Carp at Nordley 2 still driving me nuts.

[barbelblanker]

Went down to Nordley (BAA) for a bit of carp fishing off the top.

This time I had spent some time with a big water jug to see if I could rig the bait so it sat with the hook out of the water. I found a combination of fake baits did the job. The dog biscuit is one with a split shot (no 1) in a hole in the bottom. This lead to the biscuit "flipping" the hook but the hook (a size 8 Kamasan something or other ) sunk it too low and the eye sat in the water. So I went back to using a strategically placed pop up sweetcorn to hold the hook out of the water.

To cut a long story short, hooked one fish that powered straight in to some tree roots. Second was hooked near some bushes but I got it to swim in to clear water and landed at 7LB. Good fun on a 1.5 TC Avon rod. Wierdly I took pictures of loads of things but not the one and only fish.

The fish are still not feeding confidentally. Even without a hook bait they take two or three free offeriings before moving off. They still appear to be in groups.

It has to be said though this is heart thumping stuff and great fun.

So here's some pictures to get you in the mood.

This is the hook with the sweetcorn in place. I also had two other prepared. One with an artificial red maggot threaded up the shank to hide the shank. The other had an artificial caster popped on the shank again.

The important bit was to nick the dog biscuit lightly and EXACTLY opposite the no 1 shot.

As in -

Which (although blurred and this is the maggot one), sits in the water like , this . You can't see the hook but it's riding completely out of the water.

Here's various pictures of Nordley 1 and 2.

Some of the first swim , it's not clear here but the surface is covered in fluffy seed heads. There was a breeze blowing in to the corner and trees either side. The carp are always in the those tree roots but bug@ers to get out so I might avoid hooking them in the snag. I don't like bullying fish too hard as I think it causes too much mouth damage.




These are of Nordley 2.



It's amazing how close the carp feed here. They can be seen nosing right in to the edge . I think they are mopping up what's floated down the wind and right in against the edge. A stealthy approach and a free lined bait could prove useful here.

What amazes me is the number of times people waddle past all these fish, they then drop all their gear and cast to the middle of the lake. Now they are still catching fish so it appears to work for them. I just wonder how many of them have tried fishing close. I've often seen fish under the staging all along these lakes. In fact I've jumped out of my skin too often when a few dropped baits are getting sucked from the sruface UNDER where I am sat.

Tight lines.



And this is one of the swims that the carp seem safe in when the wind blows in to this corner. It seems they can be hooked, held and coaxed out of here even though the area is riddled with tree roots.

[Maddison_Twatter]

Looks like a great venue m8, I can never seem to catch on dog biscuit but do quite well on bread. You should look at my other post as regards to surface fishing kit lol