Catch Fish with
Mike Ladle

Information Page

For anyone unfamiliar with the site always check the FRESHWATER, SALTWATER and TACK-TICS pages. The Saltwater page now extends back as a record of over four years of (mostly) sea fishing and may be a useful guide as to when to fish. The Freshwater stuff is also up to date now. I keep adding to both. These pages are effectively my diary and the latest will usually be about fishing in the previous day or two. The Tactics pages which are chiefly 'how I do it' plus a bit of science are also updated regularly and (I think) worth a read (the earlier ones are mostly tackle and 'how to do it' stuff so if you are new to fly fishing or spinning these are the ones for you).

25 September 2006.

Carp and chub.

I had a couple of freshwater sessions this week. The first one was to a lake I haven't fished for a while. With the weather being so unseasonably warm I thought that carp would still be a good bet. I chopped half a small white loaf into matchbox sized bits and fished with my usual bass/carp gear.

The first spot I tried appeared to be fishless. I had thrown in a few free offerings and apart from the ubiquitous rudd hammering them to bits there seemed to be nothing bigger. I could see the odd carp basking out in the centre of the lake but I've always found these open-water fish very difficult to tempt. After a twenty minute stint I moved on to another place dropping a couple of crusts into a third spot as I passed.

My second choice proved to be much better and within a few minutes of dropping my crust into the marginal reeds it was sucked in and I found myself playing a reasonable carp. Excellent! After landing the first fish I shifted back to the other spot that I had baited on my way round. I flicked the bait out a few metres so that the line rested over a reed stem. Needless to say five minutes later a modest carp swam along much closer in, mopping up the bits of loose bread. I reeled in, rebaited and dropped the crust in the edge by a patch of pondweed. This time the line lay across the floating leaves (I always like to keep the line out of the water). I waited patiently (by my standards) for about ten minutes reasoning that the carp would come back along on its next patrol. It was something of a surprise when a bigger fish altogether suddenly appeared, golloped down the crust and tore off into the reeds.

The fish was pushing twenty pounds and in beautiful condition so I was well pleased with my session. The following day I went over to the river to spin with the little L Minnow lure. I was using the same gear but with a short wire trace in case of pike. The river was extremely low and clear and the sun was blazing down so I was not too hopeful. However, shortly after I began I hooked a fish in shallow streamy water. "Trout!" I thought but it turned out to be a reasonable chub. In the following hour I found several more chub much bigger than the first but they showed no interest at all. That's fishing I suppose.

First carp.

Bigger and better.

What a beauty

Chub.

Got it!