Garden watching & stuff

Not too much going on in my little world beyond the ritual of Easter "Spring Cleaning" Absolutely mind numbing the amount of pointless debris that has accumulated in my study over the past twelve months! Nobody else to blame for the build up of useless crap - it's me! Chinese take-away tubs, fat ball containers and umpteen other, equally ridiculous, plastic items which have been accrued now in the recycling bin! Exactly where they should have been placed when originally emptied? One positive, if that's possible, has to be the opportunity to keep an eye on what's happening around/over the garden whilst going about these, self inflicted, chores.

The Blue Tits have certainly been active as they've collected nest material for use in the nest box right outside my study window. Two pairs of Great Tits must also be holding territories along the adjacent gardens as they frequently appear at the feeding station and squabble noisily. It's nice to be able to report that House Sparrow numbers remain buoyant around the Newlands Farm patch and it is not unusual to see flocks in excess of thirty birds flicking around the field hedgerows or local gardens. Rose-ringed Parakeets are a constant source of entertainment at the feeders. Seventeen being the highest count, thus far, in 2023. A male Skylark continues to proclaim territorial rites above the field beyond our garden, whilst Lesser Black-backed Gull sightings are now part of the daily routine as they return to the Pyson's Road gull colony for, yet another, breeding season.

With so much activity being centred around the garden feeding station it is no surprise that the local Sparrowhawks, of which there are at least three pairs within a km radius, are also regular garden visitors. 

My self-found year list is stuck at 105 species with Red Kite, over the garden on April 4th, being my latest addition. In times gone by I'd be suicidal due to this meagre tally. Today? Doesn't matter in the slightest. I enjoy the birds that I do see and worry not a jot about those which I don't. Knowing that Bev and I will be heading off to the Eastern Mediterranean, at least, twice in 2023 what's to worry about? I'm going to encounter some superb birds, in stunning surroundings, without some saddo wielding a, long lens, camera but no bins asking "have you seen it?" 

If it's the only photo then, by definition, it has to be the best?

Still haven't made any effort to cast a bait in the direction of an Eel, although the weather forecasts do suggest more favourable conditions as the month progresses. A very short session down at the Carp puddle, on Monday, resulted in three more fish gracing the net with the best one, a Common, weighing in at 11 lbs 14 oz. The learning opportunities that this type of venue allows has meant that I'm tweaking rigs and bait presentations which I'm hopeful will provide an edge when I return to the Flatlands in June.

 

Making the most of it

 I'd planned to do a Wednesday afternoon, into dark, session down on the new farm pool but, circumstances beyond my control meant that I had to revert to plan B at the last moment. So it was just after 13.30 hrs when I loaded the van and headed back to the local irrigation pool knowing that I'd have to pack up around 18.00 hrs. Very much the same old routine. Bottom fished particle hook baits positioned using the "Bushwhacker" baiting pole (eight sections = 12m/3 wraps!). I am certain that these Carp have never been offered anything like my mixed particle concoction which I introduce as groundbait. If a commercial bait manufacturer was to produce such a product they would need to charge in excess of £20/kilo to ensure "Carp Tax" levels of profitability. For me, however, it is simply a matter of sourcing my raw materials, from a local grain supplier, then mixing them all together in my study and producing small batches (1.5 kg dry weight) in the slow cooker. The flavours and enhancers, I use, are added once the grain has been cooked, but prior to it going into the freezer. In exactly the same manner as it is stocked for a Pike season, the freezer now contains enough "party mix" to ensure I can get out to the bank at very short notice. My hook baits are produced in an identical manner, yet frozen in Chinese takeaway tubs with a date scribbled on the lid to help me with the order that they are subsequently used. 

May 2016 - my first "twenty" from the RMC on particles and a split cane!

It would have been around 1986 when I first became aware of the effectiveness of particle baits for Carp, yet it wasn't until 2015 when I stumbled upon the fish in the flatland drains that I sought to pursue the subject further. It's a really weird series of events which have gotten me to this stage because it was the 2013/14  Barbel campaign, on The Stour, which first  made me revisit the particle option. It wasn't because I thought I'd catch a Barbel on sweetcorn but, instead, a deliberate ploy to avoid Eels picking up the Halibut pellet hook baits we were using. Originally the swims had been fed with small pellets and it was like a "swim-through" Mc Donald's for the Eels, so a particle option needed to be explored. What then occurred is now consigned to the history books but, inadvertently, led to the current fascination with the flatlands and the Carp which reside there.

