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Thanks for the kind words. Very much appreciated!
I only started using heli rigs a couple of years ago but haven't looked back in some situations.
Signs of life at the Park Lake
- Thread starter Zerkalo
- Start date
I only started using heli rigs a couple of years ago but haven't looked back in some situations.
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- 16,616
I had work this morning and then my brother came up from the Isle of Wight so we went for lunch at a cafe in Wolverley at 1pm. Got home about 3 and decided on a whim, on a showery day, to go fishing at the park. I was fishing from 5pm till just before 9.30pm on the furthest peg to the right, where I had the Carp from a couple of sessions ago.
The only other person fishing was my mate Matt who fished what's known as the dirt peg to the left of the fallen tree. He fished from 6-9pm on a maggot feeder heli rig and didn't have a bite. Meanwhile my mate Bert came round for a chat, he told me he's fished for the last 4 evenings and not caught anything. I wasn't expecting too much as I've had a lot of blanks there as I reported recently.
If anything was going to happen it would be in the last hour I told myself, and almost bang on cue I had my first line bite at 8.40pm. That was enough to keep me fishing. I told myself till 9.30pm this time, again on a bloodworm groundbait method feeder with a wafter.
I told myself it would be my last cast, and when I finished the cigarette I'd pack away. Tip was eerily still and I just finished my fag, let out a sigh in face of another blank, when BANG. The tip whacked round then dropped back. I wound down to nothing and thought it must have been a big liner for a second but I could see the line moving as a fish was swimming towards me, then the rod arched over and it shot off to the left. Certainly a Carp.
No docile fight this time and a good 5 minutes later I had a fish in my net. A Common Carp of 13lb 10oz in almost a 'mirror' of the last evening I spent on this peg. My dad reckons I should set up at 8.30pm and he's probably not far wrong.
Pleased to catch something again on the local park lake. One of life's little pleasure like driving behind a car with a cute dog hanging out the window, or wearing a new pair of socks for the first time.
The only other person fishing was my mate Matt who fished what's known as the dirt peg to the left of the fallen tree. He fished from 6-9pm on a maggot feeder heli rig and didn't have a bite. Meanwhile my mate Bert came round for a chat, he told me he's fished for the last 4 evenings and not caught anything. I wasn't expecting too much as I've had a lot of blanks there as I reported recently.
If anything was going to happen it would be in the last hour I told myself, and almost bang on cue I had my first line bite at 8.40pm. That was enough to keep me fishing. I told myself till 9.30pm this time, again on a bloodworm groundbait method feeder with a wafter.
I told myself it would be my last cast, and when I finished the cigarette I'd pack away. Tip was eerily still and I just finished my fag, let out a sigh in face of another blank, when BANG. The tip whacked round then dropped back. I wound down to nothing and thought it must have been a big liner for a second but I could see the line moving as a fish was swimming towards me, then the rod arched over and it shot off to the left. Certainly a Carp.
No docile fight this time and a good 5 minutes later I had a fish in my net. A Common Carp of 13lb 10oz in almost a 'mirror' of the last evening I spent on this peg. My dad reckons I should set up at 8.30pm and he's probably not far wrong.
Pleased to catch something again on the local park lake. One of life's little pleasure like driving behind a car with a cute dog hanging out the window, or wearing a new pair of socks for the first time.
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I had a job in a grim flat in Handsworth yesterday morning. Glad to get that out of the way I decided to go to the park for an afternoon and evening fishing, getting there in the drizzle with the lake to myself at 1pm. On the way there I was thinking I'm going to try a different peg and area of the lake. I had in mind the fallen tree on what is known as the 'dirt peg' due to the absence of a platform, but on getting to the lake, the allure of the lilies on the bench peg as described by @SeanB as 'screaming Tench' on the previous page proved too much.
I've fished this peg a few times and it's where I had the 3lb 14oz Crucian from. That came from out in the middle on a maggot feeder helicopter rig. A lot of people will say Crucians are a margin fish but there's a sunken gulley out there at 30m that also presumably holds a few fish. Anyway, I started at 30m fishing a method feeder with Bloodworm Groundbait and Micro pellets and an 8mm Daiwa Advantage Red Krill Wafter on the hook, but I also put in 3 satsuma sized balls of groundbait off the edge of the lilies.
