Spring Carping on a Large Gravel Pit - May 2022

After a long winter Piking it was with fresh excitement that I got the Carp gear  ready for a spring campaign on a new water. A large gravel pit with a very low stock of Carp should certainly keep me entertained for a month or two! The third week of April was to be my first trip down with a cold North Easterly blowing I set up on a large point swim which commanded lots of water and would be a great area to watch from. I soon had three single pop up hookbaits spread out in front of me at 90 yards range with my alarm set for first light ready to see what's occurring. 

First light arrived at 4:30am with nothing showing until around 7:00am when just as I was giving up hope of seeing anything several Carp showed at range within minutes of each other! The spectacle continued until about 10am with fish showing all over the place, some even right over the baits but nothing occurred and by mid day I had to leave. I hadn't expected to see much on a first session so it was very encouraging and left me keen to return! 

The second session down couldn't have been more different to the first with a very quiet night with no fish been seen at all! And there was me thinking it was going to be straight forward! I didn't manage to get down for a couple of weeks so when I returned it was for an overnight session on a Wednesday so I'd have to pack up early and head to the shop in the morning. Still, it would be a chance to get down and watch what was going on. Just like the first session, the fish showed at first light but not in a specific area, it was just all over the place so I suspected the fish were pretty nomadic and moving up and down the lake quite quickly. I decided a change of tactic was in order for Sunday night, fishing to a central area of the lake with bright orange Sticky Baits Peach and Pepper pop ups fished over a good scattering of 20mm Krill boilies. 

I had to wait until 10:00pm to use the throwing stick just to escape the seagulls and after half hour soon had a couple of kilos of Krill scattered across the area in readiness for setting the alarm at first light. I spent the rest of the evening listening to big Tench rolling on the drop off, feeling full of anticipation for the morning- it really did feel good. 

First light and the Carp were all over me, showing on the spot with constant liners, surely it only had to be a matter of time before a rod melted off. I stood by the rods watching fish show over and over again for hours and eventually I got fed up watching so laid down under the brolly for a power nap with the dog. Well, typically as I dozed off in the Spring sunshine the middle rod absolutely melted off and suddenly I was out in my socks attached to an angry Carp. My heart was in my mouth as I could feel the braid mainline pinging through the thick weed beds 90 yard or so out! As usual I'd not managed to get my waders on in time and was soon waist deep in water ensuring the fish didn't kite into the reed beds to my right before finally breathing a sigh of relief when she went into the net first time! Happy Days! A mirror as well which in a lake full of Commons made it even better. 

At 33lb 12oz I was over the moon with a cracking Mirror like this, especially only after 4 nights fishing this spring. I'd set a target of just catching one this Spring and achieved that so I didn't really get down much more and with the Rivers opening soon my brother and I were keen to go and pre bait a swim ready for June 16th. Hopefully bag a few Fenland Bream and a bonus Tench! We'll keep you posted!