The Cracker Factory , Stanley knifes , and nuts.

A very long time ago , compared to some who read this blog ! I trod the banks of a bonkers lake , Stanborough Lake . Much has been written about this fishery , but unless you have fished it , the you can't understand how mad , awefull , crap , threatening , fantastic , beautiful , frustrating , rewarding lake it could be , AND all in one day !. Some of the top anglers of the time were fishing it , so much so that people travelled some distances to try their luck . Not that it held big fish , as on a national scale they were very average , although at that time a day ticket water with lots of doubles was well sort after , and the chance of 20lb fish were hard to find in the late 70's onwards. As it was only half an hour from my works ( Vauxhalls in Luton ) , it ment an afternoon / eve session was always on the cards . At that time a few of my mates were doing the same , Dan , Doris , Maylin , all to go on to catch big fish over the years , but cut their teeth on the Cracker Factory as was known . There were a few things on the lake that made the fishing entertaining  , no night fishing , one rod only through the summer , a baliff that could be eccentric at times , every swim packed out , arguments over who's water you cast into , sailing boats , a mental speedboat now and then, and worse still the windsurfers that were learning , mainly learning to not drown , and smash your rods !.  All this , the start of the hair rig ,and long range fishing will cement the lake in carp fishing history . There was a standard way of fishing , other than the first two swims that were opposite each other where both of them fished into a no fishing area , you just crashed it out towards the middle with a stringer attached , and  " black widowed " some baits around it . Occasionally you moved around when you see fish showing , but normally it was so full that fish location came second on the day , you just took your chance . I caught my share of fish over the years , some good days were equalled out with poor ones , but always eventful .

My favorite swim under the tree over on the left .

One day after many years doing the same old thing I thought I would try out the way I was fishing on another lake with tigers , much to the micky taking of my mates , and in the end it's the only way I fished there . At catapult range of around 30yds I put out some nuts with a rod over the top . Nothing really spectacular happened that day , but I did have a couple of fish whilst all the rest struggled , and I filled this for my fishing there once I found an area where I could take advantage of nuts to see if would work consistently . After a bit of luck when I picked a swim on the police bank Where I found a band of gravel at this distance next to a tree where I could tuck myself away , and pult out a few tigers on the quiet . I got into a bit of a roll , no big fish , but out catching most on the lake with 8. , 10  , 14 , and my best 17 fish in a day . The baliff was on my case a bit , but I was hiding my tigers , and hiding my second rod in my rod bag well !. You see I was having one rod on the buzzer for all to see , but fishing a second rod by casting it out , breaking it in two putting it into a rod holdall all set up next to the edge of the water , so a take would see the top section moving forward , and all you needed to do was grab both bits putting them together ,then play the fish as normal  , but when it was too busy it was down to the one rod !. It was really good fishing , but with a silly tiger ban it was a matter of time before it come to an end !

A good spell on the police bank !

Because I had caught a fair few fish over the years I thought I would never catch a 20lb fish from it , I was just hoping one would slip up . Catching a fair few fish I decided to take my dad with me for some action on his rod . Back in my swim all was going well for us , we caught a few that day , and with a few hours of good fishing ahead I was hoping for some more . As I spied John the baliff out the corner of my eye in the swim next door collecting the ticket money , when my rod blasted off !, he strolled into the swim giving him the opportunity to study what I was doing  ( the day before as I caught one he ran up the bank into my swim to suss me out , but I bluffed him with a second rod with a boillie leaning against the brolly ) , and I'm sure he knew that I was using nuts . I played the fish as my dad chatted to him unaware that I wanted him to move on !. I bundled a upper double into the net , leaving the fish in the net as I unhooked it , and tipped it back all in one motion . Unfortunately the size 6 hook pulled into my thumb !, with blood flowing I could not show them as a tiger nut was attached for all to see . I just knelt down waiting for them to stop chatting so I could see the damage , but they were getting on well , and they chatted for ages !. Eventually he did wandered off , and I could show my dad the problem . It was a strait choice ,off to hospital to have it treated with the loss of the chance to carry on in a going swim , or the stanly knife treatment ! , to the horror of my dad I gave the skin a small slice enough to release the hook !!. Silly really , but I was a lot younger , and some electrical tape stopped the blood !. We had a great day , but the next was to be one of my last there . On a very quiet lake with few anglers for a change I got back into the groove , caught a couple of fish , then a twenty pound leathery carp lay on the mat !, I was so chuffed . After catching another fish I was standing on the edge of the swim trying to reach the spot with the catapult in the strong headwind when I was caught bang to rights with a couple of bailiffs standing behind me ! , time to move on !.

