The van was unloaded and barrow was loaded i had a quick peep at the carpark lake that looked full up. So off i went at a steady pace towards the swim in which i had been in when i had the linear. I was all set up for the disappointment that someone would be in there already so was was shocked to find it empty i parked the barrow up and had a walk down the causeway to see how many was on the lake i was going to fish.
Seems everyone was not interested in my lake as there was only my mate yoda set up in his normal swim 22 anglers dotted around the complex and not one of them set up on the prison lake Thank you very much i thought. Not wanting to waste anymore daylight hours so i soon had the waders on and withg a baitbag full of belecan and seasnail i was marching round to the other side to bait up THE area where i had had the linear from. Half a kilo was soon on the zone then it was back round to set up the rods. One rod was placed on the zone which was a snowman rig. The second rod was placed on the other end of the reed's near the corner of the lake with 50 baits around the hook bait which was a double bottom bait And the third rod was put on a gravel spot about 30 yards to my right that was just a single bait again with about 50 baits placed around it but was nice and tight rather than spread in a wide area. Everything went pretty smooth so i still had time for a brew and watch as the sun set on what was a cracking summers evening.
I had not been in my sleeping bag that long when i had a bleep on the left hand rod that was the one on the zone i switched on my headtorch and sat looking for line pick up it bleeped again it was like that scene out of jaws where he gets a touch on the rod and he starts to strap his self into the chair. I new i had a fish on i was waiting for a more positive take before i lifted into the fish i was trying to get the waders on and keep my torch fixed onto the bobbins when bang all hell broke out alarms reels and line bobbins all started to sing and dance as the fish took off down the lake with my hook and bait in its mouth.
Within a second i was on the rod and pulled up the line and it was game on i could not believe it two fish in such quick succession after all them weeks sat there seeing nothing week after week then like buses 2 bugger's come along but i was not complaining not by any means. The carp had started to come towards me as the rod's arc started to straighten up so i reeled in what seemed a hell of lot of line before the arc bent over again the fish rolled it was only 10 yards out i must have reeled in about 50 yards of line. The fish started to just use its weight to hug the bottom and go from left to right i was in no rush to bully this now and have the hook pull after all this time would have been madness so i was happy to let do what it liked for a minute or two which i did just to wear it's self out a bit. Right it was time to get its head up so i started to lift the rod up and gain some line within a few minutes it broke the surface once or twice on the last time it was all ready for giving in and i slid the net under the fish. I put the rod on the rod rest and looked inside the net to see what my prize was laid in there it was a very big common at well over the 30lb mark.
I left the fish in the net to rest while i got the scales,mat,camera and bucket of water set up. I was ready so lifted the fish out of the water and placed it on the mate unpeeled the net and unhooked it slid the fish out of the net into the weigh sling and raised it up the needle was bouncing around as i struggled to lift the weight on my own. I was just not strong enough to hold it up steady so i could see what it weighed all i could make out was the needle was around the 38lb. I needed back up so only one thing for phone yoda ask him if he would help with the weighing. As i had a trakker retention sling it was easy just to put back in the lake while i waited for yoda to get round.
We both lifted the sling out and placed it back on the mat as we had to drain the the sling i unzipped it to show the common to yoda he took one look and said 'Well done that's the one' 'what you on about that's the one ??? i said 'it's the big gal' was the reply i had only gone and caught the biggest carp in the lake which at the right time of year was 40lb plus but was it that time?? We both lifted the fish on the scales and i let yoda tell me the weight 38-15 is what he said not the right time of year then but i was not bothered not one bit it was a new pb common and the biggest in the lake just to top it off.
The photo's was done and the fish was slipped back into the dark water back in to it's home ready to fight another day
As you can see it had a swim bladder lump sticking out
Over she goes to take photos of the other side you can see how wide its back is from this photo
After the capture of the big common i never got to fish the swim since because the following week the swim was took up so i just moved from that lake and fished the main lake or the Island lake once i had had a go on them two lakes i felt that i needed to catch from them so i just moved between the 2 lakes depending on how many and which lake had swims free.
