BIG CARP APRIL 2026 RICHARD - Flipbook - Page 205
TERRY
ASH
DEMPSEY
GEDEN
we went up there in the wi nte r, b u t we c o u ld te l l it wa s a n i c e
p l ace, and I was looking fo rwa rd to g o i ng b a ck u p t h ere . T h i s
ye ar I heard that some of th e f i s h a re s t i ll i n t h ere , a n d t h e
o n es I fished for in 9 1 are s ti l l i n th e re . T h ey a re p ro b a b ly a s
o l d as me, you know, Rob, e as i ly… s o t h ey are g re a t o l d f i s h .
I had seen the odd p ictu re o f f i s h th a t Ji m h a d c a ugh t a n d a
fe w other people, so I was exc i te d a b o u t g et t i n g u p t h e re . I f i rs t
went up there for my first tri p o n a t wo - n i gh te r i n M ay. I t h ad
b e en fishing really quiet , as we ha d a b i t o f a c o l d s p ri n g , b u t
I went up there anyway. I d i d n’ t re al ly k n ow wh a t to ex p ec t ,
b e ing a new water with qu i te a low s to c k . I d o n’ t th i n k t h e re
a re a lot of carp in there , o n ly 2 0 o r 3 0 c a r p . I wa s f i s h i n g
l a kes 5 and 6, which are jo i n e d to g e th e r. I wa s p re t t y l u c k y, a s
o n my first walk around I s aw a f i sh p o ke i t s h ea d o u t j u s t by
a bush against an island ab o u t 7 0 ya rd s f ro m t h e b an k . I s to o d
t h ere watching and then we n t an d g o t my g ea r a n d c ame b a c k .
I flicked a rod out there up aga i n st t h e b u s h . I t d ro p p e d
n i cely and it was a perfect ca s t ; i t l a nd e d a b o u t 2f t s h o r t o f t h e
b u sh. I held onto the lead , a n d i t we n t d ow n a n d I g o t a l i t tl e
c l onk on the bottom. I cou ld fe el t h ere wa sn’ t a ny we e d or a ny
s i l t; it was lovely. I sunk my l i n e, p u t t he ro d o n t h e b u z z e r
a n d started messing aroun d w i t h my o t h e r ro d . T h i s wa s my
n e w ticket ; I hadn’t cast o ut i n t h ere s i n c e 9 1 , a nd l i te ra l ly th e
ro d just ripped off straigh t away w i t hi n a b o u t two m i n u te s o f
m e casting out . Sometimes t hi n g s al l wo rk o u t r i gh t , a n d I h a d
a hard fighting fish on the e nd .
I had a real war with it , g o t i t i n t h e n e t , p h o n e d J i m u p , a n d
h e could n ot believe it . He ’d o n ly ju s t s ee n m e wa lk i n g ro u n d
w i th my gear. He knew it wa s a ne w l a ke a n d a t ri c k y l i t t l e
l a ke, but anyway I had a re su l t … I h ad a 2 9 l b 1 2o z mi rro r,
FR E ELINE 83
