Loco Lake, Peg 44 | 44 lb 8 oz | 7th of 13
There's nothing quite like starting a fishing match with a thorough soaking before you've even reached your peg! That was the welcome we received at Lindholme Lakes for the rod-only open on Loco. By the time I'd made my way to peg 44, I was already wet through, and we hadn't even started fishing. Still, a bit of rain wasn't going to spoil the day. I'd come prepared with three rods and a plan, along with an idea I'd been wanting to try for a while.
A Promising Start
I began on the hybrid feeder at 27 metres, a distance I'd measured using my distance sticks, while feeding a separate bomb line at 21 metres. I also started drip-feeding a short line slightly to my left, using small amounts of corn, pellets and maggots. The match got off to a promising start when a lovely 3 lb fully scaled mirror carp took the hybrid feeder on my second cast. Unfortunately, that was about as good as it got on the long line!
With no further interest, I decided to investigate the closer method feeder line before moving onto the bomb. That produced a couple of skimmers, around 1 lb, and half a pound, followed by a decent F1 of approximately 4 lb. Things were looking reasonably encouraging, but by lunchtime the bites had dried up again. I tried the method for a few more casts before switching to the bomb. Despite having fed that line, I couldn't buy a bite. Not even a liner.
Time for a change.
An Experiment with the Insert Waggler
Around 1 pm, I picked up my 11 ft pellet waggler rod. But I wasn't going to fish a conventional pellet waggler. I'd been thinking about using a loaded insert waggler for carp and F1s in rod-only matches, particularly when fishing on or close to the bottom. It seemed like another useful method to have available, and this was a good opportunity to give it a try. I fitted a 2g loaded insert waggler, with a couple of No.10 Stotz down the line, and plumbed up the short swim I'd been feeding throughout the morning.
The water was approximately 2 ft 10 in deep, and I set the float slightly overdepth so that a grain of corn would just drag along the bottom. Nothing complicated. Just a simple float rig, a grain of corn and a swim that had been receiving a little feed for several hours. It wasn't long before I caught a skimmer, followed by an F1. At least there were fish willing to feed on the short line.
Then things got rather interesting!
Two Proper Lumps!
The float had been sitting there for a minute or two when it suddenly buried. And I mean buried!
I lifted into the fish and immediately knew this was something rather different. It was heavy, powerful and in absolutely no hurry to visit my landing net. With an 8 lb mainline and a hooklength of around 6 lb breaking strain, I wasn't about to start bullying it. The fish took me on a short tour of the lake before gradually tiring. Eventually, I managed to guide a huge mirror carp towards the landing net.
It only just fitted!
Getting the net up and over my keepnets was another challenge, but eventually the fish was safely landed. I estimated it at around 12–13 lb, although it was difficult to judge something that size in the water. The fish had some deformity around its mouth, but it was certainly a substantial carp. Into the keepnet it went, and I was feeling rather pleased with myself. Back out with the corn. Perhaps there was another one lurking nearby?
Two casts later...
WHOOSH!
The float disappeared again, and I was attached to another very heavy fish. Another lively battle followed, with much the same careful approach on the relatively light tackle. Eventually, a second enormous mirror carp slid into the landing net. I couldn't believe it. Two proper lumps from a swim barely a rod length away!
I'd spent the morning working feeder lines at 21 and 27 metres, yet the biggest fish of the day had been sitting practically under my feet.
The Final Hour
By around 2:30 pm, I reckoned I had approximately 36 lb in the keepnets, and I was beginning to wonder whether the short line might produce a few more fish. Unfortunately, the bites slowed again. I returned to the bomb line, but still couldn't get any indication of fish feeding there. For the remainder of the match, I alternated between the method feeder and the short waggler line, trying to find another bite.
As the afternoon drew to a close, I began packing away the spare tackle, keeping the method feeder in the water until the end. That produced one final F1, which I hoped might have taken my weight to around 40 lb. As it turned out, I'd underestimated those two big mirrors rather considerably!
The Weigh-In
My first keepnet, containing the smaller carp, F1s and skimmers, weighed 13 lb 7 oz. Then came the net containing the two big mirrors. 31 lb 1 oz!
That gave me a final weight of 44 lb 8 oz, enough for 7th place out of 13 anglers, exactly halfway down the field. Andy Sellars took the win with an impressive 97lb. Well done, Andy!
Interestingly, Andy had also caught carp using an insert waggler, fishing pellet and corn at around 15 metres in approximately 3½ feet of water. Clearly, there was something worth investigating further.
What Did I Learn?
The biggest satisfaction from this match wasn't the final weight or finishing position, although catching two mirrors weighing over 31 lb between them certainly helped! It was trying something I'd been thinking about and discovering that it worked. I'd originally set up my pellet waggler rod as another option for catching carp, but by switching to a loaded insert waggler and fishing corn on the bottom, I'd found a completely different way of using the same rod.
And the short line hadn't been an afterthought. I'd been feeding it carefully throughout the match, introducing small amounts of bait without overdoing it. Whether the fish had been there all along or moved into the swim later, I can't say. But when I finally fished it with the insert waggler, it produced the two biggest fish of my day.
It also reminded me that a productive swim doesn't always have to be a long cast away. For future rod-only matches, the insert waggler has definitely earned a place in my approach. There's more to learn about feeding, shotting, depth and presentation, but that's part of the enjoyment of fishing.
Not every experiment works. This one did. And after a wet start, a few frustrating spells and two memorable battles with some proper carp, I thoroughly enjoyed the day.
Sometimes the fish aren't halfway across the lake.
Sometimes they're practically under your feet!
Simple tactics. Honest results.