Well I arrived at the lake and it was quite busy. So I had a walk around and couldn’t spot my mates. They hadn’t arrived yet. There where a few other lads on that I knew so I stopped and had a chat with them for a bit. They told me that the fishing had been slow but there was a fish caught about 3 nights ago.

So I went back to the car and started unloading my gear and carried it to my peg. I decided to get on a peg called bog point. I set the bivvy up and started to put all my gear in it quickly because it had started to rain.

When it stopped raining and I had sorted out all the stuff in the bivvy I had a lead around. The lake was very weedy so I was just trying to find a clear patch really. I managed to find one at around 80 yard to the right-hand side of a buoy.

So I tied a few rigs up and set the rods up on lead clip set ups because of the weed and used 2oz leads. I had a walk round to one of me mates to see if I could lend his throwing stick which he kindly let me use. So I went back to my peg and baited my rigs with Dynamite baits Terry Hearn - The Source boilies in 18mm. I then put a bit of PVA foam on my hook to make sure it didn’t get covered in weed. I cast the rod then pulled back till I felt the lead pull in to the light weed. I then spread around 40 baits around the area with the throwing stick. I did the same thing with my second rod but this was placed to the left hand side of the buoy.

There was still no sign of my 2 mates I was meant to be having a social with so I gave them a ring. I found out they where on the lake but thought I was still at home and set up on the other side of the lake. They asked me if I was going to move round to them but I said, “No, I’m going to stay here now.”

I went to bed at around 10pm that night not really expecting to get a fish, as the fishing hadn’t been at its best lately and I didn’t really know the lake very well.

Around 3.30am I had a very violent take on my right-hand rod. I jumped out of my sack and the first thing I thought was, “Them bloody swans!!” Well I picked up in to the rod and it bent over. I then felt something kick, I thought to my self, “This will do nicely im in!!”

My heart was in my mouth during the fight because this would be my first fish out of the lake and possibly my first 30lb+ carp. Well the fight lasted for around 10 minutes then I got it in the edge. It had a massive ball of weed around it and I couldn’t even see the fish. I attempted to net it 3 times before I finally managed to get it in the net.

When I looked into the net I couldn’t see the fish I could just see weed I thought to myself,” I hope iv got it in the net.” I then moved some of the weed away and shined my head lamp into the net and saw a set of golden scales shine back at me. It was a common and it looked an alright size.

I decided to leave the fish in the net for 5 minutes whilst I got the weigh sling, mat and scales ready. I then got the fish out of the water and onto the mat and unhooked it. I then slipped it into the sling and weighed it. The scales spun round to 23lb 2oz. RESULT a new P.B. common. I’ve had mirrors bigger in the past but my previously biggest common was 21lb.

I sacked the fish up and went and woke my mate up to sort some photos out but my camera decided to pack in so I put it back in the sack and we decided we would sort it out when it got light.

My mate then went back to bed but I couldn’t get back to sleep. I was too worried about the fish in the sack so I decided I would stay awake to keep an eye on it, then go back to bed during the day, after my photos were sorted.

So I sat in my bivvy and made a cuppa and as soon as it came light I was straight down to my mates bivvy to wake him up. It took him a while to get up but he did come and sort me some pics out. Cheers for that mate you did a great job!!

I then put the fish back and it swam back strong and healthy. After getting a few hours much needed sleep I reeled the rods in and when to have a chat with a few people around the lake. After showing a few lads pics of the fish I found out it was a fish called Nelson last caught around 2 years before.

Well that day I put a bit more bait in my swim around 30 baits but left the rods out of the water ‘til around 7.30pm. After making some dinner I got the rods back out.

Around 8.30pm I had another screaming take on the right-hand rod. It had weeded me up big time. Every one on the same bank as me had heard the run and came to my peg. I began trying to unweed the fish and after about 5 minutes of pulling steadily, and keeping the rod high I felt a kick. Result its still on! It didn’t fight much after this, it just stayed low and plodded about a bit. It came to the margin and had a plod around, and my friend Jim got a glimpse of it and said,” I think its Half Tail.”

Half Tail is the biggest fish in the lake doing 30+ and I had never had a 30+ before so my legs just turned into jelly. A short while later it was in the net and on closer inspection it did turn out to be Half Tail, the biggest fish in the lake!

What a session this was turning out to be, I was meant to be having a social but ended up catching 2 new PB instead! The lads helped me to sort all my gear out and weighed the fish etc. On the scales it went 31lb exact. I was well chuffed!!

I gave Jim my camera and told him just to roll the pics off and a few other mates had their camera phones as well so they took pictures on them.

So what was meant to be a social turned out to be a dream session for me and I managed to catch two character fish. Not bad going for a northern monkey!!

Tight lines,

Jonesy