Good Afternoon.
Today I have begun the slow task of cleaning up my equipment for the imminent finish on Monday. You may think I have ages left and what is the rush? If you could see the pace I am working at, then you would understand that I have started today as there is lots to organise, plenty of stuff to clean and put away, bags to pack, bivvies to break down etc… I don’t want to suddenly be faced with a mountain of work on Monday morning and this way it means the whole process is more manageable and more enjoyable; most importantly it means everything is ready to go for my next session and it means I don’t have to go through everything first. There is method to my madness!
I use a Coleman stove for the majority of my cooking. The fire has provided a great alternative for char grilling meat on countless evenings but the Coleman does the majority. I use normal unleaded petrol fuel and the problem with this is the black residue it leaves on everything, which in turn gets everywhere if it is not cleaned off prior to packing away. A strong green scourer and Jif is the best method and I found the cleaning process quite therapeutic as I watched my pots and pans turn from black to silver. My Trakker three piece cookware set cleans very quickly but my professional stainless cookware takes a bit more rubbing! I am actually looking forward to finishing my current session and as I cleaned my pots and pans, my mind was wandering away to my next venue and I was daydreaming about night-time battles with carp and basking in the Italian spring sunshine during the day, watching the lake come to life.
I had two visitors yesterday afternoon, one of which lives near my next lake of choice. I was warned that it will still be cold and will be hard work – oh well, I am quite used to challenging conditions and hard fishing so it will be nothing new. On the other hand it will soon be spring, the carp will soon get much more active, they will soon be searching for food, and even if it is slow to begin with, I will have ten or so weeks to be there when it happens. I mentioned the other day about carp anglers having different opinions on everything. One angler has told me to fish one part of the lake and yesterday I was told conflicting thoughts. I am going to have a look for myself after Carp Italy with my boat and echo sounder so I will base my opinion on my own sights and look at both areas and a few other options. I am very excited at the prospect of fishing a new lake as you can all probably imagine. The next venue is bigger than this one and can be quite deep in some areas but there are also lots of shallow bays and in the late spring these bays are covered in lilies and are practically unfishable. My plan is to try and set up in an area where the carp often arrive as the water begins to get warmer. Call it a surprise attack if you like – I will be ready and waiting with some bait on the lakebed and some rigs in place.
My zigs have not worked wonders and no takes have come from trying. My friend Chris Appleby commented yesterday on FB that he would rather try and catch a carp by scooping around with his landing net, than use zigs, and to be honest I have to agree with him. I have caught on a zig in the past but I am more of a bottom bait, pop up, floater styled angler and as much as I know that zigs are deadly and I need to adopt them more into fishing, I would rather use them when the water is warmer, the weather is warmer, I am wearing polaroids, and I can actually see carp cruising around under the surface. I think the term for that would be exciting zig fishing. I personally think the carp are sat on the bottom at the moment in a trance like state in hibernation mode. People talk about water columns and differing temperatures and yes these obviously exist particularly during the winter months, but I am not fishing a three acre pool that is eight feet deep. My lake is 1200 acres with depths up to 50ft. I do have a shallow bay to my right which with some sunshine would be an obvious place for carp to come to, but the sun has not really shone in January, certainly not with enough regularity and power to warm the waters by a few degrees. I caught my only carp from this bay at 2am in the morning on a night with minus temperatures!
Yesterday evening as it got dark I had all my rods back in position for their final few days and nights. I have put a double pop up on a 360 rig but have ensured the lead shot to pin it down, is about three inches from the ring swivel to try a pop up that is sitting higher in the water. I have placed this onto the sediment at the base of a hard plateau. The other rods were put in new areas, just incase I have missed anything in the last four weeks. As far as the fishing has gone it has obviously been tough going. The time of year, the cold weather, the water temperatures and lack of carp activity have been to blame and it is another slow January’s carp fishing that I can happily cross of my list. Next January I will be carping in Spain – I can’t wait! I have however enjoyed the whole experience at my first lake and I am very glad I had the opportunity to fish here. One carp is a sad result but as you all know that carp was caught after lots of hard work and through listening during the evenings sat by the fire.
As you can tell from my words this is probably the last blog I will write for this session unless of course I have some very exciting news to tell you. Tomorrow I will start organising all my bags into one bivvy and I will break another one down. My batteries need to go back to Marco to be recharged for my next session and I have to start thinking about Carp Italy. A possible kennel has been found for the dogs, my hotel room is booked and then it all begins again at my next lake.
Thanks for reading part one of my Italian Job.
Cheers
Jake and the dogs
Tags: bivvy, carp, Carp Italy, coleman, jake langley-hobbs
January 29, 2010 at 5:50 pm |
Good luck with packing (the only thing I hate about carp angling), and hope to read more from you soon.
TL,
Jan
January 31, 2010 at 7:38 pm |
Cheers Jan.
Already looking forward to my next destination, Carp Italy first, bit of R & R, and then it all begins again!!
January 29, 2010 at 6:24 pm |
Hi jake, it’s a shame this lake didn’t produce but moving on to the new lake with hopefully a warm spring coming should get the fish moving. I gave to agree with you about finding your own spots on the new lake because you always hear so many conflicting reports as where is best to fish and it’s normally the new person on a lake that does there own thing that catches, any way Look voteRs to reding mote blogs and all the best rob
January 31, 2010 at 7:42 pm |
Hi Rob.
