carpmanjay
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back to the park PT2Having stuggled to back into the groove of things down at the park after my absence of a few years, i have decided that a bit more effort maybe required on my part to once against get among these now clued up carp.
In preperation for this trip i decided i had better go for a nosey a few days before my seesion after work. The grape vine had whispers and afew had reached my ears by the ever faithfull mobile carp texting service, or Dave for short!!. There had been a few out in the last couple of days, including a Common that i hadnt heard of in my time at the lake. Its known as the perfect, and this time she had been out at 32lb and ounces.
Thursday was the night that i actualy took the right turning off the A14 and within a few minuites i arrived in the carpark at the cafe bank. once again greeted by the toothless smile from veteren Trevor (he looks like a vietnam hero!!). i checked the credentials of the news i had heard and were imediately comfirmed with a stuuning photo of a happy chappy holding a very imaculate common. Now i have had a bit success over the years banking the two big commons that the lake held, Johns at 31lb and Doris at 33lb(RIP). So im hoping that although not specificly one of the two im after, i will be very happy to see har on my mat.
After the usual pleastentry's and after bribing Trevor with a rollie i duly marched of down the southern arm towards the shallows in search of a carpy sign or two. Now its very rare to see anything above the flag pole swim, donyt know why but its never paid off for me so i headed straight to the flag pole. The swim its self is set on a small point maybe 15yds out into the lake so creates two small bays to the left and right of it. it was in the right hand bay, hanging out of a tree somthing caught my eye, all i could see at this point was a couple of white flecks of fin, tbh it looked like a pike to me so i didnt pay much attention. i stayed in that tree long enought to roll a fag and smoke it before my foot started to hurt, as i looked down to find a suitable branch and know more than two feet away from me was huge tail fanning inches below the surface!! I watched as she upended her self and straight away i could see the tell tale scale patterns through the clear calm water, 4 big scales than a small scale followed by three more towards the end of her tail wrist. 4.3!! my target fish and one i had longed to catch since the syndicate had started around 2000. Although previous to this im sure i did have her at 22lb im '98' but i can know longer find the photos so i guess il never truly know. But one thing for sure is that she looked all of fortie pounds!!! She had been out just over the majic mark last autumn to Uncle jim, and she must of been eating right through the winter because she looked huge!
When i started my mini campaign back in feb i had know idea that i could end up fishing for my 4th UK 40lber!!! Game on!!!
i had seen enough, i followed her waddle out towards the main water infront of the flag pole swim into the depths.
The little bay
I kept my sighting to myself, not becuase im a scret squirel more the fact that i didnt want to jynx myself!!
Saturday soon came round. I was up at 6am checking all my bits and pieces a few cups of coffee and a quick check on the forum, and i was off, with fortie minuites of driving ahaed of me i chilled to some drum n bass and though of all things carpy.
You may think its strange that i didnt get there earlier or on the fiday night, well thats simple somone had turned up friday morning and beat me to it. Trevor rang me to say he would be off by 10 on sat, no worries.
The wind was blowing a modreate easterly not especially cold but not a particularly good wind in my eyes and subsequently the water temp had dropped half a degree or so. The falg pole swim was now free so i drove down the muddy track and plonked my bucket in the swim. i looked across the south arm towards the spit and i could clearly see through the gaps in the trees that there were plenty of bivys on the eastern arm so i didnt bother to look around.
famous locally
Although my sighting of the big girl was a couple of days ago i was still fairly confident that she could well be in the area. The flag pole can be a bit strange like this it does tend to do the better fish, although a lot of the time you can have a much better chance else where. It was big i was after this time round so i was content to just fish for the biggies as im not into repeat captures.