Starting at 30m in the gulley, I had a couple of line bites at 2pm. I could tell they were decent liners as if you get one liner out of the blue and then nothing, it's probably just a fish swimming short. If you get a few liners directly after one another, it stands more chance of being a fish on your bait. So that was enough for me to text my dad and tell him I'd actually had a few liners, I told him that alone was more than I expected.
I kept an eye on the lilies and had topped it up occasionally with nuggets of groundbait when I saw a small patch of bubbles, enough of a sign for me to try down there, just an underarm cast a couple of rod lengths out on the edge of the lilies. I was caught by surprise when the tip hammered round and what was certainly a Tench bolted away from the lilies but the size 14 QM1 hook pulled after a couple of seconds!
I thought, that's the fish spooked down there, just as I saw a fish roll back on the 30m line. So I had another cast at 30m to no avail. It was time to try the lilies again. It did not take long before I had another Tench bolt away from the lilies and a short scrap later trying to keep it out of the lilies, I had this on the bank. Maybe 3 and half pound at 17.32pm.
It was nice to see another Tench come out of the park, been a while, and that was enough for me to persist next to lilies.
Was 18.50pm I had another bite from this typical of the water, battered looking Roach.
Still concentrating on the lilies, at 19.35pm I had a bite that I new was a Crucian as soon as I picked up the rod, albeit quite a small one for the water. It weighed 1lb 8oz and I was made up with that, even though I hoped for one twice the size.
At this point I started imagining I was seeing flashes of gold next to the lilies. It's only 2.5 to 3' deep there and the water has lost some of its algae colour, so it's possible, but could have just been the reflection of the trees. At 20.32pm I had another bite and again I said to myself immediately, "Crucian!". This time despite a fairly soft fight it was a much bigger fish and when I saw it for the first time, said to myself that I need to land this. It's an amazing moment when you first see it but then it dives again and you fear the hook might pull, but then no such trouble as you slide the net under a big bar of gold.
As I said on the main forum, that's my second 3lb Crucian from this lake and I well chuffed.
At about 20.45pm, loads more bubbles in the swim. Loads of line bites. The big Carp had typically of the hour moved in. Try as I might, including switching to a 10mm Washed Out Bandum, I couldn't get a proper bite so packed away at 21.20pm.
So all in all, on a day when I almost went on a different peg, one of those rare days that I always hope for when fishing this venue. I'm also glad there are fish moving in the lilies, so I'm going to go back there tomorrow, weather permitting, with some groundbait, micros, and 3 pints of maggots to try and get something on the float!
I've fished this peg a few times and it's where I had the 3lb 14oz Crucian from. That came from out in the middle on a maggot feeder helicopter rig. A lot of people will say Crucians are a margin fish but there's a sunken gulley out there at 30m that also presumably holds a few fish. Anyway, I started at 30m fishing a method feeder with Bloodworm Groundbait and Micro pellets and an 8mm Daiwa Advantage Red Krill Wafter on the hook, but I also put in 3 satsuma sized balls of groundbait off the edge of the lilies.
Starting at 30m in the gulley, I had a couple of line bites at 2pm. I could tell they were decent liners as if you get one liner out of the blue and then nothing, it's probably just a fish swimming short. If you get a few liners directly after one another, it stands more chance of being a fish on your bait. So that was enough for me to text my dad and tell him I'd actually had a few liners, I told him that alone was more than I expected.
I kept an eye on the lilies and had topped it up occasionally with nuggets of groundbait when I saw a small patch of bubbles, enough of a sign for me to try down there, just an underarm cast a couple of rod lengths out on the edge of the lilies. I was caught by surprise when the tip hammered round and what was certainly a Tench bolted away from the lilies but the size 14 QM1 hook pulled after a couple of seconds!
I thought, that's the fish spooked down there, just as I saw a fish roll back on the 30m line. So I had another cast at 30m to no avail. It was time to try the lilies again. It did not take long before I had another Tench bolt away from the lilies and a short scrap later trying to keep it out of the lilies, I had this on the bank. Maybe 3 and half pound at 17.32pm.
It was nice to see another Tench come out of the park, been a while, and that was enough for me to persist next to lilies.
Was 18.50pm I had another bite from this typical of the water, battered looking Roach.
