Ready & Waiting....

I arrived down the snag pit on Monday morning in what can only be described as monsoon like conditions! I grabbed the bivvy from the back of the van and made my way round to the prebaited spot. I got the bivvy up in double quick time then headed back to the van to load the barrow and get the rest of the gear back to the swim, my idea being that I could chuck the bedchair straight under the bivvy…….there is nothing worse than sleeping in a sodden bag!

I had a quick smoke and surveyed the area, the conditions looked promising although to be fair this quick overnighter was more of a baiting up trip in preparation for the good winds and mild temperatures that are due on Thursday……I had a free night so thought it would be rude not to get the rods out!

I waited a while for the rain to ease then set about getting the rods sorted. Two rods were placed either side of the baited area and the 3^rd was put out in 12ft of water as a single hookbait and would be used as a roaming rod should I see anything show.

Sheltering from the elements....

After getting the rods sorted, I fired up the coleman for the first brew of the session and sat on the edge of the bedchair scanning the water, not to mention sheltering from the ever increasing rain! Other than countless coffees and hours spent with my eyes fixed to the water not a lot happened that afternoon and it was late in the evening before the rain subsided. I eventually decided to get into the bag about 9pm and soon nodded off.

I awoke at 6am and as soon as I opened my eyes I was aware that something wasn’t right, my throat felt like it had swollen up to twice the size and I was swallowing sandpaper, combine that with the headache from hell and every bone in my bone aching and I had a problem! I needed to be back on the bank on Thursday and couldn’t have chosen a worse time to be ill!!!!

Nether the less as always I fired up the coleman for the first brew of the day and rolled a smoke, I sat scanning the water until 9am but with nothing showing I thought it would be a good idea to get home and do everything in my power to feel a bit more human ready for Thursday. So after a slow pack up I put out 2 lb of bait on my chosen spot, I was hoping that after 2 weeks of priming this area it may just do the business what with the conditions that were soon to follow.

So with that I got in the van and headed for home via the pharmacy so I could empty their shelves of the all the weird and wonderful pain killers and syrups!

Once home, I decided to have a quick sort out of the gear, tie up some fresh rigs before sending the wife out for food & coffee supplies!

As I type this, it’s Wednesday afternoon and I have done nothing for the last 24 hours other than lay on the sofa reading “Still Searching “ for the umpteenth time, whilst my good lady waits on me hand and foot, us carp anglers don’t know how lucky we are sometimes and the support that my good lady gives me is nothing short of amazing but she knows I appreciate it and try to show it as often as I can.

Anyway, all being well tomorrow morning shall see me back on the pit in search of that special fish, they have got to wake up soon and I intend on being there ready and waiting when they do!

Until next time,

Smithy

A Place To Call Home.....

I arrived down the pit slightly later than planned but soon had my kit in the swim, I quickly got the bivvy up and then rolled a smoke and sat down to assess the situation…….I was due to have a telephone interview in 20 minutes so thought it was best to get my head together then get the rods out after.

At 12 on the dot my blackberry rang as promised and before I knew it the brief interview was over and actually went quite well, I think more interviews should be conducted on the bank!

I quickly got the rods set up, even the anti-tangle tubing threaded without a hitch and before I knew it I had 2 rods fishing either side of the pre baited area towards an island, the 3^rd rod was fished as a single hook bait in open water.

Watching & Waiting........

After the positioning of the rods I fired up the coleman and sat back with the first brew of the session, I had the whole pit to myself apart from the odd bird letting out its calming chorus……I have found home!

The day past quickly without anything to note and an eerie mist and a deathly silence soon descended all around me as darkness fell. I climbed into the bag at about 8:30pm as I planned to be up early, very early! Before I knew it I was dreaming about fat carp and big women then a couple of bleeps woke me from my slumber, I sat up already wide awake staring at the right hand rod then looked at my phone…..it was 03:45am, I had planned on being up at 04:30 any way so fired up the coleman and rolled a smoke. I then sat with my eyes fixed on the water other than the countless times when I put the kettle back on.

I saw a few subtle shows over my baited area just as the sun started to appear over the horizon, but unfortunately a take wasn’t meant to be and I had a slow pack up at about 9am as I had promised to be home to do a few jobs.

Before I left I put out about 2lbs of bait on the spot towards the island where I had seen the shows as I planned on returning Monday.

