Leaderboard

I fished a few hours today and opened the 2021 account with this 16lb pristine mirror, caught on a pop up over a bed of hemp and boilie.

The calm before the storm, a quick 4hr session produced 6 runs with 5 carp banked. First fish of 2021.

Carp no5 of 6 runs, that’s it I’m out of bait! Fished from 10-1, so well happy with that, no monsters but it’s broken the 2021 duck. this one beat me right up, had to chase it down the bank with a landing net and unhooking mat over my shoulder!

First blood! 7-9lb (ish) common, unhooked in the net.

V nice. Here's mine lol.

Laughed me socks off at this...

Carp no3 7-9lb (ish) unhooked in the net. 3rd fish from 4 runs so far, bumped one fish off and found the hook point turned over. Was using trig-hammers, now switched to fox wide gapes as I’m having to hit and hold, fishing to reeds on the other side.

I’m on the bank, rods out, gentle warm breeze drifting into this bay, had a few liners... fingers crossed!

I’ve still got my JRC STI Rapid Erection... it’s ancient! I got it when they first came out. they could have thought of a name that doesn’t conjure up images of a VD clinic, but still...

Carp no2 ripped off as I placed the bobbin, 6-7lbish. Unhooked in the net.

I hear you blue!! Cold n windy, but just what the doctor ordered

I know a woman who was absolutely incredulous when I wouldn't go over to her house on a day off. She said "Do you mean to tell me you'd rather go carp fishing than spend time with me? Carp fishing in the rain?!"

Over my club lake... nothing yet, don't really expect anything, but I'm out and its like a huge exhalation of pent up worry....

Sorry EX wife...

Lost a tench but a small fully scaled mirror so far not the biggest but it counts

I did message the lake last night, they will announce details on fb when they are ready to open but they would gladly host a carp.Com social, I will keep my eyes on fb for when they are ready, I have a feeling most other lakes will be getting booked as soon as restrictions are eased so we may have to act fairly quickly once it's announced but I'll keep you posted

A painting of the burghfield common off the Mrs after dropping a few hints 😉, not my favourite looking carp of all time but the fact it gets caught so rarely puts it up there with one of my favourites. Caught only by IMO the elite carp anglers.

Fishing is different to all people some may use their time to get away from the stresses of life and just be there catching is a bonus some want to work as hard in their fishing as they do in every other thing in life that’s what makes fishing so unique it has something for everyone. no wrong and no right

Time spent watching the water for a few days without a rod will teach you more than sitting behind silent alarms day in day out... watercraft can be learned, but the best bits of tackle you have cost you nothing... eyes, ears and your brain... too many folks put their trust in the latest bait or rig, without looking at the water and having a clue where to put it or where the fish hold up... this is where to top lads excel...

A couple more shots of weirs and waterfalls.

This was taken on just a phone. One of many good scenic shots on my new water, last year. It wasn't all bad. Can't wait to get out on the bank for a few nights🤞

I agree with Sparky, there's something about waterfalls and weirs.

Part of the joy of fishing is taking in the scenery and I always try to take a few photo's to capture the moment.

I am in the middle of rebuilding my MK IV cane rod and had really decided in my head to just whip the rings etc on and not whip any intermediates... then my wife was in my workshop whilst I was whipping rings on and I put a couple of intermediates in just to show her what it would look like.... that’s much better she said 😂😂 I must admit I don’t enjoy whipping intermediates ( does anyone ) but now she has me thinking.. do I or don’t I...

Thanks everyone, I'm in. My friend and carping buddy Rob came and got me and took me home. He did everything, spent time after work for days moving all my clutter so I can navigate with the walker, picked up all the mobility aids, handicapped parking permit,brought me food once when the hospital food was incredibly vile, and done tons of other stuff, too much to list, then spent all afternoon today shifting things around so they're in the right place, and we had a few beer too, in celebration. There's groceries tomorrow, and probably more. I've had big tendon tears before but this is worst

It’s not expensive, it’s peanuts really...

Well the day has started brighter, Cut down sugar in tea to 1/2 tsp, ready for none by the end of the week, the protein shakes I ordered arrived in time for breakfast so I've glugged one of those, haven't got a 6 pack yet 😭 but hopefully I'm on the road to a better future 😁

Carp no4, I’m popping the barbless hook out in the net and letting them go, rather than bank them as it’s pretty mucky and slippery in this swim. This one probably scraped double figures. I’m looking at having to pack up soon, I’ve done all my bait bar a handful, that’s about 2/3 of a Kg since 10am. It’s raining, (I haven’t got a brolly!) I’m soaked through but still!

