Fishing with a few friends in Somerset

[mithrandir]

We had planned to meet up with Ch and TR, a few friends from another forum, at our local lake this weekend, but unfortunately CH had car troubles and missed out, but with a beautiful weekend forecast we loaded the car Friday afternoon and headed off to the lake.

When we arrived TR was already there, he had saved the lilypad swim for Claudia and was pitched up in the next one along the dam wall, I pitched a few swims down where it looked a bit bare, I wanted to see what the unseen parts of the lake held, this was a decision I was to regret later.

TR told us he had had some fish out, mainly tench but that they were spawning like crazy so the carp we going to be hard to come by, undeterred we set up and got down to the serious business of fishing.

We had visitors on the first evening, Pl and Matt popped by, and later Kevin , one of the Bailiffs, whilst Matt was there I had my first take, the left hand rod that was set over by some stumps in the water had a little nod on the tip, I picked it up and felt the weight of a fish on the end, I tightened up and then it felt very heavy, then light, I think I had hit a tench that weeded me and spat the hook, " oh well, there is always later on", thinking that is was going to be a busy session after all.

Then time ticked by, there was lots of fish activity, mainly of carp mating, but not much bait taking going on. I had decided to try a speculative float road for the tench, I had one really good take, but as I struck into it there was a big swirl in the water as the fish swam away leaving my poor lonely float on its own, another missed fish.

Soon it was time for bed, so I wrapped up and settled down to sleep, I can only have been down 5 minutes when My phone started to ring, it was TR telling me that Claudia had got her first fish out



A lovely condition 11lb carp, caught on a single pop up artificial sweetcorn over a bed of corn in the lily pads.

I wandered over to see and decided that it would soon be my turn.

I settled off back to sleep only to be awoken by scurrying sounds, there was a mouse in my bivvy, and it sounded like he was wearing hobnailed boots the way it scurried across my ground sheet. After some faffing around I seemed to have got rid of him, only to lie there listening to the carp splashing up against the bush right next to me. Finally I drifted off only to be awoken by the mouse again, he was back with his mates by the sound of it. So I had the mice having a bivvy party under my bedchair, the fish having an orgy in the lake next to me, I could see it was going to be a long night, the only thing that did not disturb me all night was my bite alarms!

Morning came and I was greeted by Claudia with a big smile on her face, she had had another carp out in the early morning, this one was 11lb 8oz, ( Photo to follow when TR sends them) I was still fishless and facing a blank straight in the face, the swim I was in was looking barren of any fish other than the sex fiends in the bushes.

Morning soon bought more visitors as Jules and CW came by to say hello, then PL, AC and DS came by, the bush next to me had become a target as I had noticed hundreds of good sized roach in there with the carp, I had assumed that they were feeding on the spawn and spent a few hours tickling a float under the bush to try and get one to take, but no joy, it appeared that they too were spawning so not taking bait.

Here are us taking the strain of the fishing seriously.

TR



Me



And Claudia snapped by AC in a moment of pure adrenalin rush and excitement(in her dreams)



The day was hot and the lake was developing a lot of scum as the silt heated up



but the quiet of the day when the fish were not feeding did not allow some people to tidy their swims up.

Neither of these are mine but 3 guesses whose is who's







Saturday evening arrived Ac and Pl returned bearing Chinese takeaway, little angels the pair of them, that scoffed then it was back to the serious business of fish catching, TR managed a 6 or 7 pound tench and an hour or so later Claudia had a 5lb tench, a new PB for her.



I was still blanking, there were pike in my swim, they were crashing onto the roach and spooking the tench away, the carp were thrashing away in the bushes, the only little ray of light was directly infront of me I had watch some serious fizzing, signs of proper feeding in the middle of the lake, about 100 yards from me, so that night I had 2 of my baits out as far as I could reach towards that area, and one close in incase the tench did return that night.

Saturday night came and went without a bleep from my alarms. Had a good sleep though and was up with the dawn, in time to watch the "Ladies of the Lake" dance for me. No I had not been on the booze, this is when the mist off the lake starts to rise in ribbons off the water and the sun warming patches causes it to swirl, they make lovely spirals of rising mist that seem to dance across the water, This is the source of the Lake Ladies legend, and the water nymphs that are told of in poetic stories.

Well I was getting a bit mad in the heat, so maybe it was just mist, still no fish for me.

Sunday morning saw me have a couple of little taps on the bait I had near the stumps, nothing developed and I re-cast a single bait out as far as I could go to the fizzy spot from yesterday and left two baits in by the stumps.

TR packed up and left and Claudia and I started the process of breaking camp to haul ourselves home with the dark cloud of Monday morning ahead of us. The day was really hotting up, and the packing up was a slow process, do a little bit, sit and have a coffee and a smoke, do a bit more.

I was down to having just my rods in the water, the landing net to pack and the bivvy to fold up, I was just on my knees folding it away when this strange sound happened.

I listened and thought,"That sounds like a bite alarm, not Claudia again!"


Hang on a minute, it is VERY loud.


Finally after 40 hours of silence one alarm had decided to bleep away to itself.

Might have been due to some inconsiderate carp dragging my line though it when it took my bait.

So as I looked up I saw my line kiting to the left, the fizzy spot was alive with bubbles and I had got my first serious fish of the weekend on. I called to Claudia to give me a hand, as my kit was everywhere as I was packing up, she was more concerned that she had an un alarmed rod in the water in her swim, so I swiftly brought the fish into the bank for her to net. After a quick weigh in and photo he was released.



A little blank buster of 11lb 4oz.

With that I continued the packing away and did a couple of runs to the van with all of our gear.

At least we had both had some of the carp out of this lake, by all accounts not an easy task, with Claudia having a bonus PB tench.

The weather was brilliant, the company even better, and thanks to everyone who came down to say hello and wish us luck, hope we can all fish together soon.

[Twiddler]

It was the first time I really witnessed carp in full spawning, it was an amazing sight.
Also the roach spawning is fun to watch, they've turned the 24 acres lake in to a jacuzzi, it looked like huge shole of fry being chased by pike lol.

Another thing I have caught is a huge sunburn and now I look like a lobster


Here a few more pics

TR's Tench


My two common

[pingu]

well done mike and the lobster sounds a pleasent weekend and why is it always the last knockings mike, sure you dont want to play for man u


dave

[BaggieRich]

Nice one guys...

Nice PB Twidds and top marks for perseverance Mike.

Top report mate.

[fishypaul]

well done all of you , sounds a good weekend,glad you avoided the blank mike

[Norfolkboy]

Nice one Mike/Claudia

[toma]

Thats a belter of a tench for Claudia, good fish all round lads n lasses.
Great read

[Catfish Virgin (Still!)]

Stunning looking carp and a great pb for Claudia, a "proper" tench and no mistake.

Excellent write up Mike, well done on hanging it out until the very end

[Greenheart]

Nice report Mike. You certainly picked a great weekend for it mate. Glad you managed to catch a Carp. Not an easy task, as I think they are spawning everywhere at the moment. Those are some cracking looking Tench too. I do like the Pic of Claudia, trying to scare the Frogs away from her sleeping bag though. I bet every frog within 20 miles has legged it....

[Fishing Forum Admin]

Cracking report and well done on PB