Spring on a Hertfordshire syndicate

Spring on a Hertfordshire Syndicate

Spring, for many anglers the season that excites the most, as we transition away from the cold long nights into a season which begins with the first daffodils, our optimism and hope of what a new season can bring almost reaches boiling point. This Spring also marked my first on my syndicate lake, having joined this small exclusive lake based in Hertfordshire back in July 2020, I couldn’t wait to get amongst some of the lake’s elusive prizes. With my

winter fishing at the lake ending with a truly special fish named Hazel at a new record weight of 36lb, I was itching to get my Spring campaign underway.

Two in the pocket

With up-and-coming filming trips and ClubCarp team socials booked in, I knew my personal fishing in April was going to be very limited, in fact I only managed one night in April on the Hertfordshire lake, 3rd of April to be precise. It was the Easter bank holiday weekend, and with a few personal commitments outside of fishing I could only piece together a quick 24 hours fishing.

Hazel at a new record weight 36lb

Arriving at the lake after a week that felt like summer had arrived early, with highs of 21 degrees,

I was feeling very confident of a fish or two, I jumped straight back in The Orange, with rigs cast straight back on the spots that did the business in March I sat back, cracked open a beer and felt very confident of a fish. I couldn’t have been more wrong, with fish showing in the area into the late hours, for some reason I couldn’t even muster a single liner on the rods over night, I felt something was wrong. The next day, a close friend of mine arrived at the lake, with his wife and new born son for a

picnic and an opportunity to flick the rods out. With the rumours of a crafty scotch egg up for grabs and with the Orange spot not producing, I packed up and headed round to the other side of the lake and take advantage of the picnic. I flicked out a couple of rods tight to an island margin in the swim up from the lunch-based activities and spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon catching up with friends and reminding myself why I don’t have children yet… the number of nappies amazed me… anyway I am digressing!

With the bite of the promised scotch egg, one of my rods bleeped into life, I sent the egg air born and shot to the rod, lifting into the fish and quickly steering it from the island margin. By this time Lee and the team had made their way over to help, with Lee grabbing the net and the others watching on in confusion as to why two grown men were looking for so serious with the rod bent into a carp. Very quickly I caught site of the carp I was playing, as did Lee and at that point the pressure was on, not wanting to take any chances I cranked the fish into my margin and after a short battle under the rod tip I gave Lee the nod to dive with the net and scoop my prize! A period of silence ensued as we looked down as this very large slate grey fish, Instantly I knew it was one of the big mirrors I was after and with that I grabbed Lee in an embrace and cheered. The fish went 32lb11 on the scales, a thick set, chunky grey mirror, which actually, due to its shape was very hard to hold. With Lee jumping on the camera, we took a few shots, showed the future angler (the Baby) what he will be catching in the future and slipped her back, with my mind blown that I had managed another one off the target list so quickly!! Unfortunately, that was it for my time in April, considering I was on

a hot run of fish it was very difficult to turn my back on the syndicate for the month to focus on filming shoots with Club Carp. With the 1st May being my first session back and nothing to go on I jumped back in The orange for another night, unfortunately as with my last session in the Orange not a single beep on the rods and I was starting to think my orange spot had blown. Feeling determined I was straight back down on the 4th May for a mid-week overnighter, we had big South Westerly winds blowing across the pond, rain and hail, it certainly felt Carpy! With the Orange spot on the back of the wind and not producing I opted to jump in a swim I personally name Gunnera’s. This happened to the be swim that produced so many fish for me throughout December, January and February, I quickly looked back in my diary and wrapped two rods onto the island spots that previously produced, opting to utilise my third rod to cast singles at any showing fish.

Just on dark my left hand rod beeped into live, like second nature, I picked up the rod, took 5 steps back and tilted the rod tip into the water’s edge, quickly turned the fish from the snaggy island margin I was fishing tight against. Fortunately, the fish didn’t put up much of a battle before I lifted the net around the mid double stockie, instantly filling me with confidence I was back on fish.

It wasn’t long before my confidence was confirmed as an hour later the same rod burst into life and this fish was certainly up for a scrap, after turning the fish from the island, it decided to make a break for the top end of the lake, but I had other ideas, playing the fish aggressively in the rain, I kept the rod tip low and reeled the fish closer and closer to the swim, eventually netting a much bigger fish and a brute of a mirror at 21lb14oz. 2 bites on an overnighter I couldn’t of been happier, and jumped into bed feeling content, I managed two more small stockies both between 12-14lbs, knowing I had to be up for work the next morning I unhooked my prizes in the net and slipped them straight back. The weekend came back around, and I was straight back to the syndicate, certainly making up for lost

time. Again, the weather was looking sublime, with Saturday morning seeing a new pressure front incoming and a swing in the wind with 38MPH gusts. Arriving at the lake after work on Friday I couldn’t seem to locate the fish anywhere, on my third lap of the lake and my 5th tree climbed I eventually spotted a single fish passing through the shallow bay, it looked a small common but being my first sighting in nearly 2 hours it was something to go on, jumping in the Orange swim and casting over to the shallow bay I quickly deployed two rigs into the bay and scattered a spread of Odyssey XXX boilies, set my house up and relaxed.

