Diary

 Carp anglers UK capture diary recording all the carp we catch whilst on our fishing travels.


Session: 29/06/2012
Venue:Keele Hall Estate,Staffordshire.
Right am going,have checked the weather some chance of rain but nothing like the other day when i had to cancel,the rain was comming down that hard by the time i had got everything right it would of all been soaking,which would have made for serious uncomfort.As iv'e mentioned in previous posts if your wet and cold your spirits drop and you can't fish effectively if your hearts not in it.I don't mind a bit of bad weather,after all this is Blighty and it's all we really know.I just hope the weather stays sensible enough to get some more filming done,am nearly there iv'e got 4 sessions worth of footage 2 more and i can start editing and then finaly upload it.Right time to go,The next write up will mention captured carp (preferably by me!)
 
Cancelled session 28/06/2012
Venue:Keele Hall Estate,Staffordshire.
Not happy today sporadic heavy showers have put pay to my planned session,even attempting to get the kit out of the car then barrow it down to the swim would have ended in everything getting p@##*d wet  through.Never mind i shall be going tomorrow come hell or high water,iv'e had my hook straightened ouy in here a couple of times now so iv'e got serious designs on catching that bugger or buggers,the sessions are being filmed also for the blog so getting the camera wet isn't an option.As soon as iv'e returned from the pending session i will update the diary with any catch photo's and any info relevant to the blog,so adios until 31/06/12.

Doesn't look like this when it's p@*| down

Session 16/05/2012
Venue: Keele Hall Estate,Staffordshire.
So June see's us returning to Keele Hall on the campus of the University to continue our campaign on it's beautiful estate waters which we have once again so kindly been invited to pit our skills against the lakes old wise carp.The fishing has been a real test of my skills just to get the odd pick up,the carp in these lakes especially the lake i am fishing at present sure are no mugs.The big carp that reside here are rarely fished for and as a result they seem to be extra wary of any food item that doesn't look like what they have been feeding on for the past god knows how many years.That said it is just going to be a matter of time when those big elusive carp will slip up.My baiting strategies and the ultra stealthiness of my rigs will prevail,of that i have no doubt.From the way i am going on it would sound as if i had blanked every time i had fished here but thats not the case.There have been fish caught but not the whackers that i have seen cruising around and it's the capture of these smaller fish that signal to me that they are getting turned on to the bait i am using .The boilies i have rolled myself,their fishmeal boilies that have been totaly infused with Haith's Robin Red and that's all i will say about them for now,i will disclose more info on the bait only if things really start to come together with the use of it,after all if it doesn't perform then who will want to know anyway.
The session i had to endure just gone was a real grueler,i say endure because it bucketed it down for the 72 hours i was there,not exactly motivational weather but i was there and fish had to be caught.It's so easy to become dispondent when the rain is torrential keeping a PMA requires some will power to say the least but just remembering why i was there was enough to keep my spirits up enough to keep fishing effectively aswell as the small conselation that the conditions for feeding where pretty good.I decided to use only 2 rods on this occasion as the water i was fishing was reasonably small,one with a hinged stiff rig the other fished snowman style.I had already had a feel around with a lead on previous sessions so i was pretty familiar with the layout of the bottom which was full of chod that had accumulated from years of leaf debris coating the bottom,this being the reason i opted for a pop-up fished on a hinged stiff rig.My second rod which i had decided to fish snowman style on the bottom with one of my home rolled specials and a 10mm artificial fluoro pop-up criticaly balanced would just settle in the debris with the bright pink fluoro catching the eye of passing carp,that was the plan anyway.I arrived at the lakes around 5pm and was set up and fishing for 6pm and it wasn't until 10.30pm before some interest was shown to one of my baits.It was the rod with the bright pink fluoro pop-up snowman presentation that saw the first bit of action,the fish or fishes had a real good play around with the hookbait before the alarm sounded and my climber whent upwards detaching itself from the line as the spool paid out line as the fish ran.Quickly but gently i wound down on the fish and my Freespirit Hi's became beautifuly arched as the fish commenced battle.Already i knew the fish was not a monster but none the less it fought like a para in the Falklands and after a few minutes and a damn good soaking the fish was subdued.With the fish landed i placed it on the matt and carefully removed the Korda Longshank X from the fishes mouth.It was a common,lean with a powerful missile shaped body and it was almost silver in colour,not that dark golden colour assosiated with so many common carp,maybe it was a hybrid? but common it was anything but and had me thinking,the estate lakes were ornamental originaly so it stands to reason ornimental fish would have been stocked into them,maybe it had a bit of koi in it.Next task was a few photo's but as the rain poured and i got wetter and wetter misfortune would rear it's ugly head on me again.Usualy when i set up i get all mt photography equipment ready so it's just a matter of getting in front of the camera and squeezing the rubber ball,as usual i had done all this and it was set ready to go but to my horror as i was about to find out my shutter device was not working.Reason being while i was sat in the bivvy reading the latest Maximum carp and having a ciggy i heard the alarm sound and in the process of getting to the rod i threw my ciggy into my ashtray on the bivvy table which bounced out and landed under the rubber ball that pumps the air to the trigger mechanism of my camera shutter release burning a hole in it and rendering it useless.So it was a case of using the auto exposure that only gives 10 seconds to ready yourself in front of the camera,pictures acheived but not to the quality i usually get,this would be the same for the other fish caught on that session not ideal but just about manageable.Expense,expense another item that needs replacing due to a little neglegence.I suppose if i didn't smoke in the first place it wouldn't have happened,they don't just kill you they knacker your photography equipment aswell.
 Back to the fishing and as i mentioned earlier the presentations i chose to use where the hinged stiff rig and snowman rig,already catching both the fish on the snowman rig and with time now moving into the early hours of the morning liners and bleeps from the rod with the snowman on where getting very frequent to the extent of pick up's where the line would start to peel off but never materializing in the capture of a fish.Curiosity had gotten hold of me and i wanted to know what was getting me the runs but never making an appearence on the bank,so i decided to take off the 16mm boilie and fish a 10mm Richworth halibut under the pink fluoro.Recast back to it's spot i had to wait literally 2 minutes before the alarm sounded and the line started to peel off,winding down i set the hook and knew it had taken hold as a series of lunges took place as the fish made it's bid for freedom.The lunges didn't last long though and the scrap was a little lack luster and as i put the net under the fish i could see it was a large Bream obviously the culprit of all the liners and false takes.Actualy when i say large Bream it was the biggest iv'e ever caught weighing in at a respectable 9Lb 8oz.Looking back on that capture i was disapointed at the time but as i have had time to reflect a 9Lb 8oz Bream is a bloody good fish by any coarse fish standard and the reason for my disapointment at the time was simple,i had been having all manner of things go wrong,it was raining book of Genesis style i had burnt a hole in my auto shutter pump and the amount of false alarms etcetera where almost to much to bare and the be all and end all of it was that it wasn't a carp,but like i said on reflection the Bream was a decent fish that i am now quite pleased about.Despite this particular session almost having me throw a rope over a branch in despair i remain undetered and my resolve is back with a vengence,the big carp are there iv'e seen them and i will be relentless in my pursuit of them.iv'e been making regular visits to pre bait with my home rolled boilies,which are looking good in their trials and will keep posting on their progress, and i have been cleared to continue fishing the lakes for the foreseeable future,so all being well the next diary posts for this venue will be entries i will feel alot better telling you all about.
Filming for the Keele Hall estate lakes campaign where halted for the session that i have just written about,this being totaly down to the heavy rain,however i will continue to film the sessions and once edited and condensed,it will be posted here.As mentioned all the footage from the Keele sessions will be viewable as one complete piece of film,it's going to make for some interesting viewing as this venue's carp stocks are a complete mystery.The only thing that isn't a mystery is that there are some georgeous big old carp swimming around in there and we are very confident we can get footage of their capture and what exactly it's taken to succeed,so keep checking back to see the footage when it's ready or you can use the contact form to send us your email addres and we will let you know when the video is up for viewing.We will also put details and a link on our facebook page aswell so mising it shouldn't be a problem.So until the next post keep safe and good luck in your fishing endeavours.
CAUK.

