24 Hr Session on Peg 3 - The Bird Hut -Mon 11/8 - 12/8
There's only one thing in carp fishing that is entirely predictable; and that is the wholly unpredictable nature of it all. It never ceases to amaze me how nature has an infinite ability to throw in a 'curved ball', just when we think we have the situation entirely sussed!
And so, as the dying remnants of hurricane Bertha greeted our shores, the barometer dropped like a stone, black clouds skipped across an otherwise blue sky and a wind-ruffled lake surface presented a lively backdrop to swaying birch trees. I thought the moment had come for a good old bag-up session. But, not so!
Naturally, on Monday morning, I set up right where the full force of the wind funneled into the lake corner betwixt the Hide and the Sandbank. I gently lobbed in a baited hook, only yards away from where the frothy canopy kissed the margin. And there it remained for the next 8 hours, without so much as a single bleep to break the silence of its forlorn existence. Mmmm! So much for carp following a warm summer wind. Fortunately, I learned a long time ago, not to put all my carp catching eggs in one basket. The second rod was placed at the mouth of the middle channel, opposite the Hide and the third down the left hand margin. Both of these rods produced a daytime take, but unfortunately each ended in an annoying hook pull; the first as I attempted to steer a determined carp away from a gap between two mini islands and the second at the net. Apart from that, all was unexpectedly quiet until evening. In fact, I attempted to ease the inevitable sense of daytime boredom, by practicing drum rudiments in the Bird Hut (I must master that Mozambique Workout, before it drives me insane). I did wonder if the gentle tapping of my hands and feet were generating underwater vibrations sufficient to spook Mr Carp, but concluded that I had lost the plot and become neurotic!
Anyway, by early evening, I had moved the doomed RHS corner rod to a new point, 3 rod-lengths out from the LHS bank. Clearly, 8.00 pm signaled the dinner bell and steady action ensued, that kept me busy until midnight. After an overnight lull, a couple more carp graced my net after 4.00 am. The largest capture turned out to be a hard fighting Mirror of 16 lb 2 oz. In fact, only one carp from the 8 fish haul turned out to be below 10 lb. It's strange how it varies!
The action log reads thus:
[09.55 - Lost carp to hook pull (Opps channel)].
[19.50 - Lost carp from LHS margin - hook pull at net].
08.00 pm - 6 lb 12 oz Common (Opps channel).
08.45 pm - 16 lb 2 oz Mirror (LHS margin).
10.10 pm - 11 lb 14 oz Mirror (LHS 20 yds).
10.35 pm - 13 lb 12 oz Linear (ditto).
11.30 pm - 10 lb 6 oz Mirror (LHS margin).
12.00 pm 11 lb 4 oz Common (LHS 20 yds).
04.00 am - 12 lb 8 oz Mirror (ditto).
09.40 am - 11lb 2 oz Common (Opps channel).
So that's 8 caught and 2 lost. A fairly respectable overall outcome, albeit after after a rather slow start. I wonder what unpredictable delights await me in future? As long as it's not a series of unexpected blanks, that'll do me fine!
Best fishes,
Kelvin