A new syndicate had started on the Match lake at Yateley and it was going to get rather busy, or so I thought. Well, I could not have been more wrong! It did get a little busy at the start but once the weed started to show, the competition started to slow!.
My target fish for the year was 'Copse Lake Scaley', a fish that I had not caught before and one that I desperately wanted to catch! There had been a few fish caught by the other syndicate members and so I was keen to make an impact. I had decided to fish the weekends, getting down to the lake after work on a Friday and pushing on through to the Sunday. I fished a few different swims over the following weeks, managing to catch several carp, with a low twenty mirror, from 'The Mats' swim, being the largest.
I was keen to have a week off work, so in May I booked the time off and plans for the week were made.
On arrival at the lake, I headed for the 'Forty Eights' swim, but it was occupied by little Richie. I had to settle for the right hand party swim for the night and I would move in to the 'Forty Eights' during the morning, after little Richie had left. I was surprised at how much weed had come up, but that would suit me as I love fishing in the weed!. During the night, I had a few liner's and was not happy with the line lay in the swim. There was a thick band of weed between me and the island and the carp knew they were being fished for. So first thing in the morning I moved into the 'Forty Eights'. My mate Adam came down and did the night in the party swim which was two swims up from me.. The following morning Adam was lucky enough to catch 'Scale on the Shoulder' at 27lb 6oz, one of the carp he had not caught from the Match lake, so he was well pleased. We took some photograph's and as Adam returned the fish to the lake, I hoped that it would soon be my turn.
Gaz Fareham turned up to fish the night and dropped into the 'NF' swim on the opposite bank. After a while I wound in my rods and went around for a cuppa and a chat with Adam and Gaz. I had never met Gaz before but we were all soon chatting about Yateley and all things Carpy. Adam had said to me that he thought he had seen 'Copse Lake Scaley' jump out in front of my swim earlier that afternoon. So, after a quick cuppa, I returned to my swim, made up three p.v.a bags and cast them out to my three spots, followed by a bit of spod mix in the general area. Now, the weed was well on the way to the top of the water but I was in with a shout of a fish, I was sure!
I had my dinner and sat on the bedchair looking out onto the lake, as you do and willing the bobbins to move. I stayed up till about ten pm and then hit the
sack. At about four am the next morning the left hand bobbin smacked into the butt ring and the line pinged out of the line clip. I was out of the of the bag like a shot! Who am I kidding? At forty seven I am just not as quick as I was! The baitrunner was just giving a little bit of line as I pulled into the fish when the rod took on the battle curve! I was backwinding for a second or two when the carp stopped in some weed. I put on as much pressure as I dared and slowly the rod tip started moving back towards me as I continued the momentum. I managed to get the fish back to about half way when it decided to go left and straight into another weed bed. I again put as much pressure on as I dared, and with that, the whole lot started to move. I always try to keep the fish moving if I can, but I know that is not always possible in thick weed. You must make sure everything is up to the job, so strong hooks and a minimum of 15lb line is what I would advise (my choice being 15lb Pro-Gold which breaks at about 22lb and which I have every faith in). Anyway, back to the scrap! The carp managed to lose most of the weed and soon had me backwinding furiously before I managed to stop it getting too far out. Then the carp dived down and weeded me up again! I put as much pressure on the fish as I could when, suddenly, the whole lot started moving slowly back towards me. At about two rod lengths out the carp tried to go to my left again but I soon stopped her and a mass of weed and carp headed for the landing net. Now it was dark and my eyesight is not as good as it was! Oh the joys of getting old! I managed to get the whole lot into my fifty inch landing net! I then put the rod down and started pulling all of the weed off the carp. After a few seconds of throwing weed out of the landing net and following the leadcore leader down, I found the carp and cleared out the last of the weed. I could tell it was a good fish but I was not sure which one. I staked the landing net out, got my head torch and took a look, "That's it" I thought, "it looks like Copse Lake Scaley, Yes!"
For some unknown reason I wasn't sure whether to have a photograph or not, but it is always better to err on the side of caution, So I decided to go and wake Gaz Fareham. I had only met Gaz for the first time the afternoon before and I hoped that he would come and do some pictures for me. "What have you got?.Gaz asked, "A Mirror" I said, "I am not sure which one, but it's definitely one of the originals". "Give me a few minutes mate and I'll be 'round". he said. I went back to my swim and got everything ready for the weighing and picture session. Gaz arrived as I cut the line above the leadcore and carried the fish to the unhooking mat. I opened the mesh and there, laying on the mat, was Copse Lake Scaley! "That's her!"exclaimed Gaz I unhooked 'Scaley', put her in the sling and then attached the scales. The needle plunged to 32lb 12oz. Gaz took some photographs and then I returned her to the lake. "I owe you one Gaz I said. Little did i know, that later that same day I was to return the favour when Gaz caught the Copse Leather at 26lb on a zig rig. I went on to catch four more carp that week, three doubles and a low twenty. It was quite a tough week and I had to work hard to catch fish, but it was worth it in the end. I ended up fishing the 'Forty Eights' swim right up until the end of October. The swim and the whole top of the lake got very weedy indeed. I was spending between five and six hours a day raking the swim with my little Gardner weed rake to help keep my three spots fishable.
Now, some people will say it's not worth raking the swim before fishing because you will scare all the carp. Well, I caught over sixty carp from the 'Forty Eights' from May to the end of October. Does that change your mind? In fact, I even had a take within twenty minutes of raking the swim! I have also seen a carp sitting to the side of where I was raking, waiting for me to cast the rake out. As I was pulling the rake slowly back and the weed was being pulled out from the bottom of the lake a mass of bubbles was coming to the surface. The carp would disappear and then reappear back on the surface, waiting for me to cast out again. Sneaky or what.
When weed raking, make sure you use a spod rod, or similar and fifty pound braid (Don't cast out more than five yards, at most, to start with or you can lose your rake!) Make sure you start pulling back slowly and once moving, try to keep the whole lot in motion. I would walk backwards with the rod pointing straight at the lake. You will be surprised at how much pressure is needed, even at a very short distance, to get the weed moving. I was not fishing more than twenty yards out in the 'Forty Eights' and even closer, if required. I find that if you stick at fishing in the weed, you will be surprised at how good the fishing can be! The first thing to do, when fishing weedy waters, is to establish where the carp like to hang out. You will find that carp will be quite happy close in, when lakes are very weedy . As for presentation, well, I nearly always use p.v.a bags in this situation as this lets you fish with total confidence, knowing that your rig is not caught up in the weed ..Simple!. This method has caught me literally hundreds of carp, so I have every confidence in it!
My formula for success: Intelligent effort + correct application = fish on the bank.
Go Get em!!
SPIKE