Natty's Angling Adventures

Today I decided to have a carp session and the venue I choose was Swanborough Fishery in Lewes on the Carp Lake. My main target was to catch a double. When I arrived at the lake it was fairly busy, but I found a nice tucked away sheltered swim and was soon setting up the tackle.

Both rods were going to be legered, they both had running rigs through to a size 10 barbless hook. For hook baits I had a selection of Carp Vader Jelly Pellets in both 6mm (to fish with 2 on a hair) and 12mm (to fish as a single bait). I also had a tub of Carp Vader’s ever reliable Polar Pellets in 6mm. Both rods were fished with PVA bags of the new Carp Vader Polar Ice feed pellets in 6mm.

I cast my first rod out into the middle and the second rod into a bay on my right hand side. Within 20 minutes something had taken a fancy to a double 6mm Schnitzel Wurst pellet, unfortunately it wasn’t a carp - it was a bream around 2lb - still welcome though.

Once that rod had been recast, I soon had a bite on the other rod fished in open water, this time the fish put up a bit more resistance, but still didn’t feel like a carp and I was happy to see a 5lb+ bream slide into the net. On the scales my estimate proved to be correct - it weighed 5lb 3oz.
Here it is:

Over the next hour I had 3 more bream from the bay on double 6mm Schnitzel Wurst pellet. All the bream were between 1lb 8oz and 3lb. I was just tying up some more PVA bags when the Polar Pellet rod screamed off, this certainly wasn’t a bream.

Just as I thought it was tiring it found a new lease of life and charged into the bay on my right, luckily I just managed to turn it in time.

A couple of minutes later I was holding a stunning mirror of 11lb 14oz for the camera and I was more than pleased to of achieved my target of catching a double.
Here it is:

The bream continued to come to the Schnitzel Wurst rod, but unfortunately none were over 3lb, most averaged around 2lb. With 35 minutes off my session left, I received a slow steady run on the Polar Pellet rod. This fish felt like a decent carp (the Polar Pellets had sorted out the better fish once again!).

Finally after a long hard battle I managed to scope up a large common carp into my net. It looked to be easily be a double and I was delighted when the scales read out 13lb 12oz.
Here it is:

Overall, I was pleased with my results - two double figure carp, a 5lb+ bream and 8 other bream averaging 2lb. Throughout the time I was there I only saw 2 other carp and 1 bream caught by the 4 anglers around me.

I fancied a change from targeting the usual carp. So I decided to have my first catfish session of the year. The venue I chose was Mushroom Farm and I fished the Racetrack lake. This water is stocked heavily with carp averaging around 3lb to 8lb, with a few slightly larger ones. However, there are also a few catfish in the lake and these were my target for the session.

I set up with two carp rods with 12lb mainline and at the business end I fished with a 35lb quicksilver trace (to prevent getting bitten off by the cats teeth) and also bait I used either 28mm halibut pellets or mackerel chunks or squid pieces. As groundbait, I used finely chopped fish and squid as well as Carp Vader Predator Plus feed pellets and a few crushed halibut pellets. My groundbait and hook baits were soaked in Carp Vader Predator Plus liquid.

Both rods were cast out to likely looking spots but after two hours I still had not had a bite. I recast both rods to different areas and 45minutes later I had a take on the squid rod, unfortunately my strike did not connect with the fish, as a squid tentacle had wrapped around the hook point!

With only an hour and a half of my session left, I began to think I may fail my target to catch a cat. But my thoughts were interrupted by a screaming bite to the mackerel rod, this time my strike found its target, but there was only a small bend in my rod and the fish was certainly not fighting like a cat. A minute later and a 3lb common carp was on the unhooking mat! It was hooked fair and square in the centre of the bottom lip and my huge chunk of mackerel was hanging out of its gob!

I recast my mackerel rod and with only 25 minutes left of my session, I began to re-think that I wouldn’t catch a cat - but at least I hadn’t blanked! As I was starting to pack up, a twitchy bite had me scrambling to grab my mackerel rod, again my strike was met with not very much resistance, however this fish was pulling harder, but I thought a larger carp was the culprit. I was pleasantly surprised to see a catfish tail slap on the surface and as I drew it over the waiting net, I was delighted to have achieved my target, even if it was only between 3lb and 4lb!