An old image but, tank testing rigs and bait presentations has been
a fundamental part of my angling, whatever species I'm targeting.

My confidence with particle baits is so strong because I know that 99% of the other anglers, on the same venues, won't be using them as hook baits? "They're not Carpy" or, more likely, because Danny Fairbrass and Alan Blair use boilies it's a case of "baa - baa - baa" stick with the flock. Let's get it right, the sun will never rise on a day when I will ever be perceived as being as talented as any of the Carp circuit "names". Guess what? Neither will the vast majority of those other anglers who frequent the club and day ticket venues I visit. If you do the same as everyone else why would your results be any better than theirs? So I'm back to the point where I'm telling Eddie Turner that I will only use dead baits for my Pike fishing. His advice is as relevant today, in these Carp related circumstances, as ever it was whilst on the banks of Wilstone Reservoir in the mid-1980's. "Give yourself an edge" That's exactly what I attempt to do with my approach to every angling project I undertake. For this current Carp caper I am reliant upon the fact that all my bait is produced at home, thus not available off the shelf and is, therefore, unique.  Doesn't equate to it being better than anything else, just different?

Like peas in a pod - a scamp Common of 11 lbs

So, after this post going around the houses, back to Wednesday's session. Under no circumstances can this particularly fishery be taken seriously, as a challenge. If you can't catch Carp here then it must be time to sell the tackle and buy some golf clubs or a mountain bike! In little over four hours I landed thirteen Carp, four doubles, and had to pack up because I'd run out of bait. Absolutely crazy and just the sort of session required to counter the disappointment of not being able to offer a baited rig in the other club fishery. I'm happy to let the Easter break pass before making any further visits to the bankside. Having spent a considerable amount of my time perusing the Youtube offerings, I've a couple of rig presentation ideas that need experimenting with as my season moves forward.

At 12 lbs 2 oz this "Ghostie" Mirror was the best of the bunch on Wednesday

Play time

My new Carp venue has provided more challenges than simply getting a bite. The swims have been built to last and the foundations, of the majority, are so solid that there is absolutely zero chance of getting a rod rest in the ground, let alone four - which is how many I require to fish two rods! My last visit resulted in me breaking a stainless steel rod rest and, as a result, resigned to the fact that I would need to purchase a rod-pod set-up before I returned. As I spiral rapidly downward towards total tackle tartdom, I called in to see Camo on Friday. Ten minutes and forty quid later, I left the shop with a Leeda "Rogue" pod and a silly grin on Camo's face. I spent much of Saturday playing around with my new toy and have made some alterations to the rod spacing on the buzz bars. Although designed to house three rods, my own requirement is only for two, thus I was able to grab a hacksaw and reduce the outer width of both the front and back cross bars. 

Although I'll never claim to be an engineer, the pod is now very much to my liking. I had it set up in the lounge and spent time playing around with the various configurations that the pod allows, much to Bev's displeasure! It was then down to the choice of attachments. My butt rests were simple rubber "U" types whilst I decided to dig out the "Dragon Carp" Ultimate Redmire bite alarms, in conjunction with equally cheap NGT bobbins. I purchased the alarms in 2013 when the Ramsgate branch of Dragon Carp shut down and they were available at the ridiculous price of three for £5! That they still function perfectly well means I get get huge enjoyment whenever I use them. 

With all this prep work done there was no way I could stay at home so, having secured permission from Bev, I headed off down to the local club fishery for a very short session in order to see how my new toy performed? To be fair the new pod is perfectly fine. My choice of butt rests was a major error, as the rods slid easily towards the alarms. I fixed it by using elastic bands on the rod handles but will change over to gripper type versions. The NGT bobbins are absolute crap and, again, will be changed for more superior models before I venture out again. The outcome of my, off the cuff, session was that I landed four Carp in less than three hours, the best weighing in at 13 lbs 4 oz thus ensuring my April target has been achieved. I would still like to catch a Carp from my new venue and will certainly give it my all over the next four weeks. However, with the pressure off, I might just have a dabble with the Eels before the end of the month?

