About Time

Had a day on Dogleg this week its the 3rd time i have fished it. I got there a little after 7.00am and had a short walk to a nice little swim. The rods went in on a couple of spots nice and easy. But after a few hours and not seeing a single fish i thought i would move so up sticks and off i went i had not gone 40 yards when i spotted fish cruisin on top so out came the floaters After an hour or so one of them was happy to take the chum mixers and he proceeded to make a pig of himself. It was time to put the hook out to him he sucked a few more then came up to the fake one. That is where it all went pear shaped as the mirror come from underneath the hook bait mouth wide open he must have spotted the hook he just turned his head and was spooked off that was the last i saw of him and my only chance of getting one off the top.
It was time to move again so off i went in search off the fish. Wasn't long before i found a few Well i counted 9 but they could have been more. This time i was going to try a short zig on them they was only in 4-5 foot of water just below the surface so set a zig up of about 3 foot i put on an once lead just small enough to get over to them but not enough to spook them out. I cast over to them and feathered the cast to make the least noise i could. It was a perfect cast and it sat right in the middle of the group. i could see that the fish was still there so i just sat back and waited for one of them to take the trap. 15 minutes went by and i had not even had a liner i climbed a tree and saw that the fish had moved out was it the line or the sound of the lead that made them move on. Only one thing for me to do was move again that was 3 moves now and it was only 1.30pm This was going to be the last move of the day so i found a nice swim where i had seen fish every time i had been there i set 3 rods up this time all on pop ups Squid from Active Bait Solutions that Paul had gave me when i was going to France they are only 12mm i just love fishing small baits on the hook. Small baits mean big fish in my book. The baits where placed on the spots that i was happy with and i put about 50-60 free malarky offerings around each hook bait.
After an hour or so i had a screaming take on the left hand rod after a brief gentle fight the mirror was beat and as i slid the net under it the hook slipped and it was off It just lay there on its side for a second or two so i made a stab at it with the net to try and scoop him up but i missed and he just swam back in to the dark water. I was gutted but all i could do was laugh the thought of me trying to net him after he spat the hook out was so funny. The mirror was a real pretty one it would have been my first Dogleg carp. After recasting and topping the area up with marlarky i sat back and thought on why it had just lost the hook so easily what i came up with was it's been that long since i had a fish that all i did was pick the rod up i NEVER set the hook a big mistake which cost me a carp lesson learned.

Time was knocking now and the night was drawing in so i started to pack my stuff down when the left hand rod was a way again this time there was no mistake i pulled into the fish and made sure the hook was set. A short battle and the fish was in the net a cracking looking common and a big one too. i left him in the net while i sorted things out. i got the scales out and weighed it a belting 28-12 I did the self take photos and slipped it back into the water. To say i was pleased and a very happy angler was an understatement it was a cracking end to a cracking day i worked hard for the two fish i had and it had payed off.

Till next time
Russ
My 1st Dogleg carp 28-12 happy days