If Carlsberg Made Fisheries.......................

[Catfish Virgin (Still!)]

............they still wouldn't be as good as Marsh Farm (probably!)

Took today off from work (I'm working next Saturday) and made my merry way on auto pilot to Marsh Farm. Arrived at about 10:30, had a couple of cups of coffee and a good natter with the guys in the tackle shop. The place was quite busy for a Tuesday and Steve was all "doom and gloom" saying the fishing was hard, blaming the drop in temperatures and Easterly/North Easterly winds.

Finally got the gear out of the car and wandered off to Harris Lake. I almost made a detour to the "easier" Richardson Lake but decided to "tough it out" on the big boys lake. As the wind was still predominently easterly and had been for several days, I decided to head for the far end and have the wind in my face. I'd not fished this end before and it was the complete opposite end to where I had had such success last week. I settled in my swim and started fishing at about 12:30:



Almost immediately I started to get bites on caster but, as usual, I couldn't hit them. I played around with the shotting and moved the float a few inches up/down and finally hit into a fish. It was a superb crimson finned rudd of about 12oz. I then shipped the pole out again (only fishing at about 5 mtrs) and watched as the float lifted a bit and then some more.... I lifted into some solid resistance and immediately saw the now familiar golden flash of a crucian. A short but dogged tussle followed but it slipped nicely into the net. Onto the scales and it went 3lb 06oz Quite a start to say the least:



Despite Steve's earlier gloom, I continued on what was to become one of my best fishing trips for many a year. That superb crucian was followed by a regular procession of tench throughout the afternoon and early evening. I ended up with 21 tench with 7 over 5lbs and the best a stunning 6lb 14oz:

5lb 07oz


5lb 12oz


5lb 14oz


6lb 10oz


6lb 14oz


Now, I was very happy catching these tench but the day was made even better as, for every two or three tench that came to the net, I also connected with a specimen crucian. I had 10 crucians all told, most were between 2lb 08oz and 2lb 12oz and I added a second 3lber:

3lb 02oz


But "Carlsberg", sorry Marsh Farm, was not yet finished with me! I lifted into another "sail away" bite and felt the weight of yet another tench. But then the golden flank told a different story, it was a crucian, and a damn big one at that! I make no apologies but I was almost pleased that I was wearing dark trousers! It finally slid into the net and I just stared at it. Convinced it was a lot bigger than my 3lb 09oz from last week, I thought it could be over 4lb! The National Record is 4lb 09oz so I was shaking a bit as I slipped the weigh sling around it. No, not a record, but with the scales registering the mearest fraction over 4lbs, we settled for an official 4lbs 00oz.

An absolute stunner:


Pass the Bacardi, I need a drink!

[Michael1992]

Some absouloutley stunning fish there! Well done mate

Looks like theres some superb fish in there . . . Do you think theres the record in there? Will be another challenge for you if there is . . .

Good Luck and well done!

Michael!

[Norfolkboy]

What a fish mate. Well done!

[Fishing Forum Admin]

Cracking fish there mate

[pingu]

thats an awsome fish there neil
top fishing

dave

[fishypaul]

superb fish there neil,that 4 pounder is a stunner

[Banana Steve]

top post, great looking fish, ian if you are looking at this post, thats what a tench looks like

[Noel]

Stunning session and report again

Just goes to show that not everyone who digs a lake has to fill it with loads of mirrors and commons. Can't blame you for going back time and time again.

[Twiddler]

Not even Carlsberg could beat that, a 4lb crucian is a lifetime fish, very well done Partner, I pull my hat off and bow to the 'Master'

Some awesome looking tench too.....have a drink or two on me, you well deserve them.

[Greenheart]

That is one stonking Crucian Neil. Well done mate... Keep trying for that record.