Mystery Lake

Dan "The Fisherman" (not a crap angler) and myself, the crap angler visited a mystery lake in Oxfordshire early on Monday the 1st October. We arrived at around 6.30am, just as dawn was breaking. The lake was fairly narrow, quite long and had a few islands of varying sizes in the middle. Most of all the venue looked "fishy"! Neither of us had fished the venue before and so didn't know what, if any fish were stocked.

We both chose swims next to each other and started to set up, before we had a rod in the water Dan had spotted a snake swimming towards him, so after he had shit himself and almost climbed up a tree we continue to set up. Both of use were using method feeders with hair rigged boilies. I was using a method mix that consisted of Bait-Tech Special 'G' Green Groundbait, tuna, sweetcorn, strawberry flavoured carp pellets, rock salt, breadcrumbs, crushed boilies and sugar puffs. On my first rod I was using 14mm strawberry flavoured boilie made by ... On my second rod I was using pineapple plus 15mm boilie. It's irrelevant what method mix and bait Dan used, he blanked!

The first few hours were pretty slow, then after about 3 hours I received a run on my strawberry boilie. The reel started to scream like a banshee on crack! I struck and after quite a good strong, wild fight I landed a common carp of around 5lb. After this run the lake went pretty dead. No signs of fish and no bites for either of us, not even a line bite. At around 1 o'clock Dan asked me if he thought we should move to Clattercote Reservoir as he was desperate to catch some fish, but being the stubborn git that I am I refused saying that I thought that we would catch fish. I also didn't want to walk my fishing tackle round 63 pegs at Clattercote!

The next hour or so was just as quiet as the previous few and then just after walking around for a bit I arrived back at my swim and just as I did my left hand rod with the strawberry boilie went off on a "clonking" run with my bite alarm going mental. I struck into the fish and at first it ran straight for the island. I managed to get the fish under control and then continued to play it for a while before eventually landing a beautiful looking Mirror Carp. In the net the carp weighed 19lb 12oz but after taking the weight of the wet net off it weighed exactly 18lb making it my personal best. I was so happy and was especially pleased that I hadn't given in to Dan and moved venues.



Again the lake went very quite, Dan got a run (not the runs) at around 4 o'clock but to continue his bad luck for the day he missed it, I was gutted for him as it's not nice for anyone to blank, but especially when your mate lands a "clonker"! At around 5 o'clock I had another nice run - again on the strawberry boilie, this fish fought well and in the end I landed a wild looking common carp of about 5lbs.

We kept on fishing until it was sunset and then called it a day but decided to fish Clattercote Reservoir the next day at 6am. On the way home I decided to buy some crazy baits for our fishing tomorrow. As I have fished Clattercote Reservoir before and caught plenty of fish I thought I would have a bit of fun and see what baits I could catch fish on. I bought the following baits:

chick peas in masala sauce
meatballs in tomato sauce
pepperami
cheese strings (multi-coloured: yellow+orange)

Shimano Exage 1000 RA Reel

The Exage specimen reel just ticks so many boxes! It's suited perfectly to the carp, predator and specimen angler alike and with its revolutionary Fightin' Drag mechanism - effectively giving it an instantly adjustable baitrunner system - this reel has proved one of Shimano's best sellers. Check below to see the Fightin' Drag system in action.

The Exage's outstanding beauty can't fail to impress. Supplied with a strong and light aluminium cold-forged spool, and an additional spare spool, the Exage RA has 3 Shimano AR-B ball bearings and a Shimano roller bearing that delivers an impressively smooth performance and superb cranking power. The AR-B bearings are resistant to corrosion and oxidisation, even in most extreme conditions and ensure the Exage RA will maintain its peak performance for a long time to come.