Still concentrating on the lilies, at 19.35pm I had a bite that I new was a Crucian as soon as I picked up the rod, albeit quite a small one for the water. It weighed 1lb 8oz and I was made up with that, even though I hoped for one twice the size.
At this point I started imagining I was seeing flashes of gold next to the lilies. It's only 2.5 to 3' deep there and the water has lost some of its algae colour, so it's possible, but could have just been the reflection of the trees. At 20.32pm I had another bite and again I said to myself immediately, "Crucian!". This time despite a fairly soft fight it was a much bigger fish and when I saw it for the first time, said to myself that I need to land this. It's an amazing moment when you first see it but then it dives again and you fear the hook might pull, but then no such trouble as you slide the net under a big bar of gold.
As I said on the main forum, that's my second 3lb Crucian from this lake and I well chuffed.
At about 20.45pm, loads more bubbles in the swim. Loads of line bites. The big Carp had typically of the hour moved in. Try as I might, including switching to a 10mm Washed Out Bandum, I couldn't get a proper bite so packed away at 21.20pm.
So all in all, on a day when I almost went on a different peg, one of those rare days that I always hope for when fishing this venue. I'm also glad there are fish moving in the lilies, so I'm going to go back there tomorrow, weather permitting, with some groundbait, micros, and 3 pints of maggots to try and get something on the float!
Greeny1178
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Awesome write up sounds really nice venue stunning looking fish 
pity it’s a few hours away 
it sounds like one of are club waters really hard going sometimes but awesome when you crack it. Fish of a life time there too .
pity it’s a few hours away it sounds like one of are club waters really hard going sometimes but awesome when you crack it. Fish of a life time there too .
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Thanks for the kind words, and as promised, I went back to the park today to try and catch something on the float. As I've said elsewhere, you can't prize me away from this lake at the moment. I went to my sisters last night and so didn't get up quite as early as I would have liked, but didn't have much tackle to get ready, just throw another rod and reel in, so still managed to get to the park for 5.30am... the first one there!
I went on the bench peg again as that was where I'd had a couple of Crucians on the last session, but everyone I speak to about the lake agrees it's unpredictable and the fish can be anywhere in the lake on any given day, so nothing was set in stone for the day.
I set up my 13' Mach 3 waggler rod and a Drake insert waggler to fish on the edge of the lilies. On plumbing the depth it's actually more like 3.5' there, not 2.5 to 3' as I said in the previous report, just seems shallow on the feeder when it pops up so quickly on the retrieve.
I put a couple of nuggets of groundbait and a few maggots in as I was setting up and within seconds of my first cast the float buried with double maggot on the hook. I had to double take I hadn't overshotted the float but the strike was met with a decent fish.
It was this small male Tench, on the unhooking mat for 6.02am. Not bad considering I pulled into the car park at 5.30am.
On the next cast the float buried straight away again, couldn't believe it, but this time it was a small Perch, and I had about 6 of them in a row on maggot. That prompted me to switch to Corn.
At 7.13am, another male Tench.
At 10.37am, a Roach/Bream Hybrid.
By 12 noon I'd also lost 3 Tench in the lilies. I find it difficult to stop them bolting under there but I think that's how it goes when fishing next to lilies.
It was 13.45pm before I landed a nice female Tench.
Then 14.43pm another male.
I was back on maggots by now and I think the last couple of Tench actually came on double maggot on a size 16 B911. I was still getting the odd Perch and a couple of Roach, but they weren't a one a chuck nuisance like they were at the start.
That's when I got my primary target species on the lake, a Crucian of 2lb 6oz.
Made up with that! I think the challenge might have been to get another 3lber this time on the float, but it still felt and looked like a decent fish to me, so more than happy!
Next fish 17.21pm another male Tench.
Then another Hybrid at 18.32pm.
So for pretty much an all day session I think that was 5 male Tench, 1 female Tench, 1 Crucian, 2 Hybrids, and a few small Roach and Perch. Not bad if you read some of the previous sessions of had there, and on the float too which is fun. Of course, every bite you miss on the float is that big Crucian you're after, same as every bumped fish, of which there were a few today, including probably 6 Tench lost to the lilies.