Moving forward

I had my second, short, three hour session down on the new farm irrigation pond and am yet to register a bite! I'm not at all disheartened by this situation as I realise it will be a very steep learning curve to unlock the code on this new venue. Time on the bank is never wasted as I constantly scan the fishery looking for signs which might be of assistance on another occasion? My diary pages are filled with observations of fish activity along with weather conditions and associated detail. With the whole of April being devoted to catching a Carp from this fishery I am very positive about my chances of success. 

I really think it will depend upon my Carp fishing results, knowing I require an April "double", as to how soon I begin the Eel project. I have a venue in mind, although absolutely no knowledge of an Eel ever being caught from the lake. It will be a real journey into the unknown and something I'm rather looking forward to. 

The heaviest Eel I've captured deliberately weighed 3lbs 10oz
This one went 3lbs 6oz and was also part of that crazy 2015/16 winter campaign

Not too sure if it will be possible to pass judgement upon success or failure, because all of my previous Eel fishing has been so far removed from "normal". I've done a winter campaign and my PB (7lbs 1oz) was caught whilst catching bait for a Zander session. When viewed like this, me and Eels have a very weird connection?  That I now understand that it might take an Eel a decade to put on one pound, that PB was possibly seventy years old (in 1986!). The catalyst to my current interest is twofold. One thing is the realisation that the species are "under threat" due to environmental issues - ref piss poor/criminal negligence by the water companies. The second is the reaction by a fellow "Carp" syndicate member who landed an Eel of 5lbs 10oz, yet wouldn't pick it up? Hideous disregard of the status of such a magnificent fish, sorry I meant nuisance species! I really hope that Kevin Maddocks sleeps easy knowing what he's done to the UK angling scene?

Signs of change

 I had my first session on the new farm irrigation pool, yesterday. An absolutely stunning location, the venue being surrounded by tall Birch and Alder trees with a sprinkling of mature Oaks at the narrow end. Apart from a couple of liners, there was nothing to report, fish wise, but the signs look good. It's all about cracking the code and I've allowed myself the next five weeks to do just that. 

Back at home, the garden continues to provide huge entertainment both day and night. The moth trap is slowly starting to show benefits of the electricity usage and the feeding stations certainly remain a focal point for the local wildlife. A very slow trickle of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps has been observed, with odd birds stopping off for a quick snack, drink or wash and brush up at the bird bath before continuing on their journey northwards.

March Tubic - Diurnea fagella

A pair of Blue Tits appear to have staked a claim on a nest box, right outside my study window, thus allowing me to watch their comings and goings without getting my arse off my seat. It will be the first garden breeding attempt, for several years, if they hang around. 

I had three Ravens, flying west, some day last week and these are the first garden records of 2023. It was, however, a 2nd Winter Herring Gull that provided my most unexpected sighting recently. It's a plumage that can be easily seen along the coastal strip where huge numbers of these, non-breeding, gulls loaf about. One in the garden is very unusual and well worthy of a photo in my opinion. The adult pairs are already holding territories along Vine Close and the surrounding area. Still not seen a Wheatear, but as my dog walking duties have expired, I might just have to wait until the autumn?

The capture of a Carp "double" in every month of 2023 is already an ongoing project yet, somehow, Eels have really gotten to me and I'm pretty sure that their pursuit will dominate much of my angling effort during the warmer months?  Not tablets of stone, and just as likely to change if something else appears on the angling horizon but, as far as I see it, deliberate capture of Eels will be a goal as the year progresses.

Fishing then and now!

