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).

21 August 2008.

Unpredictable carp.

Next to mullet I think that carp must be one of the most frustrating fish to seek. It's not that they are particularly difficult to catch - I've said before that I average about one fish per hour of fishing time - but they are so unpredictable.

My last two carping sessions were quite different from each other but I don't know why. On the first occasion things looked perfect, pretty calm, sunny but not too hot, lots of fish hanging about at the surface. Despite all my efforts it was a devil to induce a bite. Even the free bits of crust that I chucked in were left untouched for the entire trip. In the space of over two hours only once was my bait taken and then the fish came unstuck after plunging about for five seconds.

The second trip was on a windy, cool, miserable sort of day. Not much showing but every crust was taken confidently. I only fished for an hour and I dropped a couple of fish (that's life) but I also landed two. The behaviour of the carp was so different to the previous time it was unbelievable.

The first.

A better one.

The same one again.