Farriers unlocked

So following up from my last Farriers session which saw me land a new PB at 40lb, I’ve managed another few sessions banking some more stunners…..
I’ve booked the Monday off work so rather than rush down Friday afternoon and end up having to settle for what’s left of the swims I’m doing Sat-Mon, more swims seem to become available on the Saturday which is different to what I’m used to.
As usual I’m at the lake just before first light on the Saturday and after a few laps of the lake I’ve got a general idea of where I want to be. I now it’s been said a million times before but there’s no better way to decide on a swim than spending as much time as possible walking the lake, and when I mean walking I also mean stopping in swims for periods of time watching and waiting for the sings, these can be either blatant fish in the area or subtle signs like the water being slightly cloudy from fish feeding in and around silt or floating weed that has clearly been up rooted by fish sifting through it on the bottom of the lake bed, bubbles etc. These small things you need to look closely for, watercraft is something that is an ongoing learning experience which brings added armoury to your tackle box and locating those fish.

The sun is breaking the tops of the trees by now so on my last lap I decide to check a shallow stalking spot which gets the warm sun very early, I notice 3 fish, a small double a mid-twenty and what looked a good 30+ grubbing around in a small hole in the weed, I quickly nip back to the van But by time I’ve got back with a rod they’ve moved off up the margin so I put some chops in which I’ve coated in a little 4g bait soak for added attraction. I under arm a popup amongst them and not five minutes later there back but it’s the smaller of the three that wastes no time picking up the freebies whilst the other two hang back and watch, each time the fish picks up a few chops it moves into the weed as though to take time in dealing with them it’s not until the third visit that its bigger friends follow in and start to pick up bits, the mid- twenty approaches the popup and just holds there a few inches away it’s obviously noticed something’s wrong and after backing up a little it turns and moves away taking the other two with it #rumbled lol. I stick around for a bit but they don’t return.
I eventually get into a swim around mid-day, the guy leaving is on a two day blank but there does seem to be fish in the area.
I decide to put a few kg of bait out and rest the swim until the evening before putting the rods out.
My runs have been coming early hours or at first light and I’m not let down because not long after my first coffee early the next morning I’m into the waders and slipping the net under a 30lb 4oz Mirror which I am delighted with as they are few and far between in here.
I leave the rods in until about 1pm there are still fish around but not even zigs are getting their attention so I re-bait the spots reel in and go for a wonder, I’ve also left the frying pan home so a trip to the local Tesco’s is in order there’s no way I’m missing out on the wife’s Biryani she’s packed me mmmmm.
That night I managed to bank yet another Mirror of 20lb 8oz. Two mirrors in 24hrs “That will do”

