Oiling the gears - Update 1

It has been a while since I last got around to an update, having decided to leave it longer than usual to do so.

My first trip was a couple of days prior to the start of the river season, I decided to head down to a very pretty and peaceful lake, one I have only fished a couple of times in the past, it really is picture perfect, beautiful marginal features, turbocharged carp slurping on the nearby reeds, a nice head of silver bream, roach and enigmatic crucian carp, granted the lake does not have a large populace of these creatures, but catching just one from here would mean a lot.

I planned to spend the day fishing on the stick and pin and at one end of the lake in particular, a feature packed area with an island, overhanging trees and bushes, a bit of a mangrove in places.

Maggots, red worms, lobworms, corn and a light amount of groundbait. I had also brought some inexpensive surface baits with me in the shape of  haribo marshmallows, popcorn and bread (imitation and real).

The day was sunny, but the fish fed well from the beginning, maggots taking roach, silver bream and even the odd small rudd, which until now I was unaware inhabited this lake, bite followed bite. Inbetween these fish, I was getting some very light taps and knocks, were they from the odd crucian?

I changed hook size, finer wire and one size smaller, chopped and changed from maggot to bread flake and brandlings and back to maggot again, but these particular bites remained the same, I was a tad puzzled. During the day, lean silhouettes drifted in and out of the tree line and the sound of carp slurping a nutritious smoothie of insects was to be heard from the far bank.

Switching to half a lobworm it was not long before the float slid away and the first carp of the day made a powerful dash for the safety of the snags, now these fish fight like their life depends on
it, the tussle was an exciting one, it eventually succumbing to the net.

Naturally I became preoccupied and picked up a few more of these scrappers, each and everyone putting a solid bend in my rod and tearing line from the pin, never knowing when they were beaten.

Around late afternoon I decided to pop open the bag of marshmallows and I have to be honest I did indulge myself with three or four before deciding to start using some small pieces, lightly balanced with a little heavier shot nearer the hook.

I have always found these a superb and economical bait, one which carp generally cannot turn a blind eye to and they certainly did not fail me on this occasion.

As late afternoon melted into evening and under the discerning eye of a Heron and half asleep Mallard, I managed to pick up a few more of these little powerhouse's, each and everyone giving myself an enjoyable and at times arm aching test.

Lean and mean, largest of the trip (6.1)

Alas no crucians, but with, roach, silver bream and these lean mean fighting machines it was the perfect way to spend the day and warm myself up for the start of the river season.