Fishing report from: Ian & Jason

Another great week’s fishing ☀️

This week we welcomed back Ian and his wife Debs along with Jason & Kathryn for their 3rd visit. Ian and Jason did the tuition on their first trip and it transformed their fishing. They are big fans of the channel and of the venue and they were bouncing around like easter bunnies when they jumped out of the cars. It was hot again at the weekend so we did a quick spin around the lake and left them to settle in.

Sometime around 8am the next morning, my phone bonged away as pictures and messages arrived. Ian had wasted no time at all and banked Magnum at 43 lbs and an upper twenty. What a lovely start sir!

The daily morning bongs continued with a steady stream of 2 carp per night, superb work!

Now, compared to the massive haul of carp they had last year, six carp in 3 days was slow going but it’s a really good result this year given the conditions.

To my surprise, the oxygen level was down. Normally a drop in oxygen is accompanied by poor fishing but this wasn’t the case. Just to be on the safe side I put the big pumps on anyway.

The guys had heard plenty of chunks crashing around the other side of the island so they decided to flip flop between the two sides: fishing the point swims at night and then targeting the back of the island during the day.

It’s a bit of extra effort to do this but it’s a powerful tactic. Ian did the best out of this plan catching multiple bonus carp from a dustbin sized spot that he found near a margin in his waders, top work 👌 Many thanks to Ian for taking extra care of the carp during these high temperatures by taking water shots. 

Bait & rigs

On the bait front the guys stuck with veggie pellets, particles and tigers on the hair. On the rig front they used their version of a supple multi rig with a cut down kicker to pin the loop into place during the drop. Coupled with a simple inline running rig, it was just a question of reset, repeat and enjoy.

Said like that it sounds really easy and it is when you know every single minute detail that’s required to get it right! The guys are masters at rig prep and everything is done to the very highest level. Ian’s rigs put mine in the shade for neatness 🏆

The guys put a lot of effort into the angling and the results speak for themselves. That’s not to say that it’s all work and no play. The social side of the holiday is very important and they come very well prepared and organised. The girls have just as good a time as the guys and do an incredible job of making sure everyone is well fed and watered. They also found time for a few day trips and some nice lunches of course.

It was wonderful to see them again and we very much look forward to seeing them again next year for some more fun, games and fishing 🎣