Carpy Dreams

With my previous session ending with only a few liners and a very aggravating coot, I was holding thumbs that today would end with better results.

Well…. holding thumbs wasn’t enough, you need an excellent bait too. Armed with Skunk and Venom from SNZ and AGIE as well as some Super R particle from WSC, I knew a fish would soon hit the back of my net.

Using yesterday as practice, I started spombing out my bait. My rods were clipped up and followed suite, being sent out onto the baited spots.

Hours went by… a couple of liners… and that damn coot again!

I got pulled out of my doze with a short little run. First fish for the day! (Around 5kg) I knew the fish were on the spot now as my other rod tore off 30min later landing me a nice plump 8kg common.

The fishing slowed again for about 2 hours with liners periodically raising my heart rate. Finally my alarm sounded with an insane run on my 8ft Sonik Extractor landing me an 8.4kg common. At this point I was starting to feel quite satisfied with the work put in and the rewards that I was getting.

To cap off the day I landed a 4th smaller fish that has a lot of potential as it is already quite a stunner with a nice round discus shape.

I have accepted the Challenge and will be working even harder to get the bigger fish out.

Before each session we all have our baits and our preparation techniques. We all add that little extra bit to try and make our own experience one for the record books. We all dream of the 40Lb plus.

In general people are very cliquey, and even though you greet and acknowledge others, we tend to stay in our own circle. We have our swim, we have our baits, we have our secrets and even though I will greet the people next to me, I am keeping my techniques close to my chest. We all want to have that edge.

Every now and then I find myself wondering what “those people” are using? Obviously I never go and actually ask… who would? Its almost a taboo subject in the fishing world. Often times people will give you information if you ask, but only a bit of it. For example, I am feeding maize and boilie, but not what flavours, or not a hookbait. Or you could get a hookbait, but not what feed. My learning curve has come from trial and error and from quite a few blanking sessions, or from putting together bits and pieces from articles and posts.

Earlier this month, I was lucky enough to do a session where the peg next to us was occupied by people we knew. After I and my peggy had caught we were asked what we were using. R, being the nice guy he is, gave him some of our bait and sent him off. I must admit I stuck to the cliché and told R off for it. We had lost our edge, so to speak.

When the young man pulled in new PB and I saw the smile on his face, I realised that whatever edge we had lost was worth it. The happiness I saw in this lad was palpable. His fish was massive compared to my little PB. Do I feel jealous, or proud? I stopped the green eyed monster in her tracks and decided on proud that I could help someone. From that experience I decided on a new train of thought…

We fish because we love it and I want people to catch fish. I want others to have that mad adrenaline rush and feel the joy after landing a beauty. So I have decided that anyone who asks me what I am using is going to get the truth. If I can help someone else catch and make a lifetime memory then I should.  

Waking up on a cold winters morning and hearing the silence. The sun barely peaking through the clouds as the world slowly begins to wake. Seeing the first drops of sunlight kiss the ripples on the water. The smell of the damp earth as the dew settles onto the grass.

Waking up at sunrise and having the first warmth of sunlight touch your skin as you lift your face to greet the morning. Your breath clouding. The sparkle of the frost. Making that first brew and smelling fresh coffee. Hearing the soft sound as water laps the edges of the dam.

Everybody experiences winter in their own way, but this is my favourite. The way that the world wakes up even in the deepest cold is magical. Life can be experienced so majestically when you are open to it.

Being able to spend the night outdoors is a gift that so few people experience. Too often we are driven by creature comforts and technology, we have forgotten the simple pleasures of being outdoors. I relish the idea of minimal cell reception and no TV. I prefer to watch the beauty of a day unfold and hopefully catch while doing it.

With the lift of lockdown and recreational fishing being allowed it felt like I had a little bit of life returning to me. During the days of being quarantined inside I realised that what I longed for was the immersion of myself in nature and fresh air. Sitting in the sunshine waiting for the screaming of my alarms. I was having withdrawal from fishing (and I think this should become an official affliction from the NICD).

The first day that we were allowed, I got up at 5 am and made my way to the Magaliesburg to one of my favourite places, with one of my favourite people and enjoyed a crisp winter day session. I managed to get a mirror PB, and I took an icy bucket like a champ (albeit with a lot of swearing). It seemed that the return to fishing was foreshadowing something amazing.

Then mother nature decided to slap me back into reality. She sent some of the coldest weather Joburg has experienced for 7 years. I desperately wanted to fish but I also desperately wanted to keep all my fingers and toes from frostbite. The scales were very balanced until the foreshadowing of rain and then my fingers won the battle.

My peg mate decided to brave the cold on his own. I stayed nice and toasty on the couch. I will be honest and say that I was a little green even though I was warm. When I got the picture of the pretty common he caught I decided that I am not going to be such a girl and face the weather next time.

As an angler we are often told how crazy we are as we are willing to brave some of the harshest conditions in the hunt for the lumps, but I realised that I needed to have better preparedness for the extreme cold. I have done my shopping and am now prepared to face a July session in whatever mother nature decides to throw my way, but I will still hold thumbs that she decides to be a little nicer.

A lot of my current fishing consists of 2-3h long sessions after work. Because of this I have grown quite fond of my take on the 2inch rig.

The first reason why I often use it is the fact that it sits close to the lead which then creates an awesome hook-hold when the fish darts off after inhaling the bait. It also works wonderfully when used with a method lead. The second reason is that it compliments a small 8-12mm popup or wafter perfectly.

My take on the rig is a mini German rig with a hinge…

Compnents used are :

size 6 or 8 curve shank hook, RM semi-stiff coated braid with a long anti tangle, small bait screw and a medium Korda kicker.

What is you favored rig at the moment? And why? Post a pic in the comments together with your answer.