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R i c h a r d
C h a p m a n
Richard Chapman gives a warts-and-all account of a year tackling a busy syndicate water on the banks of the River Nene, reliving his successes and failures. 3 6 Ca r p wor l d A p r il 20 13
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Another good fish was safely in the sack. Banana Common at 31lb 6oz.
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have been surprised. After having a y the end of March 2012 I had quick sulk and contemplating heading finally managed to slip the net elsewhere, I grabbed my walking boots under my target fish in my local and set off on a couple of laps. My syndicate water. This had drawn a line fears were well-founded because nearly under that chapter and allowed me to every swim was taken, but I hoped concentrate on a new challenge. This there would be a few guys packing came in the shape of a new syndicate up shortly. I kept on looking as the that I had joined in the Nene Valley. sun rose, and slowly the other anglers It is an interesting water made up started to wake up, so I could punish of an assortment of bays and points, them for a bit of info and a brew. which in total is probably around 20 As it turned out, there was a lad in a acres in size and has in the region 80 swim called Second Point, and he had carp in there. At the right time of year managed to bag a couple of decent fish, there can be up to seven fish that are including a real big ’un at over 40lb, over the 40lb barrier, with the majority but on the last night the action had of these being commons up to 44lb; quietened down. The fish had been held there is also a big head of backup up in the middle area known as the 30s in there, so it is a truly amazing Triangle, which can be fished from a stock, especially for the Midlands number of swims, and although it gets a The only problem is that at times it lot of pressure, the carp do seem to like it can get quite busy, as you would expect there. I was still hoping to see something on a water of this quality, and this was for myself so kept on wandering, but a bit of a shock to the system, having they had really gone to ground. When just had an intimate 2-acre water almost I did finally see one show it was exclusively to myself for the past six in the Triangle, so it was months. I’d taken a drive up a case of finding out to familiarise myself with who was leaving. the layout of the lake, “My knowledge The lad on and on that first of any features Second Point had trip it looked very out there at the time already had his barren, without was very limited, but swim reserved anything showing I wanted to keep by someone else, itself, and from disturbance to so with that out talking to other a minimum” of the equation I anglers, I found there knew that Ed, who had been very few fish was fishing First Point, caught so far that season. was off, so I dumped a bucket My first trip up with the behind his bivvy and proceeded to rods fell on the penultimate day of drink all his tea! There were a couple March, and I had a couple of days of shows whilst he was packing down, left off work. I always try to save up although they were more towards a bit of holiday for this time of year Second Point’s water, but it helped and had got a week and a half to get the confidence no end, and as much some fishing in. It had started well, as he didn’t want to go, I was thrilled with a brace of 30lb commons, and to see him barrow off (sorry mate!). my target fish at just under 40lb from My knowledge of any features out another water in the first few days, so I there at the time was very limited, hoped that my luck would continue. but I wanted to keep disturbance to a I decided to make an early start minimum. A quick lead around showed so I would be able to have a good that the weed was yet to take hold and walk round at first light, but on anything there was relatively low-lying. arrival I was greeted by a full Keeping things simple, I just spread out car park. Not what I was three rods on little Choddies, with a few hoping for, but it 16mm freebies scattered in the area of was a Saturday so each. As the day wore on the fish seemed I shouldn’t to be moving in my direction – it was looking better and better for a bite by the minute. I even updated my Facebook saying it looked ideal! Within half an hour of a decent fish showing bang on my left-hand rod, it had pulled Apri l 2 013 C a r pwor l d 37
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couple of last-minute tench up tight and a fish was hooked. I was that got me soaking wet leading it towards the bank and it didn’t seem to be doing an awful lot, and at one whilst landing them. I was back down on the point I even began to question if it was Saturday night and a few fish just weed on the line. Very quickly it was had been out in my absence. almost within netting range, and just There didn’t seem to be any out of reach, a good common rolled on pattern, and once one or two the surface, and it was at this point she had been caught they seemed decided to fight. It plodded around in the deep margin, using its bulk to control to move on. With this in mind I opted for the Dries; this is a the fight, but eventually she bobbed narrow channel of water probably up to the surface and began spitting 50 yards wide, which connects the water as I drew her over the net cord. two halves of the lake – my thinking I could see it was a good fish, possibly being that if they were moving around over 30lb, and the guy on Second Point it was a great interception point. had made his way round after seeing Two rods were fished in the channel, me playing it to help with the weighing with one at the base of a near marginal and pictures. Once I got her on the mat slope and the other to the far side, both I worked out which carp it was – a fish with lines as slack as possible. I was known as the Banana Common, with a hoping to avoid spooking the fish and bent spine, bloated swim bladder and a stop them travelling through battered old tail after a fight the narrow channel. I with an otter. So it was was at a bit of a loss fair to say it was a bit “It was fair to for the third rod, so of a battle-scarred say it was a bit decided to have a character, but I was of a battle-scarred lead around in the over the moon character, but I open water out getting off the was over the moon to my right. First mark so soon. The getting off the cast and the lead scales read 31lb 6oz, mark so soon” cracked down as if it and after a few shots had landed on a patio. she was slipped back. I popped the line in the I think the commotion clip and lined up with the pushed the fish out of the area, pylon on the far bank. I made a couple and by the next morning no more action more exploratory casts and every time had occurred. As if Mother Nature it was landing with a solid donk; maybe wanted to prove we were still very early a bit blatant but more than worth a go. in the year, the puddle in the bottom of I even swapped over to a more subtle my unhooking mat had frozen solid over balanced bait instead of my normal night! All too soon it was time to pack Hinged Stiff Rig, and after casting I away, as unfortunately it was back to the scattered half a kilo of baits in the area. realities of nine ’til five the next day. There was the odd subtle show It was back to my normal routine of as the sun dropped below the turning up at the lake after work, horizon, and I went to sleep, normally around 7.00 p.m. after hopeful of some action. It battling with the M1, and fishing wasn’t until around 3.00 a.m. the night and the next day. For my that the right-hand rod next session the following week, I opted to fish First Point again, and although I did see the odd fish show they weren’t there in numbers. The only excitement being a
ABOVE
A short Hinged Stiff Rig was successful in the weedier areas. 31lb 15oz common caught from the Dries swim.
