Posts Tagged ‘International Carper’

Writing, Cooking, Relaxing and Skyping!

March 21, 2010

Good Evening.

A quick check on the weather confirmed my thoughts this morning – the weather is dull and it looks like I will have no sunshine for about a week or so. Words like cloudy, showers, sprinkles, and drizzle, don’t exactly have you rushing for the suntan lotion; but it is still early spring and I will have to be patient! The lake I am fishing at is further North than I have fished to date and is closer to the Alpes, which is probably why the weather is as it is. I can’t grumble though! I am in a beautiful setting, I am fishing, and the weather is at least constant, which can only be good for the fishing.

With regards to the carp fishing I have done diddly-squat today. I said yesterday that the rods are staying put for several days and that’s what will happen. I don’t need to introduce any more bait either, but every couple of days I will introduce a very small quantity of krushed baits, around where I dropped my actual hook baits. Someone asked me today on Facebook whether I had caught anything yet? The answer was no! I am not actually expecting to catch for a few days as I don’t think there are carp here in numbers yet. The lake is also very big and deep in places and I am fishing a shallower part. It may need a slight rise in the temperatures to get fish moving into this part of the lake. I am confident I am in a very good place though and this was confirmed yesterday when another carp angler arrived in a boat to fish this swim. He saw me set up, shook his head in dismay, quickly turned the boat around, and zoomed across the lake to look for another spot.

It's a place to sleep, and a place to work!

Because I know there is a waiting process involved in the session I have had a very productive day. I have written my first piece for a Dutch magazine called Spiegel which is the third article I have written in the last ten days. It now means I am up to date with everything. Last week I wrote my first part of a mini series for the Italian magazine Carpaxtutti, and of course there is my ongoing series No Fixed Abode in International Carper, that had to be taken care of. I don’t think I will be sitting in the sun much in the next few days as it won’t be shining, so I might just write some more to get ahead of schedule.

Cooking up a storm!

Overcast weather food..."Perfick," as Pa Larkin would say!

Apart from the writing I have had a little spring clean of my cooking equipment, and I have cooked some lovely food. Today’s dinner had a British feel to it with a beef casserole and mashed potatoes! I have also enjoyed watching my dogs stockpiling sticks from the plethora of wood that adorns the woodland ground. They literally are in doggy heaven!

Charley guarding my makeshift Internet ariel!

I mentioned I was having Internet problems at the start of my session. I have remedied this with an extendable bankstick and some gaffer tape! I attached the dongle to the end of the bankstick, after wrapping it in a plastic bag, and with the aid of a USB extension cable, I now have a pretty good reception. I think the trees in the woodland are the problem and having the dongle a few feet in the air seems to have done the trick. As a test I tried Skyping a few people this evening; the reception was crystal clear which is always a good sign. Skype is fantastic and I was on the phone for over an hour to the UK speaking to family members and friends. How much does it cost? 4 Euros a month for 10,000 minutes – what a bargain!

It is almost bedtime so I am going to call it a night.

Catch you tomorrow.

Jake and the dogs.

P.S Don’t touch their sticks!

Blue Water Lakes Is Next On My List.

November 13, 2009

Good Evening.

This week has been the perfect medicine for me. Relaxing fishing, some great company, a selection of dvds and lots of good food. The weather has played its part in ensuring the carp have not been in a playful mood, but the improvement yesterday certainly got them jumping around throughout the night. It did get the enthusiasm levels raised for a take, but none came and in the morning it was the same old story for all anglers on the lake; another fruitless night. Being optimistic about the situation is all you can be and after all, there is still tonight to pass yet! All it takes is one take and who knows, you could be holding a new personal best or you could always be reeling in a bare hook. Making the most of the few opportunities that might come your way at this time of year is paramount and making sure you land everything you hook should be priority number one.

I have already packed up half of my equipment. I am keen to end my week at Gigantica with a carp, but I won’t leave disappointed if I fail to catch. I have no time for tears as I have another lake 10 minutes up the road which might offer slightly more in the way of carpy opportunities. Blue Water Lakes is a well stocked 14 acre venue that I have mentioned before on my blog and also in my Gigantica piece for International Carper. That particular piece of work was slightly different to my normal ‘story’ writing and full session account, but then as a sponsored angler it is important that I give something back in return. It is not all about getting free stuff and I now feel it is my full responsibility to maintain a good working relationship with everyone I am associated with. I am not rich, my funds are very limited and I am literally scraping by, through spending carefully and not splashing out on things I don’t need. The truth of the matter is carp fishing does not always have to cost the earth, and now I have an incredible team supporting me, I am extremely fortunate as all I need buy is food, fuel and fishing licenses. I even get given 5.11 socks from Edgar Brothers Outdoor. I do try to steer clear of obvious plugging in my series and only ever mention things where they fit in with the story or they are particularly relevant, and this is something I will always endeavour to maintain for the long run.

