Improve Your Coarse Fishing (UK)
CARL & ALEX
Brothers Carl & Alex, two of the biggest angling stars on YouTube, charm their way on to a couple of ‘closed’ waters to catch special carp as well as experiencing a cracking pike session
The carp we thought we would never catch
Carl – If you watched Reservoir Diaries Season 2, you may remember that in spring last year we tried joining a 190-acre syndicate lake. The lake is huge and holds some incredible long lean commons and some prehistoric-looking mirrors. We had dreamed of catching a carp from there ever since the first time we visited, however, something got in our way of gaining a membership. After talking to the owner and confirming we could join the water, we returned at the end of the week with our money to pay for the membership. In the meantime two members of the syndicate had spread some nasty rumours about Alex and I and, disappointingly, the owner of the lake had decided to ban us from becoming members. We also received threats from the two current members and, although the other anglers on the venue were always very sociable and polite when we spoke to them, the two culprits were very rude and abusive towards us. We decided to steer clear of the venue because clearly we were not welcome. As the weather warmed up this month we realised that, as we were moving house to Essex shortly, this would be our last chance to head back to the 190-acre lake and have a walk around. We strolled round a shallow bay, not expecting to spot anything, when all of a sudden two commons slid out from under some snags and drifted across the bay in front of us. We both looked at each other and thought, we HAVE to catch one. This could be a very short window of opportunity, however, as it is very rare to see these carp on the surface. There are huge areas out of bounds and, because the water is so large, locating the carp can be very tricky. The problem was that we did not have a ticket and if a current member was to happen by and see us fishing (particularly if it was one of the two nasty folk) we would be in some serious trouble! A quick check with the very friendly coowner of the water and he confirmed we could have a day-ticket, but were not able to join the night syndicate without permission from the main owner. This was all the info we needed and we sped home to grab a rod and some bread! To cut a long story short, we only spent 10 minutes back at the lake because Alex bagged a stunning, golden common on his second cast! Job done, we had caught a carp from a place we thought we would never get the chance! It didn’t matter how big it was, we were just so pleased to catch a carp from such a massive water. Catching it off the top on bread on our second cast was the icing on the cake! While on the subject of waters we can’t fish, there’s another place we had wanted to try for ages. The problem with this one was that it had No Fishing signs all around it! As we often do on a Sunday, we popped out the house for a walk, to check out a couple of our prebaited spots on another venue nearby. On our way back home we called in at the private pool. Standing on the bank we could see two or three dark mirrors, one heavily-scaled fish and two leathery ones. Just as we were flicking out bits of bread to see if they would eat, a voice shouted from behind us: “You’re not allowed to fish here, can’t you see the signs?” Turning round to see a woman peering over a fence looking a little angry, instead of getting defensive we strolled over and said hello, before explaining that although we were anglers we were not actually fishing, just feeding the carp some bread. She seemed surprised but we got talking and I found out that her father actually owned the pond and the fish had been
in there since she could remember. A couple more minutes of chit-chat passed before she mentioned that if we wanted to fish then we could, but not for too long as the other people on the estate might not be too happy. What a result! Time to grab a rod from the van! Just like at the big syndicate lake, a freelined piece of bread was all I needed to get a bite. Luckily enough that bite came from the biggest fish we had spotted and also the scaliest! Setting the hook and with line peeling from the clutch, I realised I didn’t have my net with me, but that was soon to be the least of my worries as the fish had just woken up and charged through a load of fallen branches and became snagged in some roots. It was time to step things up. This fish was not going to end up in my hands unless I stripped off, and jumped in to try and untangle it. The six inches or so of crystal clear water looked quite inviting, however, the 2ft 6in of stinky silt which followed was less enjoyable! Up to my waist I could barely move in the mud but quickly snapped a couple of twigs and drew the fish from its cover and towards my waiting arms. Cradling it over the water, Alex fired off a couple of pictures, I popped the hook out and sent the carp on its way. It was at that moment I realised the woman was still watching us from her house, so I hastily dragged myself out the silt. Alex and I hurried over to say thank you before running back to the van where I could dry off and warm up. The water was freezing but the adrenaline of the capture had made me not notice until the excitement had passed. We had learned a lesson though; keep an open mind and don’t rule out certain venues! A little politeness and perseverance can gain access to all sorts of places, even waist deep in silt!