Shillingford Tomorrow

[Sir Blanks-alot]

Off up to Shillingford, Exeter way tomorrow, leaving really early and hoping to fish the top pond in the hopes of a new carp pb! Got some prawns and mussels and some small pellets for loose feed. Think i may play it simple and just freeline in the margins and see how it goes, heres hoping, will put a report up tomorrow if all goes well!

[Baz T]

Good Luck. I havent fished there yet, still working my way around various carp lakes in the area, so will be interested to hear how you get on etc. Hope u have a good un..

[pingu]

was fishing well saturday , from what my mate said
look forward to report

dave

[Sir Blanks-alot]

Well i was determined to have the pick of the swims because all three ponds can get quite busy and i have lost out on to many spots this year so i arrived bang on 6, the gates were just opening! The spot i fished looked great, on the right of the top pond, with the island about fifteen feet to my front. I had settled on freelining mussels or prawns on my carp waggler rod with 8lb line and a 14 hook. As well as fishing to the island i also thought i could fish in the margins to my right.

Kicking off i put a mussell on and swung him out underhand right to the edge of the island. Using the bigger baits it was easy to freeline it out right in tight to the island. I then tightened down a bit and watched the line from the rod tip to the water. I didnt have to wait long before the line tightened up in a flash and before i had time to strike the fish had careered off away from the island and thankfully into open water. After a brief fight i netted a lovely Common of around 8lb. With continual feeding of pellets against the island and in the margins i was had a few bites in quick succession, bumping a couple and missing the rest but eventually i connected with a couple more fish, one was about 7lb and the other was smaller around 4lb but lovely looking fish all the same.

Then the swim at the island went stone dead and i couldnt buy a take. It had got pretty hot by this time and alot of the carp were basking on the surface sunning themselves completely not interested in feeding at all. I did notice my margin swim was completely clouded up with mud though with feeding fish and i could also make out a tail where the carp was on its head feeding on my pellets so i lobbed a prawn on and swung it out into the maelstrom. After about ten minutes where i thought it would never take the rod was nearly pulled in and it was all i could do to hold onto it let alone strike, the fish powered off over to the other side of the lake and i couldnt stop it, after the initial run though it seemed to tire and i played him out in the open water, bringing its haed up it looked a good sized fish and i thought my pb had been broken. On getting it onto the bank though i realised i had forgotten my scales!! disaster, id say the fish weighed about 16lb but as my pb was 14lb its a tough one to call.

EITHER WAY IT WAS A GREAT DAYS FISHING!!! Got some snaps and will hopefully put them up but using an old phone as mine broke so no idea how im going to do it!

[Baz T]

Niice report, and a nice fish to end with too, well done. Looking forward to the photo's if you figure out how to get them off the phone..lol

[BoldBear]

Good Report, hope you manage to get your photos off your phone ok.
Sounds like a nice water.

[tjnorton]

Great read. The margins at shilly are the best places for the bigger fish. They have learnt as people always discard bait n the margins when they leave.

tj