Back on the River

Well would you believe it; we are actually having a nice summer for once! As a result my local river is running crystal clear and it’s not carrying much water, which makes my life easier when it comes to locating fish. The Carp are still on the top of the list for me at the moment, but they have been proving tricky to catch.

I’ve enjoyed a few sessions chilling out in the sun, trying to locate the Carp in the several miles river that surround me. Unfortunately, when I have located them, I’ve managed to lose two in snags. It’s my own fault really for fishing too close to them, but when you can see the fish moving in and around the snags you just want to get as close as possible, whilst fishing safe.

The night before my most recent outing I pre-baited an area where I know the Carp ‘live’ with half a kilo of 10mm and 15mm boilies. I had a pretty restless night’s sleep, with my mind thinking about the potential Carp that could be feeding on my bait as I lay in bed. I know that pre-baiting works really well on rivers, and when a few decent fish have been spotted in the area it gives me confidence that the fish will happily eat my bait.

When the morning finally came around I was up early and eager to get out, with high hopes of catching a stunning river Carp. As I was busy in the afternoon and it was forecast to be 32 degrees, my plan was to fish for four hours or so in the morning, before it got hot. For the first hour I couldn’t see any of the Carp that I had previously spotted hidden amongst the over hanging trees. I was hoping they had moved out of the snags and were over my bait. With no action taking place I had to check if the rigs were clean, or whether they had gathered any weeds. I recast both rods to the edge of my baited area, so as not to spook any potential fish feeding, and to increase the chance of a quick bite.

Ten minutes later, I spotted a couple of Carp cruising just underneath the surface, circling where I had my rods positioned. I felt that there was nothing I could do, as the last thing I wanted was to spook them. I didn’t move whilst they were going about their business, I just watched them with excitement, knowing I might catch one. Then, all of a sudden there was a disturbance, and a Carp erupted from the water. My rod tip wrapped around, and line started stripping off my reel. I was in! This Carp knew every single snag, rock and anything else that it could snap me off on. It was full of energy as it relentlessly tore around my swim, trying to get away. The twenty minute fight was second to none, and when it finally gave up I was so happy to get it in the net!

Until next time

Tight lines