I was chatting to the joint venue record holder today as he was also fishing, a regular called Adam. He's had a 3lb 14oz and a 3lb 12oz previously. Turns out he was another Starlet, not at the same time as me as we're different ages, but that's the second former Starlet I've met at this park, a very small world! And as I was talking to him a big fish rolled a few feet from my float. It made both of us jump so much I almost dropped my rod.
He said "Did you see that?"
"Yeah made me jump" I said
"It was a Crucian" he said.
"I thought so, a big one" I replied.
"Yes look to be one near 4lb".
And it did look like a big Crucian had just rolled in my peg. That was actually before I had the Crucian so I was determined to catch it, but think I got a smaller one, can't complain though!
I went on the bench peg again as that was where I'd had a couple of Crucians on the last session, but everyone I speak to about the lake agrees it's unpredictable and the fish can be anywhere in the lake on any given day, so nothing was set in stone for the day.
I set up my 13' Mach 3 waggler rod and a Drake insert waggler to fish on the edge of the lilies. On plumbing the depth it's actually more like 3.5' there, not 2.5 to 3' as I said in the previous report, just seems shallow on the feeder when it pops up so quickly on the retrieve.
I put a couple of nuggets of groundbait and a few maggots in as I was setting up and within seconds of my first cast the float buried with double maggot on the hook. I had to double take I hadn't overshotted the float but the strike was met with a decent fish.
It was this small male Tench, on the unhooking mat for 6.02am. Not bad considering I pulled into the car park at 5.30am.
On the next cast the float buried straight away again, couldn't believe it, but this time it was a small Perch, and I had about 6 of them in a row on maggot. That prompted me to switch to Corn.
At 7.13am, another male Tench.
At 10.37am, a Roach/Bream Hybrid.
By 12 noon I'd also lost 3 Tench in the lilies. I find it difficult to stop them bolting under there but I think that's how it goes when fishing next to lilies.
It was 13.45pm before I landed a nice female Tench.
Then 14.43pm another male.
I was back on maggots by now and I think the last couple of Tench actually came on double maggot on a size 16 B911. I was still getting the odd Perch and a couple of Roach, but they weren't a one a chuck nuisance like they were at the start.
That's when I got my primary target species on the lake, a Crucian of 2lb 6oz.
Made up with that! I think the challenge might have been to get another 3lber this time on the float, but it still felt and looked like a decent fish to me, so more than happy!
Next fish 17.21pm another male Tench.
Then another Hybrid at 18.32pm.
So for pretty much an all day session I think that was 5 male Tench, 1 female Tench, 1 Crucian, 2 Hybrids, and a few small Roach and Perch. Not bad if you read some of the previous sessions of had there, and on the float too which is fun. Of course, every bite you miss on the float is that big Crucian you're after, same as every bumped fish, of which there were a few today, including probably 6 Tench lost to the lilies.
I was chatting to the joint venue record holder today as he was also fishing, a regular called Adam. He's had a 3lb 14oz and a 3lb 12oz previously. Turns out he was another Starlet, not at the same time as me as we're different ages, but that's the second former Starlet I've met at this park, a very small world! And as I was talking to him a big fish rolled a few feet from my float. It made both of us jump so much I almost dropped my rod.
He said "Did you see that?"
"Yeah made me jump" I said
"It was a Crucian" he said.
"I thought so, a big one" I replied.
"Yes look to be one near 4lb".
And it did look like a big Crucian had just rolled in my peg. That was actually before I had the Crucian so I was determined to catch it, but think I got a smaller one, can't complain though!
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I have to say I love the sound of this lake you're fishing and seeing the results of your efforts. Well fished!!Thanks for the kind words, and as promised, I went back to the park today to try and catch something on the float. As I've said elsewhere, you can't prize me away from this lake at the moment. I went to my sisters last night and so didn't get up quite as early as I would have liked, but didn't have much tackle to get ready, just throw another rod and reel in, so still managed to get to the park for 5.30am... the first one there!
I went on the bench peg again as that was where I'd had a couple of Crucians on the last session, but everyone I speak to about the lake agrees it's unpredictable and the fish can be anywhere in the lake on any given day, so nothing was set in stone for the day.