Here are a couple of photos:

Today I decided to fish a slightly harder lake than usual, in the hope of a larger carp. The venue I chose was Swanborough Farm in Lewes on the carp lake.

I had planned to fish one rod on the surface and have one rod legered, but when I arrived at the lake, I was unfortunately greeted by a very rough lake, along with extreme winds - not ideal surface fishing conditions.

A change of plan was necessary and I found a nice swim with open water out in front and a reed bed to one side. I decided to leger both rods and fish one with a double Polar Pellet hair-rigged, along with a PVA bag of the new Carp Vader Polar Ice feed pellets. On the other rod I had a single 12mm Schnitzel Wurst jelly pellet hair-rigged along with a PVA bag of Schnitzel Wurst feed pellets.

Both rods were cast out and I as I was finally setting down after organising all of my tackle, I was rudely disturbed by a bite on the Polar Pellet rod. The fish swam straight towards me and I thought it must be a bream, but up popped a nice mirror carp of around 8lb.

On the unhooking mat the carp was extremely lively, due to the very short fight, so it was quickly unhooked and returned, with out a photo - fish care always comes first.

As I was re-casting my rod, the other rod was away and a nice bream was in the net.

Here it is:

The bream action continued steadily on both rods and over the next couple of hours I landed no carp but I managed to land 11 bream, all averaging between 1lb 8oz and 3lb.

Finally a strike to a bite on the Schnitzel Wurst rod was meet with more solid resistance, I thought a small carp was the culprit but I was more than happy with a larger bream appeared in the margins. With a quick scoop she was mine and she looked very close to my bream PB of 5lb 1oz.

On the scales I was happily to see them read out 5lb 14oz - my first PB of 2008.

Here is the bream:

Before I had a chance to re-bait the rod I had the bream on, I had a very fast bite on my leger, once I struck the fish just kept going, I eventually managed to turn it and was slowly pumping it back in towards me, it began to head to the reeds, but with a bit of side strain it started to come back into open water, it felt like a decent fish, defiantly a double, perhaps even an upper double. I thought that I had just began to get the upper hand, when the hook pulled. To say I was gutted was an understatement, I had played the carp for a good few minutes and still hadn’t even seen it before it shed the hook.

I recast both rods and within 5 minutes my disappointment was partially forgotten about as once again the Polar Pellet rod screamed into life. This time there was no mistaking the outcome and soon enough I had a lovely common of 7lb 14oz on the unhooking mat.

Here it is:

 

Later in the day I added a couple more bream before packing up to bring my bream total up to 15. I finished the day with the 15 bream (including a new PB), 2 carp and the lost biggie. Overall, I was rather pleased with my day, it was just a shame I lost the large one I was after.

Today I decided to have a session on Passies Match Lake, I have only ever fished the main lake before, so I was looking forward to a change. When I arrived I was pleased to see only 3 other anglers on the match lake and after walking past them I got to a bend when I noticed a group of 5 or 6 carp cruising around straight out in front, two of the group were pretty looking ghosties and I thought ‘this swim would do for me.’

One rod was set up with a leger, on this rod I fished a simple running rig with a size 10 hook and a hair rig. For this rod I used either Carp Vader Polar Pellets in either plain or pineapple, luncheon meat cubes or Carp Vader jelly pellets in either Betamarine or Schnitzel Wurst. Over this rod I threw a couple of handfulls of mixed Carp Vader feed pellets mixed with liquidized corn.

The second rod was set up with the line straight threw to a size 12 hook, no floats or weights. With dog biscuits banned from the lake, I used crust on the hook and a couple of pieces of crust as freebies.

I placed the leger in the margin to my left and as I was putting up my umbrella for shelter from the sun, it screamed off, two minutes later the first carp of the day was safely landed and returned, a nice mirror of a 3 or 4lbs.

The leger went back out and out in front of me 2 or 3 carp had started to take some of the bread. So out went my hook bait, it landed perfectly about a foot in front of one of the feeding carp, with a swirl and a flick of it’s tail a carp had engulfed my hook bait, a swift strike was met with good resistance. But soon enough another mirror carp was in the net.

Here’s a photo:

Within the next hour I landed another 3 carp on the leger rod and 2 off the top on the free lined crust.

