Connor and Old Jeff Go Fishing

Connor and old Jeff with Connor's 8-pounder (click for bigger picture)

Since Jeff (my dad's father-in-law) Woodhouse wrote the last piece on our fishing trips (The Magic Begins) I thought I would get my side in first this time. In the interests of truth of course.

Well, since those first trips we have had a couple more. Once to the little ponds where we started and here there was nothing much to tell. Just small ones up to about 2lb all day although he (the old one) did put out a whip (or so he called it?) to see what was about in the margins and within the space of five minutes had the biggest fish of the day. A tench of 2½lbs, followed pretty smartly by the smallest fish of the day, a rudd of ¼oz.

Still small things.......

Then last weekend it was back to Stu and Stephen's lake. That was good fun last time and nice to see their big Newfoundland dog again, Bruce. Boy had he grown some this time and he's into biting now, only playfully, but Stu says it still hurts.

Well, we looked at the swims we fished last time. Stephen was keen on his favourite swim, but Stu favoured somewhere else so we looked further along the spit of land. The very end swim was sheltered from the blustery south west wind by a large bush and a few features could be got at from this one. However, the others then saw that another swim was free that the old one (Jeff) had fished a few times and they said it looked to be in a sheltered part of the lake, so we moved on to it instead.

When we got round there it was sheltered and Stephen started telling me exactly where to fish, from his description it was almost on the bank. So I had to wait until the old one had tackled up my Abu rod and a new reel he'd bought for me. We'd loaded it with 4lb line that morning and he said it would be okay to start with until we started catching bigger fish.

Connor fights the double (click for bigger picture)

So with a float that looked as old as he must be and a pair of old maggots (he'd bought them for Clattercote, he said, and was too tight to throw them away) I began fishing exactly where Stephen suggested, right in the side amongst the reeds. I didn't have to wait too long before I had a small roach on the line, just a few ounces. This was followed by two more of around ½ pound. Well, at least we'd made a start.

Later Stephen suggested putting a chick pea on the hook, but first Jeff had to tie a new and larger hook on for me. The wait was excruciating. Ah well, back in and soon enough I had a small carp of maybe 2 or 3 lbs followed by another slightly larger one. In all I had caught fish to around 6lbs on this lovely little rod until I hit a real clonker!

(Sorry, but I have been reading John Wilson's book).

It ran and ran and the line peeled off the new reel beautifully. Remember it was only 4lb mainline with a 3lb hooklink so I had to take extreme care. Every time I gained a few metres, off it ran again and Stephen and Stu thought it could be a double figure carp. If so, this would be a new personal best and I didn't want to lose it.

Connor fights his carp under the scrutiny of the gallery (click for bigger picture)

The fight continued, give a bit, gain a bit. Jeff tightened the drag on the reel a little in order to tire it further, but that just seemed to make it want to fight harder. All the time he's barking something that Rex Hunt's always saying; “The line only breaks when your patience runs out.” Well, my patience was holding up alright so on we went.

It was after ten minutes he started “helping out”, he said. He put his hand up the rod to try to force the fish to the surface and at the same time trapped the line with his grip, “intentionally” he claimed! Well it was only another minute or so and the 3lb hooklink parted. Was I disheartened?

Stu and Stephen were convinced that from what we'd seen of that fish it certainly was a double and the silly old fool had lost it for me. That could have meant a silver carp badge from 'Improve Your Coarse Fishing'! Oh, he tried to pass it off saying that the fish had been played long enough and toxins would be starting to build up in its fin muscle. He said it had got to the point where it was best to bank it or break it, the line that is, and he did just that. My best fish!

After that the best I could manage was an 8lb-er, which was still a PB and put up a good fight, but a poor consolation. I couldn't remain angry with him since he'd brought some Mars Bars and some tropical fruit juices that I fancied. He put out a boily on an alarm again, but couldn't do any better than me. I'd had more than 12 fish, many of which were carp and fought really well, so my thanks go to Stephen and Stu once more for a truly great and memorable day, thanks guys.