A realistic target?

Once it became clear that Bev's medical situation was top priority, in our little world, my angling projects became nothing more than trivia in the grand scheme of things. To her credit, Bev has been extremely brave, and very positive, about the outcome so as to allow me to get out onto the bank whenever it doesn't compromise her situation. Sandwich Coarse Fishery is absolutely perfect in this respect as I can be back home within half an hour should Bev need my assistance? Under these circumstances Kevin & Ken have been superbly accomodating in the flexibility they allow me and for this I am truly grateful. I've now done eight sessions, landing eleven Carp for my efforts, with the best fish tipping the scales at 17 lbs 6 oz. Are five "twenties" really achievable before June 16th and the start of the traditional river season? To my way of thinking there is only one possible course of action if I am to get an answer. I have to keep on trying, whenever possible, and see where it leads over the coming six weeks, or so.

The "Football" fish from the flatlands.
Absolutely hideous, yet a Carp which has played a part in my angling journey.

The constant striving to discover an edge is part of my angling psyche and I simply don't know any other way. The fact that Sandwich Coarse Fishery is an extremely busy, thus successful, day ticket complex doesn't stop me from seeking answers away from the accepted norm. Indeed, one fun aspect of me choosing this venue was knowing that I wouldn't copy the tactics I saw being used. I do need to get this said, at this juncture, in no way am I wishing to belittle the other anglers at this, or any other, venue because of their choice of tackle or techniques. Everyone enjoying the outdoors by way of going fishing is fine by me, however they seek their rewards. All I know is that what they're doing doesn't fit my idea of angling enjoyment and thus, won't be employing anything too similar. Now I'm not so bloody stupid that I'll deliberately ignore the obvious because of a desire to be different. I have neither a magic wand, nor divine rights, to demand a better catch rate than any other visitor to the fishery. Nope, it is now, as it always has been, a matter of "effort equates success" and there's very little which is too much trouble for me to explore as I seek to unlock the code. To be totally honest, my binoculars are an absolute essential whilst on the bank. Not only can I do my usual bird/bug watching they also allow me to see what the other guys are doing without me having to walk around to their swims for a closer inspection.

A split cane caught Mirror from a club fishery.

Solid bags, "Spombs", catapults and copious amounts of boilies seem to be tactics used by the vast majority of anglers I've encountered at the fishery. If I take it a little further, "Ronnie rigged" fluoro pop-ups on a braided hooklink and big leads are also a regular feature in their end tackle. Of course these anglers catch a few fish with this approach, however, I do wonder how serious many of them really are in wishing to catch Carp as opposed to spending time with their mates and enjoying a "Moroccan" Woodbine, or seven? Not for a single minute is this unique to Sandwich Coarse Fishery. C&DAA venues are just as affected, as are those all along the Stour Valley.The use of recreational drugs seems to be just as important, to a faction of modern Carp anglers, as owning a Nash Titan bivvy? 

Quite possibly the best Carp (fish?) I've ever caught?
A carved mahogany Common from the flatlands

Right, time to get off the soap box and back to what I initially started writing about. Five "twenties" from Sandwich Coarse Fishery before 16th June - is it possible? Knowing the venue's stock, the answer has to be yes, if time were of no concern. Because I am governed by Bev's ongoing medical situation, plus my grand-parenting duties, time isn't quite as free as it should be now I'm retired. If I am to achieve this target I will need to up my game whenever the opportunity to visit the fishery arises. Short session angling is something I really enjoy and not having the luxury of time ensures that my need to constantly question how I approach every bankside experience is a very positive side effect. If ever a niggling doubt creeps into my thinking then I have to do something to change things. If the fish are showing in another area, which is free, then I'll happily up sticks and move even if I only have an hour left before home time.

I think it's fair to say that confidence is key under these circumstances. Absolutely nothing I do is because it works for someone else. My rigs, bait and tackle choices have all stood the test of time and proven themselves to be the best I can muster. Rig mechanics is an aspect of angling which I find fascinating. My use of tank testing has given me so much confidence in certain presentations, as to know that the first time I've used them they won't fail me. My latest experimentation has been using a pop-up on the "German" rig. Can't/shouldn't be done according to cyberspace, works like a dream if you do it my way is how it turned out. I've stripped back all of the rig components and now have also removed braided hooklink material from the equation. I use Diawa Sensor 10 lbs b.s. mono for my hooklinks, not because it is better than braid, but because it is different, thus an edge. Gardner "Rigga" (barbless) hooks are my pattern of choice and are used with Kodex bait screws, opposed to micro swivels and bait floss. Add the Nash "Bushwhacker" baiting pole to the game and I'm on to a winner? The stealth and accuracy, of my baited rig placement, that this single piece of kit provides is probably the greatest edge I have? At present I have a maximum range of 24m at my disposal, but soon to become 30m when I next visit Camo's. 

My first RMC "twenty" - April 2016

Because I use a particle mix, topped off with crumbed/chopped boilies, as my attractor I'm fairly sure that actual hook bait choice isn't particularly important. I'll try to explain my thought process here. Sandwich Coarse Fishery receives huge amounts of boilies, from untold different manufacturers, into the fishery on a regular basis. My decision to only use one, on the rig, was taken in the knowledge that Carp won't reject a good bait in order to get to another one. Having seen the agricultural application of many kilos of boilies, by certain anglers, I am very happy to use a single pop-up or wafter, over my party mix, confident that any Carp finding my offering will not associate it with danger. My results since July 2023 certainly back this up. 

My best Mirror from Sandwich Coarse Fishery, thus far.

April has proven to be quite a testing month in many ways, thus blogging has certainly taken the back seat. With Bev now on the mend, I am hopeful that things might gradually get back on track? I'm down at Sandwich tomorrow and very hopeful that May will see an upturn in my Carp angling fortunes?