Short Session Pays Off

      Whilst on work experience at Nash Tackle, it came upon me to try and get a couple of nights in at the weekend. I managed to get onto a small syndicate, we had prebaited a few days prior our session. Sure of the weather turning sour I decided I was going to go ahead with it to get in a couple more winter carp(a really stretched out winter at that).

      After messing about trying to get to Go Outdoors to pick up some butane canisters, I battled the car filled streets during rush hour.

      I got up to the gate of the small intimate syndicate and got all the gear to the chosen swim, littered with snags and on the back of the 0-1 degree winds which were tearing up the bank.

 

      The rods which are the New H-Gun Dwarfs in 9ft 3lb were already prepared and put out onto 2 spots, one snaggy margin to the left on a small chod rig and the right one to the opposite margin a rod length off, as you could see fallen branches, a small solid bag of 1mm Velocity Baits The M&M's pellet was soon put out, I feel this is a good winter tactic specially when tipped off with a small pink 10mm popup.. One colour of hook bait that I love dearly.

      After eventually after getting the Titan AS sorted and rock solid(you could crash a double decker into it!) I was about to set my bed chair up and my far margin rod ripped off. After thinking I'd hooked a tench, a lovely winter coloured common lay in the folds of my landing net. As I had never even set foot onto this syndicate since Thursday evening, I got a snap of the small common. This lake barely gets fished and you can tell by what the fish had excreted on the mat, naturals, possibly the reason why she went for the small bag of micros.

Small Common, What A Cracking Fish, The Pressure is Now Off!

      A quick trip to Maccy D's whilst one of the lads Josh looked after my gear, I had devoured it all before it had even touched the box.. Literally. I lay thinking of what may occur. The wind decided to pick up and a small trickle of rain starts as it got dark very slowly, a quick check to make sure the small hyperloops clutches are loose and its time to hit the hay, hopefully being woken by the distinguishing sound of a siren bellowing through my receiver.

      The night drew on the rain carried on pouring and I was away with the fairies. As I'm a light sleeper, at around 4:30, I am woken to the sound of my left rod going into complete meltdown! I stumble out from the Titan and hook into a beautiful 10lb common, the choddy was the last rod I had expected to rip off but I am happy that both tactics had worked.

Nice Dumpy Common, She Was Hungry! I Look Half Asleep(ha!)

      The rods had been in since I had hooked the last fish the previous afternoon so they had time to settle, another fish on the tally has given me an extra buzz, specially as I have never fished this lake before let's see what happens the rest of the day.

      The chod rig was something different at the same time something I'm going to use a bit more than I have, I was told 10mm popups were a good tactic for quick bites. The chod rig is my normal way of tying it, inherited from Alan Blair seeing how he ties it, with a small 10mm Yellow Pineapple popup. It looks good and with the micro ring swivel it balances it well. This rig was under armed under a tree hanging over the water about 10yards, this was a one off rod thinking that some disturbance earlier on may spook the fish away from this margin, this rod to my surprise took off at 4:30am producing the biggest fish of the session so far.

      After waking up at 10:45/11:00 which is after the earlier bite time, the right rod was put out, albeit a bit tight to the far margin snag, a fresh bag was out to where I had the first fish, the left rod was also recast and is set.

      Usually when I fish chod rigs, I cast or underarm it to the spot, as soon as the lead hits the water, I feel it down and release my finger off the line and let it sing among its own weight, if I tight lined to it, any weed or snags on the bottom may ruin that rod altogether, I feel more confident when it flutters to the bottom no matter how fast or slow.

      The weather is looking really rubbish, I looked out of my brolly this morning and no snow until Josh came round and said that there was a load of snow behind me.. And how right he was.

      After a quick recast tighter to the far margin snag, I dotted some bait over the top. The rod was cast tighter to the far margins too see if I can draw a fish out from the snag, I had the clutch tight to stop any fish plow right through the branches. At around 11:30am, I had a strong reaction on the right rod, I lifted into the fish and the line was grating on fallen debris, with my fingers crossed hoping the fish would be released, the fish came free. After a stronger fight the fish was in the fold of the net and soon photographed and slipped back.

Another Common to Finish the Trip Off Nicely, Happy Days.

      After this quick reaction, another pre-tied solid bag was cast just off the snag, again with tight line to make sure I don't get towed into the snag.

      The rig that was inside the solid bags, 3inches of 15lb Silt Missing link, a size 10 Nash Fang Gaper hook and a shrink tube kicker. The reason why I use this set up is its all fined down and something to hook the fish quickly, luckily I use my solids with drop off inline leads, on this occasion the lead had dropped off allowing me to prise the fish out of the snag, dropping the lead in a snag is a must every time as you want to land 100% of fish you hook, also where the bags had been tied up 3-4 days before the session, the oils from the small pellet ha soaked into the PVA, the tell tale sign that had brought this idea to mind was the fact that there was a flat spot breaking the water, leaving the bags submersed in the pellet may be a good thing, another thing for me to look out for, if there is another flat spot possibly with the introduction of some oil into the bag may give away when I may get a bite.

      It just shows I love fishing to snags even if there is the element of unpredictability of what's down there, going in blind sometimes pays off specially using solid bags, providing you don't land on, debris your presentation will be really good. After hooking two fish in the same snag, it shows on lakes you don't know it's worth a try. I think that them 2 fish were just laid up and I happened to present a rig under their noses.

 

      I am happy with this result from a lake I have never seen since Thursday(21st March) after trickling a few baits in to get them on the munch.  

      The day drew on an it was time to head for home and have some much needed rest and relaxation, a nice curry and a few ciders won't go a miss!

Here I Am Clutching the Last Fish on a 9ft 3lb Dwarf, Look At the Snags
At the Back of the Pic, Glad She Came Free!

Thanks for reading

Ross.

Follow me on twitter on - @Rosst93