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on the hard area absolutely tore off. The rods were out in the water, so as I was fumbling to get my waders on, all I could do was watch helplessly as the spool quickly emptied of line. On picking it up and tightening the clutch, it didn’t seem to make much of an impression. The fish kept going to the right until eventually it turned round and came back at me at a similar speed. Before long I had gained most the line back, but instead of tiring, the fish just carried on left down the channel. I had convinced myself that a hookpull was inevitable, such was the ferocity of the runs, but finally she slowed down and eventually let me lead her back towards me. As she slipped over the net cord I just stared in awe into the net, where another chunky common shone in the torchlight. Once on the mat the hookhold was revealed to be perfect; the downturn hook hadn’t moved at all and sat nicely in her bottom lip. Hoisting the scales up showed a weight of 31lb 15oz – not a mark on her and a real lump with a huge tail, which explained the fight! I popped her into the sack for a few hours while the sun came up and I arranged for a photographer. The recast went out perfectly once again, landing with a positive thump. The rain had started at first light and it became obvious that it wasn’t stopping anytime soon, so pictures were a bit of an issue. The lenses were steaming up and getting covered in raindrops, but we managed to get a few shots that turned out well. I sat it out in the area until early afternoon but the disturbance and change in conditions had moved the fish. So I was left to pack up a soaked bivvy, but was thrilled with the result. Whilst away from the lake, I heard
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that there had been the odd fish coming out from the same area, and when I arrived for my next midweek overnighter they were showing down the same end of the lake. Rather than fish the same swim though, I took a chance on No Point. In reality, the hard area I caught from was probably more in No Point’s water, so I didn’t want to set up and have someone come and stitch it up. After a couple of casts I located the same area and got a rod on it, and managed to find a couple of other clear spots amongst the weed, which was now starting to take hold as the weather began to warm up. I was a little frustrated by first light because I hadn’t had a single beep; although the weather was grey and drizzly, it looked good for a bite. As I was staring out over the water, tea in hand, bemoaning my lack of angling prowess, I was sure I saw the back of a fish briefly pop up over the shallow water on the plateau in front. I couldn’t be sure and it seemed unlikely given the conditions, but I grabbed the binoculars to check. Lo and behold there were a number of fish cruising just under the surface, with the occasional back gently breaking the surface. Now I was in a dilemma – the conditions looked good for a bite in the deeper water, but could I just sit there and hope they dropped down for a feed? I made another brew and sat and mulled it over. I finally wound in one of my rods with a little balanced Snowman Rig, and in hindsight it was an awful decision to leave this on and cast it out. The shallow water had allowed the weed to really come up and I was less than convinced that the rig was even presented. I had deliberately kept it just to the right of where the fish were cruising, hoping to avoid spooking
ABOVE
Pale mirror.
My balanced Snowman proved deadly on the hard clean areas.
