Finally after what has seemed like a lifetime I stood at my new lake waiting for the draw.

For over twenty years I have dreamed of getting on this historic lake. Forgive me but I can’t say the name due to a long running ban on naming the water, but it’s very well known and was up until a few years ago, very hard to get a ticket.

Over the last few months I have been walking the banks trying to get a feel for the place and hopefully see a few fish. This lake has some very deep areas and sure enough as the weather started to warm, I started to see signs of carp waking up. So I kept my eye on these areas for when the time was right and I was able to get my rods out.

There is a heathy population of very big carp in this lake up to 44lb but quite a few upper thirties just about to hit the magic 40 mark. So my eyes were popping out as I started to see chunk after chunk moving about as the weeks rolled on. Finally the weekend came when I was able to get a few days in on my rota.

As I’m the unluckiest man that has ever walked the earth it was inevitable that I was going to come out last in the draw. Not to disappoint myself, this was the case. But to my utter amazement, the swim that put me right in the correct position to have a go for the fish I had been watching never went. I don’t think I have ever got my gear round to a swim so fast ever. Knee replacements??? What knee replacements?!!!!!

As the fish I was watching were a few feet down, I decided to go with zigs. They had been moving very slowly so to my way of thinking, they may still not be feeding on bait but just grazing on a few food particles that are suspended in the water column. I still had no idea how “deep” this area was so I opted to just try one flick with the marker. Well as I reached the 34 ft mark, I had already started reeling in!!! I really did not expect that depth. So I started to rig up some adjustable zigs on all 3 rods. I have to admit that I’m really not a fan of adjustables and always opt for a traditional type as I just feel they are a bit less obvious. However, this was a no brainer with this depth of water.

The hook baits I used were my faithful avid black and yellow zig lights glugged in code red oil, super buoyant and always seem to get a bite. The code red oil is remarkable as I find even in the coldest temperature it will still move through the water column. So as the water was still very cold this was ideal bait to add a sent trail. I opted to fish all 3 rods at various depts close to the surface 3,4 and five feet, just to see if I could find that sweet spot. The water is super gin clear so a quick look from the high bank confirmed that my zigs were in place and the fish were now growing in numbers!!! I couldn’t count the amount out of big fish I could see for shear panic! They were everywhere and I had hook baits all over them. I could see one of the really big girls called twin scale very slowly gliding about. She normally goes around 42 but has been up as high as 46. To say I was excited was an understatement but I couldn’t watch any more. I had to sit behind my rods.

Two hours later after I’d eaten all of my nails and had 10 cups of tea my delk gave a couple of bleeps and the tip nodded a bit. I wound up the line until felt a very powerful fish just gliding out into open water. I had only gone and hooked my first carp on my first trip and it really felt like a good un. To my horror it all just went slack. I honestly felt sick. Who knows what had happened. Little hooks, 35 feet of water and big fish is a dodgy combo I suppose but this wasn’t the start I was looking for. I went from the biggest high to the lowest of lows.

A quick slap round the chops and a scramble up the high bank confirmed they were all still there. So I put another zig on and tried to time when the fish had moved slightly for my next cast. I inched the float to the top again and pulled it down to 3 ½ feet. Quick look and everything was set. I put the kettle on and sat back to take stock of what had just happened.

The kettle just started to steam as the same rod nodded round again!! I was now into my second carp and a very different fight all together. I could tell it was a smaller fish straight away from the little lunges. But I got to say seeing a carp twisting and turning in clear water from the depths was really a sight that will stay with me for ever. I finally slipped the net over a very pretty mirror. I put her on the avid cradle and the biggest smile came over my face. She only went 17lb but perfect in every way. Still parading her winter colours and my first carp. Few snaps from one of the member and back she went. Get in

The wind really got up in the night and after a good look, I couldn’t see the fish anymore. So the rest of the session went without anything else occurring. But I was finally on the score sheet. This lake has some real gems and I have a ticket. I think about the lake all the time. It’s been a while since I have sunk my teeth into a project and let it get under my skin. I’ve been walking it a few times a week and have seen the fish all over the lake so I have to come up with a new plan. My next session is coming up and I can’t wait to come last out the draw again!!!

Cheers
Lee