Tails Up Articles

Could it get much Better?    

Tim Clayden  

I had already spent one season on a small local (Essex) syndicate.  This to put it bluntly had been a bit of a disaster.  Due to the impending birth of my second child I had only fished 18 nights and received 8 takes landing 4 up to 26lb 12oz, a pretty mirror.

The lake in question is quite a well stocked water with an impressive head of twenties at least a dozen thirties and two forties.  Next season came around and I felt a change was needed.  I decided to change to a decent food bait fished in conjunction with beds of hemp and maggots, as no nuisance fish were present. 

After a lengthy debate with my friend Ash at Tails Up I decided on a change to the Tails Up Protavit Liver boilies.  A bait with a consistent track record.  But one which also seems to catch right from the start, which is important as I only had limited time and funds.  Anyway the new season came and things had definitely started looking up as in 12 nights, up to the middle of August I had managed to catch 14 carp up to a 24lb 8oz common.  I was very happy with the way things were going and felt confident that in time one of the bigger ones would come along.  But I did feel that perhaps a change of focus onto another area of the lake might help.  I had already seen one of the forties in this different area actually feeding on a couple of occasions.  Watching the way this fish fed I decided to shorten up my hooklinks by a couple of inches, making them around 4 inches in total, still with the trusty snake bite raptor t6 size 7.

I arrived at the lake for a two nighter on the new presentation and in the new area.  This particular swim has it all, an island, weedbeds and a stretch of out of bounds margin.  One rod went towards the island and the other along the out of bounds margin, where I had previously seen the forty.  I waited until 10.30am before the far margin rod rattled off and a spirited scrap resulted in a gorgeous 25lb 4oz mirror well nailed on the new rig.  Confidence was high.  Nothing happened again until 9.00am when I received an absolutely screaming run.  On picking up the rod it was nearly torn form my hand and a hell of a scrap ensued with me eventually sliding the net under a very nice common.  It looked like a submarine.  I was overjoyed as the scales read a new personal best weight of 33lb 10 oz.  Result!!

The next weekend I managed to get back in the same swim and the same spot produced a 17lb leather and an absolute stunner of a 21lb 10oz mirror.  The lake contains one or two exceptionally pretty linears which were really packing on the weight, already over  30lb.  On my very next overnighter, after setting up on showing fish, I managed to bank the larger of the two at 32lb 8oz quickly followed by a torpedo shaped 27lb 10oz common!  I simply could not believe the way things were going.  I just desperately wanted one of those two forty pounders.  I felt sure I just needed to keep plugging away.  I felt so close but fate had more in store for me yet.

On my next two nighter on the same swim I managed a nice 29lb 8oz common.  By now it was September and can now fish three rods for the duration of the winter.  My next session found me back in the swim, where I caught the 33lb common, for a two nighter and what a memorable one this was to be.  I had located a nice gravel patch in open water and fished my third rod on this, while keeping the others on their usual spots.  At 11.30pm the one on the new spot was away and I instantly knew I was into a BIG fish.  A full 45 minutes later a deep bodied mirror rolled into the net.  I weighed a new personal best weight at 34lb 4oz! Come on!   Re casting the rod, as best I could in the moonlight, I eventually drifted off to be awakened by a take at 2.00am on the margin rod.  A disappointing fight resulted in the other 30+ linear at 32lbs!  I had to pinch myself to check I was not dreaming.  At first light my island rod was away with the first of 3 twenties on the same rod at 23lb 7oz,  20lb 2oz and 24lb  6oz in the morning, followed up in the evening with 2 commons of 25lb 4oz and 26lb 12oz!

That night I went to sleep exhausted but was soon wide awake as I landed a prehistoric looking 31lb 4oz common!     Obviously I could not believe that session and could not wait to get down the following week for another two nighter, which was to be my last as, I had used up all my holiday as I work full time.  I set up back in the same swim and managed two 22lb linears, an 18lb linear and a 22lb 8oz fully scaled. 

Nice action, but I felt the bigger fish had moved off.  Due to the heavy pressure this swim receives.  I decided on a move back into the swim where I caught the 32lb 8oz linear back in August, as it was now October and I felt sure that one of the forties would soon make a mistake.  I located a nice clear silty area out in the middle section and decided to fish 2 rods in this area.  The other rod went on a far margin clear spot.

At midnight one of the open water rods produced a 29lb 6oz leather.  I recast the rod and fell asleep, knackered from work.  I was still dozing at 9.00am when a couple of ‘bleeps’ had me out and by the rod.  I watched as the tip pulled round and pulled into what I originally thought was weed.  The fish literally let me lead it in until I was over the top of it.  Then it turned on it’s side and I realised what I had hooked.  Bundling it into the net I peered in to make sure …then screamed my victory cry across the lake.

A collection of old and special friends arrived for the weighing and photographs and incredibly my Mrs bundled the 2 kids into the car and made the 15 minute journey down to the lake to see and, I think, they were even more surprised I had caught it than I was.  The ‘big girl’ weighed 40lb 2oz gently slipping the old warrior back I thanked her for making my season.  Shortly afterwards everyone drifted off and I was left to pack up.  By now I only had one rod cast out and as I was packing away this absolutely ripped off. I just could not do anything with this one.  I have truly never felt power like it after what seemed an age I slipped the net under an absolutely magnificent beast of a mirror.  It looked immense, even bigger than the 40 – due to the frame on it.  I got back on the phone and everyone came back.  She went 39lb 8oz, a massive gain as she is normally a low 30.  So that was a magical end to the most amazing season I have ever had and using Tails Up Protavit Liver boilies.  I finished up doing 24 nights for 36 fish.  Twenty six fish over 20lbs and seven which were 30+lbs.  Here’s hoping your next season is your best ever.