THE THRILL OF THE HUNT
Ditch the bivvy, follow the fish, and put freedom back into your fishing
BIVVY up and bedchair out – it’s time to kick back and await that first bite, but is this really the best way to fish?
There’s a fine line between carping and camping, not helped by the perceived need to night fish for this species and get your head down.
If your prime purpose is to relax, then by all means bring all your paraphernalia to the lake. But the more you bring, the less mobile you will be when, as often happens, you feel the need to change swims.
When I fish for carp, most of the bites come during the day, and rather than leave the rods out overnight I’ll trade in the disturbance caused by first casts at dawn for the freedom that comes with not being tied down by a bivvy.
So, on a recent session, as rain-laden clouds rushed across the sky, I left home with this mindset. The van was my travelling bivvy, so I knew full well that whatever the weather threw at me I’d have a warm, dry base. It takes a strong will to move your bedchair in heavy rain and I just didn’t want to be in that situation. My plan was to be mobile and try to make contact with fish in the quickest time possible.
I know I’ve been as guilty as the next man of ignoring feeding fish to get a swim baited and wraps marked, only to scare everything away. Or, because I’ve invested too much time in
one spot, I’ve sat on my hands and allowed an opportunity down the bank to slip by.
Sure enough, today I needed the waterproofs and would do for hours to come. But a 10-minute walk along the bank was time well spent, because bubbles were popping on the surface and I could see where silt was being churned up. Here was a clear opportunity, despite this swim not looking particularly comfortable.
A fully loaded barrow would have been a nightmare so yes – I’d be wheeling my tackle to the spot but the payload would be just two rods, a sling, an unhooking mat and a lightweight chair.
The bag hanging from the frame was only partly filled with key essentials because spares could stay in the van. A cut-down groundsheet to keep everything dry and I was ready to go. I have to come clean and say my Nash barrow was of the motorised variety… and it was literally dragging me to the carp!
The rain splattered on my glasses as I tried to tie on a Signature Squid pop-up with floss and blob the knot with a lighter. Not the easiest of tasks, given that I’d made camp under a groundsheet and left the brolly in the van.
Eventually two rigs were cast well past the feeding fish. A few fast cranks of the reel handle skipped them across the surface before I let the leads descend into the coloured water with the minimum of disturbance.
One landed more softly than I’d have liked but the other hit a good solid substrate. However, to avoid spooking the fish I decided to leave them both where they were. This was a good call, because 30 minutes later I was connected to a double-figure common.
Not so good was that the rest of the shoal promptly disappeared. I wasn’t prepared to sit and wait so I decided on a move, not to a new swim but to a different lake altogether! I enjoy the freedom of day-only fishing and besides, the next challenge was only 50 minutes away.
“I enjoy the freedom of day-only fishing”
Unfortunately I’d brought the rain with me, and finding out that no carp had been caught all week was hardly inspiring either, so I needed to think outside the box.
Rather than fish immediately, I baited a swim that I’d allow to stew until the next morning. This could be seen as wasting valuable time, but on most lakes there are only a few hours when a bite is possible. Even if you pitch up a bivvy and cast out you’re really just camping for a large part of the trip. Besides, without lines in the water I hoped the fish would gain confidence. Meanwhile I could enjoy a good meal in a warm, dry van, followed by a peaceful night’s sleep.
My alarm went off at 4.30am and it was still pouring down. With minimal tackle it was not too difficult to give up the sleeping bag. Fifteen minutes later two clipped-up rigs were sitting where I wanted them.
No carp had been caught overnight by others on the lake but I felt confident, helped no doubt by the fact that the rain was finally relenting. I scanned the lake intently for a tell-tale sign. This came in the form of bubbles, not in my swim but at a spot 75 yards to my right. Once again I blessed the benefits of not being tied down to a bivvy. Out went the two pop-up rigs to their new location. I had to leave the lake by midday and I didn’t have a minute to spare!
I did wonder if my casting had disturbed the carp, but fresh bubbles popping on the surface allayed my fears. Still, though, the bobbins failed to bounce. I needed to force the issue yet again, just as a match angler would, so on the left-hand rod I switched to a bottom bait rig and a Krill active boilie straight out of the bag.
It’s hard to believe that a bait on the deck rather than an inch above it can make a difference, but half-an-hour later the bobbin smacked against the rod as a lovely scaly mirror slipped up. Would this have happened if I’d not been given the freedom day-only fishing brings? I doubt it – in fact I’m certain a bivvy would have meant a blank!