24 Hr Session on Peg 2 - The Arms Mon 30/6 - 1/7
You might know, that when I opened my big mouth last week and uttered a brave statement about targeting the larger specimens in future, reality would never match intention.
In fact, as if to mock my ill-founded sense of optimism, the exact opposite occurred on my session this week.
To be fair, conditions were far from ideal; high pressure, almost unbroken hot sunshine, and every self-respecting carp gliding lazily around just under the surface, with no intention of serious feeding, apparently, every peg had been occupied by pairs of anglers over the weekend and not a lot had been caught.
My eventual choice of peg was influenced by the fact that the Supercast was still occupied, and the water in front of the Hide peg looked absolutely flat calm.
In contrast, there was just a hint of breeze rippling the surface of the newly refurbished Arm peg, so that's where I opted to spend the next 24 hours.
Every so often, a carp furrow would decorate the surface, as the odd, (mostly small) carp circled the bay in front.
The decision to fish bottom baits flew in the face of common sense - I should have had a determined go at 'zig fishing', but after giving it a short and unproductive spell on one rod last week, I didn't have the confidence to make the required leap of faith.
Hence, I sat there with motionless indicators until 2.30 pm when a 5 lb 4 oz Common finally made off with a Tiger nut placed directly in front at around 20 yards. This was followed, in similar fashion, at 4.55 pm by a 9 lb 2 oz Common from the RHS bay. An evening change to fishing boilies on braided hook-links bearing the new Korda Krank hooks in size 8 (with the micro barb filed flat) turned out to be a mistake - I lost onecarp from the RHS bay at 7.50 pm and another from straight out in front, in the early hours of Tuesday morning. In each case, it felt as if the hook twisted out under pressure. Although these hooks appear to catch hold well in the first instance, they seem a little thin towards point.
Also, I have concluded that they need the micro barb intact, to stop them rotating free. Back to Fox SSC(b) in size 6, I think. So that's it - 2 small carp caught and 2 lost. It's perhaps worth noting that the carp lost at 3.20 am felt like a decent one. Once it woke up to the fact that it was attached to a rod, and line it took off like a veritable steam train and was gone in a flash. Oh well, maybe next week will bring the fish of a lifetime!
Best fishes,
Kelvin