Well since my venture into sea fishing over the last 3 years I've stumbled across various hooks and patterns from makes I'd not heard of. One particular brand do a chod style hook and it's the sharpest hook I've ever got straight of a packet and at £2-45 for 10 they are cheap as chips. No carp tax on these. I've just got to use them carp fishing now 😂

Really windy some rain but so nice to be out

He stocks most brands and sharpens them to order. Alternatively you can send him yours and he'll do them for you: https://sshooks.co.uk/hooks.html He also does his own Ultra-Sharp brand. You can get the range from JR: https://johnsonrosstackle.co.uk/1640-hand-sharpened-hooks

I only use chods and zigs when I believe there is no other method that can catch them in the given situation. I've caught plenty so imo you are missing out boys. When they're nuts deep in heavy weed it has to be a chod. When they're mid-water it has to be a zig.

Keeping things simple is the way forward mate, I’m always tinkering with rigs admittedly when at home, but on the bank i revert to simple rigs I know work, coupled with a bait I have complete confidence in means I can rest assured that those two elements are working for me, I can “forget” about them and concentrate on location and tactics. The best rig in the world can’t catch a carp that isn’t there!

Agreed. It’s a lesson I learned relatively late in my fishing ‘career’. The absolutely most important thing is to watch, listen and then act.

It's not money that catches the fish though. You can have all the money in the world, all the time in the world and fish that lake, doesn't mean you'll catch it.

The F.B. Light is a good likeness to you , Highy . 😁

Took this sunrise this morning with cheap Samsung work phone.

The bottom pic is my husqvana fe 501 (500 cc single) which is one hell of a beast, I also have a husqvana fe 350 ( same bike but 350 cc ) it is a bit lighter and it also demands a bit of respect when riding off road if you don’t want to go over the back.. both husqvana’s are enduro bikes that somehow ( loophole in the law ) you can get registered for the road.. here is the 350.. alongside my mates husky 701 I recon now I am sixty, I should settle down and stop all this off-road nonsense 😉, but there again you only live once..

One thing I will say about the advantage of DSLR is the option for a big zoom lens, I use a 28-300mm zoom,

seaguar abrazx fluorocarbon fishing line Not sure if this available in Europe yet. I bought some off ebay from a US supplier. Postage was not cheap but it still worked out cheaper than other Seaguar fluorocarbon lines here. I have been using the 15lb in rocky swims for barbel, it's proving very tough and has taken a few carp between 14lb - 19lb as well. The braid hook length materials do not work for me here on the river Lot, France. Tried a few now, but few bites and no fish!

They are a pain in the bum to do but the rod certainly looks better for them.... My old MkIV is a kit rod, mullered and soft with a bit of delamination near the butt... retired now sadly...

I was air drying cell on a garden table, i said keep a eye on them to the Mrs I’m just popping out to get some beer. I was gone 20 mins tops, putting the beer away I noticed a magpie on the fence look at look at the size of that, that’s nothing the good lady says I counted 6 of them earlier. Needless to say the bait was gone and she didn’t get any beer

I was sat with a bloke on dinton black swan once. A dog strolled into his swim , stuck its head in mateys bait bag with his boilies in, sniffed and ran off with out taking a single one. I told him his bait was rubbish as my dog, most dogs scoff bait down. He laughed it off thinking I was winding him up. This happened a couple of months into the season and he hadn't caught by then. A week later he came up to me and asked if I was pulling his leg, I said absolutely not and he needed to change bait. He finally changed bait a while later and started catching. He then started to leave the odd bait

I’m glad that your mate is there to give you a hand mate, true friends like that are priceless. i had the phizer vaccine, the side effects are gone now. I had worse side effects with the anthrax vaccines to be honest, the covid ones were nothing to worry about. The whole process was very slick, I got an email inviting me to book a jab, went online and got an appt for the next day. Turned up, proved my eligibility, filled out a few forms, had the jab, waited 15mins and went back home.

I to count myself lucky having a fishing buddy and friend of 20+ years always there for you. He’s been in the wars lately the latest is in the near future maybe having a pacemaker.... I said that could come in handy mate I can charge my phone with it, he had a good laugh.

That wasn’t supposed to rhyme!

A load of stickybait krill along with rig marole terminal bits and some Gemini solid pva bag stems for me.... just need to be allowed back out of my local area again and then I can wet a line again 🤞

Thanks for the encouragement guys👍Really looking forward to re-acquainting myself with the place. I was a member before but dropped out, which I dearly regret and have been waiting to get back for 3 years. Its gets very busy and its not for everyone but the stock is next level and there are some really good guys on there too😎

Been practicing my pva bags