5-4-3-2-1 Carron Row in Numbers

The day started off on lake 4. I had only fished this lake once before, without Toby, in February, catching my first ever winter tench on float fished breadflake. It was now the beginning of August and the pool looked alive and rather like glass in the still warm air. The surface was covered with a thin film of seeds, flotsam and dust from the many days of dry weather we'd had previously. The fresh green shades of spring already turning slowly darker as the summer heated the ground around and parched the plants and trees. Our plan was to stalk around the complex looking for signs of feeding fish and to angle wherever we saw a chance. As usual though, a little too much tackle was taken as we struggle to leave things at home, always thinking 'we may just need it' The only thing we had forgotten was our camera. We decided to use my mobile phone, not the best choice but better than going back home to collect the proper one.

Fishing in the corner swim by the second car park, we baited up with maggots float fished on one rod and luncheon meat ledgered on the second. With the depth checked, out went some loose feed and we sat in the warm shade of the bushes and made our first casts. I was 'in charge' of the ledger outfit and Toby was to take control of the float rod. Casting the luncheon meat to some adjacent reeds on the right of the swim allowed us room to fish the float rod out in front where we had already seen some Rudd topping. Not long did we have to wait for our first visitor to the bank. Expecting a Rudd, we were pleasantly surprised to see a small Perch come flipping towards our net. This first Perch was followed by more of the same and some Rudd, beautifully golden in the strong summer light. All the while the ledger rod remained still. Twenty minutes into our adventure the float dipped again and Toby's face lit up as the biggest Perch he had ever seen came to the net. It weighed about 12oz, not big by most peoples standards, but Toby is 8 and although he's caught many Perch, they are normally of the small, worm swallowing type. This was different. Its scales were rough to the touch, its dorsal fin stood proud and he was amazed.

And still I was yet to receive a bite! As the sun moved on its daily path across the sky, the bush that had sheltered us so willingly was now of little help. A move was on the cards. We reeled in our rods and went in search of a new challenge. Having too much tackle to carry about we decided to go looking and then when a chance was discovered, we could return and collect what tackle we needed.

Behind our swim was a path leading down through the trees to lake 3. Through long sedges and brambles we pushed, reaching the waters edge. A lovely quiet bay area filled with lilies and carp, lots of lovely carp. Some of the fish were big, very big (for us at least!) and made Toby's eyes nearly pop out. They were slowly cruising around just under the surface, mouthing at bits of fluff and debris floating on the surface. Time for some surface fishing with crust. We went back for the rod, but for some reason forgot to bring the net down with us.

After a few bits of crust had been taken by carp to well over twenty pounds my eyes were also nearly popping out! This should be fun. Casting was difficult due to the low branches so I was given the task of getting our bait out. Ten minutes passed and the carp did as they do, taking all baits except the one with the hook in. We were using Toby's new carp rod that he got for his birthday in April, coupled with 15 pound line due to the many lilly beds in this part of the lake. It seemed that they could see the line and were spooking away at the last minute so a plan was needed. Looking into the nearest lilly bed, movement could be seen. A carp was underneath taking small bits of crust delicately and almost unseen. This could be our chance. Gently, a small piece of crust was lowered into a tiny gap in the middle of the lillies and within seconds up came some big lips and off shot our line. I had not even had time to pass Toby the rod. I struck and held on as the carp dived for cover and then we realised that the net was up the track. Off Toby ran, returning within a minute and I passed him the rod with a large mirror carp attached and splashing on the surface within a few feet of the bank. I slid the net in and in she went. The whole thing, from cast to landing had taken less than three minutes.

Wow was all we could both say. The fish was smaller than most of the fish we had observed earlier, but still bigger than we could have hoped for. It was also Toby's first ever mirror carp! On the scales she went 10lb 8oz and was a really beautiful specimen. Big randomly scattered scales and a wonderful rich golden colour. Without the real camera we tried to make the best of a bad situation and took a couple of shots with my phone though they didn't cone out very well.

