a good result in the end

[baitmaster]

sit down for a coffee cause this is a big report
well i went out for the start of the season after all the prebaiting i have to say i was feeling good about what was going to transpire over the next couple of days .
so i arrived late thursday afternoon and got base camp set up so i was ready for the start at midnight i had a look around to sdee if i could spot any thing and there was fish in the general area so with this i trickle some loose feed into the swim .
i got my head down for a nap but in the heat it was difficult but i did manage to drop off i was up and about at 11pm kettle on and the excitment was starting to mount up and i was getting tingly with the thought of the new season starting .
soon it was time and my first rod was sent out into the darkness and once it hit the clip i new it was wher i wanted it the sencond and third rod was also despatched to there likely spot .
so now we are away with the 06 to 07 season and i must admit i was very excited more than normal .
and hour past then my first action came and i lept off my seat to the rod and soon relised it was not a carp but a bream of about six pound well its a start .
with it being really early i decided to set up my 9ft jungle stick out set up a small waggler and fish the lift method before the sun got up and burnt me to a crisp .
while this was going on another take was away on my far rod and yet again another fenland bream was landed this too was about 6lb ( again no pics my apologies for that ).
at this point i reeled in the rods and went off with a tin of corn and my jungle stick in pursuit of my quarry . i saw a sign of a carp milling so gently lowered my float into the gap and through a few grains over the top .the float twitched and i was waiting for it to bury itself again it twitched then it sat up and just flew under i swept the rod back and connected to a very strong carp the water in front of me boiled and the lillies were being parted as this fish tried to escape but my 2 3/4 jungle stick was doing its job and full stretch and then suddenly it pulled the hook and it escape to say i was gutted was and understatement and i knew i had just blown may be my only oppunity .i headed back to my bivvy and stuck the kettle on and inspected my rig but nothing wrong there s oit was not meant to be .
now at about 6 am a car came down the track and i ,m thinking who that normally i have this all to myself and as it came over the top of the bank i saw it was my mate who decided he would come fishing for the week end .
we talked for a while about my loss over a coffee and we both had a good look round for over an hour and we felt the carp had gone big time and decided to change tactics and venue so my mate gave me a hand to pack down .
now i said to my mate well i,ll take ya to ghostie pond as he had never fished it and i was in the mood for some screaming indicator action to forget my lost carp earlier soon we had arrived at ghostie pond and set up the weather was baking and there is no shadey area here . just to make it intersting we fished it as a freindly competition .
with in minutes my mate had the first on the bank about 7lb i followed it with this 9lb pretty mirror
this went on relentlessly and run after run was banked and and just before two in the morning i reeled in i had this 12lb mirror
i was knackered and reeled in and retired and after thirty small carp
ranging between 6lb to 12lb i had my mate well and trully beat and he conceded gracefully .
in the morning my mate came and woke me up early with a coffee and he too reeled in, oh just to rub it in with me mate the score was 30-- 14 to me
also on coming oput of the bivvy the carp were well into spawning and the margins all the way round was alive with carp going for it .we again decided we had had enogh of this and another move was on the card and we both wanted a bit more of a challenge and a quick phone call to mark barret (good freind and very good angler) soon had me and my mate heading towards a lake at plymoor called oxlode lake.this watewr is a dawn to dusk water so we also decided that we would fish as late as we could then go home .

soon we arrived and as we walked through the gate we were greeted with a small lake about 2 acres .
the water was gin clear and as we crepted round we spotted carp cruising around the margin .soon we were both set up and fishing again it was going to be a scorcher but we has some shade from the tree,s behind us .
about and hour in my mate had the first action and soon we realised they were going to fight back and as this pit is deep about 30ft they had lots of depth to do battle in .

i took this pic while he was playing the fish and it was not giving up easierly and a further few heart stopping minutes went by until it finally was over come by my mates abilities and slid into the waiting net .
we both just looked down on it it really was a good looking fish and at a weight of 16lb 120z it really had battle very very hard indeed .
my mate was really happy and a few trophy shots were taken and we both watched it swim away into the depth of the lake .

soon every thing had calmed down and he placed the bait back in the margin shelf as this is where we both decided the best ambush point was and with not being allowed to surface fish and the lake being around thirty for deep this was where we felt they would be .
soon i too was battling a oxlode carp and i had not really appreciated how hard my mate had to control these fish, i have to say i was struggling to control the demented beast on the other end and it too shot off the shelf into the depth where for a minute was winning but i decided to tighten down and not allow it to dictate the fight and soon it realised who was going to win the battle and it too slid gently into the awaiting net of my trusty gilly .
again a few trophy shots were taken and it to was soon released this went 14lb 10oz

soon i was into another one and i scrappy battle was put up but being a bit smaller it was soon over come and it was banked photoed and released soon my mate not wanting to be left behind in the catching stakes was soon in again and another good fight was had and on sliding into the net the relief of not having to pull against the carp was evident PHEW!! .
this went 14lb 10oz .

another stunning oxlode carp was relaesed into the depth to go and sulk . inccidently iour tactics were to use two grains of corn balanced with a bouyant piece on top and this was fished on a safety clip stystem and lowered into the margin tight to the reeds . and then a few grains placed over the top with a handfull of pellet for good measure .
we carried on having a few fish and the lack of pics is because or some reason my mate was taking bad pics which were all out of focus and was really not useable of his piture taking here this was what i mean this is a 13lb 8oz
any way it was now starting to get dark and we cpacked most of the gear away but left the rods just laying on the bank soon my left hand rod was hissing line out and i quickly picked up the rod and knew this was going to be a scrap it fought amazingly hard and thoughts of a big carp started to come into my mind as i could not stop it initially .
again a few heart stopping moments went by as it pinged its pecks on my line and tried to get in both reed beds left and right of my swim i just had no control whether it was due to the hot day sapping our energy or whether these fish were really beast i don,t know .
finally it lost its battle to get away from me and it looked a very good fish and on weighing it it went 17lb exactly and i was happy and a couple of pics were taking and soon i wished it a long life as it swam away

what a geat way to finish a great couple of day and to share with my long timew fishing partner made it extra special although this session changed from what we set out for did not really matter we had enjoyed a great session and thats what really matters not size although we caught some cracking fish from yet another venue where neither of us has ever fished and believe me it meant to be a difficult venue and both me and my mate had 7 carp each and also lost eight between us .
but we did think about how we were going to fish and as they say two heads are better than one .
i hope you enjoy the report as much as i did writting it

tightlines
kevin

[Norfolkboy]

Brilliant read as usual Kev, some lovely looking carp were caught too.

Looks like you had a great start to the season, well done

[Fishing Forum Admin]

What a cracker - read it twice

You guys worked hard and the picts and info are tops

[gullyworm]

Great report Kev.
With sessions like that mate i wouldnt bother comming south for the smuts

[biggun]

Looks like you were out having a great session fishing whilst I was out having a great session well done Kev a great report as usual

[fishypaul]

smashing read kev,well done

[needle sharp]

christ what a session bet the bit alarms need new battieries now well done.

[Rob M]

Nice one Kev, a great way to start the season, you must be knackered! Well done on the carp mate

Rob

[Charter Skipper]

Excellent result Kev,you must be well chuffed ......

[pingu]

wow serious session and report there kev, sounded a knackering few days
photos showed it worked out well though

well done