No proper plans were made this week, I had a nice lie-in and when I did eventually surface my eldest daughter Maisie decided that she would join me. We headed off into the Cotswolds to a different pool that I know from previous visits holds good quality Rudd and Roach and initially that was what we set our stall out for. Chopped worm deposited in the swim and a sensitive float deployed.
 |
| Photo taken by Maisie!(8) |
The sun burnt off the rest of the cloud and made for a pleasant end of morning. Whilst I had been baiting with worm I had also chucked some dog biscuits by the trees to see if the Carp were in the mood and in no time they were slurping away merrily on the freebies. We rigged up a floater rig and within minutes Maisie was playing her first proper Carp. Her enthusiasm had been waning due to the lack of action on the worm but was instantly reignited and with a bit of coaching from her Dad she landed a lean hard fighting Common.
 |
| 9lb 7oz |
It lost a scale while in the net which she stuck in her lunch box to take home and show Mum. She wouldn't hold the fish herself as it was a bit lively on the bank but she did a sterling job on the other side of the camera, a natural methinks!
More dog biscuits were chucked out, another bite quickly followed and a slightly smaller Common was expertly brought to the net. With the clutch set properly and the anti-reverse on she can play these fish without any issues.
 |
| 8lb 5oz |
When she hooked a third fish I left her to it to take some action shots.
This one was the smallest of the day and well behaved so she posed for a photo (after a bit of cajoling!).
 |
| 5lb |
Time was marching on now but we still had time for one more. It didn't take long and it was the first fish to take line from the reel. It fought hard but even a tired Maisie was up to the task and a few minutes later we slipped the net under a stunning Mirror. It's beauty was not lost on my girl but I would not let her take home one of it's 'apple-slice' scales as she requested.
 |
| 14lb 2oz |
She did the honours with the camera and we both went home happy with our days work. Chatting on the way I asked her if she had enjoyed herself to which she replied "can we go Carp fishing every week Dad?"
What have I done?!!
Brilliant stuff, well done Maisie and well done dad!
ReplyDeleteThanks Brian from us both!
DeleteThat was a lovely read with some lovely images too - it made me think of some very early angling experiences...the eponymous 'Perch Pond (in reality a bomb crater in a farmers field now occupied by the Trafford Centre: there were no Perch); the solid glass rod kit (from the catalogue); just about every book I could borrow from the library and the glittering prize of a handful of stunted Rudd. There were carp there too, we knew they were there, occassionally saw them cruise through the surface but never ever caught one.
ReplyDeleteWell done Maisie and a thank you for a fleeting glance back to some childhold dreams.
Love it Joe!
ReplyDeleteI have a video clip of my then five year old daughter attached to a carp... rod bent double and clutch screaming and her being pulled about like a puppet by it. She's fifteen now and still boasts about it to the boys at school.
Well done Maisie! Keep practicing and you'll soon be catching fish bigger than your dad! :)
Thanks guys, she will beat me soon Keith I am sure
ReplyDelete