 

Our next job was to get the kettle on and have a bite to eat so we headed back to lake 4 and our base. I made the tea whilst Toby caught more Rudd and ate some sandwiches. We decided to make our way to lake 1 next as we hadn't fished this lake before. I had read of some of the fish there including a couple of Ghost Carp and some lovely Tench. Leaving some of the tackle in the car, we settled into a swim on the car park bank. Here, we had room to cast and could fish to a small lilly bed to our left. The ledger rod was cast to the right of the swim, towards a large overhanging tree that we had seen a Ghost Carp cruise under as we were quietly walking round choosing where to fish. We were, at least we hoped, in the right area. This lake is small, less than an acre in size and looks the least interesting one on the complex, at least from a features point of view. However, sat in our swim, it had a charm that at first sight was not so obvious.

We were completely at ease and happy with our lot already so were not too worried about catching anything. At least, I wasn't! Toby was casting close to the lillies just out in front and to the left of our position, using a combination of maggots and sweetcorn. The loose feed was slowly trickled in and it wasn't long before the first bite arrived. For the next hour or two Roach, Rudd and Perch came steadily to Toby's net but of the Carp and Tench there was no sign. We did see the Ghost Carp on several occasions, but it was cruising aimlessly about in and out of the overhanging trees to our right. I was using a Halibut boilie on the ledger rod having thrown about a dozen broken and hole baits into the area hoping that this may draw the Ghostie down to investigate. For another hour we sat, but nothing more stirred except to the float rod. At least Toby was doing well. He was having a great day and suggested we move to Lake 2 so he could catch a fish from all four lakes in one day. Who was I to say no!

Lake 2 has been good to us since we joined the club. Toby caught his first Rudd and Tench from here, as well as his first Eel and double figure Carp so to say he likes the lake would be obvious. Most swims were taken on this lake so we chose the disabled swim. We had fished this swim once before, casting to the left and along the reed line, catching a few Tench on luncheon meat so this was again the plan of attack. Toby is a very calm chap when it comes to fishing, always being positive and aware of what is around him. I like to get him to read the swim and water in front of him and get him to chose where he thinks he should cast and why. He learns quickly and takes on board what others are doing and what seems to work. However, his biggest asset seems to be luck. He just seems to have that knack. I may suggest something, a method, a swim or a feature and he knows whether or not to follow advice or make his own decisions based on how he feels

'I think I’ll cast there Dad' and he does, and catches!

This particular swim has a lot of open water in front and a lovely mini bay to the right with a large overhanging bush blocking off the next swim along, but he had seen a chap fishing the left hand margin on a previous visit and as I said, he pays attention to what is going on around him and pays attention to his surroundings. He knew that Tench like reed beds, he'd learnt from watching fishing dvd’s at home and reading the many books we have on all things fishy. And how right he was!

We settled in and lightly baited up with a few pieces of luncheon meat and he made his first cast. I was again using the ledger rod, though this time I was using luncheon meat also. He had caught fish from all three other lakes and I was still waiting for a bite. I think I shall get him to give me some advice on our next trip!

After a little more than 5 minutes his rod was bent into a hard fighting fish that we both thought might just be a Carp. Again and again it made deep runs, taking line and making the clutch on his reel click repeatedly with that wonderful sound of a hard fighting fish. After a couple of minutes a Tench surfaced, though far from beaten. And a good one it looked too. A further couple of minutes passed before I slipped the net under the biggest Tench Toby had ever caught. Weighing 3lb 12oz it was to most a small fish but to us it was a record.

Another record on a wonderful day. Posing for the photos, Toby’s kept saying 'Oh Wow, oh wow' he was one happy chap! We fished on until sunset and by the end he had caught two more slightly smaller but no less wonderful Tench and a bigger than usual Rudd, whilst I had failed to get even a bite to my rod, on four different lakes!

Whilst talking on the way home we realised that we had managed the 54321 of Carron Row.

5 Different types of fish – Mirror Carp, Tench, Roach, Rudd and Perch.

4 Lakes fished with fish caught from each.

3 New personal bests for Toby – Mirror Carp, Tench and Perch

2 Very happy fishermen

1 New species – Mirror carp

What a day!

Any day now

Hello all. New post nearly typed. They seem to get longer each time.  My poor finger is worn out, but nearly done..........

Slow writer. ....

Have been out for a couple of trips in the past few days. Haven't finished writing just yet, it takes me a few days....Will be up soon. Keep checking.
Cheers.
M & T.

