Blackstone Carp

Headed off for a 12 hour session on January 24th. Weather was looking good, a nice mild day following a couple warm rainy/foggy days. I got to the banks around 6 am and Nate pulled up the side of the road and I quickly started dumping my gear over the rail. It always seems like no one is on this road till we stop and suddenly there was a small traffic jam behind us. Dirty looks all around as they honked and drove round our car, though to be honest it took me no more then a minute to unload.

It was a bit chilled, around the mid 30's F and there was a fog clinging to everything. I packed the barrow up, secured it and I was off down the hill. It is only about a 1/4 mile walk but it is windy, and bumpy and just tiring to carry all my gear by hadn. Really happy I bought the barrow this Christmas.

As I arrived at the swim I was unloading when I noticed a person walking along the roadway where I had just been. It was still mopstly dark and I thought, well maybe it was a fellow fishermen I had beat here. There are only a handful of us that fish this spot in the winter and many times we will pop by to say hello if someon else is fishing. Then a car came across the bridge and I noticed the badge and uniform in the light..it was a state police officer. He was looking up and down the bank where I had unloaded..then he noticed me unloading my gear. He seemed to make the connection and started back toward his car. I am guessing one of the people in the "traffic jam" called him and reported somone dumping. No complaints from me, I would rather be suspect then have people ignore when that kind of thing was happening.

By 700 am I was all set up with tea on, chumm out and rods wet. I started the day with the very effective Mistral Baits flouro pop-up on my right hand rod. This small yellow pop-up flavored with scopex has been simply knocking them out here. To fish without it right now would just be asking for a blank. My second rod I kicked it off with my own DAT Food boilies, a slight vanilla but more of an HNV boilie. I topped that with a piece of giant artifical sweet corn from Enterprise to balance it out a bit and add a splash of color. I was using a particle mix of various peas like chick and pigeon peas, maize and sweet corn, and some smaller particle like barley and a bit of seed. Mainly millet with a bit of hemp. After I prepare all of the particles seperate, the night before I head out I gather what I need from each into a bucket, minus any of the juice they are in and coat them lightly with hemp oil then season them with sea salt and a mix of hot peppers. This creates an amazing slick in the water that really has drawn some great fish activity.


720, I recast my mistral rod after a false take and make a very amatuer mistake. As I bring the rod over head I huck my lead square into the tree above me. My ground bait rains down on me and I think , just for a moment, why did I not stay in bed today? Luckily it isn't stuck and a slight tug gets me my whole set up back...second cast is spot on, now that I am paying attention again.

It isn't long until the Mistral rod bleeps again, this time for real..although the fish was small it is good to get the first fish out of the way.

Round 830 am, bit after the first fish, another angler shows up. Sadly this isn't your average angler, he is a guy that commercially fishes bait along the river. I've talked with him in the past and while he is a very kind and respectful person, I cannot stand the practice of what he does. I am all for taking bait for your own use, but some of these guys come here near every day and brag about how they bucket 20+ pounds of roach, fallfish and chub to sell. These are the same fish that are slowly decreasing in stock and, at this rate will some day cease to be. As part of the food chain this has a big effect on Bass, Pike, Perch and so on. I speak with him on the subject over a cup of tea while waiting for a run..he kindly listens but it is obvious my words are not having any impact.

Next hour stays quiet. The sun is coming up and burns the blanket of fog off the world. temps are rising and it should top the mid 40's F today. So far though the fish don't seem to care. A small common and a couple of bleeps are all I have to show for the morning. That is ok though, I am here for one or two fish anyway, specifically the two twenties that have I have caught here in years past. One a low twenty, the second may well be close to, if not, thirty pounds now. Assuming they still exist and have not left the area, during the floods, or been captured and eaten by some of the locals. I can't think that way though, they are here, I can feel it. Doubt will only keep me indoors where it is warm and cozy...I must have a goal.

920 it starts to pick up. My right rod goes bleeping off and I quickly bank a nice 5-8 pound mirror on the Mistrals pop up.

I snap a quick photo, release and get my rod back in. Not 10 minutes later it goes off again. Another similar mirror. That 5-11 pounds seems to be the average in this spot, with a few wary giants lurking. This was a very quick take though, I must have dropped it on his nose.

I quickly get another run, but as soon as I dig in it is gone. May have been a smaller fish or my hook may have been dull. I check it and it feels fine, but I sharpen it just to be sure. I am using these Owner hooks, this one a size 6 wide gape, very stumpy shank with an almost square design. They are made for Wacky Rigging rubber worms for bass but they lend very well to carp fishing. The shape and design give very quick, secure hook holds. The only draw back is they do not come any smaller then 4's or 6's.

I take the next 20 minutes or so to catch up on my journal. I really think it is important to keep track of fish, weather, water features etc. I try to keep it simple but detailed. I tend to sketch out small maps of currents, deeper holes, structure as well as record wind directions and times that fish are feeding, what baits and so on. There is no better tool in my opinion to becoming a better angler then your past experiences, recording them seems only smart.

1030 Mistral pop ups producing another great mirror for me, same average size but great looking fish, and welcome in the winter.

The hour is quiet aside from a few bleeps and line bites on both rods. Perfect time to fire up the grill and get the sausages on, as well as another cup of tea. Found these chicken sausages with aged provolone the other day and am really excited about having them drenched with some HP.

1230 They turn out just as good as I thought they were gonna be and after eating I decide to settle in for a small nap in the warm mid day sun.

1245 As I was writing that last bit into the notebook my left rod, the one with my DAT Food boilie on it goes for a screaming run. It is a crazy little fight and I soon bank a very nice roughly 10 pound mirror. I take a few ohotos and as I am oposing my Mistral rod shoots off as well. There is a brief struggle, long enough for me to feel the fish then it is gone. Second one to spit the hook on that rod, time to change the rig as I do not trust it right now.

Get my Mistral rod re-rigged and back out into the action. Only some slight modifications, the rig itself was working, but I think the hook was bent and duller then it should have been.