If there's one feature that puts this reel firmly at the top of the specimen tree, it has to be the Fighting Drag system. If you require an almost limitless range of drag settings at the flick of a switch to keep you in touch & control the most unexpected battles with hard fighting fish, look no further than Shimano reels fitted with fighting drag. Ergonomically positioned between the back of the body & the rear drag knob, a simple turn anti-clockwise decreases the pressure whilst a clockwise turn tensions the clutch. Start with the lever in the central position i.e. vertical and hold the hooklength (taking great care not to hook yourself! and pull the line through the rods rings making a curve in the rod. Set the rear clutch knob so that the clutch allows line to gently come away from the spool when the rod is at maximum test curve. Now you have the clutch set cast out and then switch the lever to the minimum clutch setting, this is a great buffer when a big fish takes the bait, hooks up and starts to pull the rod into the water. In effect you have a Baitrunner spool, simply pick up the rod and gently ease into the fish, try to avoid the temptation to strike the fish, as it will probably be hooked. Slowly apply the pressure with your thumb on the Fightin' drag lever clockwise - when you feel you have the desired setting to play the fish you can continue with the battle. If the fish starts to lunge and requires more line then flick the lever back to the central position and instantly you reduce the tension. It's simple, fast and effective, little wonder many top anglers now swear by Fighting Drag.

Want to see the Fighting Drag in action? See how it works HERE!

SUPER STOPPER II
With the reel set in anti-reverse mode you'll find zero free-play on the handle thanks to Super Stopper II. Unerringly positive every time, its practical benefits include micro increment settings of quiver tips or specialist bite indicators and faster hook setting.

FLOATING SHAFT II
The key friction area on most fixed spool reels is where the spool drive shaft meets the pinion. Shimano designers have overcome this by reducing a large percentage of surface area contact, and incorporating bearings on either side of the shaft. The resultant design leaves the shaft in a "floating" position, considerably improving efficiency and longevity.

FIGHTIN' DRAG
Models with Fightin' Drag have both a conventional drag and an additional drag, accessed by simply shifting the conveniently located lever to the left or right.

DYNA BALANCE
Reduces reel wobble and allows produces ultra smooth performance.

A-RB
The secret of long-term rotation performance is to prevent any form of rust, corrosion or oxidisation of the bearings, which can cause a reduction in the reel's performance over time Shimano A-RB bearings are the answer to this and are fitted as standard on most Shimano freshwater reels and on all Shimano saltwater models.

VARISPEED
Excellent quality line lay is the most important feature for precise, long and accurate casting. Shimano's entry-level "Varispeed" line lay system consists of two specially designed gears and oscillating slider. Gear one is oval and gear two is square! Only a special computer program and state-of-the-art tooling developed by Shimano has been able to make these two shapes fit together perfectly and the result is good line lay and improved fishing precision.

P3 stands for Power - Precision - Performance
It's a perfect description for the range of Shimano economy reel. Our world famous gears have an unbeatable reputation of strength and durability and are used throughout the P3 range to given them Shimano Power. All Shimano reels are designed using advance computerised technology. P3 models are also assembled to micrometer perfect tolerances that deliver the renowned Shimano Precision.
Although the P3 range is very affordable, the reels totally outperform other competitive models, last longer and deliver outstanding Shimano Performance.

ONLY £29.99!

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Shimano Reel Deal

In classic black with an XT7 spool finished in silver, the ST models from Shimano are packed with far more advanced features than you'd reasonably expect to find on a Baitrunner at this price point.

Line lay is good thanks to Varispeed oscillation which involves an oval and a square gear, computer engineered to interact perfectly. Incorporating a gutsy 4.6:1 retrieve, double handle and the equivalent of 5 ball bearings, the ST is available in both 6000 and 10000 models.

If you're looking for a quality entry-level free spool reel, look no further than the new Baitrunner ST.

BTRST10000RA
Weight 540, Gear Ratio 4.6:1
Line Capacity 12lb/430yds

ONLY £59.99!

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A short session at a windy Clattercote Reservoir

I visited Clattercote Reservoir for a really short fishing session today. I arrived at about 16.00 and left at 17.30.

The wind was blowing like mad towards the dam end and the sky was very overcast with the likelihood of rain at any minute, so I decided to fish peg 9, possibly because I didn't have a brolly and wouldn't have far to run! I decided just to set up one rod and fished on the method feeder, using some Bait-Tech Special G Groundbait mixed in with a tin of tuna and some sugar puffs.

I fished about 40 foot out straight infront of the peg. I received my run after about 20 minutes and ended up landing a common carp of about 8lbs. It didn't fight anywhere near as much as the carp I had previously caught at Clattercote down the other end of the reservoir, maybe this was just due to the water depth, I don't really know.

After this common carp, I didn't get anymore bites, but it's nice to know that you can fish a short session at Clattercote and still catch a carp.