We Like Baffins Pond

It may be small, it may be busy, with noise and people going about their business, but we like Baffins Pond. Being in the heart of Portsmouth, one could be forgiven for thinking that such a pond should be ignored, disregarded, left for the kids and the duck feeders. Surely there are prettier, quieter waters, more worthy of our attentions. Stocked with a variety of species including Ghost and Common Carp, Gudgeon and Roach, Baffins is largely an unknown quantity. Who really knows what joys and surprises lie in her depths? Known to have produced carp to over 20lb, what else may lurk unseen? Where there's one there is often more... And for us, simply a carp would make our day.

A quiet corner of Baffins Pond

We first fished the pond last October. Not really sure what to expect, we set up on the bank next to the park, fishing corn on the float having first set the depth so that our bait was just touching bottom. Although there are two islands on the pond, we chose to fish close in, thinking that the fish would be used to the noise and hubbub of life and regularly search the margins for food left behind by the duck feeders. Today there were three of us. Having set up the rod I, was designated the untangler of tangles, Toby was to be in charge of casting and throwing out the loose feed while his older brother Koen was on park and football duty, having first given Toby strict instruction to call him if a biggie came along. Although he's rather good at casting and landing fish, waiting for a bite can be a little hard for Koen. He would rather go off and play and leave me and Toby to sit, sometimes quietly, waiting for the float to dip. And today we didn’t have long to wait. One minute we were deciding whether the cast was just right and the next the float had gone, Toby had struck and a small but hard fighting carp was trying hard not to get dry. Of less than a pound, gleaming, it shone, almost as bright as Toby's smile. And then he caught another. The first had got Koen's attention, the second acted like a bait to him and as Toby reeled in his third fish, Koen was likewise being reeled in and was by our side ready to have a turn. By the time we packed up after a couple of hours ten carp up to about 3lbs had been shared between them both, and on the way home I was more than once reminded of the fact that I had not caught any!

Koen getting excited

Our next trip was again the three of us and after the last trips successes, we fancied the same spot again. Sweetcorn was visible on the bank where we sat meaning someone had been fishing here very recently. One assumes any spilt bait gets eaten quickly as the bird life on the pond is incredibly prolific and varied - I spotted a Water Rail in one of the marshland areas on a visit more recently. Guessing that there are rather a lot of fish in the pond, we thought the fish would like some more lunch! And so it turned out, as again by the time we were loaded back into the car after a couple of hours, two smiling kids were asking me how many I had caught.......

A couple of trips to Lakeside later (Stories for another time) Toby and myself returned without Koen as he had decided that fishing wasn’t his thing for now at least. Having got our stuff ready the night before, we were planning an early start. Sunrise is the allotted start time on the pond, but as is always the way, the sun was almost above the houses on the opposite bank as we set our tackle down in a new swim. The pond is shared by many and fishing is restricted to three areas. Having previously fished the eastern bank, this time we chose an area on the southern bank. The sun was shining but still a faint mist hung over the water, bubbles were rising and swirls from fins and tails were churning debris in the shallow margins little more than 10 feet out. The time was about 8am. Quietly and slowly we crept past the feeding fish and chose to sit a good 20 feet to the right of where most of the action was and float fish back along the bank. The area is little more than a foot or so deep and fringed by a reed bed and marsh area. Sweetcorn was the bait of choice and within 5 minutes Toby was experiencing twitches and knocks on his float. When the first fish was hooked, we expected the usual bright pulls and tugs from a half pound carp which seem to be the result of most bites. This was different. The shallow water gave the fish little choice but to run, and run it did, Toby hanging on with a broad smile across his face. At about four to five pounds this fish really was a wonder to behold. Bright shinning flanks, long body almost like that of a true wildie of old. It actually shone more than Toby who was a little nervous of holding such a biggie for fear of dropping it. We took our time, rested the fish in the net and then took a couple of pictures. Almost every fish we catch gets their photo taken. 'One more for the album Dad' says Toby

After a couple more carp of about 3lb – 5lb, a fish of obvious leviathanical (?!) proportions made off with Toby’s bait. Only using light line meant we had to be a little careful when playing these hard fighting carp and this was definitely the most powerful fish we had yet hooked. After a few minutes, in it came, rising slowly, ghostly silver, broad shouldered and long. We couldn’t see just how long due to the rather murky, pond like quality of the water. Its lips touched the net and like a train, off it went, taking Toby's hook with it.