Here’s a photo of me retuning one of the carp:

On the surface the two ghost carp which I seen when I first arrived were still in the swim, one looked about 8lb and was plain white, the other looked around 4lb and looked to be a ghost mirror. They both seemed to swim around together so I waited until they swam past me in the margin and while hiding behind some reeds I lowered my crust in front of them both, there was a loud slurp as one of them took it off the surface, once I struck both ghosties swirled and headed off in opposite directions, unfortunately I was attached to the smaller of the two. A few minutes later with a quick scoop with the landing net I had landed her.

Here’s a photo:

As I was returning the ghostie the leger rod had a very twitchy bite, I struck and was a little surprised to see that an eel had taken my pellet hook bait, it was on Schnitzel Wurst so must have liked the meaty smell. Luckily the eel was lip hooked and with a little struggle and getting covered in slime I managed to safely unhook the eel and return it.

Throughout the rest of the day the action continued steadily on both the leger rod and on the surface.

Here is one more of the carp:

Overall, I had landed 16 carp and the eel. Nothing big came along, but it was still a fun day in the sun.

Having checked the weather forecast to see that Saturday was going to be very hot, I decided to have a day session at Passies Ponds in Lancing. I arrived to find the main lake was already packed out, after a circuit around the lake, I finally settled in a swim where I had reeds on one side to allow me to float fish and I also had a section of the island in front of me for my leger.

As I was setting up, the man next to me landed a cracking ghost carp of around 6lb and someone else landed a 3lb tench. With high hopes of getting a few bites I made my first cast of the day with my leger rod.

My leger rod was set up with a running leger with a size 10 barbless hook knotless knotted onto 6lb line at the business end. This rod was fished with a PVA bag of mixed Carp Vader feed pellets and a few grains of corn.

I threw a couple of handfuls of my ground bait (the same as in my PVA bag mix) in the margin by the reeds as I was tackling up my float rod. By the time it was set up, the reeds were twitching indicating that fish were already feeding on the loose feed.

A baited my float with a Carp Vader Schnitzel Wurst soft hooker pellet. Within two minutes of lowering my bait, the float began to dance before sliding under as a small bream made off with my pellet. As the bream was safely returned, the indicator on the leger pulled tight, unfortunately I failed to hook the culprit.

I recast my leger rod with a double Polar Pellet to the island margins and then re-lowered my float into the margins. After 15 minutes with no activity on my float, I threw in another handful of ground bait and changed to a Betamarine soft hooker pellet. Almost instantly the float shot under and after a spirited fight, I eventually slid a cracking common carp into the waiting net. After a couple of photos I returned her to her watery home.

Here are a couple of photos:

I had just recast my float, when I had a twitchy bite on my leger. Soon enough I had unhooked and returned a small bream.

Here it is:

There was then a 20minute lull in the activity, but finally my float shot under and after a hectic scrap a cracking ghost mirror was on the bank, it looked to be around 8lb. Unfortunately my camera had totally stopped working and I was unable to take any photos of the ghostie or any more fish I caught that day.

The action continued steadily on both rods, if it got slow on my float another handful of loosefeed got the fish rooting around again. I changed hook bait several times and the most successful was double Polar Pellet on my leger and a single soft hooker pellet on my float either Schnitzel Wurst or Betamarine. With half an hour or so left of fishing I had managed to land 4 carp to around 8lb and 4 bream and was pleased so far.

Some bread had drifted along the island margins and a couple of carp had begun to feed on it off the surface. Unfortunately my heaviest controller float was 5gram and I couldn’t get it out to the island. So I decided to set up a zig rig, with a cube of bread crust hair rigged and I set it up so the bait was around 6 inches under the surface, hopefully where the carp would be cruising.

I managed to cast it tight to the island margins. I looked through my binoculars and I could just make out a couple of dark shadows within a few feet of my bait. My alarm suddenly burst into life and there was a large swirl as a carp took my bait. Within a few minutes I had returned a pretty 6lb mirror and was soon cast back out in the same place. 5 minutes later there was another eruption by the island as my alarm began to scream. Soon enough I was retuning my final fish of the day, a carp this time around 7lb.

