CELL Success for Collings Carpers! 5th January, 2012

Mainline Consultant, Lee Collings has been in touch with this catch report following a recent 48 hour visit to a Berkshire, syndicate water! Over to Lee to take up the story:

"The lake had been devoid of anglers for the last month, so it was a bit of a gamble as to if the lake would fish or not? As no bait had gone in to help keep the fish searching for food and the place usually then shuts up shop. However, with milder temperatures to the norm for this time of year, I was hoping a few carp would still be active.

The weather was awful! It rained nonstop for two days and gale force winds made things even worse, but as I always say, you have got to be in it to win it! The trip was also planned to be a social session with my Dad who I don't get much time to fish with these days, but after looking around the lake for a good hour or so we decided it was best if we both fished at opposite ends of the lake. Not very sociable, but it gave us both a good chance of catching fish in the snags situated at both end of the lake.

The lake had been devoid of anglers for the last month so it was a gamble if the lake would fish or not as no bait had gone in and the fish usually shut up shop. However, with milder temperatures to the norm this time of year I was hoping the y would still be active.

The weather was awful - it rained nonstop for two days and gale force winds made things even worse but, as I always say, you have got to be in it to win it.

I had come fishing for a social session with my Dad who I don't get much time to fish with these days but, after looking around the lake for a good hour or so we decided it was best if we both fished opposite ends of the lake - not very sociable but it gave us both a good chance of catching fish in the snags at both end of the lake.

Using ESP leadcore leaders set-up helicopter style with 25lb Atomic Jel-E Wyre hook-links and size 8 Nash Twister hooks attached via a quick change link, I fished two rods tight to the snags and one in open water. The rods were baited with 15 mm CELL, but double meshed in Fox Arma mesh to stop the crayfish and tipped with a piece of yellow plastic corn. I had baited each rod with about 30 baits spread around the area to make the fish move between baits and to stop the crays eating them all.

Besides the crays being active, nothing happened for me the first night, but my dad managed a 16lb 8oz fish at first light. I decided not to change my setup as dad was using an identical setup and bait as me. The rest of the day was spent in the bivvy sheltering out of the torrential rain and strong winds and the gremlins were starting to creep in as I still hadn't seen any sign of a fish despite constantly looking.

The following morning just as the light was breaking I had a take on my right hand snag rod. The rod was locked up which is not good for the old heart as the fish tried its hardest to get in the snags, but after a 15 minute battle I managed to coax him into the net. I thought it was a low twenty at first until I lifted him out on to the mat and was over the moon when the needle on the Reuben's pulled around to 28lb 12ozs! Immediately I recognised the fish as one I'd caught in 2008 at 19lb! So was definitely pilling the pounds on.

A fish each was a nice way to end the session, so as I was pushing my barrow back to the car I walked past my dad’s swim, but just as I did he had a slow take on his middle rod which immediately kited right towards a snag on the edge of an island. Then, all of a sudden it found the snag and everything went solid. After a short while nothing was happening, I tried hand lining to see if I could move the fish when suddenly something began to give. We weren't sure if the fish was still on and then fearing the worst as a big branch surfaced. I thought the fish had gone until the I saw the line going in a different direction from the branch my dad got the fish up the surface and I netted the fish along with the branch.

My dad was over the moon to get the fish in and on the scales it weighed 25lb 2ozs! It was my dad’s biggest fish from the lake so far as he's been a tad unlucky so far on the water, just catching doubles.

The fish went back safely and my dad had a big smile on his face! We both went home happy, which ultimately is what fishing is all about!"