Kevin Maddocks ( a living legend ) and me !
And I know anglers who use size 12 hooks! Look at the mouth on this 64.12 and think again.
"Steve get the 120's out "
Telliates Tales and a few Scales too!
We were off to Telliates at last, problems with tax men and domestic issues were behind us. Steve Cowell and I had arranged two trips to the lake for 2010 one in May and one in October both prime weeks to get a big un in the net. Unfortunately Steve couldn’t make the first trip due to work contracts changing. I made it and bagged 14 carp to 47 pound but the highlight of the trip was seeing the Nogent mirror at 79 on the bank, the sheer size of the creature got me stoked for a return trip.
We were receiving reports back from the lake all week on the build up to the trip. Multiple lumps getting caught mainly in a bay known affectionately as the Shit house. The weather doesn’t look kind neither with North and East winds blowing. A lot of the big uns caught, an East wind, had we missed the window of opportunity again?
Planning plays a big part in a French trip, we knew the weather had a good idea where the fish were but still had to get all the bait and tackle ready for all eventualities. 40Kg of new grange air dried, reels loaded with new strong line to combat the weed and super sharp hooks to nail those monsters. Super sharp but would they stay in and do their job? Extra line for the snags and loads of leads and terminal tackle.
We arrived at Dover for the coach trip from hell 11 other anglers all with the same objective of catching one of those huge carp that reside in the lake. Twelve hours later we arrive and a grab a conversation with Lee , one of the anglers leaving a good week 40 plus carp caught and a good few lumps. He caught a 66 but the high pressure and change in wind had slowed the action over the last few days. Had we missed it?
A quick walk around the lake with the Bailiffs and then the dreaded draw. 13 balls in a hat, 1 comes out early, so does 3, my turn 4 good news, Steve’s turn 9 not good news. The anglers’ choose their swims and we get lucky and get two swims we fancy. The Shit house bay for Steve and 100yds up the track the Double for me. It’s all going to plan!
Although tired from the trip there’s always plenty to do on your first day, we get around to the swims and sit down and talk tactics. Boilies only and no boat as I am sure that it scares the fish and the presentation of a bucket over the side was not for us with the all boilie approach. I knew there was a plateaux in front of the double so I knocked the marker out found it and dragged it back to a smooth area at the foot of it , 8 ft dropping to 12ft nice and smooth silt or sand ? The marks I found are aprox 90 paces out so I would use a taped up a spod to get the majority of bait out and then stick more out around the spod for a spread. Steve has an out of bounds bank to his left, he can use this to catapult bait to the spots, one at 90 paces the other at 60. We set up stall marked everything up with pegs on the path and got to work. 2 hours later I had rods out and a few kilos on the spots, Steve did his in half the time with his bucket pouched catapult. Bivvys up dinner delivered and ate. I’m ready for bed.
We awake to no bites at all and the news that Christina in nice Andy’s has caught a 62, two off the field bank also 48 and 58. Have we got it wrong? Doubt creeps slowly into our minds until evening when fish start crashing all over the bay. “All we need now is a bite” says Steve. Never a truer word said, it keeps my motivated and we knew it would happen soon. 9pm the Church bell in the village chimes and a buzzer howls on my far right hand rod were off “ Game on” Steve cries and I do battle with a Teilllates carp out in the darkness .
It’s a strange feeling fishing for some of the biggest carp in France as every time you hook one you know it could be massive; I get the adrenaline rush that I got as a boy on the Darenth valley, what a great feeling. The fish fights well and turns out to be a 31 pounder. At least we are doing it right?
A 41Mirror half an hour later on the far left rod proves the point “ They like their boilies here Mick , just like I like Mars Bars “ Steve says, “ Your turn next mate “ I reply. He gets a Mars bar out and devours it “I meant a fish Steve” “Oh I thought you meant a Mars bar “He replies. I piss myself laughing. It’s good to be on the bank with my old mucker, like a couple of kids back in the day .
Monday morning and Steve’s away on his short mark 30 pound of fighting machine , I snare a twenty before the sun rises high in the sky and puts a stop to our fun .
The evening draws in , as the heat of the sun dies the activity starts again , Steve nearly falls off his chair and is a quivering mess pointing at a circle in the water “ Did you see that” I hadn’t . “It was like a big Christmas tree, the biggest common I’ve ever seen “The flat spot was only 10yds from the bank along my left hand margin. I had heard a fish in the night in that area as well. Position noted, I planned to bait the area lightly for a couple of days and fish it later in the week. A few hundred boilies flew out to the spot but I would resist the temptation to fish it.
