My Spring Yateley campaign – Dave Williams

7 Giugno, 2018 | Carpa | Articoli

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Yateley regular David Williams recalls a successful spring campaign one of his tough but favourite carp fishing waters, talking tactics, baits and captures…

Dave continues…

My first trip of may on the 1st day of the month was a 48 hour affair. Following on from my capture the previous week I was eager to get in the same swim. However upon arrival at the lake the area was devoid of any activity and I set up next to my friend Ryan a few swims up. The fish weren’t very active still although they had moved out of most of their winter snags by now. I found a couple of clear areas about 40 yards out and baited then with a mix of CompleX-T and The Crave boilies, some Frenzied Hemp and some Frenzied Tigers.

I opted to fish balanced Fluro CompleX-T pop-ups over top on a German rig and sat back to enjoy the evening. There was a lot of activity in front of me that evening with lots of fish showing out in the lake and a fair amount of liners. Unfortunately they all looked and sounded like catfish. I awoke the next morning to a simply lifeless looking lake. Nothing really Changed for the rest of that trip and I left still eagerly anticipating the big feed when the carp eventually decide they want to.

The following week I was back down but unfortunately all the swims I wanted to get in were taken so I had to settle for a swim I didn’t really fancy. I’d fished the swim before so knew where the spots where. I put five spods of 12mm Crave and CompleX-T and CompleX-T pellets and settle in for the night. I awoke the next day to fish showing and bubbling just behind my spot, in the swims opposite. The occasional fish was cruising in front of me throughout the morning but a majority of the activity was still coming from the opposite bank. At about midday I packed up and moved round to the swim opposite. I’d never fished this swim before so set about finding spots where I’d seen the activity. I found two very small clear areas with the grappling lead and baited them as I had the night before, with a 12mm CompleX-T snowman wrapped in Tuff Paste fished in each rod. I sat back in the afternoon sun watching a catfish swim about in the weedbed to my left anticipating a first light bite.
Unfortunately through the night a large bed of weed had drifted through my lines and when I got a take at first light, I lost it. Undeterred I put the rod back out but unfortunately nothing else happened. I baited some spots and left the lake desperate to get back down again.

I heard the fish were on the feed again after spawning so I was itching to get back down and capitalise. I ended up in a swim called ‘Niges’ and flicked the rods out about 40 yards and scattered a mix of Monster Tiger Nut boilies and Red Amo out over the spots and fished a naked chod over the top. I went for a nutty bait this week because the catfish get caught a lot from this area and I was hoping this would help me avoid them. Unfortunately that plan didn’t work and I had one trash the swim at first light. Disheartened but determined I re-baited the rods and gave the spots a bit more bait and say back confident with another night still to go.

As to be expected the following morning I woke up to a lot of fizzing in my spot and fishing showing just past it. I had to wait a couple of hours sat watching before I got a bite and I managed to land a lovely little 21lb common. I quickly got the rod back out on the spot as there was still lots of fish activity out there.

Unfortunately an angler turning up either side of me sent the fish their way and left feeling confident summer was going to be much better than spring…