Carp Bug: Part Three.

 Since I had made an effort to get some Carping done which culminated in banking a personal best river Carp I decided on targeting a lake where a forty pounder is a possibility and with enough time spent on it and a little luck I may come across ones path, only fishing a single rod I fancy my chances but a second rod would certainly make the task a little easier. The gear I have been using on this particular lake is a 9ft 2.1/4 TC Greys OutKast rod, 12lb and a running lead rig or choddy, depending on where I fish in particular.

 Unfortunately baiting up isn't really an option as the birdlife simply wipes it out the moment it hits the lake bed, quite annoying for sure but there are ways around not attracting the scores of Coots and Tufted ducks, either walking the bait out (not always the best option) and dropping bait around the area or PVA bagging it out, the latter is what I prefer to do as it causing only the one bit of disturbance, hence not attracting the bird life as much, walking it out has now been clocked on by the birds and no sooner do some anglers get back to the bank they are already dining out!

 Through personal experience on this lake in the past single baits and a mobile approach are often very good, especially in the warmer conditions, so many Carp have fallen to this roving approach and with Carp to 35lbs 8ozs falling to it, it's hard not assume that any other tactic would be better, so this was me on my last time out on the lake. Now, for the time being I'm only going to refer to it as 'The Lake" as I know a few of you will know where this is but for those who don't all will become clear, reason for this is some of the lakes residents are very famous Carp are of an ilk that are rare these days, full blooded originals, most of which have evaded my attentions for quite some time, albeit fleeting trips on and off.

 Can I be serious in catching the lakes monsters just being a part timer?, not really I suppose, I will however make more of a concerted effort as surely a couple of these larger upper thirties/low forties may only have a couple of years left in them and the rigours of spawning may lay claim to some fatalities, I want to achieve a goal of mine, catching a forty pound plus Carp and more importantly an original, such designs have been made by many anglers but most have never achieved them, I will certainly give it a try.

 Sitting behind rods for me is a tough ask, I am as restless as an ant, always wanting to keep moving. It may count against me at times but the amount of fish landed through this mindset ensures my focus isn't broken, the desire to keep searching burns even when times are tough, it's a numbers game after all and it "will" come good in time. This peach that turned up on a short session recently certainly wasn't one of the big girls that I am after but a welcome bend in the rod on what can be a very tough lake, some of the best Carp anglers in the country have cut their teeth on here and many have worked hard to get what they wanted out of it.

A blistling bronze Autumn Common, 16.03.

 The rest of that session drifted by without another knock but my brother Richard joined me for a nag for a couple of hours and we sat, watching the surface to see if anything breached to give away positions of potentially feeding Carp, unfortunately nothing picked up a bait and I disappeared to get to a previous engagement. I did get back a few days later but it played tough again and a four hour session passed by without as much as liner.

 So 4 sessions and 3 Carp to upper doubles is not a bad start at all, I just hope to get amongst the big girls sooner rather than later!