive down to the lakes on the wedsnesday to have a look around as I hadnt been to the lakes in around a year.
There were 3 people fishing so a quick chat to them revealed a few nice roach were being caught but not many carp.
I walked around both lakes and saw plenty of fish moving about, and plenty of areas with fish bubbling up from routing around on the bottom.
I sat in one swim for about 20mins and saw enough for me to give it a look the next day, plenty of fish bubbling up the bottom in several areas of the swim.
On my arrival the following morning, Im glad to say the fish were still all over the swim, with more being up cruising around the surface than bubbling up the bottom. Seeing as the lake has a very large carp population, as well as some large roach, perch and crucians. I decided to start on the pellet waggler with a method feeder on stand by incase I saw fish grubbing about on the bottom.
My tackle consisted of 6lb reel line, size 14 barbless hooks knotless knotted to 5lb daiwa tdr hooklength. Last time out I used my heavier float rod but felt under gunned with some of the fish I hooked. I landed fish to about 6lb then, but hooked some that lead me all over the place.
So this time I chose to use my fox kevlex specialist rod, its a multi tip rod that has 0.50, 0.75lb tc tips and a multitip feeder tip section. Its a really nice rod and has a lovely through action to it. So I chose the 0.75lb tc tip, coupled with the 6lb line, I felt this would give me much more of a fighting chance if I hooked into a larger fish.
A 3ssg maver pellet waggler fished about 3foot deep with a banded 6mm pellet finished the set up off and I was ready to get started.
I spent 10 mins before casting out, just catapulting pellets into the swim, around 10 pellets every 20seconds in a bid to try and get some fish mooching about. It took around half hour of casting and feeding before I had my first bite. The tip whipped round and I caught the rod before it was taken from me!!!
The result was a spirited fight from a small mirror carp about 3lb, quickly followed by another slightly bigger and another of the same size
About 3lb
About 4lb
About 3lb
I then hooked and lost several fish, one absolutely hammered off and was twice as far away from my fishing position in one run, before coming adrift. I cut back on the loose feed and changed my hooklength for an identical one, incase the hook point was slightly burred or something.
The reduction in loose feed seemed to work as several casts later I hooked into another fish and after a rather quick dullish fight, I netted the biggest crucian carp I've ever seen. I have never really caught many crucians, only really had them to about 1lb. But this one was easily 3lb, maybe a little more.
With no one else on the lakes, and no tripod with me for a self take I had to just take a couple of pics in the net, which I really didnt want to do as it was certainly a personal best, but I wasnt about to keep it in the net until someone came round. Edit - I have since found out that the fish is more than likely a hybrid of goldfish/crucian. More can be found on identifying crucian carp here - http://www.crucians.org/html/identification.shtml
Several casts later and clearly a bigger fish was hooked but I felt much more in control than I had in previous sessions. I managed to guide it in very quickly by playing the fish with the rod low and to the side. I feel you can control bigger fish much easier by playing them like this, as you guide them in rather than fight them.
This fish weighed in around 8lb and was a short fat little thing.
I lost one more fish before the heavens opened and it hammered some big chunks of hale. So not having an umbrella at the moment (something I really must get), I made the run to the car for a few minutes until it passed. Anyway it didnt, and I ended up getting soaked as did all of my gear.
So I called it a day, two and a half hours, a new personal best, several more carp and an absolute soaking.
Until next time, be lucky......
posted from Bloggeroid
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