The night is quite on bites, however the morning throws up two more fish. A 44 common just like Dick Walkers British record for Steve in the Shithouse bay on his new short spot and a 29 on my right hand area. Things are looking good. The promised North East wind starts blowing and it’s a cold one. Our experience in France has taught us that the fish will move on most winds including cold ones so we are not worried , part of our planning was to get down the west end of the lake in anticipation of the wind blowing. Steve bags a 29 just as its getting dark.
Dawn breaks and the crackle of the radio indicates my wing man has a fish on , “Can you give us a hand mate” I run the 100yds to his swim and he’s doing battle with a Telliates carp , I hope it’s a monster as that’s what we came for. It rolls over and we see it‘s a nice looking fish, on the scales it’s 35. A nice start to the day on any lake. Photos done and we wait for our breakfast to turn up. 9 am on the button the food turns up and we sit in my swim eating full English discussing the numbers of fish we have had and still no monsters. “They will come Mick, Their boilie eating machines”. Another fish jumps on the left hand margin area I've been baiting. “Why haven’t you got a rod there?” My buzzer sounds, two beeps and the line is tight. “It’s going Mick, game on” Steve cries.
The fish on the end of the line moves slowly and feels heavy, “I think this is a good one Stevie” A slow fight and a couple of nervous moments in the weed and we see it. It looks huge as it slowly swims up and down the margin; the lead has discharged so the fight is straight forward even with the marginal weed. It’s in the net and my legs are like jelly “I think it’s a 60 Micky Boy” Steve says . It looks like a baby whale in the net!! We are like a couple of kids on the banks of our local lake , “ Get the 120s as these 60 pounders aren’t up to the job “ Steve comes back with some bigger scales , the fish is safe in the recovery sling all ready for the moment of truth . Up she goes, 64 on the button. A fish named cut tail as it has a W cut in its tail by a previous angler who wanted to make his mark ! Photos done and time to celebrate with a cup of tea. “ Your turn next Stevie” Then my indicator goes again , the fish kites left and a rapid speed and I’m forced to pass the rod around the big tree in the centre of the swim , it comes in slowly and weeds itself a rod length out . I give it a bit more pressure and the hook pulls. The lead had not discharged either!!! The highs and lows of carp fishing are sometimes difficult to cope with, one minute you’re on cloud nine the next you’re in the dumps. I get the rod back out and count myself lucky to have caught a 64 pound mirror , “ Pull yourself together man , you’re on holiday” I say to myself and wonder up to see Steve .
We spend the day baiting the spots for the evening and morning feeding spells. 2kg of bait on the spots ready for the Carp Cattle to turn up and feed. Just finished spodding and I hear Steve’s buzzer and run up to help him. Again the fish fights hard and another mirror rolls into the net, 38.
The evening meal arrives at 5pm, burger and chips. Steve’s rod bends over on the short spot and the buzzer sounds “No dinner for you then Steve” He looks unhappy as he bends into the fish, he likes his food! The fish fights deep and hard and I want to say it a good un but I don’t want to tempt fate on this lake. I see it in the margin, “It looks bigger than the 64 mate” “No way” he replies.
In the net it’s a monster and in good proportions too, not a really fat one but with perfect dimensions and a mouth like a shovel. We high five! , it’s a relieve to see Steve with a big Telliates carp. On the scales its 64.12 beating his PB by 10ozs and a big beast of a mirror at that , the photos make it look huge and we name it “The Beast” What a Day !We return the fish and Steve’s other rod is away and at 52 pound he is over the moon , time for a couple of beers .
We retire with that happy glow of success but there was more to come! The Radio crackles at about 1a.m “Mick I’m full up down her” Steve Says. “You’ve eaten all the crumpets then “I reply. “ No full up with fish”. I know he has two nets and a sling so he must be hauling. I get dressed and run down. “What you got then” I ask “A big Mirror, a big Common and a smaller Mirror “We weigh them up and chuckle like two kids at Christmas opening their presents. The smaller one is 39, the other Mirror 49 and the common an amazing fish at 52. What a night. Steve gets the rods back out and walks around the out of bounds bank to get another couple of kilo in. There are ripples coming back from constant activity over his spot. A loud howl from a disturbed animal on the out of bounds has Steve running back with a scared look on his face “ Don’t know what that was , but was hanging about to find out” Lucky he did run because the rods off again, even after putting all that bait on top of it. 41 pound Mirror. I bag a couple in the early hours a 46.12 Common and a 30 plus Mirror but it’s Steve’s night 7 fish in less than 24 hours and it’s showing on the old boy. Midday and Steve’s alarm is off again and an immaculate 55 Common is landed.
