Session #24 Owls Castle Farm

I headed out to Lamberhurst to have another crack at the surface feeding carp in the bottom lake. I arrived and the space I wanted was free. I started to fish at 10AM on the dot and didn't have to wait long for the first fish. I hooked into a slightly sluggish 3lb Mirror at 10:10 which was returned to the water with picture due to it going metal too much on the unhooking mat.

With the encouragement of dog biscuits I hooked into a bigger fish at 10:33, which when landed was a burly 6lb mirror.

Another 23 minutes later I was into my 3rd of the day, a very pretty 1.5lb mirror.

21 minutes later I was into another bigger fish, which when landed was a 6lb Mirror

Another 21 minutes later at 11:29 I was into another biggish fish which weighed in at 5 3/4lb

Things then quietened down during the midday sun. They were still cruising but not interested in very much. Then at 12:34 the next one hopped onto my hook. This was a 2lb Mirror.

Then another 50 minutes later another one hooked up and was a small but sturdy 1.5lb Mirror.

12 minutes later the best fight of the day hooked up. This one was literally stripping line from the reel in great quantities and I couldn't see how big it was. After about 5 minutes of it running left and right I got it to the net only to find that it literally weighed 1lb!!! Awesome fight, and definitely fought harder than all the rest that day.

The little Champ...

Another twenty minutes passed to see another 1lb carp come in, but this was the first Common of the day, just when I was wondering if there were any playing ball today...

Common Acrobatics...

I only had to weight 8 more minutes for the biggest of the day. It was a lovely conditioned 8lb Common. Not a bad scrap but was put back into the water after being very lively on the mat. This was only to save distress, but meant no pics was happening here.

This was a 3lb common.

Then a last mirror which was returned quickly so as not to get my gear wet again.

This one weighed in at 3lb.

I then headed home to repair the sunburn I had got from wearing no protection all day - How Stupid was that???!

All in all thought a good day, 12 fish caught in lovely surroundings and weighing in just under 40lb, I think that's a pretty good haul for a day.

Session #23 Pattenden, First Double Figure Fish

I headed to Pattenden even though there was pretty high winds. I thought there should be enough cover to fish and I was right. The only thing was there was nit much action on the surface. I tried to get the fish to an area but only one turned up just after I arrived. I managed to cast near the carp but it didn't properly take the fly and then swam away again.

After a while I left the carp for some Perch. I put on a tinselled gold headed nymph. I started casting. I sat on the bank and carried on casting out. I then cast along the margins and first cast there I hit into something big. It surfaced and was a big common carp appeared. It took about 8 minutes to land, which was fun. I had to unzipped my unhooking mat, get my sling ready and land the fish all at the same time. I managed the land the carp and the hook came out in the net shush was great. I got a few pictures and then weighed it. It was definitely the biggest I had caught. It weighed in at 13lb with the sling which is 1/2lb, so it was 12lb 8oz!!! So this was my first double figure fish ever, how cool was I feeling ;).

After weighing it was returned very quickly and carefully.

Common Carp with a slight gammy fin

The rest of the evening was spent trying to catch Perch, but I didn't get another nick all night.

I headed off head held high.

Session #22 Owls Castle Farm

I headed to Owls Castle Farm on Wednesday 7th July for a spot of Carping on the fly with dog biscuits.

I arrived and parked up and chatted to the grounds man and a couple fishing in the bottom lake. They said there were plenty offish moving so i headed back quickly to set up my rod. I picked my spot on the bank and set out my net and unhooking mat. I threw in the biscuits and the carp came straight for them. I put in a fly and they would quite take it far enough down to hook them. So in goes a few more biscuits and at 16:20, BANG, into my first carp on the fly!!!

It took about 5-6 minutes to get it to calm down and get it into my net. It was a beautiful Mirror Carp of 6lb 8oz.

Mirror Carp

Five minutes later, into my next, a lovely 4lb 8oz Common Carp

Common Carp

Then 5 minutes again, a smaller 1lb 9oz Common Carp. This was return quickly as it fought very hard and looked very tired at the end of the fight. So no picture here of that one.

Although the water was very busy the cap didn't bite so readily for a while. At about 18:20 I was into my next fish, another lovely Common Carp of 3lb 8oz.

Common Carp

After this I lost several flies due to either very large fish running too quickly or fish running behind a large obstacle in the lake and the line fraying and snapping.

I left at about 20:00 so as not to ruin a great day there. The couple drew 19 fish all at about the same time.

What a lovely venue...

Session #20 Zander at Grafham Resevoir

Myself and Tony headed to Grafham Resevoir at about 05:30 and arrived at about 7:30-8 and met up with Guy Eldridge and Son. We had a quick breakfast and then set about getting boat tickets and getting out on the water.

We paired up, me with Tony and, Guy and son. We headed out to the old fountain to see if we could start well there.

The Good Ship Eldridge

Once we arrived we anchored up. Not loang after we got there Guy hooked into number one and pulled up a great start at about 8lb. Soon followed by another of about the same size.

We then headed overto a shallow corner to see if we could tempt a few there. I had a follow from a good sized fish there but I ran out of line and room to moved and it disappeared into the murkyness again.

In the afternoon we headed to the other end of the resevoir.

The other end of the resevoir

We ended up moving a few more times, but only Guy and son managed to bag a few more Zander, the biggest 11lb when weighed.

At the end of the day we headed home knackered and both still wanting to catch a Zander.

Tony navigating the resevoir