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was up in the water; the fish was just them, but the carp gremlins were plodding around in the upper layers and creeping in. An hour passed and I had allowing me to slowly lead it towards convinced myself that this wasn’t the me, never getting its head down so way forward, so another rod was wound the weed wasn’t posing a problem. I in. I attached a Hinged Stiff Rig, which had a good idea which one it was, as was better suited to the situation, but there are only a couple of pale ghostieit was do or die. I landed the rod right looking fish in the lake; one of them in the middle of where the fish were is the pale mirror, which is normally cruising, hoping that the light lead over 40lb. Once the fish was safely in wouldn’t spook them too much. I was the bottom of the net there was no wrong! As the lead touched down, two doubting it – the pale mirror was mine! fish simultaneously cleared the water. I secured her in the net while Thinking that the chance was I sorted the mat, sling and ruined, I did what any a photographer, and she good angler would behaved impeccably do in this situation. “I landed the on the bank. We Kettle on, lie on the rod right in the managed to get bedchair and sulk! middle of where the all the pictures After the fish fish were cruising, sorted in doublehad a chance to hoping that the light quick time, but calm down a bit lead wouldn’t spook the weighing wasn’t they began creeping them too much.” without problems back into the area, because I was using my so all was not lost net handle as a makeshift after all. As the activity weighing crook, with the spreader grew, the bobbin suddenly pulled up tight to the rod – liner block through the loop on the scales. Somehow I managed to trap my finger or a take? I stared at it for a between the two and had 38lb 4oz of second because I didn’t want carp crushing my finger – very painful! to be striking at a liner and Thankfully I got the fish back on the foul-hooking something. The mat to release my hand and then it was bobbin just sat tight to the time to slip her back, and all too soon blank, so I jumped straight another session had passed and work in the margins (I was already unfortunately beckoned yet again. in my waders) and lifted the I had a frustrating blank the following rod, and a big pale fish broke session, a trip where I had fish over the surface for a moment before me the whole time, but it was slipping off to the left. The fight Apri l 2 013 C a r pwor l d 39
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just one of those days when you try everything but they just aren’t interested. So I went home with my tail well and truly between my legs – I had almost forgotten what a bad session was! Things looked a bit more positive on my next trip. On my first lap of the lake I managed to spot a couple of fish showing in a tucked away bay known as The Pond. I was sure that most of them were tench, but at least two of the shows were definitely carp. I had forgotten to bring a bucket with me to mark the swim, so I took off my hoody and dropped it in the swim, hoping that anyone looking would see it as my territory being marked. It was the best part of a mile to the car and back, but I was pleased to see that no one had dropped a bucket or anything in the swim when I got back. Again, with fish in residence, I wanted disturbance to be kept to a minimum, so first of all a Choddy was dispatched to where they had showed. It did land relatively softly in light weed but it was bang on the fish. So I scattered a few baits around it, only 20 boilies but just enough to get a bite. I spent a little more time on the other rod, and found a clear area around 60 yards out, bang in line with a pylon on the skyline (I was starting to see a pattern here). My already successful balanced Snowman was back out in the lake and joined by 100 freebies for company. The final rod was a bit of an afterthought really, just dropped out of the
way on a shallow plateau to the left. I was torn between fishing two or three rods, so I just kept it close in and the line as slack as possible to prevent cutting off the entrance to the bay. With the rods sorted and darkness drawing in, I quickly got the brolly and bed erected, lit the stove, and started to cook up some dinner. I had just finished cooking a rather tasty-looking curry, which I was ready for after a long day’s work and a lot of walking and barrowing, when the middle rod started to scream. I already had my waders on from getting the rods out, so slipped straight into the lake and waded to the end of the reeds to grab the offending rod. Once the battle was over I looked in the net and saw what looked like a nice 20lb common. I gave a mate a shout, who was fishing round the corner, to help with the pictures, saying that it wasn’t huge. I set about getting the weighing sorted, and on lifting it I began to doubt my estimations. The fish was quite short but was deep and wide – the scales confirmed my
ABOVE The Breeze Block at 33lb 10oz.
Two-Tone at 35lb 2oz.
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poor estimate and swung round to 33lb 10oz, and it turned out to be one fittingly known as the Breeze Block. I had to admit my mistake on the weight when my photographer came round. The rod went out on the same area, and I set about trying to eat the now congealed curry. Watching the water in the darkness, only lit by the moon, I could make out the odd tench still in the area, so I hoped there was still the odd carp amongst them. I had only been asleep for a couple of hours when the right-hand rod fished in the weedier area was away. At first I thought it could be a tench, but it turned out to be an upper-double mirror. I sorted a couple of quick self-takes and slipped the little scamp back to fight another day. Once again, after a couple of takes the fish pushed away from the pressure and the session drew to a close. After this I struggled to get the time to fish due to a combination of work and other commitments, but eventually I did get down for a quick night in August. After finding carp in the same bay, I managed to catch another big common, a fish known as Baby TwoTone at 35lb 2oz, which was, in fact, a new PB common and a great result. I did manage to get down a few weeks later, but as the nights were drawing in it was a case of turning up and setting up in the dark. I knew it was going to be hard work, and even though I persevered for a few weeks, it proved a less than successful exercise. This drew a great season in the Nene Valley to a close, and I began to focus my attentions closer to home. Unfortunately, the lakes have suffered badly with the flooding, being connected to the nearby river Nene. I just hope that not too many fish have been lost and there are still a few to target throughout 2013. There is only one way to find out, so it’s time to get to know the M1 again! CW
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