I had managed 6 carp and 4 bream by the end of the day and although nothing massive had came along I was more than happy with the session.

Instead of Borde Hill again, I decided to pay a visit to Passies Ponds near Lancing, Sussex. I arrived around 10am and the lake was already packed out! I settled in a swim where I had a nice section of open water and could also cast to the island margins.

I decided to fish two legers, the baits I used were all hair rigged and were mainly Carp Vader polar pellets, corn, luncheon meat and Carp Vader soft hooker pellets in 6mm and 11mm. Like usual, each rod was fished with a PVA bag of mixed Carp Vader pellets and corn.

To start with one rod was cast tight the island's margin and the other was swung out a couple of rod lengths out. Three quarters of an hour passed without so much as a single bleep. A man next to me had just landed a 3lb mirror, but it was pretty quiet elsewhere. I recast both rods to slightly different spots and as I was clipping the indicator onto the second rod it, the rod was yanked from my hand as a large carp made off with my polar pellet. Once it was away from the island, I slackened the clutch a little and the fish took me straight back out to the island with several powerful runs. I eventually got it in the margin and as it swirled I saw it was a sizeable mirror. My PB mirror is 16lb 9oz and this fished looked very close to that weight. After what seemed like an eternity on my light tackle I managed to scoop the carp up in the landing net. On the scales it didn't quite beat my PB, but I was pleased when they read out 15lb 3oz.
Here it is:


I recast that rod and as I was doing so, I had a twitchy bite on the other rod with a single grain of corn. A bream of 1lb 8oz was soon unhooked and safely returned. A dull period was interrupted by a screaming bite on the polar pellet rod. After a few minutes I was holding a pretty fish - it didn't look like a normal carp, I think it was either a brown goldfish or a large F1.
Here it is:


I spotted an area in the margin where it had got all mudded up. I quietly lowered my pellet onto the mudded up area. I held the line in my fingers and within 30 seconds I felt something take my bait. I lifted into the fish and as it boilied on the surface, I grabbed the net and with a swift scoop it was in the net and the unhooking mat it was very lively due to the short fight, so after I unhooked it I quickly returned a mirror of around 4lb.

Before I packed up I managed one more bream this time of a double 6mm breamax pellet, it was only small, but still a nice fish.

The three people around me had only caught 2 carp and 1 bream between them, so I was made up with having landed three carp (including my biggest so far in 2008) and two bream.

Today I had a day session at Borde Hill in Sussex. I arrived at the main lake around 9:30am and i was shocked to see a sign saying there was a match on the main lake, only a few swims were available to day ticket anglers, so I couldn't fish in my favoured swim. After seeing a couple of carp roll I finally chose a swim and was soon set-up and settled.

As it was fairly sunny and I had a good section of calm water in front of me, I decided to have one rod set up with a controller and the other rod legered. On my leger rod, I had a simple running rig with a size 10 barbless hook knotless knotted to my hooklength. On this rod I had brought along a variety of baits to use, the main ones being Carp Vader Polar Pellets, corn, luncheon meat and Carp Vader soft hooker pellets in Predator Plus, Breamax and Schnitzel Wurst. This was fished with a small PVA bag of corn and mixed Carp Vader pellets.

On the controller rod, I fished with a bait banded floating pellet on a size 10 barbless hook. The free offerings I used were dog biscuits that had been soaked in Carp Vader Predator Plus liquid - this coloured them and they also let off an attractive slick.

After 20 minutes of feeding dog biscuits, a few carp began to feed on the surface. My main problem was that the resident ducks and geese were eating twice as many free offerings as the carp were! I eventually cast to a group of carp and soon enough a mouth came up and engulfed my hookbait. After a couple of minutes the first carp of the day was on the unhooking mat. It wasn't that big, but still a good start.
Here it is:


Once the carp was returned, I had a screaming bite on my leger on a pineapple polar pellet, but unfortunately I was right in the middle of re-casting my controller rod and managed to miss it! However 10 minutes later it was off again and I soon had another carp in the landing net. This fish was quickly followed by another one off the surface.
Here they both are:



During the next couple of hours I managed another 5 carp and twice I had 2 carp on at once (one on each rod), so my dad had to come and take one rod while I landed and unhooked the carp on the other rod. None of the carp were that big, but it was still great fun and I was catching more than the majority of the people fishing the match.
Here are three of the carp I landed:




