For the first time ever at Mallory Park fisheries I though I wasn't going to catch today.
I'd got out for just a couple of hours in the "wind", thinking I'd still be abled to catch something...starting to get too cocky! After over an hour at the usually productive(even when I've had to break the ice!) Foundation lake, I'd only seen one possitive movement of the line tip...time to switch lakes.
I quick drive to the Glebe to try the most productive pond of that complex. Here the top spots also yeilded no fish or takes. The lakes were all choppy and very coloured; my confidence drained I'd pretty much decided I was gonna "dry" for the first time ever, at Mallory.
I moved around the bank casting from each swim, leaving the bloodworm patterns to settle for a minute or two, twitching them to under the rod top, then moving to the next swim. I really was giving up when I lifted up at the last swim, I'd mentally decided to try, and the rod tip started dancing with the kicks of a small carp. Phew! Carp in the net, no dry net for me but what a fluke. I'd not seen any indication whatsoever, maybe because I wasn't concentrating?
Dry net saver to a #16 gold headed bloodworm

Bloodworm...

Phew...my Mallory record lives to fight another day...I don't do dry nets.
Dee

Maybe small, but in superb condition, nice one!

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My best ever fish is shown on my avatar and that was when I was just messing about.

The small stillwater, pond, where I go to as it's my local has stockies, roach, mirror,common, bream and some huge grass carp in there.

The grass carp just cruise around completley oblivious to anything the course anglers chuck at them and I have often messed around casting a buzzer or nymph to them but they have never been out of the water.

I had been at the water side for about 15mins and there was a carp angler round the other side that looked like he had set his stall up the prevous day. There wasn't much happening in the early evening but one of the grass carp was doing his rounds towards me.

I had a rough GRHE nymph on 3lb line, I was after the little stockies afterall, and I cast it out to within a couple of feet of the ghost outline. Immediately the shape changed direction and headed for the "plop" but nothing happened. Figuring it was playing the game I re-cast and this time it landed three feet in front and just to the right of the beast. Again it turned to the dinner bell but I just let the fly sink. I thought it would be fun to see how far it would follow the fly so I gave it a couple of short draws and there was an alimighty swirl. Surely it hasn't I thought but still lifted my rod and my little G-Series 5#/6# rod was doubled over. I couldn't believe it. Fearing that I may soon be holding a series of fibreglass splinters I tighten the light then place my rod on the ground and got a hold of the fly line coming from the tip of my rod. This was it, just my hands, a line and an almighty beast at the end. I dug my heels in and got ready for the surging runs you see on the TV. I started to put a little pressure on the line and amazingly the beast came towards the source. I got it to within two feet of the bank and could see the headlines. Unfortunately the fish saw me first and set of out into the middle again. I realised it was **** or bust now so I tightened the line in my hand and the fish stopped, turned and then came back. It was liek having a dog on an extendable lead!!! I looked at my landing net, then looked at the fish. A quick calculation proved without a doubt there was not enough room. I needed a bigger boat!!. I called over to the other fisherman to bring his landing net and he raced round thinking I had fallen in or something. Slowly he lowered the net into the water and let it rest on the bottom as I tried to guide the beast over the trap. It took all of one attempt to get it positioned, the net was raised and the whole shallows by the back errupted but it was mine. Not in a conventional way using a rod and line but mine all the same.

16lb 13oz of pure pussy cat on a 3lb leader and size 14 rough GRHE.

I'll dig out the full pic at some point.

Cracking story that mate...almost as good as Dee's 18lb-er on a 1 weight! (see his other post). Still, you get extra bonus points for a grass carp

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As promised I managed to locat ethe better version of my avatar along with a rather large roach I forgot I pulled out the same night.

I recognise that water Ian, coarse fished it many a time; it's on the Saltaire ticket is it not?


Steve

Take a house point. It's Tong Park Dam.

Great Fish Hutch.

I am really unsure about your roach though, looks like some sort of hybrid, roach/rudd, chub/rudd maybe.

Its an Ide not a roach.Its a common mistake.

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Theres more to fishing than just fish.

i must admit, i first thought 'small fat chub'.

def not a roach, but who cares! as long as you got your string pulled!