Have the carp started?

Last Sat. we went for a social session at our home gravel pit.

I use the expression «social», as this trip was part work. Our primary objective was to meet with a local Angler David Gomez. The 19 year old David (below) landed a 29.5 Kg Mirror carp last year from a local water. We wanted to meet David and talk with him about doing an article or interview for our Spanish carp magazine CARPdiem.

We arrived to find the water packed with people!

David his father and another Angler Jose Antonio were waiting for us. We exchanged info’s and David presented the photos. He certainly has caught some lovely fish, but there was clear evidence that fish care was not a consideration for him, and something we would need to help him with. After what was probably 45min. Angel and I headed off to the only swim free. It was a swim we knew very well so we had a good idea of how to fish it, also it was a double swim, so it was perfect for us. Time slipped by, the sun rose and a light breeze blew. David came round to talk with us again, him and Angel made a connection like a house of fire; later we agreed to go fishing together. This would be a perfect chance for us to introduce the concept of carp care to David and help educate and improve his fish care.

On the day conditions looked good, yet despite this the people already fishing had not caught. We had arrived late and not really taken this session as a serious one, yet within 2 hrs. things started to happen for us. Angel struck gold using a Korda Method, plastered in a special shrimp paste a Korda maggot clip, with a bunch of red maggots, his result a 4.5lb Crucian Carp.

No-one in the right mind would turn nose up at a Crucian of this size would they? Actually most of the locals that fish this water consider these Spanish Crucian carp a pest, we on the other hand are always up for the crucian and see them as a good omen, this case was no differnet!

When I say Angel struck gold, I mean that Angel (we think), found a natural bed of bloodworm. With no prebait and no bait put in (at the time on this spot), we had 4 fish. In 1 hr we used no more than 40 maggots just on the clip, no bait went in, just bait on a spot and BANG, every 20min another fish would come, while all the baited rods remained dormant.

Fish came in the form of: 4lb 8oz Crucian Carp, 14lb 02oz Common Carp, 17lb 6oz Common Carp, 19.12 oz Common Carp.

Not long after 3pm we had to pack-up. The water has rules which state that we have to leave at lunch time. Antonio the bailiff is cool with us as he knows we care much for the water and clean the place up. As lunch in Spain is typically between 2pm and 4pm. we started to pack up at 2.30pm and were off the water for 3pm. We were very happy with our discovery and short social, yet very active session. This has been the first semi active session of the year for us.

Come on!