Essentially I love writing a story and this is my preferred method. I remember reading many great books as a teenage carper and I fondly remember imagining the scene with vivid pictures suddenly appearing in your mind as you closely read the words. I hope I manage to open up your imaginations when you read my No Fixed Abode series, and you sometimes manage to feel like you’re getting the whole picture, so to speak. I have just sorted through the pictures for my Orient write-up and this is going to be solely about Jake and his dogs fishing at the Orient; nothing more and nothing less, oh and a few fish!

Tonight is another very mild one. Ten degrees and the fish are active once again. I am going to put the kettle on and sit and listen for a few fish. With any luck I will hear one right over my baits! The forecast for the following week is also mild, so fingers crossed the fish will have a good feed before the big freeze arrives.

Tomorrow will be TWP and I aim to get to BWL by 11am at the latest. My first priority will be to get the rods out and then the laptop will go on and you can come and join me fishing! I am really living it up for the next few days as I am in the lakeside lodge complete with electricity, tv and microwave! I really have to make the most of these opportunities when they come along as very soon it will be back to basics in Italy.

Back tomorrow.

Jake and the dogs.

It’s All About The Big Breakfast!!

November 10, 2009

Good Evening.

No carp to report from any angler on the lake…so far! The skies are very clear tonight, the cold winds have disappeared, but there is still a nip in the air. My bivvy heater is causing quite a stir this week and there have been a few enquiries as to where it can be purchased. The temperature is about 3 degrees outside and about 21 degrees in the bivvy. I have had to turn the regulator down as it was getting ridiculous and even the dogs were complaining about the excessive heat. Still at least it keeps condensation off the laptop!

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It's time to make some....

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Porridge!!

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If you get bored of food easily...add things to it to make it taste slightly different each day!

Breakfast is going to be my number one priority for the next four months and a good one at that. I am not talking about a massive cooked breakfast every morning either. The Scottish have always had it spot on with their menu for breakfast and I am talking porridge! Not the kind that is spent behind bars but the type made with oats and milk, and some folk including myself like a wee pinch of salt. It is my new thing this week and perfect for cold winter’s mornings. Oats contain starch which are complex carbohydrates which deliver energy, but slowly, as it takes your body longer to break them down, unlike simple carbs i.e sugars that give you a short burst of energy. I used to teach technology at secondary school and part of that entailed food and nutrition.  

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These have had the attractor treatment.

The carp are also getting their daily diet of boilies.Not a massive amount but about 2 kilos each day spread over a fairly wide area. I am delivering these to the spot using my Korda Eazi-stick and I am doing this around lunchtime. I suspect this to be the best time for topping up the swim as you would expect the fish activity to be less in the early afternoon. There is less chance of disturbing a feeding carp for example with boilies landing on top of its head. I mentioned yesterday that I am using the Monster Tiger Nut boilies from Dynamite Baits. Well these are boilies that I actually prepared before I went off to the Orient, especially for my session at Gigantica that I will undertake in about eleven days time. I fortunately have some more to replace the ones I will use this week so I will prepare them before I go off to Blue Water Lakes for my week’s fishing there. To prepare them I put them into 5 litre tubs with some of the Tiger Nut attractor liquid and leave them to re hydrate the liquid. It is important that they get the occasional shake. Not only does this give them more appeal, but it also hardens them slightly making them better for the throwing stick. There is nothing more annoying than baits that break up during flight!

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If you like gadgets...get one of these! As used by SWAT treams and the military!

I have a new toy to play with from one of my sponsors; Edgar Brothers Outdoor. It is one of the head torches I have been eagerly awaiting called the Saint Minimus. I have mentioned this before in passing and now I actually have it on my head as I write this post. It is a very good product. Virtually indestructible, easy to use, and it offers 100 lumen of power. The quality of the light is determined by the quality of the led used and Surefire only use the best leds. This is what makes their products the best in the world and far superior to any of their rivals. Check out the full details of the Saint Minimus head torch by clicking the picture below. The other head torch is called the Saint which has longer battery life due to the enlarged battery pack and an extra strap for your head. When I receive this product I will let you know. In the meantime I will be testing the Saint Minimus and seeing if I can break it at all!

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Big shout out to Group 9 of the army!!

Speaking of military products the Army were fishing at Gigantica last week. Group 9 to be precise who have a few carp fishing get togethers each year, all over Europe. Marty was top rod last week with two carp and a fantastic common weighing over 50lbs. The carp are putting on the weight well at Gigantica as this was the very same common I caught in July weighing in at 43lbs. It was good to meet you all guys (and gal), and Wishy…Flash thanks you for allowing him to take up the whole of your bed on your last night at Gigantica!

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Charley is always on the look out for a stray boilie!

I think there may just be enough time to squeeze in another dvd before it is time for bed. Tomorrow I have to start writing my next installment for International Carper. It seems the months really do fly by and it only seems like yesterday when I wrote this months piece about my enjoyable time at Madine. I wrote that story whilst fishing at the Orient and I now have to decide where to base next month’s story on? I guess it will have to be about my time at the Orient! Speaking of International Carper. If any of you don’t know, it is found at the back of Carpworld magazine and I do believe my ugly mug is on the front cover which is a perfect way to end tonights post.

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Marvellous Madine indeed!

Back tomorrow.

Jake and the dogs.


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