Now you can night fish , spod , generally modern day carp fish the lake , but do you know what ?, I bloody loved the cracker factory how it was , and I'm glad I fished it when I did !.

Breed us tougher in Luton , a Horseshoe session.

It was a cold November day as I pulled up at Horseshoe lake , along the track into the road bank carpark . Pulling up next to me was Dazza , we were on the lake for a couple of nights , and there was a few swims to choose from . The Witney bank looked good , with someone in sandbags swim catching one that day , and the swim free next to it !. We went and dropped a couple of buckets and some gear in it to secure our swim , and with somewhere to start we carried on for another look down the opposite end , a known winter area. We stood in the 40's swims staring out across the water , it looked even better , and although it ment a move before we had even started , we knew that a big hike like pack horses was on the cards , but it's best to get it right , as many don't bother once settled in !. It was getting late so I wanted to get my spots sorted out . I just bunged my gear up the back of the bank and put the marker rod together . I wanted to get my spot sorted out while there was still time before dark , the marker popped up on a cleanish area , the spod clipped up as it landed next to it , and the chopped boilies/ sweet corn/ hemp spod mix was started to be put out . The rods then went out perfect , either side of the marker , lines marked in case of a bite . Peg 41 was swim for 2 days !

The fantastic Horseshoe , I love it .

 Dazza on the other hand did it different , got his house up , got comfy , kettle on , and pottered about just putting his stringers out in for the night !. I ripped into him , gave him some grief , took the piss a bit about his priorities , then as dark come in proper put the Titain up . I like the dark , easily arranging stuff like bed chairs etc , all was sorted , just the sleeping bag to lay out , now where has that gone ?. I searched like a madman around the swim , it was easy though as it was a nice grassy bank , bit of a slope , but nowhere for it to hide !. Me and Dazza searched with a torch for ages before we realised that as it was in its stuff bag it must have rolled into the lake !. Back at the car I gathered all the clothes I could , and bit the bullet , and slept on the bedchair in my one piece suit . IT WAS A LONG NIGHT !.

One of a few that long night ,here I am wearing my "sleeping bag " .

During the night I caught , the cold seemed to disappear , but not for long as I payed down back on the cold chair . In the morning having a hot black coffee it all came to light , there bobbing around in the water to my right was the sleeping bag !. Me and Dazza got it out , now that sounds easy now as I write it , but in truth it was a nightmare . God knows how heavy it was full of water !, but with him pulling , me in the water pushing we got it up the grass to the barbed wire fence at the back . The water sucked up was unbelievable , and after I hung it from the fence it flowed strongly for 2 days !. A few people thought I was mad , and the baliff came round to see what had gone on , which was not so good for Dazza . He had popped back to the car for some more stuff , and I was looking after his rods . The baliff did not like this , made me wind his rods in , made even worse when Dazza got back , and the baliff realised that he had just got back on the lake after serving a ban for swimming in the lake !. That's another story , with Dazza only thinking of the safety of a snagged fish , and got an unfair ban in everyone's eyes !. During the next cold long night I caught again as did my mate . In the morning as I lay cold on the bedchair Ian Poole stuck his head in the door . He looked surprised , and said " my god ,you still alive ? " , I smiled , " yes , and do you know why ? BECAUSE THEY BREED US TOUGHER IN LUTON ! " .

Hatter

Linch Hill , before the crowds arrived .

                      The Lost Lake .

It was on Marlborough Pool that I met a lot of friends , some that I still have to this day . I was sitting in a swim one day when a bloke called Randell came in and explained that his young son had bought Carp Fever to help to try and catch a carp !. He actually had the book in his hand , showing me the bait he was making up , which was an expensive one compared to the one I gave him my advice on . His son Paul , and dad became very good friends , and it was through his dad that we got access to more waters in the area . You have to understand this was before Linear fisheries , and it becoming the world epicenter for carp fishing !. You see the Linchill complex had another lake , it now no longer excists , but boy am I glad I got to fish it before it was netterd , and disappeared , called Browns . It can be seen on google earth as a white area as you come down the drive , it had a thin arm to a washing area , and a fantastic main lake , far better than the lakes on site now . Paul had permission to fish for the unknown fish ( nobody even knew if there were carp in there ) through his dad job , and caught a big fish nicknamed " the football " at 25lb+ which was possibly the biggest on the complex at that time . I will be fore ever gratefull that they got me a ticket along with a friend , Dave , and we had a look around before I had a day session midweek on it . A fantastic looking lake with true bulrushes , and a thin arm where we found half a dozen carp . Including a couple of mid double commons , not so common in that area , I was itching to have a go at them .

