Effort Equals Reward!

I arrived at the syndicate at 4 am, just as the first light glistened causing a shimmer over the gentle waves created by the westerly wind. I always tend to park at the first swim where it’s barren of brollies, as always, the first step is to fire up the stove and make a brew! So, with a brew in hand and polaroid’s on, I took a lap to hope to find some carp feeding.

As this has been the target water for this year, and the effort of baiting the same spots on every session is well underway, this is where I tend to check. It’s kind of ironic so far, the spots I found initially have become compass areas, so spots in the margins in the North, East, South and West points, plus the few in open water!

With not finding any fish in the windswept areas, I stood in a swim called longboards. A long jetty that controls the Southern end. Whilst looking down across the lake, with a sip of the brew “Bosh” a decent fish crashed out on the back of the wind in an area that I know pretty well and have baited…..regularly mind.

So, with that being the only sign I rushed back to the van, being organised, rigs were already made and rods were already set. It was a matter of feeling my baited spot quietly, ideally with minimal casting, this was to place a rig that has been catching me a lot in the last 6 sessions. With a solid crackdown in between the weed! I knew that was it, I could tell they have been clearing out the last lot of bait I left them.

Within an hour and thirty minutes of the rods being out, the middle rods bobbin slapped the carbon and the braid pinged from the clip which then the Icon Qi started to melt in sound! The fish was stripping line quickly as it powered through the weed, but with the X1K bent over, I knew the rod would give me the power to control the fish and the soft tip let the rod absorb the deep lunges.

After a while, the fish went over the cord! A veiny old Wasing mirror graced my net, one of a handful of mirrors that’s left to target, has finally been checked off. A stunning fish at 33.04, yet again Urban Bait catching me another in so little of sessions, this is becoming a campaign to remember, it’s great when you find a bait that is dominating the water.

 

Until the second half, tight lines!

Liam Woolcott.

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