Just tried the Method..good innit

Baz T · #1 07-07-2010, 04:15 PM

Being relatively new to carp fishing, and having fished the same venue since I started last year, my friend took me to a different carp venue - a small lake owned by a farmer which costs a fiver to fish, and is only 20 mins drive away. He showed me how to fish using the method system. I only caught a couple, but he did extremely well, so I thought I would definately give it another go, and as it happens I had the day off work today and ventured back to the small lake again, arriving at 0600 despite the damp and the drizzle!
I had prepared my first ever bucket of method mix the day before, using my own recipe.
I had used hemp, aduki beans, chick peas - all of which I had prepared by soaking/boiling etc. I split the prepared chick peas in half (just crushed em between my fingers) as I didnt want whole chickpeas in the mix (and I also put some through the Korda Krusha to break em up even more) and also added sweetcorn, a bag of vitalin, and molasses, using the water from boiling the hemp/beans/chickpeas to soak it all.
It turned out a nice dark colour, with bits of yellow sweetcorn showing, and various sizes of particles. It looked good, smelled good, ....I didnt taste it though..
Anyway,I planned to fish one rod with boilies/pva mesh stocking, and the other rod on method. However the persistant drizzle and rain meant it was a pain in the ass messing around with pva mesh, so I just opted for using the method. I set up both rods for method, but in effect was only fishing one at a time, as I would cast out the 2nd rod a short while before retreiving the 1st rod etc etc.
First cast - I had a run even before I had settled down into my chair, and I landed a small but hard fighting carp of about 5lbs. This is a good start I thought. I cast out again, and this time a run even before I had time to set the alarm! Fish of about 7lbs this time. Between 0630 and 1130, it was great fishing, though things slowed down for the last couple of hours before I left at 1 pm. I ended up with 12 carp, and I also hooked and lost just as many, some of which managed to run into the snags hanging from the island, and although I lost the fish I didnt actually lose any gear which was a bonus. One of the reasons I packed up at 1 pm was that I was running out of method mix, and the mix was becoming a bit soggy in the damp and drizzle, despite keeping it under the brolly. I will get a bucket with a lid next time!

My biggest carp of the day was 13lb 3oz, not huge, but a pb for me so I was chuffed with that - onwards and upwards as they say.Several of the others were 8/10 lb.
So I learned how to make method mix, and also fish the method - courtesy of browsing this forum, using Google, and advice from my mate.
I also learned that you cant sit down for too long when fishing the method, because if I didnt get a run after 10 mins or so, I would bring it in bait up and cast out again.
I also learned that its best to make up pva bags the day before if it looks like rain.
I also learned that my boots have a hole in them and I had soggy socks for the last 3 hours.

Pics below..
Misty morning rain
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The view from under the brolly
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Brightened up for 5 minutes - I can actually see the island now
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Biggest of the day 13lb 3oz
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