My next session the following week I actually get there way before day light which to be honest I don’t mind because the more time I get to walk around the lake the better, after a few chats with the lads it’s clear the lake has switch off and has been fishing hard the last few days. But I have seen a lot of fish in one of the bays and there’s a swim free…. But guess what? By time I made one last stop at a mates swim for a quick chat I stroll into the swim with by loaded barrow to find someone’s beat me to it lol my own fault and to be fair the guy actually offered to let me take it but the guy in the adjoining swim is due to pack up soon and its basically the same water so I don’t mind waiting.
It was actually 10 hours before I finally got the rods out but there was literally nowhere else on the lake that I fancied fishing.
Before I knew it darkness had fallen and I was sipping a top notch cup of coffee from Dean who is a self-confessed coffee addict lol and a top bloke. Deans first into a fish about 12am a 29lb common is soon on the mat and he’s over the moon.
My turn comes at 6.30am the left rod rips off and I’m on it in seconds, it’s a weird situation because there’s thick fog and I’m struggling to see which way the fish is going luckily the fish doesn’t really fight until it gets close in but I’ve soon got it in the net, 34lb common well happy.
The fog eventually clears and apart from the two fish I’ve mentioned nothing else has been out around the lake and it stays that way for the rest of the day. I’ve got my hopes set on another early morning feed so get some more bait out on the spot set the traps and get an early night. From about 5am I started to get liners and soon enough the left rod was away again, an angry and very annoyed fish weeded me up solid but once the waders were on I could get a better angle on the fish to get it moving again, after a few minutes it’s in the net. The scales go 28.8.
Not a bad result at all.
My latest session seen me arrive mid-afternoon on a Thursday the lake is very busy and fishing is still slow apart from a few swims. After a few laps the fish don’t really want to give too much away but I’m lucky enough to get into a peg I’ve fancied for a few weeks but not been able to get near and it’s done a few fish. There’s a chilly NE wind blowing towards me the air pressure is high not great conditions but I’m going to make the most of my time and fish hard.
I sit on bank side for a while just watching the swim trying to work out which way the fish might move though should they pay a visit. There’s plenty of weed with small holes and channels for them to move through undetected, Once I’ve decided on the areas I’m going to fish I put out a few kg of 4g Squid which I’ve prepared in a bucket that morning (but I’m keeping that under my hat for now lol). I also find a 3rd spot close to thick weed it’s not completely clear but I think a bait can be presented there, I love spots like this it’s not as obvious like the big clear ones and I think the fish sometimes feel more comfortable feeding. I’m using “The Key” chopped and crumbed over it which should keep them grubbing. , I will keep topping it up little and often but I’m not putting a rod there until the following night should one of the other spots not produce or if see fish over it.
I don’t get any action all night and the following morning I’m up early sipping a coffee when one of the lads passes and tells me everyone else is doing the same.
After some breakfast I’m stood there brushing my teeth when I notice the bright orange dorsal of the much sort after resident koi a few rod lengths off one of my left rod. I’ve not mentioned this in previous blogs but I’ve had this fish in my swim a few times now and sometimes right over the bait, I have told one of my mates on here a couple of times now and he always replies that’s always with a few big fish ? It soon disappears but there are now fish starting to show but there not quite over the baited spot. After about an hour I’m starting to think maybe put the rod two or three rod lengths further towards them which I decide to do, but as I’m getting a rig ready the same rod let out a sharp burst,,, bobbin tight to the alarm I lift it just as it starts to rip off FISH ON.
Soon enough it’s in the net a lovely 34lb.8oz dark common. So glad I didn’t reel that in. Swim topped up rod clipped up and back on the spot.

A few hours later I’m talking to my mate Chris on the phone when the same rod takes off again, I’m into the fish but have no idea where the phone is lol
A few turns on the reel and I notice an odd flicker just under the surface about 40 yards out ? A few more turns on the spool and I soon realise it’s that bloody koi and its giving a good account of itself I’m actually exited it’s on and terrified of losing it all at the same time, honestly it’s fought harder than anything I’ve hooked in here and 10 yards from the bank it weeds me up hard my hearts in my mouth and I’m mumbling please, please, please as I’m pulling in a Hugh mass of weed,,,,, I dig deep with the landing net getting a glimpse of an orange paddle as I did, what a relief. The next few minutes are quite embarrassing to be honest lmao pulling weed from the net like a kid opening an x-box at Christmas, jumping in the margin shadow boxing Ali, whilst shouting “I’ve got it “I’ve got it” to Walshy on the iPhone which has luckily landed safely lol.

The Carrot

Anyway after sorting myself out and getting some great shots from the guy in the next swim I finally come back down from carp heaven. The rest of the day past like a flash and it wasn’t until the evening time I’d realised the other rod hadn’t had so much as a liner. So I topped the 3rd spot with a kg of “The Key” chopped and whole boilies and moved the rod to it.
Not an ounce of wind touched the lake that night and it stayed quite chilly and like a mill pond.
Morning light soon came and thick fog had silently crept in smothering not only the lake but most of the bank to.
Coffee, breakfast and in between packing up I get a take,, expecting to lift the rod that had already done two fish it’s the other rod an angry 23lb 2oz common rolls over the cord with a Key Cultured hook bait drooping out its bottom lip. With the fog being so thick there was no way I could accurately recast the rod so settled for a pub chuck whilst I finished packing down. And yet another satisfying drive back to Cardiff

So last few weeks have been real good for me 4 x mid Thirty’s a few upper 20’s and some low twenty’s to back it up..