Go easy,10 seconds to prepare for this pic
And this one!










Oh before i go i would just like to offer my sincerest sympathies to Madley pool AC in Staffordshire for the devastating fish kill that befell them last week,thousands of fish were lost including carp to 30Lb+,fish they didn't know they had which adds insult to injury really.If Carp Anglers UK can be of service in anyway then please let us know carpanglersuk@gmx.com ,once again our deepest sympathies,keep your chins up guys and girls.
CAUK
   
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
Session 19/04/2012
Venue: Smithpool Lido,Fenton,Stoke on trent,Staffordshire.
 Smithpool Lido is a club water run by Fenton & District angling association.It can be fished on a day ticket and according to a reliable source there are a couple of fish in there that are at the 30Lb mark there are also numerous 20's.It may not seem all that exciting but the prospect of catching carp to those sizes are not that common in these parts especially on an urban venue such as this.The pool itself is well capable of allowing fish to get to those sizes and then some.There are some great features to the pool such as reed beds,lilly pads and loads of overhanging trees.When i went for a recky down there the other day i saw plenty of fish on the move even getting glimpses of some larg carp just below the surface of the water holed up under some tree branches,the sight of them had me wanting to go and fetch the tackle there and then but i resisted.I am however looking forward to my visit on Thursday when it will be my intension to end my run of poor form,hoping my pre baiting is going to produce fish for me.Pictures of any carp caught will be posted aswell as a report on tactics,conditions ect.
Smithpool Lido


Session result 11/04/2012  Keele Hall Lakes
Unfortunately i didn't manage to catch on this trip but have been invited back to fish at my discretion so i can open a campaign and put some real time and effort into catching the carp here,the great thing about fishing at this particular venue is that no one knows what exactly is in there regarding carp and theres not many places left with that air of mystery when it comes to carp stocks.I suspect there are some good fish lurking beneath the surface here and there are probably some real oldies in there aswell,will keep posting on my progress and as soon as i get a carp over the wire of my net i will post pictures.
                                                                                                                                                                  

Session 11/04/2012
Venue: Keele Hall Lakes (bottom lake)

 Going on a short session in the early hours of Wednesday morning will only be fishing for 5-6 hours so will have to be very pro active in my aproach.Fishing of this lake was by invite which i am most greatful for i only wish i had a few more hours to go at it but am sure that i will be allowed to return.These particular waters have not long gone through some renovations as they are the ornamental pools belonging to Keele Hall which is on the grounds of Keele university,the waters are soon to be taken on by Victoria AC,a gerat addition to their growing portfolio of venues.As for the head of fish,Who knows? To my understanding the local Police force's angling club used to have responsability for the lakes but attempts to get information off them has so far been a none starter.Suprise,suprise!Will publish any pictures of the carp captured on this session but in the meantime heres a few shots of the venue.
Overhanging trees look great for held up carp
A beautiful venue













2 comments:

  1. Do the Rhodedendrons not poison the water overhanging like that as it's know that some species are quite bad to their surrounding neighbours,their an invasive plant you see.

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    Replies
    1. I haven't got the foggiest Maggs,i shouldn't think they cause any harm as theyv'e obviously been there for many years and theres fish been resident in the pool for many years also,you could try googling it.Let me know what answer you get if you do any research on your query it would be interesting to know the answer but i have no knowledge of what your asking sorry mate.

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