Tackle:
Kobra small flat carp feeder with 8/10 elastic

Rod:
Ron Thompson Zensorflex Carp Rod

Bait:
15mm Pineapple Plus Birdfood Boilies by Dynamite Baits

Bait-Tech Special G Groundbait

The Shimano Exage 4000 RA Reel for £34.99

For a limited period Trevs Tackle will be selling the fantastic Shimano Exage 4000 RA reel for just £34.99 each!

The Exage's outstanding beauty can't fail to impress. Supplied with a strong and light aluminium cold-forged spool, and an additional spare spool, the Exage RA has 3 Shimano AR-B ball bearings and a Shimano roller bearing that delivers an impressively smooth performance and superb cranking power. The AR-B bearings are resistant to corrosion and oxidisation, even in most extreme conditions and ensure the Exage RA will maintain its peak performance for a long time to come.

If there's one feature that puts this reel firmly at the top of the specimen tree, it has to be the Fighting Drag system. If you require an almost limitless range of drag settings at the flick of a switch to keep you in touch & control the most unexpected battles with hard fighting fish, look no further than Shimano reels fitted with fighting drag. Ergonomically positioned between the back of the body & the rear drag knob, a simple turn anti-clockwise decreases the pressure whilst a clockwise turn tensions the clutch. Start with the lever in the central position i.e. vertical and hold the hooklength (taking great care not to hook yourself! and pull the line through the rods rings making a curve in the rod. Set the rear clutch knob so that the clutch allows line to gently come away from the spool when the rod is at maximum test curve. Now you have the clutch set cast out and then switch the lever to the minimum clutch setting, this is a great buffer when a big fish takes the bait, hooks up and starts to pull the rod into the water. In effect you have a Baitrunner spool, simply pick up the rod and gently ease into the fish, try to avoid the temptation to strike the fish, as it will probably be hooked. Slowly apply the pressure with your thumb on the Fightin' drag lever clockwise - when you feel you have the desired setting to play the fish you can continue with the battle. If the fish starts to lunge and requires more line then flick the lever back to the central position and instantly you reduce the tension. It's simple, fast and effective, little wonder many top anglers now swear by Fighting Drag.

EXG4000RA Specification
Weight (g) - 370
Ball Bearings - 3 ARB
Roller Bearings - 1
Line Capacity (mm/m) - 0,25-260/ 0,30-180/ 0,35-130/ 0,40-100
Line Capacity (lb/yds) - 8-240/ 10-200/ 12-160
Gear Ratio - 5,1:1

Clattercote not quite as good at the weekend?

I just walked around Clattercote reservoir at about 4pm to see how busy it got at the weekends compared to during the week. The sun was out so I thought that it would be really busy. There were quite a few people fishing but I expected there to be less room to fish but there must have been 70 or 80 spare pegs.

Nearly everyone I spoke to was having quite a hard time of it. Not many bites and not many fish. I only saw one fish caught which was a tench pictured below:



I did see one person completely miss a fish off of the surface, but apart from that everyone seemed pretty down hearted. It seems that both the mornings and the evenings are definately best at the minute.

Bailiff : 07740 534 892
For match bookings: 01908 302556
Peg availability 24 hour information line: 0113 281 6895

Fishing at Hadsham Farm, Horley, Oxfordshire

Hadsham Farm is literally 2 minutes drive from my house, so I classify it as my local lake. It never seems that busy when I drive past and the most other anglers I have ever seen there was 2 and that was only once, every other time I have fished the lake I have been fishing on my own, which I always find nice.

Fishing costs £5 per rod per day and you can just turn up and start fishing when you want. Evening tickets are £3 from 5pm and the lake can even be booked for matches and the lake is stocked with carp and tench.

I decided to do some early morning fishing so, turned up at the lake at about 6.15am and set up my method feeder with Dynamite Baits Strawberry & Ice Cream 15mm Boilies on a hair rig with Bait-Tech Special G Groundbait in the method feeder. I cast out and began to set up my second rod, which I planned to fish in the margins. Within about 2 minutes I had a screaming run on the method feeder! A nice hard fighting carp of about 4lb to start the morning. Once the carp was returned I refilled the method feeder added another boilie and cast out to the same spot and continued to set up the second rod.

I had just attached the float to the line, when the other rod went screaming off again, another nice carp!

