Diary Entry

...y tackle in near gale force winds. The temperature was very warm, the first warm spring day of the year, but I must admit I did not like the look of the fishery. It seemed very scruffy and neglected, and certainly not as nice and intimate as the photos on their website made it look.I cast one ledger rod to the far bank, where the warm wind was blowing into, and I had seen some carp jumping, and float fished in the margin on the near bank. After about 40 minutes I got a tentative run on the ledger, and was into something very heavy and slow moving. I played the fish for a few minutes, whe...

... not fish very well. The young lad, who I regularly see there, caught loads of carp that only added to my depression. But thinking about it, he was constantly trying new swims, which probably is what I should have been doing. I eventually got a medium sized carp from underneath the tree on ledger, and it fought like mad. Then the bites ran dry and I packed up before it got dark. Next week I think I am going to travel light, and keep moving around the various likely spots.

...ell Lakes was awesome and frustrating at the same time. My tackle, specifically my hook lengths and hooks, let me down badly, and I was snapped many times, and even had my hook bent straight.It was a mild day (cold for mid May), but I was cozy in my bivvy. Within 10 minutes of casting out the ledger I had a screaming run and managed to bring in an 8lb Mirror Carp, quite possibly the most beautiful carp I have ever caught, so of course I had forgotten my camera, hence no photos today. In the next few hours I had a succession of violent takes, from small but very angry carp, who proceed...

...trength of character I got up at 5.am Saturday morning to go to Bromswell Lakes, as I was due to go out to Sproughton Beer Festival in the evening, and wanted to get in a decent days fishing first.I made it to the lake at 6.45am, and because I had tied my rigs the night before, and set up the ledger rod, I was fishing within 10 minutes. Major success. The rest of the morning was an epic fail. I lost at least two carp into snags, got snapped several times, missed countless bites, and had several good fish on, only for the hook to pull out. After hours of this I finally caught two good ...

...nd was light. It is still fairly cool, but I managed to get away with just wearing a fleece and thermal trousers - no wooly hat needed ! I arrived about lunch time and went to the far side of the lake for a change.Things started well, and carried on at a frantic pace. As soon as I chucked the ledger out, another bite happened. It was great fun, and although the carp were small, they fought like mad, and it was real struggle to get them in. The biggest carp was on the float, but the other 8 were on fruity boilie on the bolt rig, just off the reedy point of the next swim along. I was us...

...t of the howling wind (at least 15-20 mph).I'm beginning to realize that my search for a sheltered spot in order to be warm, and float fish, can often take me to where the carp are. As soon as I moved I had a great fight on with a 10lb carp from the over hanging tree on the island, on the ledger rod. Very shortly after I had another slightly bigger carp, with a screaming run and a terrifying fight that took all of my concentration to control. It lasted well over forty five minutes:this carp would not give up, to the point that I was convinced that it was fowl hooked. It was probab...

...'m never happy me. Anyway, I fished at the near bay next to the tree, but it was a bad decision, as blossum off the trees was everywhere and clogged up my tackle.The temperature got to at least 27c today, and it killed the fishing. At about 4 pm I got a screaming run on a fruity boilie on the ledger, and it took me nearly an hour to get it in. A young lad was watching, and never stopped talking, rubbish mainly. He told me that the small lake here at Marsh Farm has been emptied and all the big fish put into the big lake, because they are losing so many fish to the otters.  This bi...

...l carp in this lake, but they are angry. You need at least 10lb line, including the hooklength, check your knots regularly, and have lightning fast reactions. It was very frustrating that I only caught three carp in total, but was very enjoyable and action packed. Weirdly, nothing touched the ledger rod all day.

.... Went fishing today at Marsh Farm for the first time in a few weeks due to family commitments, and it was about 30c and windy.I fished the back swim by the boat, behind the island, mainly because it was in the shade and I needed to keep cool. After little action on the float, and none on the ledger, I moved to the usual swim to get my guaranteed carp. Except I didn't get one. I think it was just way too hot. So I went to the swim where I got the 20 pounder, and after lots of faffing, I got a nice 10 lb common. That was it for the rest of the day.

...ch luck so far...Absolutely nothing happened for hours on end, but in the evening I finally got something massive on the line. It dragged me across the bay at a slow plodding pace (as the bigger ones often do), only to spit the hook just as I was getting excited. Gutting. An hour later the ledger alarm finally went off (it seems like months since it even bleeped) and I had a big carp on the end, that gave the fight of a life time. At one point I was running along the bank trying to keep it on. Very exciting, then it got dark and it was all over.