I set up my 13' Mach 3 waggler rod and a Drake insert waggler to fish on the edge of the lilies. On plumbing the depth it's actually more like 3.5' there, not 2.5 to 3' as I said in the previous report, just seems shallow on the feeder when it pops up so quickly on the retrieve.
I put a couple of nuggets of groundbait and a few maggots in as I was setting up and within seconds of my first cast the float buried with double maggot on the hook. I had to double take I hadn't overshotted the float but the strike was met with a decent fish.
It was this small male Tench, on the unhooking mat for 6.02am. Not bad considering I pulled into the car park at 5.30am.
On the next cast the float buried straight away again, couldn't believe it, but this time it was a small Perch, and I had about 6 of them in a row on maggot. That prompted me to switch to Corn.
At 7.13am, another male Tench.
At 10.37am, a Roach/Bream Hybrid.
By 12 noon I'd also lost 3 Tench in the lilies. I find it difficult to stop them bolting under there but I think that's how it goes when fishing next to lilies.
It was 13.45pm before I landed a nice female Tench.
Then 14.43pm another male.
I was back on maggots by now and I think the last couple of Tench actually came on double maggot on a size 16 B911. I was still getting the odd Perch and a couple of Roach, but they weren't a one a chuck nuisance like they were at the start.
That's when I got my primary target species on the lake, a Crucian of 2lb 6oz.
Made up with that! I think the challenge might have been to get another 3lber this time on the float, but it still felt and looked like a decent fish to me, so more than happy!
Next fish 17.21pm another male Tench.
Then another Hybrid at 18.32pm.
So for pretty much an all day session I think that was 5 male Tench, 1 female Tench, 1 Crucian, 2 Hybrids, and a few small Roach and Perch. Not bad if you read some of the previous sessions of had there, and on the float too which is fun. Of course, every bite you miss on the float is that big Crucian you're after, same as every bumped fish, of which there were a few today, including probably 6 Tench lost to the lilies.
I was chatting to the joint venue record holder today as he was also fishing, a regular called Adam. He's had a 3lb 14oz and a 3lb 12oz previously. Turns out he was another Starlet, not at the same time as me as we're different ages, but that's the second former Starlet I've met at this park, a very small world! And as I was talking to him a big fish rolled a few feet from my float. It made both of us jump so much I almost dropped my rod.
He said "Did you see that?"
"Yeah made me jump" I said
"It was a Crucian" he said.
"I thought so, a big one" I replied.
"Yes look to be one near 4lb".
And it did look like a big Crucian had just rolled in my peg. That was actually before I had the Crucian so I was determined to catch it, but think I got a smaller one, can't complain though!
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Cheers mate! I don't believe in magic mix groundbaits, and was sceptical the Sonubaits Bloodworm groundbait was working at all here, but now it will be my go to mix. I think you have to have fish in your peg to catch on this place, you can't draw them in easily, it's just where they want to be, but I now know the fish will feed on it as most of my fish on Saturday came from after feeding a small ball of groundbait and micropellets.
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I was meant to have a job today but it got moved to tomorrow. I would have preferred to have done it today to be fair as I'm going to do an all nighter on the river to mark the opening night of the season, but with some time free today, I headed to the park again, getting there for 2.30pm, fishing for 3pm.
No one else was there but a few others turned up an hour or two later so I got the bench peg which has been productive recently. As I posted in the main forum, another angler, the former Starlet I was talking about above, he had 5 Crucians to 4lb 4oz, a new venue record.
I just took a tin of corn and the last of my Bloodworm Groundbait with me. I had 3 bites within the first hour. Missed them all. As I said before, on the waggler, when you miss a bite it could be anything! Could have been 3 big Crucians or equally 3 little Roach or even a liner.
It was about 8pm before I had another bite, this time connecting. It happened as I was chatting to my mate and I initially said it was a Tench as it dived for the lilies. Then realised it was a Crucian, but only a small one by park lake standards. Good to know there's a few smaller ones in there though.
I said to my mate, this will be 1lb 12oz. I was close! It was 1lb 13oz as below.
My mate kindly took a photo for me then left.
At about 8.30pm a load of bubbles in the swim as Carp started their evening patrol, typical of the lake.
