Tom's Tour: Lake Carpathia!

It’s somewhere I’ve purposely visited only a handful of times, mostly for filming commitments after I joined the water last year, but finally, we’d found our way to the banks of the syndicate lake and I was raring to go. Nearly all my sessions seem to be with a film crew in tow, so we always have a laugh doing features for magazine format. My recent visit to Lake Carpathia was refreshing, to some extent. There was no major pressure, and no need to apply the handbrake for the cameras. It was just me pitting my wits against the fish… enjoy!

No preconceived ideas
With Tom (Gibson) on his way from another shoot, I got to the lake pretty sharpish on the Tuesday morning after the Bank Holiday rush. Whilst I like to keep an open mind and have no preconceptions, I’d heard on the grapevine that the lake had done only a handful of bites through the weekend. In all honesty, that surprised me. I knew the area where the bites had come from, and after pulling into the car park to only find one car there, I had a pretty good idea of where I wanted to be—how wrong was I!

The area I first considered was not far from where I’d spent time on previous sessions, and where I knew pretty well. After Tom arrived, we started to make our way round the lake. We stood in one of the first swims just watching the water. The conditions didn’t seem great, with a cold, north-easterly wind and high pressure forecast. Before long, however, a big black shape threw itself out of the water… at the opposite end of where we thought they’d be! I made a few casts into the weed with the leading rod, but the carp continued to show in the distance. I couldn’t ignore the signs any longer. I grabbed my bucket and headed to where we’d seen the fish.

It’s worth noting at this stage, that the lake’s carp are fed with pellet, on a weekly basis. This is to help with their growth and the repair of any damage to their bodies. As you’re about to read, this feeding of the stock helped shape the session perfectly.

We set about getting round to the swim where the majority of the shows had been. It could have been only two minutes or so after we arrived before another fish showed in front of us. From that moment on, the whole area was a hive of activity, with fish topping left right and centre, and mainly at a range of 40 to 60yds, out towards the opposite bank where the only other angler on the lake was fishing. 

Seize the opportunity
Wasting no time after seeing the shows, I ran back to the van to grab the barrow before returning to the swim. I needed to whip up a rod quickly and see if I could nick a bite from what was clearly a large group of happily feeding fish. As the minutes ticked by, more carp rolled in front of us. With daytime bites having been a rarity since I’d joined the syndicate, what we were seeing made me feel that no better chance had presented itself. There would be no intentions of getting any bait out. It would simply be a case of tying on a fresh D-Rig with a balanced bait, casting into the rings of the show, and keeping disturbance to a minimum. I waited patiently for the next carp to poke its head out before casting my rig straight into the area. 

I didn’t know a great deal about the side of the lake we were on as I’d never wet a line there, but it felt around nine- or ten-feet deep. I also felt a surprisingly good response through the tip as the lead thumped down on the lakebed. The weed growth had really picked up, and I did fear at first, that the shows might be amongst it all. Fortunately, though, the area was clear. Now, we played the waiting game…

Feeding fish plus efficient rig equals bites
Dare I say, it was only a matter of 30 minutes before the single rod, down on the deck was away. I was actually starting to set up the brolly for the day when Tom heard the clutch whizzing, the rod tip hooping round at the same time. What a start! The fish was clearly confused as I picked the rod up. Initially, it seemed to just shake its head. Having realised that it was hooked, it charged off into open water and battle commenced.

Fishing for quick bites in this kind of situation is fun, and something I hadn’t done in a long time, especially at close-quarters. I knew, though, that the fish wouldn’t sustain the pounding for too long. The more I managed to hook, the greater chance there was of them moving away. That said, I knew too, that if I was patient and cast wisely, a few more fish might well be on the cards. I flicked the rig back out towards the next show, this time a little further out. I sat back, once again full of anticipation.

I peered into the net at the first fish. It looked like a decent-sized carp, maybe a thirty-pounder and a great start to the trip. With us having booked just one night for the feature, there was a little pressure, perhaps, to deliver. You can’t get it right every time, but the session was looking very promising at this point. Tactics would remain the same throughout the day: simple rigs, with a hookbait dipped in potent and smelly Pure Fish Liquid to draw the carp in. 

Don’t believe the whispers
With the rod back out, primed and ready for another, it was obvious we weren’t going anywhere anytime soon. I set-up camp and got the other rods ready, the intention being to increase my chances by spreading single hookbaits across the area. That was the plan anyway, before the first rod was away once again!

It was the same script as last time. The fish seemed confused at first and perhaps didn’t realise it’d been hooked. After another good tussle, I shuffled the fish into the second net, which Tom had scrambled to set-up. Then, there was a slight eureka moment…

We prepared to weigh and photograph the first fish, and having placed it on the mat, it passed bait, and to be specific: pellet! It turned out that I was fishing an area frequently fed by the bailiffs. Looking back, it was little wonder they were going mad. Most anglers, however, apparently avoid the area. They think a lot of bait has gone in and therefore don’t want to fish over or around it. Maybe this piece will change their minds! The fish were clearly on it, and I was going to make the very best of the chance. Although the fish are pretty large with plenty over the thirty-pound mark, they are still young. They’ve been reared on pellets and they haven’t got that big without having a good feed, that’s for sure!

Co-op trip, and chill…
Hopefully, by now you’ll have read and appreciated that when it comes to my own angling, I like to have fun. Many might think I’m relentless, constantly spodding and doing different things, but in truth, that’s the case only when I need to work for bites. I can’t tell you how refreshing it is to go to Carpathia, to chill out and enjoy the fishing whilst the carp behave as they should. I don’t have to chase them around the lake or worry about others moving in next to me. I can fish how and as I like to, with no real pressure. 

