Back in 2005 I found myself redundant and with a bit
of cash in the bank I found myself driving to Cambridgeshire
to look at a weedy, noisy lake that ran about 40
yards from the A14… Yes I know. Hardly the
overgrown, peaceful surroundings that most of us
crave when looking for a water to spend most of the
spring fishing.
But after finding out there were
four 40lb+ (Mr Grey, The Simmo, The Common and the
only foreigner in the lake, the big girl who was
named The Sheriff) carp swimming around in there and
with the job centre off my back for another week or
so. I went for a snout about..
The lake itself is a bit barren and although well
stocked it is by know means easy. I had fished and
really enjoy fishing weedy waters, but even I was
surprised by how weedy it was. The margins were
covered in kelp weed (the light coloured, candy
floss stuff) and 3 foot out it was caked in the
Canadian stuff.. The shallows were 6ft deep and it
rose to the top and at the deeper end it was 18ft
deep and yep the weed was 16ft deep.
I saw a couple show and saw one on the bank a 25lb
mirror. I watched while the bloke re-did the rod and
while chatting to him noticed he just drove his boat
out and dropped it half way. The only baits that
were allowed were boilies, pellet, ground bait and
maggot. Things like hemp and sweetcorn were banned,
but after chatting to the bailiff and seeing the
photos I paid my money and as I left said ill see
him next week to “have em”, laughing he replied with
“that’s what they all say”..
Well 2 days later and 36 hours spent in the kitchen
painfully rolling 12mm and 16mm matrix. I was
burning the tyres of my champagne super nova (my
very old Vauxhall Nova) heading for Cambridgeshire.
After a good look round I settled into a swim known
as “The Board”, two casts with the marker rod saw
that launched into the bushes behind me. A quick
lead about I had three baits with two crumbed baits
in a PVA bag chucked out onto three clearer spots.
Beer open and fag rolled I turned round to give
every car and lorry driver behind me stuck in the
6pm rush hour traffic a “cheers !!”. Only to get the
finger and a few beeping horns back. The night
passed, but keen as mustard (new lake) I woke to
find no fish. quick cuppa and half a dozen roll ups
later I started seeing fish in the Dog Walkers swim.
This swim was the only swim on this bank and as it
was public right of way along the back and the
longest walk from the car park it is very under
fished. Rods reeled in and a pocket full of baits
and pva foam I trotted round there and chucked two
rods at showing fish about 30 yard off the near
margin, rods laid on the deck and before I had a
chance to light it one of the rods roared off.
View Stig's gallery from Monks
Pit, Cambridgeshire
A twenty something mirror and a right result for my
1st night.
I noticed that they started to move round
the bank and then disappeared I moved all my gear
round to the Dog Walker pulted out a couple of kilos
spread along the margin and went for a wander with a
rod and some bait. Had a couple of beers and enjoyed
the purple smoke with “Derby” who went on to become
a good mate over that year.
Rods back out that
night, and I was soon waking the bailiff who I spoke
to only 4 days ago asking if he could do some pics.
He asked “how big” to which I replied “which one?”
the photos of the high twenty and 31lb’er were
returned and I left very happy.
Over the spring the swim wasn’t fished much but a
caught well out of it. Baiting up with loads of
boilies spread over the near margin. People did fish
it and I wasn’t hiding what I was doing but people
still took there baits out in boats and dropped
pellet and boilie over them. And blanked. I did fish
other swims but in the morning they would always be
in the Dog Walkers. I would fish till about 11am
then chase them round the lake chucking baits at
them all day what was a great tactic on this and any
water, there is a lot of perch in there and while
wandering round I would often get some spinners out
for them having them up to 2.10lb.
I ended that spring and then returned in the winter
doing about 35 nights in total and finishing off
with 39 fish. 10 x 30lb+ fish, 4 x doubles, 24 x
20lb+, and the sheriff at 45.15lb. It was a great
year and with Derby doing a lot more time than me
and catching 11 more fish than me he finish top rod
with me in second.
Be lucky and enjoy your time on the bank. Russ “The Stig"