I hooked one at about 9pm but on an 0.12 hooklength stood very little chance of getting it out of the lilies. It did swim out into the middle of the lake but then swung round into the lilies snapping the hooklength. With about 20 minutes to go, I decided to put another hook on, but loads of bubbles from Carp still coming up, I called it a day at 9.30pm
That's my 5th Crucian from the lake since I started fishing it this year, so quite pleased, even though it was small for the lakes standards, still a nice fish to catch!
No one else was there but a few others turned up an hour or two later so I got the bench peg which has been productive recently. As I posted in the main forum, another angler, the former Starlet I was talking about above, he had 5 Crucians to 4lb 4oz, a new venue record.
I just took a tin of corn and the last of my Bloodworm Groundbait with me. I had 3 bites within the first hour. Missed them all. As I said before, on the waggler, when you miss a bite it could be anything! Could have been 3 big Crucians or equally 3 little Roach or even a liner.
It was about 8pm before I had another bite, this time connecting. It happened as I was chatting to my mate and I initially said it was a Tench as it dived for the lilies. Then realised it was a Crucian, but only a small one by park lake standards. Good to know there's a few smaller ones in there though.
I said to my mate, this will be 1lb 12oz. I was close! It was 1lb 13oz as below.
My mate kindly took a photo for me then left.
At about 8.30pm a load of bubbles in the swim as Carp started their evening patrol, typical of the lake.
I hooked one at about 9pm but on an 0.12 hooklength stood very little chance of getting it out of the lilies. It did swim out into the middle of the lake but then swung round into the lilies snapping the hooklength. With about 20 minutes to go, I decided to put another hook on, but loads of bubbles from Carp still coming up, I called it a day at 9.30pm
That's my 5th Crucian from the lake since I started fishing it this year, so quite pleased, even though it was small for the lakes standards, still a nice fish to catch!
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Another long day at the park today, getting there early, 5am to get the bench peg. I had a feeling it would be quieter today but it wasn't, quite a few anglers came and went, with not many fish coming off other pegs at all, so think I was right to concentrate here.
I was fishing to the edge of the lilies on the float with groundbait/micros, corn and maggots again. Couldn't get my chosen Bloodworm groundbait so had Sonu Banoffee instead, and for all intents and purposes it seemed to work just as well.
Fish were pretty active at first light so it didn't take long to catch a few. I started on maggot and had a small Perch so went straight onto Corn which resulted in a Carp which bolted and snapped my 0.12 hooklength.
Then...
Tench at 5.36am
Tench at 5.47am
Tench at 6.10am
Early morning here is as productive as the evenings. Maybe because there is less footfall on the paths in the park along with the usual reasons. For that reason a lot of anglers do either morning or evening sessions there, and quite a few others were fishing this morning, nothing being caught.
Happy with the Tench I suppose, but my primary target is always going to be the lakes wonderful Crucians and I got my first at 6.41am weighing 2lb 14oz. Doesn't look the prettiest fish looking back at the photo actually. But being nearly 3lb it was very welcome.
Then I had a Bream at 7.40am
Then another 2lb 5oz Crucian at 8.14am
So quite a productive morning, I hoped it would carry on of course, with favourable conditions of an overcast sky, but it slowed right down.
I went on to maggots to pass the time and had a few Perch, before I had a bit of a surprise when I hooked a Terrapin. A couple of women walked past as I did and were quite shocked, the foreign lady saying "Frog! Frog!". I said "No. Terrapin" and explained it would be ok.
Still on maggot I had another Tench at 12.39pm
And back on Corn another Tench at 14.35pm
A very slow afternoon ended when I hooked another Carp. Luckily it shot out into open water away from lilies and didn't try to go in them, meaning after 10 minutes I just about squeezed the long lean 16lb Common in my landing net. Was relieved I got it in on 0.12 hooklength.
So a good morning and a slow afternoon with a couple of surprises.
I was pleased with the Crucians of course, but having got home and looked at the pictures, quite disappointed with how they make the fish look. Kind of distorted and not true Crucian looking, which I'm certain they are and it's just the pics, as they looked nice on the bank anyway.
That's a grand total of 7 Crucians in how many sessions, 20+? Pretty pleased with that anyway, they're there to be caught in more numbers than most people get out I reckon and you just have to get it right at the right time and place.
I was fishing to the edge of the lilies on the float with groundbait/micros, corn and maggots again. Couldn't get my chosen Bloodworm groundbait so had Sonu Banoffee instead, and for all intents and purposes it seemed to work just as well.
