Monks – Good Friday
Out for the day at Monks with Mark, Tim and all the boys. Decide to get there just after 7, as it is likely to be pretty busy, and not sure if there are any matches on. Its -1c as we arrive about 7:10, and have to wait for Tim, who forgot his bait that was in the fridge.
Bridges looks packed out with plenty of bivvies up for the Bank Holiday weekend, and more people arriving. Great news, no matches on, so head up to the middle of lake 2 as it’s empty, and before everyone else beats us too it.
Tim sets up with the boys on 61, 62, Mark on 60, Sam on 59, Ryan on 58 and me on 57.
Set Ryan up with the feeder, and I start setting up the pole on the top 5. Sam is already in to the roach close in as Mark is still trying to set up. I know how he feels, as Ryan gets in to the first of his F1’s. He’s had 3 by the time I get setup, and off again now to help him with a carp.
It’s about 9ft deep without any sort of shelf, so I have a .8g NG XT Decker, which should hold as the wind if blowing straight at us. Grey hydro, 0.19 main, 0.15 hooklength to a Drennan Carp Bandit, with 8mm hard pellet. In go a couple of had handfuls of sweetcorn/meat/micro’s, ready for the first in, and a call of “dad”, off to help Ryan again with common of about 4lb. Sam has also just landed a nice 5lb mirror in the margin, on the pole.
Well 8:15, finally in, and straight into my first F1 of the day of about 2lb. Continues steadily until about 11:00 as the sun is now warming us up. I have had 8 F1’s and carp, and Ryan has had 15 F1/carp on the feeder, all between 2 & 4lb’s. Time for a nice bite to eat, so off to the food van, while Ryan and Sam watch Tim and the boys.
After a lovely egg/bacon stick, Ryan decides he wants to use the pole now, and I swap to the feeder. Mark has a couple of carp on the method, Sam and Ryan are catching loads of roach in the margins, and finally Tim’s boys get in to a nice carp.
As I stick the feeder out near the pipe, halfway to the other bank, they are on it straight away. Almost a fish a chuck now for an hour, about another 17 fish, and then all seems to go quiet about 13:30. The boys are having a break, and messing around up near Tim, as I wander up there, and help them set up on the float to the right depth.
Back to the feeder, and still picking up the odd F1 as Mark and Sam pack up at about 4 o’clock. Have been feeding the margin just under the tree to my right all day, and decide to drop the pole line in there now, as Ryan is back on the feeder. In it goes, couple of lumps of meat, and bang, straight in to a carp. After landing it, Ryan decides he wants to fish there now, and I start packing up. Tim and the boys have another nice carp, but they are also packing up.
Up come the normal call, “dad”, and he’s in to a nice fish, which takes out the elastic a long way. Eventually he manages to get it under control, and shortens it on the pulla. About 10 mins playing the fish, and I have most of the gear packed away, as it ready for netting.
A nice 6lb 3oz Mirror to finish the day on as Ma phones to let me know she is putting the tea on, and I have fish for Good Friday 🙂
Great day out with the gang, and next time off to Chart Fishery, but still a bit chilly for a night session.