The awesome " Football" the first time .

I turned up , and chose to fish near the entrance to the arm , over to the far reeds . I fished half the day without seeing any fish when Randell came for a cuppa in his dinner hour . As we sat chatting a rod ripped off , and after a awesome fight around the reeds the bigun rolled in the net !, first fish was " the Football " ! Bloody jammy ! . Photos were taken , handshakes all round , and my mate was gagging to join me for the next trip a couple of weeks later . When we arrived I told Dave to go in my swim , but he wanted to try somewhere different . A few hours later he was to regret it when the big one slipped up again ! as the " Football " rolled in my net ! . I was really happy , and forced him to move in as I fancied the tree line up the other end . 

The " Football " loved my bait , only its third ever capture , twice to me , and it's last ?

Again fate stepped in as Dave caught the other big fish we had seen , a good 20lb+ fish , a beautiful scaled leeney looking fish , totally different to the Football ! . Although both big mirrors had been out we fished on for other unknown carp , and I was to get lucky again . I caught both the commons we had been watching up the thin arm , I was really chuffed as they were almost a Redmire strain , quiet uncommon in the oxford area at that time !.

I loved catching these commons , and when moved may well have ended up big old kippers 

Where does this story go ? , well it's a bit of a mystery in some ways . The person running the fishing at the time , and putting fish in Christchurch , Willow etc caught my mate and Paul on the complex after dark , and withdrew the ticket / permission !. The fish were moved to stop people fishing Browns , Dave's mirror eventually came out of Willow pool at a high weight , the commons I caught were put into Christchurch we hear , and as this was 30 years ago must have ended up big old fish . BUT where did the  "football " go ?, who knows , but I'm glad it ended up in my net twice , it's a fish and little lake I will never forget ! , all due to making friends whilst fishing , how it should be !.

Hatter

Nelson , the obsession

If your going to have a fish get under your skin , it would be better if it was a really big fish . Mine was , but only for the lake , but in the bigger picture it was very average . It started in the late 70's , and my love for the lake , Marlborough Pool , and somewhere I fished on and off for many years . I had found the lake as I passed it on many occasions fishing around the Oxford area . It had a track record for fishing in the winter , even in the early days of carp fishing . I first joined the club late one season , doing the last 3 weekends of the winter . The first weekend I fished the beach swim ( very badly as it happened ) , the next I fished the shelter swim ( the lake froze over during my first night ) , and the third I caught a double from the Rock swim . During this time the lake was being fished by some well known carp anglers , and in fact featured in Kevin Maddox book Carp Fever !. I was gutted as it would increase the amount fishing it , but I rejoined . Also although the hair rig was being used on the lake , side hooking was also the going method , and I often fished one alongside each other before realising what I should be doing ! , it really was at the start of the modern era of carp fishing .  For a few seasons I had a fair few fish , really enjoying my fishing there , fishing through the winters also catching lots of fish , and making some good mates ( they will crop up again in my Lynch Hill story ) . One fish I see a couple of times was called Nelson , a fantastic looking fish , and one I was desperate to catch every time the rod blasted off !. I thought it was a matter of time , just catching a few fish it would crop up !.

Marlborough Pool , lovely.

It was during a winters session I was to bump into one of the anglers in the video that made me start these blog story's !, Alan Taylor . I was fishing with a mate , I was in my fav swim the Point , and had caught a couple of doubles . Late in the afternoon someone turned up at set up oppersite me in " Middletons" , he sat there for ages so I thought he must have been fishing the hot area alongside the reed bed . I re cast for the long night ahead , and after the second cast noticed what I thought was a fish show over my baits . The next morning I had a fish , but also noticed that every time I cast matey opposite also cast very close to where my bait landed . Although it was the middle ish of the lake I thought it was not really the right thing to do , and told him so across the lake . When it happens again later with more instructions shouted across the lake the bloke wound in , and started round for my swim . I was fuming , and started off round to meet him !. My mate stopped me , calming me down , saying lets hear his side of the facts . With that Alan walked into my swim smiling !, explaining that he had herd I was catching a few fish , and was casting next to me to see what I was doing !, we all ended up laughing . That's what makes him , and others anglers like him top anglers , looking at all the things that are going on , making the most with info , and Alan is at the top of the
tree , a quality angler .