Fish were pretty active at first light so it didn't take long to catch a few. I started on maggot and had a small Perch so went straight onto Corn which resulted in a Carp which bolted and snapped my 0.12 hooklength.
Then...
Tench at 5.36am
Tench at 5.47am
Tench at 6.10am
Early morning here is as productive as the evenings. Maybe because there is less footfall on the paths in the park along with the usual reasons. For that reason a lot of anglers do either morning or evening sessions there, and quite a few others were fishing this morning, nothing being caught.
Happy with the Tench I suppose, but my primary target is always going to be the lakes wonderful Crucians and I got my first at 6.41am weighing 2lb 14oz. Doesn't look the prettiest fish looking back at the photo actually.
But being nearly 3lb it was very welcome.Then I had a Bream at 7.40am
Then another 2lb 5oz Crucian at 8.14am
So quite a productive morning, I hoped it would carry on of course, with favourable conditions of an overcast sky, but it slowed right down.
I went on to maggots to pass the time and had a few Perch, before I had a bit of a surprise when I hooked a Terrapin. A couple of women walked past as I did and were quite shocked, the foreign lady saying "Frog! Frog!". I said "No. Terrapin" and explained it would be ok.
Still on maggot I had another Tench at 12.39pm
And back on Corn another Tench at 14.35pm
A very slow afternoon ended when I hooked another Carp. Luckily it shot out into open water away from lilies and didn't try to go in them, meaning after 10 minutes I just about squeezed the long lean 16lb Common in my landing net. Was relieved I got it in on 0.12 hooklength.
So a good morning and a slow afternoon with a couple of surprises.
I was pleased with the Crucians of course, but having got home and looked at the pictures, quite disappointed with how they make the fish look. Kind of distorted and not true Crucian looking, which I'm certain they are and it's just the pics, as they looked nice on the bank anyway.
That's a grand total of 7 Crucians in how many sessions, 20+? Pretty pleased with that anyway, they're there to be caught in more numbers than most people get out I reckon and you just have to get it right at the right time and place.
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Cheers mate. I hear a lot of people say that dark Tench are 'prehistoric looking', but to me the crown jewel of this lake is the Crucians, which all look positively ancient.
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Am I correct in thinking you have had that one with only half a tail before ?
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Greeny1178
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Sounds like one hell of a place awesome fishing and write up
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Cheers all. It's just about the right difficulty for me too. You've got to be on the fish as there's not all that many of them. I'd love to know how many Crucians are in there but I doubt it's near 100. I spoke to my mate today who had 5 in one session to 4lb 4oz (venue record) the other week, and he reckons he's sent it off to the Angling Times or Anglers Mail, one of the two, but apparently Martin Bowler sent him a message saying well done!
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Speaking to a bailiff yesterday he told me he reckons there's more like 20 old Crucians in there. All conjecture though. I'd guess maybe 40.
It was back to its typical hard self on a long session yesterday. If I had Crucians in my peg they were being very cagey as I missed a few bites including coming back with what looked like a Crucian scale on the hook. There were a lot of fish about in the morning and I had a couple of small Tench then everything disappeared when the blistering sun came out.
I had a bubbler in my peg in the evening, bubbles coming up 3' closer to the bank than my feed, but I reckon it was a Terrapin again, as bubbles coming up for about 10 minutes and weird liners if I dropped my float on them, would have hooked or spooked it by striking if it was a fish so stopped fishing the bubbles when I realised what was going on. Did have another slightly better Tench and a Hybrid during the day but that was it.
It was back to its typical hard self on a long session yesterday. If I had Crucians in my peg they were being very cagey as I missed a few bites including coming back with what looked like a Crucian scale on the hook. There were a lot of fish about in the morning and I had a couple of small Tench then everything disappeared when the blistering sun came out.
I had a bubbler in my peg in the evening, bubbles coming up 3' closer to the bank than my feed, but I reckon it was a Terrapin again, as bubbles coming up for about 10 minutes and weird liners if I dropped my float on them, would have hooked or spooked it by striking if it was a fish so stopped fishing the bubbles when I realised what was going on. Did have another slightly better Tench and a Hybrid during the day but that was it.
