My first reason to Blog!

After following many blogs, I have decided to do as the Romans do by joining in and creating a blog page myself.

It is my aim to blog about my experiences as an amateur angler with all my "ups and downs" along the way.

The reason I have started today is that at last I broke my "Curse of the carp".

As previously mentioned I have been following various anglers blogs which include Ryton Pool in their content, especially that of Roger Booths "Ryton Carp", I knew the lake held some very nice fish, not only in size but also in quality. So this season I decided to give them a go!

Over the past weeks I have banked quite a few nice tench up to 6lb and a mirror carp of 10lb 4oz (which was very pretty) but the larger specimens have alluded me.

Tinca of 5lb!

I have tried various rigs including chods,zigs, running leads and bolts, with and without back leads. Now at last I hope I have found a method that I feel works! (until I try something else!).

I have also been experimenting with baits ranging from bread, maggots, boilies, and pellets through to spicy sausage! Again , as with the rigs I hope now having caught I can stop experimenting and just concentrate on a tried and tested method and hopefully bag more fish.

So, less waffle!

After putting some time in last night, learning how to splice lead core and creating new rigs for today (spending more cash!) I woke earlier and had my fingers crossed for a good day. On arrival I was the only person on the lake so I decided to put my tackle down at peg and walk the lake to see if any fish were visibly feeding, with the water so clear large brown areas can be a good sign. With nothing shouting "Here I am, come and catch me!" I decided to fish where I had put my tackle,on a peg that I no has produced some nice fish recently.

I quickly set one rod quite close to "a feature" with a bottom bait and the other at distance with a zig rig set up.

The traps where set now just the wait......About 1hr 10 mins!


After contemplating my competence as an angler and the pros of fishing a well stocked venue, my right hand margin rod tore off, with the bobbin flying forward and the alarm sounding, this was not a tench!

I wounded down and hit into the fish,I had to slacken of the drag quickly as it replied by kiting hard to my left, which to my relief was above my other line. At this point I had big match nerves!

As it came closer in my heart sank as the fish hit very heavy blanket weed to my left and I thought it was snagged, and lost. Steady pressure thankfully saw it release and swim back towards me. Applying increasingly more drag I lifted a huge clump of weed with my back lead (which at the time was far from flying!(, by doing this it put me back in direct contact with the fish which slowly drifted in over the lip of my net and up to the float at the knuckle.

At last I had done it, after numerous weeks tallying up to probably 100hours fishing I had caught one of "Rytons' Living Jewels!"

I let the fish rest in the margins whilst I prepared the unhooking mat, zero the scales, get the camera and composed myself!

First for the weight, i estimated in my head upper teens and was very happy indeed when the scales read 19lb 9oz but realising the are weighing heavy a more realistic weight of 19lb 3oz could be safely recorded.

Pose for the camera!

With the camera on timer I managed to get a few shots of the fish before slowly returning her to the pool, one second of hesitation and then away she went!

Great reticulation in the scales.

I fished on until about 9 o'clock on this peg but moved round later to another area but no more fish came, but this did not matter!

I walked away very happy and after talking to Roger who was fishing the point, it appears that it could be one of the best fish caught thus far thus season, though I do think Roger caught the very same fish a couple of weeks ago at 19lb .

Sorry about the pics juggling a fish and setting the self timer was a nightmare.

If the blog is boring and poorly constructed then again sorry, but everyone starts some where!

Hopefully be back soon with more news.

Tight Lines...

Andy