I had been doing a few winter sessions on Marlborough , pulling off some very good carp waters with some big old carp in them  , it was Marlborough , just Nelson on my mind . Me and a mate Stu had been putting in some effort to catch . Due to Sue finishing work at Sainsburys late on a Saturday night we were arriving at the lake at midnight , in the middle of winter with frost everywhere , often the lake was empty , we were mad , and we're told so by those turning up at first light ! . Setting up the bivvi and getting the rods out in the pitch black , but experience had the baits in position . This was a pattern for quiet a few weeks . That fateful session see me catch a few doubles from my normal spot , stu caught next door , and as I lay on my bedchair looking at the rods I knew when the left hand rod lowered off the tip by the reeds blasted off  it was that fish . Stu laughed at me , but I said so as I played the fish to the net and punched the air !. Nelson , a history fish , see it all from the side hooking through the early development of the hair rig , weight does not matter , I'd caught it !.

Rob Maylin said to me in the pub one night that all the time i spent after that fish I could have caught a lot more and bigger at the other lakes I was on . True , no doubt , but it was an itch that I got to scratch . Marlborough is a historic water , I glad I got to fish it when I did , and some mates I met on there got me into another historic carp water making a name for itself  Linch Hill is for the next blog .

Savay Lake

The Holy Grail

What a lake , I loved it , one of only a few lakes where I felt I could settle . There was a bit of a problem , having a family , a wife that loves fishing as much as me , a football club that's up and down like a yo-yo then the problem is TIME ! . To get a syndicate membership would be hard , the hours people racked up without a fish ment you had to be a syndicate member to give it max effort . To get in the syndicate it helped if you had a mate in it who could recommend you , I did ! , it was Rob Maylin . To be honest I may as we'll had leporacy , to most people he was an acquired taste , well those who run the lake anyway . In fact he , and few others got banned from the lake for a minor transgression really , but his reputation went before him . So it had to be the day ticket membership . This gave you a restricted time on the water before it got dark , also a lot smaller amount of bank to go at ! . But saying all that , fish did come out during the day , it's just hard getting sorted only to have to pack up and walk miles back to the car , only to do it all the next day , but who dares wins !.

Tiger Bay

I fished a few sessions with my mate Stu , trying to suss out how we could wangle one out . We fished around tiger bay ( north bay ) a bit ,made famous by Robs book . I was hoping they would drift in , or hang around the nice margins all around the area , but it really did seem a night area !. I caught a few quality tench , but see no signs of carp . What we did find was that by turning up Friday night and having a good skirt round we would get an idea of where to head early as poss according to the rules on the Saturday . There was only 3 areas for us to look at , Cottage bay , but this was often full with syndicate members . Alcatraz / north bay , and the Canal bank . We did this one weekend , I fished the Brambles swim , and gave it my best shot . Found the bars , fished as best I could , but another blank . As we packed up for the 9pm finish ( it was something like 6 or 8am until 9 I think ) a fish crashed off to my left , I walked next door in a tiny gap and it jumped again . We returned the next Friday night , shot up the far end to the same swim and it looked nice agin . We spent the night in the Horse and Barge pub , and slept in our cars with people crashing around us . 

My carp favorite book , and I caught some of those Arlsey leaney fish in those pictures !.

Up early we sneaked up the canal bank so we could cast out at the start of our time , not wasting a min . I got it right , one over the middle bar , one over the far bar , pulled along the silt just until the first sign of gravel so it sat right at the base . The bait was double boillie , flavoured with " sickly butter " in one , and the other  "rum and raisin " , a great combo that caught  when used together , caught a lot of fish on them . I managed to get a good splattering of bait around the rods , putting out the baits with the Black Widow , falling each side of the bars . Fished all morning , then in the early afternoon a few bleeps see my indicator sliding down the needle . After a very hard long fight that had me crapping myself in the tight swim we slipped the net under a fantastic leathery Savay carp of just under 20lb .What a result I was really chuffed , and a few of the syndicate lads dropped in to see me . Roger Smith said  "what a civilised time to catch one ", Kerry Barringer just said  " can I move in when your finished "!!!, but I gave him the chance strait away , and he didn't need asking twice ! . Rob Maylin told me  " mark , one day you will realise what a capture that was !" , how true he was .

