With a Spring in my Step, Part 1 - By Darren Fellows

After several laps of Clover lake with no concrete fish movement or sightings to go on I decided to set up in an area that would give me good coverage of the water I had committed myself to, but more importantly a nice observation area for the rest of the lake should conditions improve.
For once I didn’t need to rush as I left darkest Kent before the crack of dawn, and got the better of the M25 and M1 and 100 miles later I was on the banks chilling in the early morning sun, taking it all in.
Casting a bare lead around a few areas in 6-7 feet of water revealed the beginning of some fresh weed growth of up to 3 inches, but nothing to really hinder presentation or landing fish out there. One area felt really promising, that was one rod sorted. Now the other rod needed to be elsewhere, as I didn’t want another line running through that spot. I finally after a good few casts, settled on a firm silty area at the bottom of the marginal shelves down my right side margin. It looked good if they were to creep around the edge and I could get good line lay down to both spots, as I was using a new 100% fluorocarbon main line I discovered, and took a gamble and bought a spool of it to try out. It had better than normal knotted strength, I tested it and abrasion resistance than other fluorocarbon lines I had used, so that was a plus for the zebra mussels that littered across Clover’s lakebed. I found it’s only real downside besides being quite thick in diameter, was that it was needed plenty of tender loving care once newly put on the spools. Wiry and springy until it was trained and straightened out with a few casts, and a couple of nights angling in the water. If I could work things out I would be much happier with this form of presentation as a little angling percentage would be back in my favour.
Most of my angling is done with bottom baits, now I was really going to push the boat out on this session and try my new cork ball pop ups that I lovingly made a small batch of, a month or so earlier. Same homemade fishmeal & robin red base mix, with liquid Amino and Salmon oil and low level flavours – If it isn’t broke don’t fix it, if it’s on the right spot at the right time, and they’re feeding - I know they will eat it. I knew there were possibly times, my bottom baits may have hindered me getting bites, but I was very confident in my simple bottom bait rigs. I tied up a couple of hinged stiff rigs, and got them acting how I wanted them to, and sitting pretty – fingers crossed, at least I was happy.
I didn’t cast out, instead I put a little bait out on the spots and went for another couple of circuits round Clover, with hardly anyone down at the moment, or lines in the water, the fish had it easy. I found a few fish mooching about cruising here and there. Nothing feeding though, no bubbling, rolling, nothing really looked any better than where I was.
Early evening I cast my rods out to the spots, followed by 40 baits round each. Lines settled and bobbins on, alarms tested and kettle on time. I watched and listened way into darkness put nothing occurred across the lake. “Clover being Clover”, I said to myself. Still I was confident though for the days ahead.
Just after 11:30pm the left rod just slowly pulled up, and then one toned into open water. I enjoyed the following battle over 20 minutes or so, giving a great account of itself before I netted my first Clover carp of the year, after the most severe and long winter that everyone had just endured, It was great to be back and land a nice long 19lb Common. A quick hook point check, pop up’s fine, I cast out back on the spot followed by a few more freebies.
A sunny Dawn arrived, calm and still, no further action or signs anywhere across the lake, was that fish a loner or just very discreet? After breakfast and a few cups of tea, I wound in, and went for another couple of circuits around the lake looking with the Polaroid’s. Nothing else to go on again, I just watched and walked around all day, a few fish did the surface sun bathing routine, some of which I managed to take a few floaters quite well, once the was hardly any left out there, my floater rod was out there with a single mixer on a light hook link, well despite all my efforts with a controller or free lined mixer, I was beaten over the next few hours, didn’t matter if I had a single hook bait out there, or a pouch full or many pouches out amongst them. Most enjoyable frustration though, the best chance was a fish coming up underneath my hook bait, touching the surface film and then dropping back down again as it sensed something was not right. Above all the fish were active today and feeding and it was nice to see the various fish, up close and personal, ranging from low doubles to around 25/26lbs with such good clarity in the water. I waited until the late evening sun had cooled and the fish moved out of my area before casting out for the night with fresh pop ups tied on.
With nothing else seen or heard long into dark I hit the sack. I awoke to my clock alarm just before daybreak, looking out over the spots I saw nothing, not even a single bubble, just surface scum collecting on the drift. I set about filling up the kettle for a brew when was distracted by my cardinal 57 clutch drowning out the buzzer, left hand rod was now in meltdown. I was met with a nice solid resistance and a healthy battle curve kiting right. A nice slow scrap followed, plodding about and powering down towards the lake bed. This felt a better fish, I wasn’t disappointed when the fish was gulping air drawing her over the net cord towards the spreader block I saw the width and depth.
I left her secure in the edge, whilst I sorted out the mat, zeroed the scales with the wet sling, camera sorted and ready. I went back and checked her fins were against her body before lifting her out onto the waiting unhooking mat. I peeled back the mesh to reveal that this one was really nailed, centre of the top lip – unusually.
At 22lb 8oz, the chunky common has plenty of potential to get bigger. This was a strange session averaging a bite a night so far, but no signs of feeding on or near my spots. I was well chuffed, but in the back of my mind I thought a third night catching might be pushing it...especially as the other rod on the other spot had produce zero bites so far. I was getting itchy feet to move somewhere else.
I wound it again, and after a couple of intense laps looking in every nook and cranny, margin and tree viewing point. I eventually found a group of 5 fish confidently feeding on the marginal shelf around 3 – 4 feet out. All around mid doubles, maybe a scraper twenty at best, but the one that got my attention was a gorgeous long mirror with a dark brown back and a chestnut belly and a great big tail, this one was quite a delicate feeder, slow and steady, and one I didn’t recognise. I observed them for about half an hour amongst the natural debris and twigs and then headed back to my swim with a spring in my step, knowing I had to move up there and fast, in case I missed the chance now on offer. I packed up my kit double quick, and moved. I then weighed up the situation before me, I crumbed up a few baits from my pocket and trickled a few small pellets and mini tigers at every opportunity when the fish drifted off the spot, and they kept coming back and feeding with no caution. I kept this up for a few hours, and then every so often two bream would up end on the bait briefly, one was big 9-10lb whilst the other was much smaller around 4lb. I felt like a heron.
Why didn’t I put a baited rig on a spot that fish were feeding on.... well the reason was simply the spot was littered with debris such as small branches, twigs and other matter which would have hindered my line lay down to it. Luckily for me I had remembered my Spod rod & reel with my little rake gizmo attached on it. It was going to take a fair bit of work to clear it up, I took a calculated guess that I fed them enough free munchies that morning, that they might drift back overnight or early next morning weather permitting that it was similar conditions, of course. After various near misses with the rake, and much success over the next 5 hours I had it all tidied up and I was much happier of a chance now. Well sort of... over the course of the afternoon I had 2 jack pike under my feet, darting out at all the roach and fry, I had visions of bite offs now before I had even got a carp bite.

To be continued - End of Part 1