After half an hour of no activity on either the leger rod or the surface rod. I recast both rods to new spots and after 15 minutes I was back in action. A slow but steady run on my leger resulted in another nice common carp and I had another couple of carp on my surface rod.
Here are two of the carp I had:



Although I had landed 11 carp so far, none had been that big. So I decided not to cast with my surface rod until I saw a reasonably sized carp. After 10 minutes of feeding, I spotted a nice common that looked between 9lb and 11lb, I cast past it and drew my hookbait right in front of it, without hesitation it came up and took my bait. I struck and there was a large swirl as it realised it had been hooked. After 10 minutes I finally drew it into the waiting net. It looked like it might be close to double, so I set up my scales. As I was doing so my leger teared off and soon enough I had another carp in the same net as the other one! I unhooked the smaller one and retuned it. I then took the larger one to the weighing sling and it didn't quite make double figures, but I was happy enough with a lovely 9lb 1oz common.
Here it is:


As I was packing up I managed one more carp on my leger this time with a 11mm Schnitzel Wurst soft hooker pellet hair rigged.
It turned out to be this nice mirror carp:



Overall I enjoyed a great days fishing and was more than pleased my final total of 14 carp to 9lb 1oz.

After my great session a couple of weeks ago at Borde Hill Fishery in Sussex, I decided on giving it another visit today. I arrived at the lake at 10am, there was a strong south-westerly wind making it difficult to fish my favoured swim. It also meant I would not be able to float fish effectively - so I had to settle on having two legers while battling to stay warm out of the wind.

One rod I fished with two Carp Vader polar pellets hair rigged and the other with either a single grain of corn, a cube of luncheon meat or two Carp Vader breamax soft hooker pellets hair rigged. I cast one rod 3/4 of the way across and the other right in the middle. Before casting each rod I hooked on a small PVA bag of Carp Vader pellets (pineapple, predator plus and breamax) with a sprinkling of corn to add attraction around the hook bait.

As I was sorting out my tackle, I had a screaming bite on the breamax pellet rod. Due to the bite being so quick, I thought it must be a carp, in the margin I was happy when I saw a pretty chub and I quickly slid it into the net. I had only been there for about 20 minutes and already I was holding a 2lb 3oz chub.
Here it is:


After safely returning the chub, I recast both rods to the area where I had hooked the chub - in the hope there might be more to follow. Half an hour I was rewarded with a slow but positive bite this time on the polar pellet, I hoped it was another chub, especially as it felt larger, but I was not too disappointed when a pretty 4lb mirror was on the unhooking mat.
Here it is:


Someone on the other bank landed a nice 6lb common and 10 minutes later he mate had another carp of a similar size. I hoped that I would more action shortly, but then I suffered a bite-less hour. I tried a couple of new spots and I also tried a single grain of corn on one rod.

Eventually, I had a twitchy take on the corn rod, I was expecting it to be a bream, but I was pleasantly surprised when my strike was met with solid resistance of a carp. After a few minutes the carp was safely in the net. This time a a lovely little common.
Here it is:


After 20 minutes without a bleep, I went back to breamax pellets on one rod and stuck with polar pellets on the other. As I was tying some PVA bags, the alarm burst into life and luckily I managed to hook the fish, due to the lack of resistance I began to think maybe I had another chub or even a large roach on the end, but my hopes were short lived, when I landed a miniature common.
Here it is:


The rain began to fall heavily and I packed up most of my tackle including the camera. However, I managed one more bite, this time on the polar pellets cast towards the far bank, it turned out to be a pretty mirror of around 3lb or 4lb.

Even though nothing large came along, I was happy to have caught 4 carp and a chub, especially considering no one else had caught more than 2 carp and other people had caught nothing.

Today, I fished Borde Hill Fishery in Sussex. I arrived at the lake at 8:15am, it was a very mild morning with a slight dewy mist and a minimal south-westerly wind. My main aim was to catch a few carp and enjoy myself and if a double figure carp came along I would be more than happy.