I did have to scrap the second rod pretty quickly after this as there were too many bites on the method feeder and I did have a fish on each rod at one point, which was far too much for me to cope with! I have fished this lake a few times and each time it seems to be really good fishing early in the morning and in the evenings but during the afternoon it seems to die down. Also as far as I am aware there don't seem to be any fish over 6lbs or so, but you never know there could be a monster lurking in the water somewhere, this is one of the things that keeps bringing me back, apart from the fact it's really close to my house and the fishing seems pretty good!

To cut a long story short, I caught 21 fish, 19 carp and 2 tench up until midday and then I couldn't get a bite at all, so I gave up and went home.

Fishing Rules at Hadsham Farm Lake:

BARBLESS HOOKS AT ALL TIMES.
NO BRAID
NO MORE THAN 3 RODS PER ANGLER
ANGLERS MUST BRING THEIR OWN UNHOOKING MATS
CARP APPROVED KEEP NETS ONLY
ANGLERS MUST TAKE LITTER HOME WITH THEM
NO NUTS OF ANY DESCRIPTION
BOILIES MAY BE USED IF KEPT TO A MINIMUM
NO RODS ARE TO BE LEFT IN THE WATER UNATTENDED
NO HOOKS OR LINE TO BE DISCARDED ON THE BANK SIDE
ANYONE UNDER 18 MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY A RESPONSIBLE ADULT AT ALL TIMES

NO DOGS AS THERE IS STOCK IN THE SURROUNDING FIELDS

My first visit to Clattercote

Having not been fishing for about 4 years I decided that it was time to hit the lakes again. I'd never been a very good fisherman, previously my personal best was an 8lb catfish that I caught in America, so the crap angler really does describe me well compared to all these carp anglers!

I arrived at Clattercote Reservoir at about 5.15am on a Monday morning in August 2008. Guess what, I was the first one there! I wanted to go against everything I had read on the internet that says you should fish the side pegs between 20 - 40, again this is probably why I am the crap angler.

I got to my chosen swim which I believe was swim 63 which had a small island slightly to my left and a bigger island a few swims to my right. I wanted to fish fairly close to the small island on my left as I liked the look of it when I walked around the reservoir a couple of days earlier, I also wanted to be by myself as I'm a crap angler.



Due to it still being so early I had to set up my rods using my mobile phone for light! I set up a Kobra method feeder on my first rod with a 3" hooklink. I used Bait-Tech Special G Groundbait on the method feeder with 15mm Pineapple Plus Birdfood Boilies by Dynamite Baits on a hair rig. I cast out my method feeder just to the left and short of the island and set up the bite alarm whilst I set up the other rod for float fishing. Before I could even get the line through all the eyes in the 2nd rod, my ledger went on a screaming run. I put the other rod down and played my first fish for about 5 minutes in some pretty poor light and eventually managed to land a mirror carp that was about 8lb. After returning the mirror to the water I refilled the method feeder added another pineapple boilie, cast out, set the bite alarm up again and continued setting up the second rod. I had just put the float on the 2nd rod when my ledger went off screaming again, after another nice fight it was another mirror of about the same size.

I eventually managed to get the 2nd rod set up and even got it in the water for about 5 minutes, but the method feeder was picking up bites every ten minutes or less, so I just decided to remove the 2nd rod from the water and fish the method for a while. I caught a total of 10 carp up to about 12lb by about 10-11am and then everything went dead. I didn't get a bite for the next few hours and had to entertain myself by watching a heron on the far side of the reservoir, a few kingfishers flying around looking lovely and watching the large carp behind the boards basking on the surface - such a shame you can't fish behind the boards!

I left Clattercote Reservoir at about 3pm as the bites had really calmed down and well I was knackered after getting up so early! I was over the moon though as I had a new PB and really hadn't expected to catch so many fish.

The reservoir looks a bit daunting at first due to the size of it and choosing where to fish, but I would recommend everyone to fish Clattercote as if I can catch about 100lb of carp in my first visit there, then so can you!

Tackle:
Kobra small flat carp feeder with 8/10 elastic

Rod:
Ron Thompson Zensorflex Carp Rod

Bait:
15mm Pineapple Plus Birdfood Boilies by Dynamite Baits

Bait-Tech Special G Groundbait