After we’d unhooked, weighed and photographed the second fish—a lovely mid-twenty—it was time to get ourselves to the local shop. Being disorganised in that department, neither of us had brought food, so a flying visit to South Cerney was in order, the intention being to get back quickly and nick a few more bites. I was more than confident that the fish weren’t going to move, and even if they did, I was now the only one there—pure bliss, I know!

With the gear already set-up and the lake being secure, we made a hasty dash to the shop to grab the grub we needed, but not without bumping into local hero, Mitch Hammond. As an angler, you can’t drive through the region without seeing him—he’ll track you down like a sniffer dog! 

The trip to the shop was completed; I was desperate to get back to the lake. We’d returned to the car park and had started walking back round. Huge slicks were coming up in the area and there were a few noses poking out—this really was gold! This time, though, I was going to commit three rods to the activity, spreading single hookbaits as the shows weren’t concentrated enough for just the one. To the left, some were as close as a rod-length out, and out in front, as much as a hundred yards. One thing was for sure: they were there in numbers! Quickly, I whipped up three rigs, waiting until a fish showed before casting each to the rings: simple, but very effective fishing, and just how it should be. 

Given the frequency of the shows, all three rods were soon in play. Once again, it didn’t take long. The take on the middle rod was pretty savage, the fish immediately ripping line from the spool. It turned out to be a really nice carp, probably one from the earlier stockings, with a super-cool little tail. 

The good times roll, but a plan was needed
I think only twenty minutes passed before the next rod went, and it was the one I’d re-cast after unhooking the first fish, which shows the importance of getting them back out there and not sitting on your hands in hope that the others will produce bites too. The fish came in without too much hassle. I had to be mindful of the surrounding bushes, but it all went pretty swimmingly. 

With a fish in each net, it was finally time for a well-earned coffee as Tom sorted some filler shots for the piece. It was also a good time to get my bait ready for the evening ahead. To reiterate, I knew the carp wouldn’t sustain the beating for too long, and that the pressure would eventually push them away. I decided, therefore, to leave the third rod in play, as I got the leading rod out to look for an area for the evening. I was looking for smoother ground and flecks of gravel amongst the substrate, and it didn’t take long to find a nice spot just off a raised area. I even brought back bloodworm on the knot of the lead, which is more than enough to see me commit a rod to. 

My mix consisted of the usual: Krill Active, hemp, corn and bloodworm, along with something new, a liquid which will become part of my mix going forward. Pure Fish Liquid reminds me of the old Aqua-Amino, but it’s even stronger. It’s thicker too, which helps it carry the scent to the bottom with the rest of the mix. Flecks of corn would provide options to tip my wafters with little slivers of yellow, whilst the rest of the ingredients would give the carp plenty to find and think about. 

I love using liquids in my angling, and they usually form a binder for the particles and crumb. I wanted a dense, heavy mix as it was around ten-feet deep out in front, but it would consist of smaller items, and once it’d sank, would leave lots of scent on the spot. 

With the nights beginning to draw in, darkness was looming reasonably early. It was time to re-do the rods and get the bait out. A full bucket went out, which some might see as overkill. I assure you it wasn’t. The carp were clearly hungry and they were going to get a bucketful! The nights had been productive for me on Carpathia, so I was confident of a bite or two during the early hours. Maybe, I wouldn’t have to wait too long…

#TeamNoSleep
In all honesty, as the light faded I didn’t expect a bite before nearer midnight, but just as we got the brews on, the middle rod pulled up tight and the clutch started ticking. With the rods now at a range pushing 90-plus yards, the fights felt better. This, though, gave them an opportunity to kite, and that’s exactly what the next fish did, although it didn’t cause too much bother. A shimmer of scales appeared in front, and the fish turned out to be one of the lovely little fullys. Although it was the smallest thus far at around 17lb, it was certainly up there with the prettiest. I fired the rod back out to the spot, and the night soon came. 

By the time I’d finished watching my Call of Duty streaming, I was long gone. To my surprise, the rods remained motionless until around five thirty when the first rod went. The fish responsible was a lovely scaly upper-twenty. With that one secured, I kept the rod out of the water as we planned on wrapping on the carp which we’d landed. We didn’t have time even, to get the kettle on, though, before the right-hand rod was away!

The fight felt different from the off, the fish powering away and immediately kiting right on a tight line. I thought at this point that we might have the mid-thirty we were hoping for. I gained control and brought the fish closer. As it rolled a few rod lengths out, I could see it was a common, which Carpathia’s not known for. The lake has a stock of 200-plus fish, but only a handful are commons. I then thought it might be a heavily scaled mirror, but on seeing it come in close a second time, I realised that it was indeed a common. I shuffled the lump into the net and could see straight away that it was easily into the thirties—happy days indeed! 

We got the morning brews on and waited for the light levels to increase before getting the fish out for the camera. The first was an upper-twenty mirror, an awesome carp and a fitting example of what the lake offers in terms of looks and stock. The second was a solid common. We both knew it looked thirty-pounds and the scales agreed. The dial eventually settled at 31lb 4oz.

We’d pencilled in two full days, but we found ourselves wrapping up not even twenty-four hours into the session. The morning soon passed, and it was evident that the carp had done the off. There was very little activity out in front, or indeed around the whole lake. The session is up there with the best I’ve had in quite a while. The angling was quite raw, which I’ve not experienced for years. We photographed the final two carp and reeled in the rods. We bade farewell once more, to a little slice of paradise that I’m fortunate to be able to fish.