One of the secrets of successful carp fishing is the ability to adapt and change or move on a hunch (6th sense if you like) but most of the time it's the ability to read the clues laid out around the lake in front of you

A couple of discussions with two totally different anglers led me to an area of the lake where they had recently had carp sightings. A couple of days of my own observations of the area threw up two sightings of fish. Two large commons, possibly the fighting machine and Josh's common both laid up in a snaggy little bay which was impossible to fish, this was early March and still fairly cold so I had a hunch the fish would still be grouped up and there was a very good chance the big old gal was around

The nearest swim to this snaggy bay was underwater due to the winter rains, but possible to fish if the rods were set up on long sticks out in the lake. There were also a couple of good anglers fishing the lake this spring and I knew if they clocked the area then they would fish it! If I wanted to bait the area I would have to protect it as I've fallen victim to this a number of times over the years on here. Slightly to the right of the swim was a small tree whose fight to stay upright over the winter winds had nearly failed and it leaned precariously out over the lake, its root ball clearly visible above the water-logged ground. With some manipulation, I was able to lean the poor old plant across the swim, hiding everything out front from view. When I wanted to bait or fish the swim, I would ease the tree back and tie it out of the way.

Plan of action sorted! Now time to sort some carp food. Over the winter, I had attended a couple of shows and came away with some interesting products at reduced rates to play with over the coming spring, mainly pellets and soaks with the main ones being Bait-techs time bomb, a mix of different size pellets with differing breakdown times and also their particle and pellet soak Tuna csl. Around my bait cupboard were also numerous half bags of different pellets such as csl, hemp and various sizes of halibut and trout's, time for a clear out I think! All the pellets were mixed together in a large bucket, a kaleidoscope of colour, size and smells and my first thought was "that's blinking tench food". Every morning before work, I would fill a small bucket with pellet mix and cover it in the soak and allow it to soak in all day before the evening bait up along with the pellets. I was also baiting with a kilo of boilies per evening, half of which I broke in half. On the first night of the bait up, I took a leading rod with me just to have a feel around out there and I found a couple of spots to concentrate the bait in. So the spots had been found, the swim was hidden from view and now it was time to up the pace and bait up every evening and hope and pray that the spot wasn't discovered.

Over the course of two weeks I introduced 15kg of boilies and the same in pellet mix. I was also fishing the overnighters in different areas in the hope of throwing people off the scent and it also gave me the opportunity to keep an eye on the area overnight. The blind was working a treat as anglers started to follow me and fish my snide spots. My spot was starting to come alive with fizz and carpy activity and how the hell others missed it I will never know. I had also changed track on rigs, fishing short braided red eyed boilie thief's and snotties and it also had the added advantage of not following the trend of longish coated braids and single hook baits.

Because of the braids tendency to tangle on the cast, I was fishing it with small pva bags, aka dynamite stick style, the ground bait consisting of the ground pellet mix, krill meal and a commercial fishmeal ground bait to bind it better, the liquid content being a crayfish extract and the tuna csl "man, the ground bait stank".

Confidence was sky high of the whole set up as the tench and bream I was nailing were hooked well back suggesting they were whacking it back with total confidence.

After two weeks I thought I would hit the baited spot as signs were obvious and the area was boiling and I knew it would be eye-balled soon at this rate.

Sunday March 25th I dropped in the area for the night. Rigs out, both rods on 18mm bottom baits and 15mm heavily soaked squid and octopus pop ups with three pouches of the pellet mix boilie combo over each. A couple of tench came to the rods throughout the night and I was having serious doubts as to the pellet combo as a carp attractor, when the right hand rod pulled up tight again at 2:30am I leisurely pulled on the wellies expecting yet another tench, but this red eye got bigger and tougher as it plodded around in the darkness. Only when it boiled up close to the net did it dawn on me I was attached to a carp. What I revealed in the head torch when finally in the net sent goose bumps all over me. It was "Baby Leather" at 24.12, the only other carp in the lake I had not had the pleasure of putting on the mat and she had been missing for around 18 months and one I thought we had lost. But there she was lying in the bottom of my net and at that moment I knew the big gal was close for some strange reason. I felt closer to catching her than I had ever done before.

Tuesday night and I'm back in the swim again. Rods on the same spot and same baits as Sunday. There were obvious signs of carp in the area throughout the night yet the rods only produced tench and a couple of bream. It rained for most of the night and I flooded the wellies a couple of times. The swim was a nightmare to fish very tight with very little room for mistakes especially in the foot department.

Thursday night and I'm back in there, the rods out and I'm sitting with the "Punisher" aka Keith Speer drinking tea. The night felt right and I had a feeling in the gut that something would happen and if I remember rightly, I mentioned this to Keith a couple of times and on departing I told him to keep his bloody phone on. Nothing much happened through the night apart from a tench but at around 4ish the right hand rod pulled up tight and on striking I knew I was connected on one of the brat pack, one of the mad testosterone commons that had plagued me throughout my time on the pit. It was the two tone one I'd had a number of times around the 18lbs mark but this time she was 21.04. This was getting unreal. I'd had a couple of month's worth of carp in a couple of nights. Isn't it strange how this little common more than likely caught me the big gal!! By the time I had recast and sacked the common up, it was around 4.20ish so I put the kettle on ready for a 5am pack up. Whilst waiting for the kettle to boil I noticed a large boil just off the rod tims, already have boots on so quickly and carefully repositioned the left hand rod by holding the rod high and bouncing the lead across the surface. The hook bait looked good so I dropped it where I had seen the fish show. I was sitting on the edge of the bedchair draining the last dregs of my tea out of the cup when the repositioned rods delk let out a single bleep and illuminating the swim with its blue LED, looking down the rod it just hoped over with no other indication on the alarm. The rod was in full compression and the fish was underneath it. I couldn't allow this fish any more if I was going to land it so I piled on the pressure in an attempt to turn it. There was a violent kick on the end and the fish changed direction and headed out into open water. All the time I had no idea what was on the end. I can remember thinking "yeah, it's a good 'un". One of the big commons kept popping into my head for some strange reason. Staying deep, the fish headed for the coots nest on the bar and again I had to really lean into it to make it change direction. At this point I was in total control and the fish kited across the front and came up in the water, then things went tits up for a short while! There kiting across the front in the half light of dawn wasn't a big common but a bloody great scale less carp looking like a ghost in the inky black water. The thought of commons totally evaporated from my mind and my mouth went dry. "Toady" was on the end and at that point my knees started to go. My obsession for 5 years was attached to my rig.

I had given her so much stick to keep her out of danger and now the only thing in my head was the hook hold, and the fact I could feel my knees going. Pull it together boy and get this thing in the net. The rest of the fight felt like a lifetime but in reality only lasted around five minutes more. She wallowed sucking in air just out of net reach. I stepped off my little perch into three feet of freezing March water and saw her tumble forward into the awaiting net. There I stood waist deep in freezing water, a very surreal moment and standing there every emotion flooded through me hitching a free ride on that adrenalin rush. I spent about five minutes just standing out there in the water with her. This was MY time with her, a time I had longed for, for some time now and no one was going to take it from me. She had made me work hard and wait for my prize and for that I respected her. A moment of peace before the circus arrived. The war was over and the rest is history. "Toady" 40.04.

By Frodo

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