Knowing that Carp will play a major part in my 2023 angling I find myself searching through incredible amounts of Youtube content in the hope of discovering a few snippets which might be of use? It was forty years ago when I first spent any prolonged effort in pursuit of these "non-native" fish. Stanborough Lake in Welwyn Garden City, Herts, is a fantastic piece of my angling jigsaw as, at this time, it was a premier day ticket fishery which contained a stock of Carp which were as good as they got. I've just watched a Korda podcast with Martin Locke in which he recalls the details of the accidental drowning of Keith Sellick, then proprietor of Middlesex Angling Centre, a guy with whom I enjoyed many days on the banks of this crazy venue. It was Keith who first showed me back leads, used to avoid the keels of the yachts and sail boards rather than any other reason. He was also responsible for providing me with my first specific bait flavours, as opposed to Nesquik, custard powders and ice cream toppings which I'd been using in my semolina and soya flour boilies prior to this. Obviously I learned of Keiths passing at the time but, Martin's podcast was the first time I've ever heard the real story behind this tragic event. 

Keith was in the swim next to me, at Stanborough, when I caught three "twenties" in three casts, 
6th November 1983, and I'm fairly sure these photos were taken by him?

I have to admit that not getting drawn into the Carp angling circus is one of the best things I can say about my personal journey through life. Head on collisions with the likes of Kevin Maddocks and Tim Paisley certainly played a part, yet the "speccy hunting" scene, of the period, was far more attractive than the tunnel visioned pursuit of a single species - still is ! Now living in Kent it would appear that I've located to Carp Central and every fishery is there to cater for the whims of those anglers who know no different. With this as the background, it was an incredible quirk of fate which led to my discovery of the Carp angling potential of the drains and dykes out on the East Kent flatlands. 

The Carp which re-ignited the flame - my first "twenty" since February 1984.

My desire remains to go fishing, not camping, and catch fish because of ability not abuse of time. I recall an Angling Times headline once proclaiming "There's no substitute for time!" to which Jim Gibbinson replied, "Yes there is. It's called tallent!" Sadly modern Carp anglers never saw this exchange and appear to remain in the Alan Wilson mind-set that time is the greatest leveller of all. "Everything comes to he who waits" and there can be no denying that Alan proved this theory to be correct with the incredible series of, Drennan Cup winning, captures he made. 

Alan Wilson poses with 13 lbs 12 oz of Startops End Res. magic

To be fair, during Alan's period of dominance, I also subscribed to this "time bandit" approach to big fish angling. So what's changed ?  Forty bloody years, well that's certainly a major factor in the equation. I no longer have the desire to push limits beyond a comfort zone that growing old has given me. In all honesty I can put my hand on my heart and say that I'm a far better angler today than I was back in those crazy, full on, speccy hunting times. If I can't catch a fish within four/five hours then tomorrow's another day and I don't need to make "one more cast" just in case. 

Carp puddle carnage

I've had six sessions down on the farm irrigation reservoir, since 14th March, and have managed to land at least one Carp on every visit. What I hadn't done, however, was to land a "double" out of the twelve fish prior to today. Friday 24th March 2023 will stay with me for a long time, such was the insane session I was to experience. In three and three quarter hours I landed eleven Carp, lost one at the net and got done on several occasions. It was absolutely crazy, just like taking a time machine back to Stanborough Lake in 1983. 

Pretty little scamp in lovely condition

The venue isn't one that can be taken seriously, it's absolutely packed with "scamps" which can be tempted to feed in the most ridiculous conditions. What can't be denied is the fun that this type of angling scenario is able to provide. Every fish came to my particle baits, which are presented using the baiting pole. Rigs were very simple "blowback" affairs using a size 6, barbless, Gardner "Mugga" hook on Nash Armourlink braid, around eight inches between lead and bait. No pop-ups and no plastic, does it get any more basic? 

As the session was drawing to a close, my finishing time being 18.00 hrs, I was already well into the pack down when my left hand rod was away. Unlike any other battle I'd experienced today, this fish was in a different class entirely. It was nearly ten minutes before I managed to slip the net under my prize and the March "double" was in the bag. A lovely Mirror of 15 lbs 6 oz being my reward. Obviously not a Carp which will excite the mainstream, but it will certainly do for me. What with all the fannying around, unpacking the cameras and associated kit, I was well over half an hour late getting off the fishery. 

March "double" in the bag!

I'm now planning to spend a few sessions at another small farm pond where, apparently, there are some much larger Carp to be caught? Onward and upward will be the cry!