Posted on 22nd Sep 2011 @ 11:27 AM

After another busy weekend in the shop, and spending sunday with my son i decided sunday evening I needed to get the rods out. It had been three weeks now since my last outing so I hurridly packed the carp bus and shot off in the direction of the nene valley, with both feet on the gas racing the sunset I wanted to have the rods out on the spots before dark.

I arrived to find only one other car in the sydicate car park so the chance of me getting the peg i had spent most of the season on looked good, although after a three week break i guess the spots had gone off the boil but I knew I could drop the traps bang on the mark in little light without too much messing about. Gear loaded on the carp porter I headed for the top arm of the lake my chosen peg was empty and i got the rods out and set up house in record time, a kilo of the edge over each spot and I could sit back and await some action.

The rest of the evening was spent having a grin and chatting shit with the consultants, Spencer was hunting hippos on the manor and Apples rang to say he was gonna rock up after his night shift for an overnighter and hed be round at 7 for a benson and a brew.

As predicted the S/westerly started to pick up around midnight it was hacking straight in my face and after re pegging the shelter down on numerous occasions I hit the sack around 2am anticipating some action. 7 oclock soon arrived and I was greeted by a black labrador, Phil one of the fishery owners and Apples all demanding refreshments.

 The conditions remained the same throughout the day overcast warm SW gusting 30mph  straight into the bay I was fishing it was sure to produce a bite at some point but when? I was yet to see any sign of fish and was beggining to think I should be on the main body of the lake. This was heavily encouraged by Chris who had carp crashing on his spots all day. By early evening I was tempted to move and have a social with Chris who had got a few tinnies as usual, and a local lad who fished the syndicate previously had arranged to catch up with Chris later that night. But for some reason I decided against it and stayed putt. I had got to follow my initial gut feeling i had when i arrived the day before this peg had produced fish for me every session over previous weeks they were sure to turn up before long.

I woke the following morning I little cheesed off as the alarms had remained silent all night I rang Chris to see how he'd done but there had been nothing out on the main lake however they were still showing which was more than id got in front of me. Phil arrived shortly after and we discussed the lack of action over a coffee and a roll up before he went off to collect the day tickets from the complex.

The time to wrap up was fast approaching and I was feeling disheartened, I knew it would be a few weeks again before i would get back down what with a family holiday booked for next week and further work to do at the shop it was looking like mid october earliest. I lit the kettle for one last brew and took the last benson out my crushed up 20 deck and started to tidy some of the gear away. I was half way through my cuppa when i got a couple of single bleebs on the right hand rod thinking it was the weed that was being blown all over the line I took another swag from my mug just as a I did I got a onetoner !!! followed by the spool loaded with braid going into complete melt down! as i hurriedly negotiate the steep bank wearing half my brew and trying to get my other shoe on the rods bent double at 45 degrees to my right the tip bouncing with the resistance of the clutch I remember smirking and thinking that'll f  ing do! This thing is taking line fast heading straight to the weed bed and as i lift the rod and pull into the fish i feel the weed grating up the braid i know if it burys itself im screwed so I just hold on and try and pull back without giving it another inch. Almost instantly theres a huge boil on the top and Ive got it moving it makes a few more runs for the weed bed before kiting back towards me were I can play it confident its now in fairy open water and away from trouble. After a fairly short battle I get my first glimse through the gin clear water its a big common a big black common, Im thinking nah it cant be the bishop (Again) id had it a month or so earlier off the top and it really is a spectacular looking fish. It rolled again right in front of me and i knew then it was, the panic started to kick in, im praying to the carp gods please dont let it come off, please dont let it come off as it lunges left over my other rods, I can see the boilie hangin out its mouth as it comes to the top with the hook right in the scissors im struggling to reach with the net on this steep bank and a shallow margin and im really wishing id put my chesties on. Im nealing down trying not to slip in with my arm stretching further than i remeber and its over the draw cord hits the spreader block and victory is mine.

 I get it on the mat quickly zero the sling and scales the salter digitals read 38lb 15oz and im beaming a new record weight for this one and the second time its graced my net in two months happy f  ing days! I push it out in the floating recovery sling and im straight on the phone to  phil to come round and  take some shots. Phils there in a couple of minutes i hand him the camera and lay it on the mat in all its sunburst glory. Hang on a minute Phil says its a f  ing male theres milk oozing onto the mat, f  k me I never thought for a minute it was a male isnt he stunning.

After a few trophy shots hes slipped back into the water and my work is done i wrap up and head back, the drive home is always better when you have the smell of success in the back of the motor in the form of a wet stinking net. 

Rob Johnson