Diary of a Countryman
Monument 35-pounder down to gut feeling
THE weather’s more settled and I’m catching again! I have to say, you see lots of things when you’re out in good weather, especially after dark.
I spent one night on the bank this week at the Monument carp fishery and it was magical to lie there listening to the sounds of nature.
As I sat surrounded by the otter fence a mallard came swimming past with 11 young, and then another with eight. Within this fenced environment those young ducks have a fighting chance of survival, because no predators can get over that barrier.
Here’s how my week went…
THURSDAY
The first of two days at Monument One fishery, and it was hot – like being on holiday in Africa! It was good for a suntan but not good for the fishing, as it followed a cold day with an easterly wind.
That meant an early-morning temperature of 4ºC was followed by the low-twenties and a westerly wind. The weather really was all over the place! I cast two single yellow pineapple wafters out into the middle at about 70 yards and sat on them for a few hours, just watching the water for signs of moving or feeding fish.
By 3pm no-one had had a take and there were signs that the carp were thinking about spawning, as a group of smaller males chased around near the surface together.
Half-an-hour later I decided to pull in one rod closer at about 30 yards and fish over nine Spombs of hemp and corn. Don’t ask me why, but that’s what my gut told me to do, so that’s what I did.
By 7.30pm I’d cooked my dinner and enjoyed a bottle of beer when suddenly I heard a ‘one toner’ on the rod I had pulled in closer. As soon as I hit the fish I knew it was a proper job!
The carp turned out to be a big male that fought like a tiger for a good few minutes. I know some anglers reckon carp don’t fight but take it from me, this one came to the net four times and still turned and pulled another 20 yards of line from the clutch... great fun!
Eventually it went into the net and on to the scales, and at 35lb 2oz I was over the moon, I can tell you! Only one other carp – a thirty – was caught that day but you don’t fish the Monument for runs, you fish it for the chance to catch a big one and two anglers were happy that day, that’s for sure. One of them was me!
I slept well that night in the bivvy and half expected to be woken by the sound of the Nash sirens telling me another carp had fallen to my set-up.
FRIDAY
Sadly, I had a good night’s kip with not a bleep on the buzzers but I did hear the odd big fish jump, and that gave me hope.
I left one rod at distance and kept the other, which had produced the run, close. However, today was even hotter than yesterday and all the carp were at the surface. At one stage a duck flew over and frightened them, and the place erupted as big carp panicked and water sprayed everywhere.
I stayed to the final whistle, even cancelling my live Facebook show because I thought I’d get another take late on with the sun off the water, but it was not to be. One chap in the corner on peg 2 had six carp, all small males with the best just over 20lb. That’s typical when carp are near to spawning and males are grouping together, but it’s still great sport. Still, I was more than pleased with my 35-pounder, a good fish anywhere.
SATURDAY
Met Mark Willerton on the canal for a session after some decent rudd he has located, but I found it hard to get up at 4am I can tell you after my two days away carping in the sun.
Still, I made it but the rudd were
not playing ball. Typical of rudd, they are like ghosts, all over you one minute and gone the next.
I will return, though, as there are some big fish to be had.
While was there fishing maggots I did catch a few perch and small rudd, so it was not a complete waste of time. Oh, and Mark makes a super bacon and egg sandwich and it was a magic sunrise, even though I’d rather have been in bed!
SUNDAY
A day in the garden for me and my wife before later in the afternoon preparing my gear for next week’s sessions. It was hot, and I fancied those eels would be feeding, so it was time to get out at night and see if I could catch a monster.
I also fancied an evening’s tench fishing on the float where I’d had a couple of poor days on cold morning starts earlier in the month. I thought this warm weather would see them getting their nose bags on, and that there’d be a few tench swimming around there with my name on…