Weekly report starting 19th May

Working overtime.

Image 1 – I had to work overtime for this 17lb 1oz grass carp.

Image 2 – Not what l expected to place in my landing net.

Image 3 – Sonubaits PVA friendly Hemp ‘N’ Crushed Tigers.

Image 4 – Korum Rapid Melt PVA System, quick and easy to use.

Last week l was fortunate to spend the day with some of Farnham Anglings Societies top anglers whilst making some video coverage for the clubs website. Fishing for carp was one of the clubs up and coming young all-round anglers, Jimmy Loten and along side him was well respected carp angler Dave Benton. The clubs Hon Secretary Ian Gray was given the difficult job of catching catfish whilst the Treasurer of the club, Peter Hooper was dealt the task of catching grass carp and the pest controller for the day was myself.

Although the day was a great success with most tasks covered it was Peter Hooper that stole the show, landing at least four grass carp in just a few hours, the biggest a mid twenty. All the time he was doing so, l kept a close eye on just how he was catching. Using a bait boat (something lm not a greater lover off) l watched as he literally took the lake apart, using a particle approach and peanuts as bait. He was as keen to see what l was doing, as over the course of a few hours l managed to keep the bream coming, finally compiling a weight of around 70lb.

A rare blank early the following week at Westhampnett was due to numerous factors. One was that l became preoccupied with numerous carp up in the upper layers, which weren’t interested in feeding, probably getting ready to spawn and by the time l realised this l was out of position and unable to move as the waste disposal gate had closed which left me on the back of the wind. Another factor was that the river Lavant was in full flow for the first time in over a year and was pouring into the lake rising the water level some six inches overnight.

Later in the week l had a couple of days booked in the company of my good friend John Dunsford from Coarse and Match Monthly. The days were booked to compile a group of specimen tips and product reviews, however when l mentioned that l was going to cast a couple of rods out for grass carp, Gareth Purnell at head office decided to set the task of me catching a grassie. Thanks, not the easiest task in the world and when the day dawned hot, humid and with a northerly wind l knew l was up against it.

Arriving at around 8am l had a quick look around the lake, finally setting up on what’s called the Railway bank, one that’s never been that kind in the past. My tactic was to specimen fish match style, in this l mean, using a specimen set up, peanuts on the hook and baiting up using a small Spomb on a little and often basis along with casting regularly with a small PVA bag attached to the hook containing Sonubaits Hemp ‘N’ Crushed Tigers. With the temperatures reaching the high twenties, a north west wind and the carp going into spawning mode l spent the best part of twelve hours working the swim before resting the baiting routine overnight, recommencing this come first light. It was far from easy going with numerous bream invading the swim but finally the bite l was waiting for came, albeit twenty five hours later!

 If you want to see exactly what an all-rounder goes through in his quest to land his desired fish, then you need to tune into Coarse and Match fishing monthly and keep an eye out for my ‘In Session’ campaigns. If you think anglings easy then, think again!