The secret mere. Part 2.
Posted 27-12-2010 at 13:28 by dannytaylor
I couldn't get the image of the Tench out of my mind. A truly awesome creature! All i could think about was the mere and its inhabitants. Time dragged on and the real world and work got in the way. Finally i managed a trip to the water it had only been a couple of days but it felt like a lifetime. As i made my way through the woodland and stepped out onto the banks of the mere all thoughts of work, relationships and commitments drifted from my mind, it was good to be back.
Nothing had changed it was as if i had never left. The day had been hot and sunny. I did a few laps of the mere searching the margins but there were no signs of the tench or for that matter any carp. I baited a couple of margin spots then sat and scanned the water. Out towards the middle of the mere a thick weedbed grew, it was here that i noticed the dark blue shapes of basking carp. Lazily they enjoyed the last of the evening sunlight, there where some good carp present some looked over the 20Ib mark, no monsters by today's standards but to me these where special carp. Had they ever felt the sting of metal or the touch of human hands? "unspoilt" golden scaled commons, they cruised in and around the weed sucking at the foliage. I made up a PVA bag containing floating dog biscuits and a small stone to give it some weight. I catapulted this up wind and let the mixers drift down towards the carp. They never so much as flinched as the biscuits passed over them. I've notice this before with wild carp that are seldom fished for its as if they do not recognise floating baits as food and therefore ignore them. All very frustrating, the evening wore on and all to soon the dark fingers of twilight stretched over the landscape and it was time to call it a day. I checked the baited margin spots but they remained untouched. There was no sign of the big tench.
That week the weather turned for the worse and some big south westerlies swept across the country bringing with them wind and rain. There had been substantial rainfall and when i returned to the mere the usual clear water had been coloured by the rain. Stalking wouldn't be an option, i opted to use some water craft and headed for the windward shore, there had to be fish here the wind was hacking into a corner and it was here that i baited with a good helping of hemp and corn. I sett-up an avon rod with a float fished lift style and baited a size 10 hook with three grains of corn. Settling down it wasn't long before tell tale bubbles began to break around the float on the waters surface, the float bobbed and swayed as fish began to rip up the bottom the already coloured water began to turn a darker shade around the float as the fish really got on the bait. My heart pounded with anticipation, any minute now, any minute now i said over and over to myself. In the blink of an eye the float lifted half its length and then buried the rod hooped over and the reel yielded line as the fish went on a turbo charged run. The fight was long and dogged which is often the case in deep water, my arm began to ache which is always a sign of a good scrap. With some relief the fish was netted and peering into the mesh there lay a magnificent common carp, long powerful and lean the avons spun round to 19Ib. I sett-up the camera and took some self takes amongst the buttercups.
Cradling the carp in the net i carried it away from the swim and released it. Returning to my pitch i baited again with a good dosage of hemp, then poured myself a brew and let the swim rest. I flicked out the float and soon the odd bubble broke the waters surface, the feeding did not seem as frenzied as earlier and without any warning the float just disappeared. If the last fight was good then this was in a different league as the unseen advisory was relentless in its struggle to evade capture. I failed to stand my ground and ended up grabbing the net following (or is that being dragged) down the bank. After some time the fish tired wallowing on the surface coughing water. Into the net went the carp, 22Ib of power, a memorable fish.
Tired but happy i did the self takes then packed up more than happy with my evenings sport.
Nothing had changed it was as if i had never left. The day had been hot and sunny. I did a few laps of the mere searching the margins but there were no signs of the tench or for that matter any carp. I baited a couple of margin spots then sat and scanned the water. Out towards the middle of the mere a thick weedbed grew, it was here that i noticed the dark blue shapes of basking carp. Lazily they enjoyed the last of the evening sunlight, there where some good carp present some looked over the 20Ib mark, no monsters by today's standards but to me these where special carp. Had they ever felt the sting of metal or the touch of human hands? "unspoilt" golden scaled commons, they cruised in and around the weed sucking at the foliage. I made up a PVA bag containing floating dog biscuits and a small stone to give it some weight. I catapulted this up wind and let the mixers drift down towards the carp. They never so much as flinched as the biscuits passed over them. I've notice this before with wild carp that are seldom fished for its as if they do not recognise floating baits as food and therefore ignore them. All very frustrating, the evening wore on and all to soon the dark fingers of twilight stretched over the landscape and it was time to call it a day. I checked the baited margin spots but they remained untouched. There was no sign of the big tench.
That week the weather turned for the worse and some big south westerlies swept across the country bringing with them wind and rain. There had been substantial rainfall and when i returned to the mere the usual clear water had been coloured by the rain. Stalking wouldn't be an option, i opted to use some water craft and headed for the windward shore, there had to be fish here the wind was hacking into a corner and it was here that i baited with a good helping of hemp and corn. I sett-up an avon rod with a float fished lift style and baited a size 10 hook with three grains of corn. Settling down it wasn't long before tell tale bubbles began to break around the float on the waters surface, the float bobbed and swayed as fish began to rip up the bottom the already coloured water began to turn a darker shade around the float as the fish really got on the bait. My heart pounded with anticipation, any minute now, any minute now i said over and over to myself. In the blink of an eye the float lifted half its length and then buried the rod hooped over and the reel yielded line as the fish went on a turbo charged run. The fight was long and dogged which is often the case in deep water, my arm began to ache which is always a sign of a good scrap. With some relief the fish was netted and peering into the mesh there lay a magnificent common carp, long powerful and lean the avons spun round to 19Ib. I sett-up the camera and took some self takes amongst the buttercups.
Cradling the carp in the net i carried it away from the swim and released it. Returning to my pitch i baited again with a good dosage of hemp, then poured myself a brew and let the swim rest. I flicked out the float and soon the odd bubble broke the waters surface, the feeding did not seem as frenzied as earlier and without any warning the float just disappeared. If the last fight was good then this was in a different league as the unseen advisory was relentless in its struggle to evade capture. I failed to stand my ground and ended up grabbing the net following (or is that being dragged) down the bank. After some time the fish tired wallowing on the surface coughing water. Into the net went the carp, 22Ib of power, a memorable fish.
Tired but happy i did the self takes then packed up more than happy with my evenings sport.
Total Comments 1
Comments
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Two beautiful specimens of Fish, gorgeous colours and a great shape to them too.
Steph.Posted 27-06-2011 at 20:32 by steph mckenzie