Since ive fishing the water park ive been read a book by a chap called John Harry. some of you older members will know about his exploits on Savay during the eighties and early nineties amd in '92' he wrote abook aptly name 'Savay'! if anyone is interested in fairly recent history of our sport then this book is a must. I grew up hearing about those monster Savay carp and how the likes of Hutchy, Maddocks and little were doing the busines on there, cough or trying too anyway. Savay truly is a history water and produced some amazing captures during this time. I finished the book this weekend and what stands out in my mind is how similar those sly Savay carp are to the park lake fish. Although the lake isnt as hard as Savay and at only a third of the size is much easier to fish there are still similarities between the two lakes. Like John witnessed in those first years of a Savay syndicate beeing formed , i too watched the water park turn into a syndicate/day ticket water and what surprises me is how the fish in both these lakes changed there habits over the years. Some fish that were easy to to tempt are now rare visitors to the bank, and how some of the smaller carp have grown into very attractive prospects! i too watched and took part in introducing a lot more biolies into the lake which has pushed the average size up to upper twenties now, much like those Savay carp years before. there are many more similarities between the two lakes but in fear of boreing you all i will save them for another time.
I didnt take long for me to get two baits out and this time i was using a bag from Mo's Co stable called the salarmy's big old bags with a tapered end which makes quite a difference to the distance these can be cast. inside these bags where a selection of 10 millers and 18millers, Mainline tiger nut, and big dollop odf active8 food source. rig wise was my favourite hinged stiff rig helecopter fashion and an 18mm tiger nut pop up nicely balanced.
The first rod was out about 30 yds slap bang in sprouting weed bed, before hand a quick pull with the marker rvealed the canadian weed was only about 3inches high so no probs there, a hard bottom was confirmed with a satisfying thump as the bag landed.
The second rod cast slighty wide to my left, just in the gully of the first bar to be found, at around 65-70yds. a soft landing this time confirmed to me id made the silt which runs about 6 ft till it hits a more hard area of the lake bed.
across to the spit
i was happy with both these rods, the second rod cast to the silt gave me real confidence as the biggie i saw on thursday was slowly swimming in this direction. As the evening drew close i felt that feeling, the feeling that some get, i was so confident i sent a couple of messages via the mobile carp service to Mo and Mark saying that i had that feeling!!! complimentry texts where quickly retrieved wishing me well and how they expected my to give them the good news very soon!
i must note that this has happend to me before down here before and also resulted in an unexpected 40lber but again il save that another day, unfortunately that time it wasnt to my rods but close enough! il re tell the story over a beer on the banks to you all somtime.
Not a lot hapend saturday night a few bleeps which was probably down the horrendous undertow that seams to be consistant just lately, and with the added pain of bottom debris rising up i had no choice but to back lead.
the night soon came and went and i awoke at 6.10am to a dull sky drizzleing rain and still blowing easterly. That feeling i had last night had gone , and with it i felt my chance had to, although the conditions were similar to the day before the swim just looked lifeless. i did manged a small pike at around 7am which intercepted a boilie on the retrieve.
I stayed untill 6.30pm i had a little wonder during the day checking the margins but there was nothing to see. on the way out i checked with Trevor and he confirmed that only one fish had been out and that had been in the deeper area on the easterly arm.
So not this time, but im more detirmend than ever, seeing that big girl has inspired me like so may before to keep on keeping on, and as soon as i do bag her you lot will be the first to know!! What started as just a bit of fun has now turned into yet another mission for me, as thewater temp rises and the weed starts to grow location will become easier, the lake will be a bit quiter due to the weed growth so i know my chance will come.
Tight lines
Jay.
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Mark Mann
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Mate you know how it works effort = 
Keep on keeping on brother 
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Ghost
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Good write up Jay, and agree with Mark. “Keep on keeping on” 
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NOSEY WIFE
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Another cracking read there jay nice one buddy
cracking pics
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carpmanjay
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Dave lane with my target fish!!!
last summer...
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matgreasley
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been meaning to read these for a while jay, just read em both and theyre great, good writing!
that fish is awesome, hope you catch it soon!!
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courtz
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Good read there jay, look forward to hearing about your results
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