Yeah I am new on most waters that I fish so I either take an instinct pick for a swim, I listen to what I have heard, or occasionally I will trust someones judgement if they have local knowledge and experience. Two ‘good’ local anglers fished this lake a couple of weeks ago for a week in two very different spots to get a result and did not get a single beep, so I really do think it is just down to the time of year. I look forward to my next session, as you say Spring is round the corner, it can only be a good thing!!
Cheers
Jake
January 29, 2010 at 7:53 pm |
Hi Jake
Hope to “see” you soon with a new blog.
Hopefully the new water will bring more carp.
Success with packing up and have fun at Carp Italy
rgds Hennie
January 31, 2010 at 7:44 pm |
Won’t be long Hennie. The rods are out…for my final night…the fire is burning for the last time, I have just eaten my last two pieces of steak, all of my stuff is packed and ready to go in the morning. Onwards and upwards!!
Cheers Jake
January 29, 2010 at 8:45 pm |
hello jake
sorry it did not happen but it is winter
keep at it soon it will be spring then summer
then you will be in the right place at the right time of year
they will come
you are a long stay carper it can only happen (well pissed off in uk )
all the best to you and the dogs
ronnie
January 31, 2010 at 7:47 pm |
Thanks Ronnie… Fingers crossed for the final few hours…typically the weather has turned a little, snow on Friday night, strong winds last night, a nice ripple on the water as I write this….all too late I feel!
I have a few nice days ahead of me, put my feet up, have a proper shower/bath, sleep in a bed for a few nights…get me recharged for the next water…I am buzzing for it already!!
Cheers
Jake and the dogs
January 29, 2010 at 8:57 pm |
Hi Jake and Dogs
I’ve enjoyed your first session of the year mate. Looking forward to reading about your new lake and what that has to offer you. Enjoy carp Italy safe journey and all the best.
George
January 31, 2010 at 7:48 pm |
Thanks George. The dogs and I have enjoyed your company too!
See you at the next venue soon.
Jake
January 30, 2010 at 1:40 pm |
Hi Jake!
One carp i better than no carp! Looking forward to new blogs of your next session!
January 30, 2010 at 2:22 pm |
Enjoy the fishing, and the italian people are great. Well they were when I toured it with the the family in the 80′s. Catch you soon Dave F.
January 30, 2010 at 9:31 pm |
good evening matey.i got your second reply thank you. down to limoges in a couple of weeks for 7 nights at chateau moulin so i ll keep you posted. there s a foot of snow around the lake at the moment but 3 weeks is a long way off so we ll see. to be honest it ll be a pleasure just to have the rods out and be in the company of a couple of very close friends so im looking forward to the break. i had my laptop stolen yesterday so replies are a bit sporadic at the mo when i can grab someone elses computer. hope your last couple of nights go ok for you. speak soon, cheers for now. tim
January 31, 2010 at 6:06 pm |
Better luck on the new lake i hope.
And for the cleaning of pots and pans, i have trick that works very well. When cooking especially if u have some kind of iron pans u can cover it with green soap before u put it on the fire or burner. I use a thick green soap from a big jar…same kind that u use when u swab the floors at home. Mayby this is only a product found in sweden but hopefully u know what kind im thinkin of.
After cooking is done all u gotta do is pour some water over it all and all nasty stuff is gone.
Woulndt mind some carpfishing myself right now….but with -23C ill have to wait until may when the ice is gone
January 31, 2010 at 7:51 pm |
I actually don’t mind a bit of elbow grease…scrubbing the pans with hot water is a nice thing to do on a cold day!!
-23 sounds brutal Jon…I hope it warms up soon for you!!
Cheers
Jake
February 1, 2010 at 2:04 pm |
Hi Jake and the dogs,
I found your blog incidentally through the ATTX website last week and have been like a blog-worm, munching my way through posts old and new,
I love it!
I can relate to a lot of your experiences, being a bit of a fishing adventurer myself, but not quite on the same scale as you!
I’m looking forward to your upcoming trip to Spain, as I plan to do a bit there myself this year. You better find a sponsor in the bivvy air con business!!
Well done on a great website and the best read I’ve had in ages.
I wish you all the success you deserve
Enjoy Carp Italy and good luck with the new venue.
Cheers.
Martyn
February 1, 2010 at 7:27 pm |
Thanks Martyn.
Yeah there is plenty to read!! Lots more to come too.
The blog will be back very soon once I have had a few days rest!!
Cheers
Jake and the dogs
February 1, 2010 at 6:43 pm |
January – a month to forget again ! Weather here in South West France still cold, although maybe we are just beginning to turn the corner…. hoping for plus temperatures day and night soon !
February 1, 2010 at 7:26 pm |
January has now gone….I have just had my first proper shower since December the 20th and it felt amazing!!! Time for a few days time out and bring on the spring!
February 2, 2010 at 1:10 am |
Hi Jake, have been a loyal reader for a while, I was wondering are you considering fishing in Holland on your travels ? Not as many of the un known waters ( well not in the north) but there is plenty of water to go around and the people are vey friendly. Though if you were considering it I would suggest waiting a few weeks as all the lakes up here have 1″ of ice still ( which is an improvement to the 3″ 2 weeks ago).
Let me know if you want suggestions for venues
Quentyn
February 2, 2010 at 10:43 pm |
My plan to fish in Holland and Belgium is set for late 2011. Five years sounds alot, but Europe is a big place and there are many waters to try and fit in. Ten years would not be enough and I think I will have to carry on for another five at this rate!!
Cheers Jake
February 2, 2010 at 10:49 pm |
ahh it is a shame I will be gone from NL by then but still I might see you on the bank sometime in 2010
I have to say you are living the dream that I have always wanted, why not add on 5 extra years and do eastern Europe as well ?