I can’t really remember much of the Journey home, I spent most of it thinking about the Pit, it had really got into my blood, it was the first blank of the many I am sure that will follow……..but I enjoyed every minute of it!!

As soon as I got home, the kit was sorted with Military precision and is ready to head straight back down the pit bright and early Monday morning.

Until then,

  

Smithy

Heading Off To Pastures New.....

Well since my last post I certainly have been a busy chap! I’ve been flitting about here there and everywhere but have finally settled down again and looking forward to a fresh start.

I had a night back on that “special pit” and although I have no fishy activity to speak of I can certainly tell you the session was far from dull, the force 10 gale sorted that out and I spent most of the session hanging on to the bivvy!

After I left I had a venture round a water that I had known about for a long time and had walked its banks countless times during the summer months, I won’t name the water but for the purposes of this blog I shall call it “Snag Pit”, but what I will say is that it is simply stunning and has every feature a carp angler would want!

It was only when I spoke to Pete about it as a possible target venue that the juices got flowing once more, my mind was made up!

I decided to have a few last visits to Island in hope of landing the big girl in all of her winter glory but unfortunately it wasn’t meant to be, I did manage a few doubles though whilst other struggled to get a touch so it was nice to get a take or two after a long winter.

My last fish from Island.....

I left Island knowing it would probably be my last visit. I have had some great times on there and made some lifelong friends but I am looking forward to starting afresh.

That pretty much brings us up to now, I’ve spent most of this afternoon down the new water having a good lead about and trickled in a bit of bait too. I even managed to find a few fish hiding in the snags exactly where I expected them to be. So this evening shall be spent sorting out the gear and tying some fresh rigs before heading down there tomorrow morning for a quick over nighter. It’s a far from easy water but the creatures it holds are absolutely stunning and it will certainly be worth all the hard graft that I am going to need to put in should I be fortunate enough to land one……

Until next time,

Smithy

Off the Mark!

Unfortunately on arrival at the syndicate Monday morning I was greeted by Heron & Island being completely frozen!

I stuck around for a while and had a smoke in the car park whilst watching the sun rise before heading off to get a few jobs done.

I had Tuesday off and got a few things done at home, but by the evening I was staring out of the window at the ever strengthening wind, chomping at the bit to get back on the bank.

So with the van still loaded from Monday I shot down the lake yesterday morning like a man possessed!  I helped the fishery manager do a few jobs around the lake before getting the rods out at about 4pm. The conditions couldn’t have looked better and I was full of confidence, that first brew of the session really did taste good!

As usual Pete came down after work for what seems now like an everyday occurrence of a social and a Chinese (not that I am complaining!), he commented before leaving that he was fully expecting a text with news of a fish.

After Pete had left at about 10pm I got straight into the bag exhausted from a hard days graft around the lake and it didn’t take me long to nod off. I awoke at 6:30am to the alarm on the my Blackberry and immediately fired up the coleman and rolled a smoke, I peered out of the bivvy door, it still looked spot on but time was running out as I had to be packed away by 9am. I must have had 4 or 5 coffees in quick succession all the while not taking my eyes off the water then at 7:40am it happened, a stuttery take woke me from my daze…….I looked for coot or swan but couldn’t see any, “it can’t be a fish can it?” I thought, then reality hit and I lifted into the culprit! It was a pretty uneventful fight to be honest, other than it taking me into a weed bed 30 yards out but with a bit of persuasion I soon had it wallowing over the net cord before being safely netted. I let out a quiet cheer just to myself (well it has been a long hard winter) before inspecting my prize. It certainly wasn’t one of the lumps I was hoping for but was an absolutely stunning little common. 

Size is irrelevant when they look like this....

Now normally I would have  just slipped it back but seeing it was a little gem I secured it in the net in the margin and then went and got Craig from a few swims up to take a few pictures for me before safely returning her to her watery home.

I didn’t recast the rod in fear of spooking anything in the area for the remaining hour of the session so had a celebratory coffee and a smoke or two before slowly packing up and heading home.

Which bring us to now, the kit has been sorted and food stocks replenished, so tomorrow lunch time I shall be heading to a another very special water for the night that I spent some time on a few years ago, I can’t wait to grace it’s banks again and look forward to pitting my wits against its mystical resident’s………

Until next time,

Smithy