Fishing Diary 2006 - hunt for the forgotten carp

The Hunt for the forgotten carp Part 1

I happen to pass by the lake this morning; the ice had finally given in to the rising spring temperatures, together with the constant battering from a small but bloated inlet stream. All that extra late winter snow has topped up last year's thirsty lakes and ponds wonderfully. Well this morning she's filled to the gills, and has a look of olive coloured slate, shrouded in mist, locked in by an almost impenetrable looking reed mace! The rest of the day at school has been somewhat distracted with thoughts of what maybe lurking after decades of neglect, and of course plans for my first assault now the ice has at long last retreated. On my return from school I set out an advertisement for a small boat in my local news paper; "Small boat wanted, only wish is that it floats, 1000kr max." It should manage to persuade an old pensioner into giving up his yearly task of filling, sanding and painting a boat past caring about.

Before any effort is to be made, making any permanent swims, I need to get some idea of what I'm up against. The lake is no bigger than four football pitches, and reputed to be rather deep with an inlet and outlet. And a forgotten stock of grass carps implanted some time in the 1980s if my information severs me correct. Forgotten by pike and zander fishing locals, whom assumed years ago that all those over sized roach had escaped over a dam wall and met there Waterloo in Bad Lands of the pike infested water system that followed. Questions are cropping up though; plenty of ifs and buts. For example how big could they have grown? Would they have spawned? Or was just one sex of carp stocked in order for there numbers not expand beyond the task in hand? How long to they live for? So I have a mystery to solve this summer!

I've never caught or intentionally fished for grass carp before, I've heard they a worthy adversary shy retiring, and hard to catch. So together with there personality and the nature of the some what dense plant life surrounding the lake I'm not at all surprised the locals have not been able to keep tabs on there vegetation eating super minnows! I was led to believe they are in fact related to minnow rather than a direct member of the carp family.

There shall not be any great pre baiting campaign, never seen the point, instead there shall be some time spent on the water with a good pair of Polaroid sun glasses, lure fishing outfit and small selection of lures. Lures you ask? I thought he was fishing for grass carps! Well let me explain; once armed with a small boat that can be left chained up on location, I don't see any better way to get to know this little lake than start chucking lures all over the place. Why?

1. Good idea of what we have in the way of predators. (future stocking in mind)
2. No better way of discovering the make up of the bottom. Sunken trees sunken weed beds and such.
3. Whilst scanning the lake for any carpy looking haunts I don't look like a bird watcher.
4. A lot more fun than just staring at the water, as it can be rather tedious. Especially as there are no margin swims accessible at present.

The Hunt for the forgotten carp Part 2

After some trial and tribulation I have secured a craft worthy and up to the job for grass carp hunting! Many thanks to Thore Karlsson who has donated his small rowing boat, to help in my quest.

After seeing the lake again, I decided to change my tactics; I had planned to investigate with lures. But after seeing it up close during my search for a secure mooring, I witnessed some huge swirls, and heard some tremendous splash’s from lakes inlet side! My expectation and lust to get fishing was now off the scale. I was now convinced the lake was a mass of spectacular specimen grass carp. Based on my usual 0% fact and 100% wishful thinking! The proverbial dreamer that’s me!

With a degree of haste I rushed to my local ICA supermarket to get my favourite sour dough Greek farmer’s bread, it’s the best for floating crust I’ve came across in Sweden so far.

My heart sank as reached the bread counter, Saturday afternoon and only pair of sad looking ciabatta and even tireder looking doughnut was all that’s left! A bad omen maybe but I picked up a processed loaf and made my way home in order to tackle up.

Avon rod and newly acquired Mitchell 300 were duly assembled, and my bag packed. I checked the weather report one last time, a warm and cloudy evening was promised, Splendid I thought to my self. Once lake side, and after a struggle through the undergrowth I was presented finally with the task in hand. Above all else I wanted conformation that the carp were present, concrete evidence! Above catching one, that can wait as far as I’m concerned.

Lakes that are not fished I’ve found have no real swims and pose a few extra problems, one of which is open spots are often full of branches and twigs, with out the constant dragging of hooks and lines, these places become very wild and somehow more of a challenge! And almost comforting knowing no one else has fished there. It’s not so hard here in Sweden to come across such places as it might be in England, only problem is there aren’t half many carp here in Sweden! Still you can’t have it all.

The evening was drawing in fast its quite shocking just how fast the day light goes and it’s only the end of July.

Once afloat I rowed out just enough to avoid the biting insects! I say insects as yes more than one type, not just mozzies, here in Sweden they have a vast array of biting nasties! Any way I spent some time with binoculars scanning the lake for anything fishy. When crash! A sound like a paving stone being dropped into the water from a great height, it resonated across the lake like great slash in the tranquillity, a welcoming committee for the evening ahead I thought. This horrendous splash had come from the inlet end again, so with out further a do I rowed over, heart beating like a fucked clock and my glasses steaming up I arrived a few minutes later, anchored up and started putting a little bait out.

Just for the record now I must state this lake is rather close by to where I live, and I shall be happy for a discovery of either tench or crucian carp, just as much as finding the forgotten grass carps!

With in ten minutes of hand full of sweet corn hitting the water I had something bubbling away, the disturbed water gave away the presence of larger fish, you know the tale tell boiling you get from the fins of larger fish in shallow water. But this was short lived as the bread I had scattered around on the surface was being attacked by roach and rudd like there was no tomorrow, one these pieces that had drifted in to an open gap in the water lilies. There was a huge swirl; five of six small fish broke the surface and the bread vanished! Now the dreamer in me would put this down to one of these forgotten carp, but the cynic, and sceptic would say it was just a pike, and the bread sank waterlogged.

At this point you might gather from how things are going, I’m in for a spectacular evening, well that couldn’t be further from the truth. The sky turned a strange shade of pinky purple with a hint of black, well very dark grey! Ok there’s now the most horrendous splash imaginable I turn round rather shaken this time, to see almost a bow wave coming from this disturbance! The water lilies shake and part beside the boat, something the size of Labrador dog has swam into my baited patch, when at that precise moment the heavens decide to open, rain drops like marbles start falling! And then the culprit decides to raise his or her ugly head a rod length from the boat in the pouring rain, up pops what can only be described as the cheekiest looking beaver I’ve ever seen!

So that concludes my first session, the sky blackens; I row back to the mooring wet and cursing the weather report and over sized rodents! But at least I never caught a bream!