We sit back and reflect on the last 24 hours, 2x64 3x50 plus including two commons and 4 other fish all over 30. Not bad for a couple of old Darenth Valley lads. Steve goes to bait up, time for me to move a rod to the marginal spot where there has been activity last night. A few more kilo on the long spots and I’m ready for the last 36 hours.
I’m awoken by a fast take on one of the left hand rods of which there are now three , I assume it’s the marginal rod as it was primed and ready after a good few free meals in that area , it’s one of the long rods at 90yds. I don’t really remember the first part of the fight but when it gets in close it catches the marginal rod and then weeds itself. I’ve got a pair of crocs on and a thin set of thermals, I’m shivering in the cold night air but there’s only one thing for it and that’s to wade out and get over the top of it. I look back at the waders outside my bivvy! In my haste to get to the take I haven’t put them on and it’s too risky to do it now. I wade out into the water and the water goes above my waist pretty quickly, this is looking dodgy. I’m over the fish and pull the weed and the head of the fish into the net and assume it’s all in. I struggle back to the bank; it’s heavy but is it the weed? The other line is around the weed bed too, what a mess!
As I part the weed I realise I have another big un in the net, one I was lucky to get it and I’m soaked and shivering. Only one thing for it get the wet clothes off, dry off and get a dry set on. Net secured I get warmed up and radio Steve. “I’ve got a big one Steve” I say “Ok mate on my way” He replies. On the scales she goes 61.8 a bruiser of a mirror that looks bigger than its weight. We name her “The Warrior” She certainly beat me up. I get both the margin rod and the long rod sorted and get back in the sleeping bag, cold but happy. Steve’s swim seems to have died the death or did he catch them all?
Dawn breaks to our last day on Telliates, we are happy and content with our results new PBs all-round and a hat full of 30s and 40s can’t be bad “I love it when a plan comes together” Steve replies “It ain’t over yet mate!” We have our last breakfast and start to get all the gear sorted and ready for a dark pack down in the morning. A green van goes by with a couple of anglers in it !!!
It’s noon and I’m in Steve’s swim “Don’t know why the margin rod didn’t go?” I say to Steve. As the words leave my mouth my buzzer sounds and I’m sure it’s the margin rod. I get to the margin rod and lean into it get it under control and next thing I know both bailiffs and Kevin Maddocks are in the swim. I have always had great admiration for Kevin and his book Carp Fever; I even had a chat with him at Darenth when I was 13 years old. The fish fights deep and long “It’s a good un Mick” Steve says as it moves slowly across the water , deep and strong. I have a big audience now and a legend of an angler observing. The fish rolls “50 plus common “Kevin comments. “ That would be nice” I think. Steve nets it with style! It looks like a 50 plus common! Steve the bailiff turns it on its side in the net and it’s as deep as it’s long “Digital common Mick” He proclaims. A fish that goes between 74 to 79. I’m staggered!!! Kevin Maddocks and the biggest fish I’ve ever caught in 30 years of carping in the swim at the same time. The planets had aligned for me!!! What a coincidence.
I leave the weighing and fish care to the bailiffs and Kevin, we are capable of doing it but best leave the mint 70 plus to the experts. I’ve always planned on doing all the photos of a real big un in the water after witnessing far too many accidents over hard ground. It goes 83 on the scales but the net and sling is all in there too! After all the deductions we agree on 74! “That’s the biggest Common I have ever witnessed” Kevin says. That’s the stamp of the Digital Common. Photos done and off she swims. Handshakes and a photo of me and Kev and we are stunned. Steve and I just look at each other and shout, “Harrah to the Digital common” I caught the big Christmas tree! I love it when a plan comes together!
The Technical stuff
Rods. Freespirit Hi S 3.5 t.c
Reels. Shimano Technium Xt
Line. Ultima Power Carp. 16 pound.
Rig. 18inches Korda tubing to lead clips, Hybrid hook links to Korda Kaptor Kurve size 6.
Bait. 20kg of Mainline Grange 18mm .Per angler
Distance. Up to 90yds.
Swim. The Double and Shit House Bay .
Fish Caught. 1x 74 2x64 1x61 3x50 . 24 fish in Total. Date October 2010
