Special fish

[Paul Richardson]

It might not be the biggest, the prettiest or the rarest. It might even have been the one that got away? But once in a while we come across one that means a lot.
Yesterday I caught one right at the point where I had started to lose hope. It was a gruesome day on a wild unsheltered venue and I have truly started to lose count of the blanks I’ve had on this venue but well into double figures
But it’s a water local to me and I kept hearing of fish coming out, but no matter what I tried they eluded me and my fishing partner
It really had become a war of attrition ; an obsession even
As is so often the case I was literally at the point of throwing in the towel after another early start , long hard slog to the area I had chosen and change of jackets as I was soaked to the skin and didn’t really fancy pneumonia
Not when I could be sat in the warmth , eating , drinking and watching people fish from the comfort of my armchair
A single beep, and a bit of a drop back and I was on it. Line started to peel and my legs turned to jelly. It was as if Ihad never caught a pike before
, but after so many blanks over so many years it was surreal
But I set the hooks and started to relax. Just to feel a fish on the end was enough
No real drama and a decent fight and I finally had her in the net - a nice fish at 13-8 but I would have settled for anything
And this is one that will stay with me til my dying day - not the biggest, not the hardest fighting and not the prettiest venue - just special
What was yours?

 

[Deleted member 2708]

Perhaps one of my best fishing memories was taking my friend, Alistair, carp fishing.

I had given him a rod and reel, advised him how to tie hair rigs and use boilies. Then he wanted to try the river where I had caught three carp a couple of days earlier.

So, for once, he was up early to join me. I told him where to cast and went back to my rod. A few minutes later he shouted to me he had hooked something big, the fish was already tanking downriver past me. His drag was set too light and the fish free to go where it liked, fortunately it stuck to its course down the middle of the river and avoided the sunken trees. By the time he tightened his drag a little the carp was at least 100 metres downstream.

I asked him what breaking strain his line was "10 lb Daiwa Sensor" he replied!

Cutting a lengthy story down a bit now, the carp went into one sunken tree on our side of the river - and promptly swum out again! It took about 20 minutes to bring to my net, something of a miracle!

Lovely looking carp, Alistair was a bit bemused to say the least! Previous best for him were barbel and chub around 3-4lb.

I have had several carp from the river myself, all were fast and furious fighters, but this one is by far the most memorable!

 

[Damian Kimmins]

Perhaps one of my best fishing memories was taking my friend, Alistair, carp fishing.

I had given him a rod and reel, advised him how to tie hair rigs and use boilies. Then he wanted to try the river where I had caught three carp a couple of days earlier.

So, for once, he was up early to join me. I told him where to cast and went back to my rod. A few minutes later he shouted to me he had hooked something big, the fish was already tanking downriver past me. His drag was set too light and the fish free to go where it liked, fortunately it stuck to its course down the middle of the river and avoided the sunken trees. By the time he tightened his drag a little the carp was at least 100 metres downstream.

I asked him what breaking strain his line was "10 lb Daiwa Sensor" he replied!

Cutting a lengthy story down a bit now, the carp went into one sunken tree on our side of the river - and promptly swum out again! It took about 20 minutes to bring to my net, something of a miracle!

View attachment 17357

Lovely looking carp, Alistair was a bit bemused to say the least! Previous best for him were barbel and chub around 3-4lb.

I have had several carp from the river myself, all were fast and furious fighters, but this one is by far the most memorable!

Would make for a great unabridged tale that!
River carp have a whole different character to their stillwater cousins I thinks.

 

[Gerry Giles]

my special fish not my biggest by a long way but my most memorable ! is there such a thing as a sixth sense ??
YES I THINK SO !!!
I was a bailiff for my local club and the famous Tolpits lake that held some proper old English Carp that had been in there for 40 plus years it got heavily fished every day of the year due to the big Carp and double figure Tench one fish Known as Plodder was the biggest at over 40 odd pounds a true old warrior
I didnt fish this lake as there were a few lakes on the complex and it was very hard to catch in that lake so I preferred to fish the other 3 lakes that were smaller fish but you seldom blanked
we had been having some very high pressure weather for about 5 weeks and fishing was very poor when the weather started to turn the forecast was for a big low pressure to arrive
I had often seen Plodder near a snag when doing my bailiffs rounds and had been throwing a few boilies near every time I walked past that area that day at work I kept thinking I should go fishing that night as the big low had arrived
so when I got home I got my gear loaded and stopping at the chip shop got fish and chips got to the lake it had been pissing down and had stopped and 2 people were leaving
I could not believe it there was only one person a pike angler on the lake and he was just packing up in the 5 years I had never seen tolpits empty
I got Set up close to the snag
And then !!!
for the 1st time in my life I had this feeling I was going to catch Plodder and so I phoned one of the other bailiffs and said look I know this sounds barmy but Im on Tolpits and nobody else is here
and I just got this feeling Im going to catch a big fish if I do can I get you to come and help with the pictures ? and if so up to what time can I phone ?
he said you would be better ringing Russ as he is off tomorrow and closer this I did and he said no problem till midnight
I started Fishing at 19.00 I carefully lowered the bait on the margin spot about 4 metres from my rod tip at 19.30 my line started to slowly trickle out heart thumping I picked the rod up closed the bail arm tighten and the water exploded the rod doubled over and short while later I had Plodder in my net and she looked huge !!

the biggest surprise of all was she hadnt been out for a few months and her weight had gone from 48lb to a magical 50lb .7 ozs the first time she had ever got to fifty pounds
Russ came and took the pictures bought his scales that read 50lb .1ozs mine said 50lb .7ozs but I didnt give a toss so recorded the lower weight it was an English fifty
I have since caught a fair few fifty's and French 68 PB

but NOTHING comes close to that fish that I just knew I was going to catch I have never phoned anyone before or since as never had that feeling before

 

[Rhys Perry]

That on the Lot Steve? Beautiful looking carp, I'd fish for them more often if they looked like that!

 

[Deleted member 2708]

That on the Lot Steve? Beautiful looking carp, I'd fish for them more often if they looked like that!

Yes, the Lot east of Cahors.

I have had only one "ugly" carp here, a 29lb fish......

All the others have been sturdy and beautiful, mostly fully scaled......

Dare anyone call them "Mud Pigs"!!!!!!!!!

These carp are river sprinters when first hooked - unstoppable! Then they head for the snags.

I have had four between 13lb and 42lb in 2021 and lost four more massive creatures that ran all about the river and finally cut me off. Even if I had a boat I doubt I would have landed the biggest.

Similar story in 2020 with fish between 16lb and 34lb.

I take them on beefed-up barbel tackle and rarely fish specifically for carp. You can never be sure when a shoal of carp will turn up, when they appear you might catch a few!

The chap in this YouTube video seems to know my area very well....