Adam Johnson A Monday Night Session.
Monday night, my first time on the bank for a few weeks due to being so busy at the fishery lately, don’t get me wrong I have tried to fish but I keep getting jobs to do around the site. I turned up at four seasons at around 3:00 pm, bombed in to the office and had a chat with the boss before loading my barrow and going round for a look.
I saw 3 fish in the first 5 minutes so I chucked my barrow in the swim, grabbed a drink out my bag and sat watching for more signs. No more than 5 minutes later and I had to go opening power boxes for anglers. Fortunately while doing bailiff duties I noticed a group of fish moving in a large dip back in the bank that is nicely surrounded by cover and an overhanging tree. Wasting no time I pushed the barrow round and set up a float to try and nick a quick bite from the spot. I fished a incredibly basic rig consisting of a float set around 10 inches over depth with some cling on putty moulded on the line around 9 inches up from a fang twister hook. The putty I used simply anchored the whole set up in place on the deck and I left the float uncocked on the surface so that it is not overly sensitive but also does not allow too much resistance when a fish moves off with the bait; on the subject of bait I used a half a monster squid boilie side hooked with 2 enterprise maggots adding a flash of colour to the rig. Creeping forward on my knees I gently lowered my hook bait on to the spot right between the rushes and the tree merely 8 inches from the bank. Instantly the float flicked and twitched, within two minutes I was fortunate enough to watch my float gently cock to then slip away. Swooping of the rod was then met with a solid resistance. Initially waddling round the fish then realised that it had been nailed at which point it tore off across the lake. Swiftly I manoeuvred myself from the bay and on to the peg next door to avoid any fish being spooked from the swim. Then began a lengthy and spirited battle that thankfully, after what seemed like forever went in my favour, on quick reach and a small mirror graced the folds of my net. The fish was realised after the click and flash of the camera.
Sneaking back to the swim I was made aware that the reeds were still knocking around, carefully I crept over to my barrow and popped on a fresh hook and bait. 10 minutes later, I had lost not one nor two but three fish in quick succession due to everything from hook pulls right down to me becoming tangled with a line that was tethered off the island. Feeling rather astonished after my 3rd loss, faith was restored when I saw a fish just up the margin from the spot. I gently stepped back from the water and began by tying on a fresh twister equipped with the same bait combination. Lowering it out on the new spot, the bait did not even hit bottom before the float vanished. Instantly the fish reacted wrong, instead of going out of the bay it attempted to get under my feet, piling on the pressure I tried to get her moving but still the fish was not having any of it. Within seconds it had bolted round into the tree consequently snagging me on the submersed branches. Determined not to lose another I was soon stripped down to my boxers wading through the water grabbing under the tree, cutting the line and bundling a small common into the net. Drying off, getting dressed and taking photographic evidence of my battle I decided all the commotion had probably spooked them so I threw the rods onto the barrow and I ventured round to my decided night spot.
As I pushed the barrow up on to the peg a few fish began to show and within a couple of minutes I had 3 zigs out in open water, from there on after the blipping of alarms alerted me of liners while I tried to get my gear sorted. Once sorted I sat back and waited, the light dipped as I tied up a few rigs for the night consisting of 10 inches of Nash trigger link tied with a Albright knot onto 3 inches of supple braid as the hook section. The actual hooking arrangement was a size 10 fang twister with a small kicker and a few pieces of silicon to trap the hair right round the bend; the selected bait was a half of monster squid followed by a section of worm with a grain of the new enterprise buoyant imitation corn to top it off. The rigs were completed with a small 30mm bag of my own bag mix before being soaked in the monsters liquid food dip. I felt confident in knowing that with the dark boilie and pellet combination that small fleck of yellow would catch their attention and get them on it! The third rod was made up subtly different, using a 0.75m diffusion leader with a inline lead, a short braided hook link and a fang x finished the hook link. The bait used was one of the fantastic pink half baits with half a monster squid black, parcelling this all up in a solid bag consisting of my bag mix and a few grains of corn. Once again the rods were wound in and the new rigs placed on. One went tight to the island on my left and another at 25 yards on a small hump. My final rod, the solid bag went off to my right in a channel between the point of the bank and an island. Less than 5 minutes in the hog and the middle siren let out a few bleeps before the bobbin smashed in to the alarm, on it in a flash I was soon bent in to a small but very angry carp, I quickly had her kissing the spreader block. I popped her in the retainer sling spending no time in get the rig back out on to the spot. With the photos done I got back in the bivvy and watched the water go dark as night fell. As the night progressed fish crashed out everywhere with liners coming to all 3 rods. At around half ten the line flicking off the rod tip caught my attention lifting up the rod took on a healthy curve. A short battle resulted in a lovely 10 pounder that I unhooked in the net and let go. Every hour I wound in and popped out another pva bag of pellets and flicked another 20 or so 10mm ic1 boilies over the top. After being up most the night topping up the swim and listening to the fish crash while sirens sounded I finally managed to get my head down at around 7am, well I did not get much kip before the middle rod burst in to life again, playing it in I noticed fish crashing all over my right and middle spots, a lovely common safely in the net meant time to get the rod back out. I let the fish relax for a few minutes before my middle rod went in to melt down again, I lifted into another fish and got absolutely battered by it, mid fight my right hander pulled up slowly and I was convinced that I had picked up the line with the current fish I had on but low and behold the fish I was playing kited left and my right hander continued to pull right before screaming off. I hurried the fish on my middle rod in and soon netted a stunning ghosty before quickly lifting up the other rod that was now making headway round the point, on went my boots and I began to work my way through the brambles and round the point. The fish pulled hard but with a little pressure and a lot of sheer determination I managed to get it back round, the fish stayed deep and plodded around under the tip for what seemed like an age. I was sure it was a chunk and did not apply to much pressure, eventually a big wide mouth with two long whiskers hanging down stared directly at me. The lakes resident cat had made his presence as opposed to the big carp I was hoping for. Still chuffed but a bit shocked I slipped the net under him. With the fish sorted I made the call to the owner and got him round to do some photos. The cat weighing in around 12 pounds while the ghosty was approximately 13 and the common met 16. Happy as a cat with a bowl of cream or pink half bait in this case I released the fish, gathered myself and got the rods sorted. With the bivvy down I threw the bed chair on to the barrow, at this point my middle rod again doubled round as the siren let out a mighty shrill, I soon had this one in the net, a small common of around 8 pounds. The photos were done and the rest of the gear packed away. I pushed the barrow back to the car park, grinning smugly at the thought of a fantastic session. Every one else had stayed tucked up in there bivvys all evening and night, failing to manage a fish this just shows that with some hard work and determination to catch a few a red letter session isn’t off the cards!
Tight lines Adam