On August 7th Adam C (of the excellent blog Fishin' Impossible ) commented "Four to go? You will be done by August 16th is my guess." Regarding cracking 20 double carp this season - well, it was tight - but double #20 above at 10lb 11oz ! Then this happened... Double #21 - 13lb 5oz Double #22 - 15lb 1oz Double #23 - 15lb 4oz - best of the season (so far). Plus carp of 9lb 5oz & about 6lb - lovely…
The nights are drawing in but pike-time seems a long way off - still in drought and yet another heatwave. Couple of hours before it got dark on The Puddle and double #19 on crust - an almost black common at 11lb 4oz (my 10th Puddle carp) - just need one more - and some rain...
Another trip to the Farm Pond and the second part of my Carp Challenge - 50 carp - cracked (excluding commerical pond carp). But as the blog is getting a bit repetitive here's a photo of my cat instead. He has 9 teeth, 6 brain cells & is the happiest cat out there! Nope. Can't do it. Four carp added, number 50 above (for the records). Still wouldn't mind a couple more doubles before pike-time…
Cracking on with the Double Challenge , three carp landed from 12-18 inches of water (boilies & crust) - including double #18 at 10lb 5oz . Is it a common carp? The scales look too big & fewer of them - somewhere between a common and a fully scaled mirror?! Lovely looking fish.
A couple of hours wandering around The Puddle - and two carp stalked off the top on floating crust. Including double #17 - a (very nearly) leather carp at 10lb 15oz . Wonder what else is in there?
Still no perch. Perhaps I should just concentrate on the carp until the weather changes, see if I can get 20 doubles before pike-time ? Two carp landed including double #16 above at 12lb 0oz - four more to go...
I was watching the perch in The Wye - can't wait to get cracking at a three plus Wye perch. In the meantime where have the Farm Pond perch gone? Haven't had a run since mid-June - with lots of effort! With five hours on the clock I thought I might find one - nope. But while the livebait was being ignored, the carp wanted to play - five carp on boilies & crust to keep me occupied - I'll find those…
Decided to make life difficult for myself; a carp on the fly. Thought it wouldn't be too hard with so many carp - but despite lots of fish investigating a variety of flys it took 1½ hours before one hit a Squirmy Wormy - totally worth it though! I then switched to float fished bread (far, far easier) banking another 20 carp over the next two hours - including double #15 at 10lb 2oz - a…
Quick mission to the Farm Pond and three carp landed, including double #14 - a long, lean fully scaled mirror - scraped in at 10lb 0oz .
Not big, but I really wanted a tench from The Puddle - success!
With the hot weather continuing more and more of the bed of the Farm Pond is being revealed - look at the size of this swan mussel, probably the biggest I've found. Too much bird activity for floating crust, but three mint carp landed on boilies. Can we have some rain please?
Back to the Farm Pond - one livebait out for perch, one alternating between crust & boilie. Nothing on the livebait, but the carp were on it - the one above falling for a bit of crust on the surface... Double #12 - 11lb 10oz (boilie). Double #13 - 13lb 3oz (boilie) - unlucky thirteen out the way! Struggling to drag myself away (crust) - terrible headlights photo.
Few hours stalking carp on The Puddle . And double #10 - summer challenge cracked with a beautiful 12lb 1oz mirror - ace! Plenty of light (and bread) left I kept on wandering round - loosing a tench before banking a chunky 10lb 7oz common . Focusing on the tench, I thought for a second I'd hit a big roach - but a PB hybrid at 1lb 12oz to wrap things up. A Puddle tench next?
Nine barbel found the net - taking my season total up to 21 . But the water is starting to warm up - best leave them alone for a while. Probably try and stalk a carp out of The Puddle (nowhere near a pub).
I've caught 139 carp so far this season - and none of them made me work harder than this Small River gem. What a beauty! And it wouldn't be a wander without a few little barbel (7) and a pint!
Couple of hours on the Small River searching for a carp. Spotted a few but they weren't playing - but 5 splasher barbel made the hot wander worth while! Water was nice & cool and they went back well.
Back to the Farm Pond - and not a run on the livebaits. But a couple of carp stalked out made up for it - including double #9 at 14lb 12oz .
Too hot to hit the rivers, but a couple of quick trips to the commerical - the first with my Dad, the second with my mate Wayne. Loads of carp - shooting fish in a barrel! Nice to have constant action - but probably time to try and bag another big perch, and possibly a few barbel... Roger netting a carp from the margins. One of 63 carp over the two trips. Always time to look under the rocks.
Three quick opening week trips on The Wye . Water conditions and weather against - but you've got to give it a whirl! Ten chub to about 3lb & two eels to 2lb - but no barbel yet (either spotted or caught). Think I'll stick with the perch & carp until conditions improve...
A couple of hours on the commercial after work - half a loaf of bread, float and a bit of fun on the light gear... The only people on the pond and the action was hectic from the off - I landed a total of 24 carp before it got dark... Most of which were in great condition - except this surprise double at 10lb 4oz - and I even messed up the photo... But another double added to the challenge, that's…
Time (and undergrowth) were against me - but needed to have a cast on opening day! Had to cut my way to the river (genuinely took a machete with me). No barbel, but a couple of River Wye chub to open the account (and a few swims opened up for next time).
Nearly time for the summer river season, but first another blast at those perch. First to the livebait was a 3lb 0oz eel - cracker! A couple of perch, the best going 1lb 8oz . Total of 20 over the closed season - going to have to target a big river perch this year. And a carp off the top - the 50th of the closed season - and double number 7 at 10lb 9oz . Three more doubles still to find this…
It's light pretty late now, just as well as this carp waited until 9.45pm to pick up my freelined bread. Was convinced she was double #7 - but 9lb 14oz on the scales - never mind, any carp out of The Puddle is a win!
Back to The Puddle , starting to get a handle on it? Not sure - but a couple of carp fell for the slow sinking bread - including double #6 at 11lb 5oz . Mint carp - wonder if they've ever seen a hook before?