With the days drawing later into the evenings it was definitely feeling like winter was behind us now, It wasn’t until 6am when the rod cast closest to where I saw the common busted into life with an absolute one toner, shooting out of my bed and running to the rod. I grabbed the rod and ensued a battle with the carp, it certainly felt heavier than the fish I saw the night before, but as the fish came closer and closer, I clocked it was in fact a common and instantly knew it was the fish I saw the night before but bigger! I often find it hard when I am up a tree to size the fish beneath me and I had certainly got this one wrong. As I lifted the net around the carp, I let out a cheer as this 24lb common has been on my unofficial target list since I previously took pictures of it for another angler. This true old brute has to be one of the favourite carp I had caught this year, with unique scales from what looks to be healed scars this fish was certainly a character!

I also managed a second common from the same area that evening, with bites starting to come from across the lake I was starting to feel quite hopeful that the fish were starting to feed more confidently on the build up to spawning.

I made it down for a couple more mid-weeknights in May to no avail, chasing fish around the lake I was dropping into new swims and trying to fish for the odd bite going against the grain from my winter fishing of pre-baiting areas and fishing on it days later. With no avail on the roving approach, I decided to start baiting a corner of the lake I had not previously fished before, but having clocked a couple of fish in this section of the lake on a mid-week pre-baiting trip, I reverted to my original plan. I put a few kilos of boilies and hemp in the area knowing I would be back in two days for a nights fishing.

I walked round to the corner where Id previously seen fish and instantly stumbled across 3 commons feeding on the spot, initially in my attempts to size the fish I estimated the biggest fish in the middle was an upper 20 and possibly a fish I caught last September. I carried on watching the fish feeding, observing their habits and forging a plan on how to present the right bait for them, whilst I was watching the fish a couple of the small stockie mirrors circa 10/11lbs swam in to feed, at this point I realised the size this big common and quickly established this fish was definitely a 30lber! I quickly moved into a swim around the corner and set up, watching the fish feeding

tight the deck, the pop ups went out the window, opting to fish a Pink Northern Special wafter on a Slip-D rig. Just before casting out, I nipped back to the corner and introduced a few handfuls of bait in the attempt to push the fish off for enough time to allow me to place my rig. Fortunately, my first cast was bang on, straight onto the spot, I quickly clipped the line, whipped in the rod and wrapped out the distance for future reference, only a short 4.5 wraps, I attached the rig and flicked the rod back out, I nipped back round to the spot and watched as the PVA foam dissolved and the Pink Northern settled on the lake bed.

SUC CE SS

I made it back to my bivvy and quickly devoured my dinner feeling hopeful for a night bite on the spot. As I flicked the kettle on for a brew, the rod beeped into life and I could see a fish bowl waiving out of the corner, I grabbed the rod and couldn’t believe the power of this fish with the clutch locked I flicked the back wind on and held on as the fish took an easy 30 yards off me surging up the lake and up one side of the island, there was nothing I could do to stop this fish. Fortunately, as he slowed, I managed to crank the fish back past the island and into open water in front of me, as soon as it realised it was close to my margin he set off again taking another 30 plus yards off me and up the other side of the island, the process repeated its self again, as the fish slowed and I cranked him back past the island and into open water. At this point if you had told me I had hooked an unknown catfish I would of believed you, the power this fish had, I knew I was attached to something that did not want to be in my net. The fish made one more last ditch run stripping another 20 yards off me, but this time I managed to slow him quicker, I started cranking down on this fish harder, I couldn’t afford for the fish to make another run up past the island and turn, running the risk of losing it. I cranked the fish closer and closer, and quickly darted for the fish with the net… SUCCESS I managed to

net him on my first attempt. Peering into the net I quickly realised I had landed the bigger common I saw feeding, having previously sized the fish at circa 30-32lbs I rang another angler asking if he could pop down for photos. With Josh only living a couple of minutes from the lake he shot down instantly with his camera in hand, he walked straight to the net peered in, quizzing me if I was sure the fish was a scraper 30, from memory the words “Bruv, that’s got to be a F*cking 40 mate!!” There was only one fish that could be this big, one known as the Big Headed Common, having not seen the bank for two and a half years, anglers had told me that he was probably dead and I was wasting my time targeting this elusive common. As I put the big common on the mat, we both commented that the head on this fish was huge, it had to be the last common on my target list, the Big Headed! I don’t think I could contain my excitement I as we lifted the fish in the pouring rain, Josh read the weight out, 38lb8oz! A new PB and for the third time in less than a year I had broken the lake record again….I couldn’t believe it!! Josh managed to capture some fantastic pictures and made his way home slightly soaking but relishing in my elation of landing the fish everyone told me was no longer there!

JAck PLAYER

A few days later and with the weather significantly improving, the fish were starting to look moody, spawning was on the horizon, with this in mind the lake owner took the decision to close the syndicate for 4 weeks to ensure the fish had plenty of space to enjoy themselves but also recover from the stresses and strains. This coincided with another ClubCarp social and a special filming trip, but also marked the end of my Syndicate fishing for a period of time. This spring has been nothing short of epic… A new PB, a new lake record, 3 30’s and 4 of my target fish it’s safe to say Spring on the Syndi… Smashed it!

As with always keep the lines tight and I look forward to updating you shortly on my next articles!

@JackPlayerangling