 

I started with two legers one with two Carp Vader polar pellets hair rigged and the other with two Carp Vader Jelly Breamax pellets hair rigged. I cast one rod into a carpy looking bay where I had caught from before and the other straight out in the middle. Both rods were fished with a small PVA bag of Carp Vader pellets (pineapple, predator plus, natural and breamax).

 

By the time I had set up both rods and had settled down the rod in the middle was away. After a spirited fight a pretty mirror carp of around 3lb 8oz was laying on the unhooking mat.

Here it is:

 

An uneventful half an hour followed. However, a person on the opposite bank landed a nice 8lb common. Then out of the blue the Breamax Jelly Pellet rod burst into life and straight away I knew the carp was quite sizeable. I struggled to control it on my light tackle and just hoped the size 12 barbless hook would stay in. Finally, I managed to slid the beautiful common into my waiting net. On the unhooking mat, she looked stunning and she looked very close to my target double. On the scales I was really pleased when they read 10lb 12oz.

Here she is:

 

After 40 biteless minutes I spotted a couple of carp near the surface. I started off feeding plain dog biscuits, but when the water got ripply, I added some Carp Vader Breamax PVA friendly liquid to the mixers, this not only coloured them reddish, but also let off an attractive slick in the water and helped to die down the ripple - making fish spotting easier. The carp also seemed to show a preference to the flavoured mixers.

 

I bait banded a pre-soaked Breamax flavoured dog biscuit on to the hook with a controller float as casting weight. After a few minutes I missed a bite, but soon after I managed to hook a carp. I brang it to the net with little trouble and a small common of around 2lb 8oz was unhooked and safely returned.

 

It took about 30 minutes for the carp's confidence to come back for them to start taking the dog biscuits freely again. This time before casting I waiting until I saw a reasonable sized carp and I spotted a mirror carp looking between 8lb and 10lb and managed to cast a mixer about a foot in front of it and after a few seconds the carp came up and engulfed the hook bait. The strike met with firm resistance and a long fight followed. Eventually I was holding a cracking mirror carp of 9lb 8oz for the camera.

Here it is:

 

The weather got colder so I focused on the bottom with two leger rods again. I cast a polar pellet with a small pva bag towards a rolling fish and after 20 minutes the indicator rose steadily to the top as a carp headed off to the far bank. I managed to bring the carp all the way back to my margins and after a few more minutes another largish common was on the unhooking mat - this time 9lb 3oz.

Here it is:

 

As I was packing up I received one more bite again on the polar pellet rod, this time in the centre of the lake. A pretty mirror of 5lb 10oz rounded off a great day and I went home very happy having had a superb days fishing.

For my second session of the year I went to Borde Hill Fishery in Haywards Heath and chose to fish on the main lake.

I couldn't fish in my first choice swim because the wind was very strong, making the water too rough to float fish.

I planned on fishing two rods, one float fishing close in with either Carp Vader jelly pellets in either Schnitzel Wurst or Breamax flavours or breadflake. I fished this rod over a bed of Carp Vader pellets (Breamax, Pineapple, Predator Plus) I also added some corn.

I legered the other rod with either Carp Vader polar pellets or a single grain of corn on the hair. I fished this with a PVA bag of the same mix that I used with my float rod.

The first hour was slow, but I eventually had a bite on my leger cast over to the some reeds on the far bank – it was on the Polar Pellets in pineapple flavour. It didn't feel like a carp, so for a few moments I hoped maybe I had hooked a large roach, but in the margin it looked too long for a roach, but I was pleased when a nice chub slid into the waiting landing net.

Here it is, it weighed 2lb 11oz:

After a couple of recasts after the chub, I had a quick walk around the lake to see if anyone else had caught, two people had caught nothing and had been there from quite early in the morning, but one man had just landed an immaculate 8lb mirror and another man had also had a small chub. But in general it seemed to be fishing rather slow.

I recast my float with a Carp Vader Bremax jelly pellet and threw out a small handful of my groundbait mix.

After 10 minutes I noticed some small bubbles by my float, then it twitched before burying under and my strike was met with carpy resistance. After a couple of minutes I had a nice mirror on the unhooking mat, a bit smaller than I had hoped for but still a nice fish.

Here it is:

I had one more bite late on, but I unfortunately I didn't manage to hook it.

Overall, I was happy with a carp and a chub for a few hours fishing in very windy conditions.