42.12 – The lake record Common
Molyneux Report to 14th April 2012;
Saturday arrived and after an early breakfast, Paul was on his way. Living Ooop North, means he has an awful long drive from Dover, so he set off in plenty to get home during daylight.
Our next anglers consisted of two parties of friends who all travelled across together.
Richard Dawson, his sons James, and Matt, and their mates Reece, John, and a non angler Perry who had come along for the social side of things. The guys had the obligatory cuppa and after introductions and a chat about the lake we wandered round and showed them all the swims.
John, and Matt decided to plot up in the double, whilst Richard chose to fish from the Barn swim. James set up In Social 1, whilst Reece joined him fishing in Social 2
The weather was much the same, chilly, although a lot more overcast, and there was the promise of a massive drop in air pressure, and rain to come on Sunday night/Monday morning.
There were two fish caught late Saturday evening. James was first out of the blocks with a 27lb 6oz Mirror, John following closely behind with a common of 19lb 8oz.
Matt had an early morning call in the shape of a 28lb 8oz mirror at 2.30am, he was up again at 5am to photograph a stunner of 36lb for his dad Richard in the Barn swim.
Just before tea, James was in again, this time a 24lb common. With the promised weather closing in, things were looking very good.
The next morning the chill wind had died, it felt distinctly warmer, and the pressure had dropped, large clouds loomed over the slopes of the valley, and it looked like we were in for a drop or two of rain any moment.
The fishing had followed the pattern of the night before with four fish being caught between 2am and 7am, Matt started the ball rolling with a 32lb mirror, John chipped in with a 23lb 5oz mirror, Matt then had a 24lb 2oz mirror. James around the other side of the lake had only the one fish, but what a fish. A cracking mirror at a weight of 40lb 2oz. The first time this fish had been caught over the magical barrier.
40lb exactly!
The rain came at around 2pm in the afternoon, dropping steadily straight down as it moved slowly across the lake. At around the same time, the two guys in the social swim suddenly became very busy, with James landing a gorgeous 30lb 2oz common, Reece following closely with a mirror of 33lb, and James catching his second forty of the day with another new one of 40lb exactly.
Two new forties in one day was excellent news for Helen and I, and of course Molyneux. The lake has so much potential, with lots of lovely big carp in, it is a slowly slowly scenario, where you watch and wait for the carp you know so well to grow and prosper. Finally it seems they are getting there.
9pm saw John land another fish of 27lb 4oz. shortly after Reece landed his second of the trip at 28lb, this was quickly followed by his third a 31lb mirror. James then capped his day off in style with a mirror of 38lb 4oz just prior to midnight.
Richard had a 23lb common during the night, and James landed a 30lb 4oz mirror at dawn the following morning.
After a slow morning, things picked up again at lunchtime, with James away again, this time landing a 15lb common. At the same time John in the double swim was photographing a 32lb 12oz mirror. Half an hour later, James lands another corker of 36lb.
At 4pm Richard landed a 37lb mirror. After dinner the guys headed back to their swims and it wasn’t long before James was in again, this mirror weighing 37lb 8oz.
At midnight, Matt caught a 29lbmirror, at 12.30 James had a 31lb mirror, a short while later John caught a 25lb 8oz mirror. Then at 1.30am Reece landed a 38lb mirror.
At first light John had another, a mirror of 25lb 8oz, then as the guys were gathering for breakfast, someone spotted James playing yet another fish across the lake in Social 1.
This was to be the highlight of an already extraordinary week. A stunning common of 42lb 12oz, a new lake record common. Surely this could not continue.
That afternoon James had a 29lb mirror. 7pm and Richard in the Barn had a 36lb 12oz beast, his third fish over 36lb’s. There were two fish out around midnight. James with a mirror of 24lb, and Richard again with a 23lb 2oz common. John then landed two before first light, 23lb common, and 25lb 12oz mirror. James also had another just after first light, a mirror of 23lb.
For the first time this year fish and plenty of them had been coming out during the day, so Matt having had no luck in the double during the day decided to try the cabin swim and see what happened. His luck changed is what happened. Within half an hour of casting out, he was in, the result a 23lb mirror, and it wasn’t long before he and I were guesstimating the size of another much bigger chunk in his landing net. Neither of us guessed it right though, it was a massive 37lb’s. A male fish, built like a pit bull with attitude to match, it fought like a brute and looked like one.
Meanwhile, just before tea, James who was on a mission now to beat our previous record of 48 carp for a group, almost single handedly, landed another thirty in the shape of a 33lb 4oz beauty.
By breakfast time on Friday four more fish had been added to the ever increasing total,
Reece contributing two mirrors of 25lb 4oz, and 29lb 12oz. James had of course chipped in with two, a 21lb mirror, and another massive fish of 38lb 4oz.
Reece had fish in front of him now and was making hay while the sun shone, (so to speak as it was still peeing down more than it was dry.) He caught two more mirrors of 30lb 4oz, and 26lb.
40.02
That evening Matt, deciding to do the last night in the cabin swim was rewarded with three lovely mirrors, of 29lb 6oz, 33lb 2oz, and 27lb. Richard landed a 30lb 2oz mirror.
In the early hours of Saturday morning Reece had two more, both mirrors weighing 26lb 10oz, and 36lb 4oz.
A record breaking week in so many ways, A total of 52 carp landed, for a total weight of 1’543lb’s between 5 anglers. The average weight across the 52 fish being 29lb 10oz, Incredible!!
It proves that all the winter feeding is doing the fish and the lake the world of good, Almost all the fish were in stunning mint condition, with a few showing signs of flanking or flashing over either stones or branches and having the odd nasty scratch, all were treated with a very good Koi treatment and will heal well, and continue to thrive.
It was a pleasure to meet you all guys, I am so pleased that everything clicked for you with the weather conditions and the fish playing ball. You undoubted angling skills shows that with a little application and working at your fishing, dreams can indeed be made at Molyneux.
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