My swim on the canal bank , brolly wrap to beat the match men , and Kerry's rods squeezed into the tight swim , the top boys never missed a chance to get on fish .

A week later we returned to try the same trick . The conditions were even better , and we rushed to get in around the same area . As we chipped up the canal bank we came into a swim with Dave Whibley hanging onto a well bent rod . We stopped to watch ,  I got the camera out as it not often you can get action shots ! , and I rattled a few off . The fish went into the net , and it was obviously a 

goodun , 30+ for sure, and a PB for him . We managed to get the action and fish photos of his PB to Dave later , he loved them a rare event !.After weighing and doing the photos Dave asked me to go back to the carpark and wake Roger up from sleeping in his campervan , as fish were obviously feeding . I was not happy  as I wanted to fish , but ran back a fair way . When I got to his van the curtains were shut , all quiet . I banged on the windows but got no reply , so gave it a good few more , and a lot louder . Roger face appeared , " fuck off ". I banged again , his face appeared again , I told him of Dave,s catch , and off the fish feeding in his swim .... " fuck off " , ah well you can but try !.

What happened later that day put a stop to my fishing there really . Due to the matches being held on there most Saturdays we played a bit of a cat and mouse game . We had been getting into a swim and putting up a brolly with a wrapround bivvi attached , pretending we were syndicate members as they pegged around them , not waking them . I felt that as things were so hard , things were against you , a little stroke like that would not be that bad , and when the match men turned up I just shut my eyes pretending to be asleep !.The match sec thought otherwise , and chucked me off , despite my swim being crap for matches , and there being miles of us-fished banks . When it happened a week later enough was enough , and other than one other day on Alcatraz point I never went back . Those words of Rob still with me decades later , but I do now know what that fish ment ,not the biggest , but it's the best fish I've ever caught . 

Hatter

ITS STORY TIME .

Its Been A While !

There are good reasons though ! . Changing cottages , with all the resulting work to bring the new one up to the condition we want . New son / daughter in-laws , new grandson , losing horses , gaining a new one , and the dog pack is now down to Tyson , and he is some sort of super dog at over 19 !. We also changed river a bit over this time , trying out a few days on the Wye , hardly visiting the Teme anymore , and changing to the Kennet more due to reducing the traveling time . Iv always said that the M40 / 42 / 5 route would be the end of us one day , so less time on them the better ! .We have also reduced the amount we sleep overnight in the back of the motor , not completely though , as we love roughing it a bit , and nothing can compare to sitting with your feet on the boot of the car drinking coffee in the pitch black listening to the sounds of the night .

Kennet PB

So what's made me start up again ?. We there has been a lot of angling done in that time , lots of PB's caught , and even foreign travel . But really it was a comment made by a mate whilst discussing a video I had been watching on fishing Rainbow lake . There were a few people in that very vid that I had stories of in my past life as a carp angler . As I reeled of tales about Dave Whibley , Alan Taylor , and Tim Paisley , having a laugh about it , my mate commented that I should get them down somwhere , as he would read them . I was very fortunate to fish through what is without doubt the best period in carp angling , making your own bait , tackle , flitting round waters searching for those carp , and bumping into some real characters .

Hippo

 This year I've been fishing 50 years , stories to tell , pictures to post , and catching up with the last 5 or so years of blogging . The posts will jump about , not in any sort of order , and will have poor quality pic ( pic of pics ) , but will be done in the best possible taste !.

 Sue got in on the act , catching her fair share of fish , roughing it with the best , and was always found with the kettle on !. I love seeing peoples faces as they bumble into a swim and find her fishing . 

Then there is James , not sure he knows how good an angler he is !, and catching up with his catches alone would take bloody pages !. 

A fish that I would dearly loved to have caught when we went to france , the one in the lake we were all after , but one day I will return !. 

So there we go , the start of updating , and more important story telling !. Our fishing lives , entwined with normal life of kids , couple of  marriages, having babies , moving cottages , life getting in the way of being on the bank , but would not have any other way . It's all going to get messy , photos to be found , and will start with those characters in that video in the next post !.

Hatter