Toby just said 'Lets catch another biggie' He really didn't mind. We saw it, we know its there, and he has time on his hands, as does the Carp. And knowing him, he'll catch it one day! By the end of a busy couple of hours, Toby had caught five carp and just to prove his point, the last one was a really lovely dark, richly coloured carp of about nine pounds, his new record.

Toby's biggie

We've only been a couple of times since, due mostly to our preference for dryness and the large amount of wetness outside over the last few months, but we'll be back soon because we like Baffins Pond.

More than a record

We only had a couple of hours after work and school. We were heading to Carron Row, our newly found haven. We joined our local fishing club last october, so for this and our previous few trips, we had only seen these beautiful little pools in their winter dress.

Of the four lakes, we were fishing lake 2, our chosen start point and a lake that, at not much more than half an acre, seemed little affected by the weather. The water is fairly deep and has a cloudy mysterious look. Unseen monsters lurked, with carp to over 20lbs more than a challenge for the two of us. Growing up in the 70's and early 80's, these were the sorts of places I honed my skills and learned the ways of Walker and Yates. I found summer dawns and float fishing by lilies with luncheon meat or corn to be the most exciting and mysterious way to fish for carp and tench.

Today we would be fishing in our favorite swim known as' the bush' due to the large Rhododendron on the right hand side. The water just off this bush is about 5ft deep shelving gently down a few yards out. An obvious place for carp to patrol. The bank under the bush retreats a few feet in from our swim and creates a dark shaded margin. The first rod was Toby's new 10ft float rod, perfect for this situation. Bait was to be maggots. Trying to remain quiet was most important as we were fishing little more than 8ft away, sitting back and dispensing with rod rests as usual. The second rod was fished out into the middle of the pool. Bait for this one was a cocktail of maggots and Halibut boilie with a large mesh bag of maggots to attract attention. Our thinking was that with all the rudd and tench also in the pond, any food will be found quite quickly by the smaller fish and thus attract the carp if they haven't already found it. The boilie will help minimize the chance of hooking the small Rudd. All set up we relaxed. The weather was cloudy but none too cold and we sat throwing a constant trickle of maggots over the float spot, trying to hit the float. None too successfully I may add. Then the rain started........

Toby went to the car to get the brolly camp whilst i stayed with the rods. This way, we didn't have to reel in the rods. Toby, being my seven year old son, isnt a full member just yet. As he appeared in each new swim he waved and as he did so I had that feeling some get that 'it' was about to happen. With the brolly successfully out of the car, I could see the wee man jumping and stretching, trying to reach the boot of our estate car. Reach it he couldn't so i signalled him to come back and round he came.

Then it happened. Not long had he arrived back in the swim when the boilie rod quite positively raced off. Being nearer, i picked up the rod and with little need to strike passed it to Toby. The fish pulled hard for the far bank as Toby pulled hard back giving little line. The rod held, the hook held and the fish turned. We had little to worry about in front of us with just deep water and the fish, remaining unseen, churned and twisted for about five minutes. All the while Toby was asking if I thought it was a carp or tench and if it was a carp, was it bigger than my biggest? The largest carp I have ever caught and actually weighed was 13lb 2oz though bigger fish have come my way. I never quite got round to buying scales and never really weighed fish often. A situation we sorted out after Toby caught a few nice carp to about 8-9lbs from another local pond.

This fish definitely fought as good as any fish I had ever hooked and knowing of the size of some inhabitants, a large fish was becoming more likely by the minute. The only other angler on the complex was packing up before the fight started and was now stood next to us getting as wet as we were in the increasingly heavy shower. After a couple of final runs and dives, up came a beautiful double figure common carp and into the net she went.

Toby had done it. At 13lb 8oz, my record had gone and I wouldn't change it for the world.

TwoFishers

Hello and welcome to our angling blog. We will try to keep updating as and when we have news of a trip and perhaps occasionally add stories of trips gone by......
Cheers.
Marcel and Toby.