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).

08 August 2006.

A carp.

Occasionally if I have an hour or two free in the afternoon I pop to one or other of my local lakes for a spot of carp fishing. I really enjoy fishing on the top with bread or dog biscuits and I'm happy to catch anything.

This week I only spent an hour carping. I cut half a small loaf (35 p's worth) into big cubes popped it in a bag and drove to the lake. It was hot and humid and when I got to the water there were one or two (mostly retired blokes) people already fishing with floats or legered baits. I avoided disturbing any of the other anglers and made my way to a snaggy swim overhung by trees. On went a piece of crust about the size of a matchbox and together with a couple of free offerings I flicked it in under the tree. After no more than five minutes I heard a slurp and one of the freebies disappeared - I was all agog. Sure enough, a couple of minutes later there was another slurp and my rod tip was yanked round.

I can't say that the carp actually took much line - it didn't but it must have spent a good five minutes with my rod bent at ninety degrees as it plunged and dived just beneath where I stood. My arm was beginning to ache before I finally led the fish into the net. It was quite a relief to slide it ashore, unhook it and return it - a nice fish in the lower teens of pounds

A good carp in the first five minutes I thought I was in for an excellent session but the three places I tried over the following hour did not produce so much as a ripple - that's fishing!

In the net.

Ready to go back.