Big Fish: Burdett bags carp with pineapple

With the local rivers continuing to offer somewhat inconsistent sport it is reassuring to know the commercial waters are always there if you need to get a bend in your rod, and who of us have not had that need every once in a while?

For Taplow’s James Burdett, a trio of blank sessions after barbel on the River Kennet followed by two biteless sessions on the Thames brought about the need for some action and in an attempt to break his duck he headed over to the Blue Pool fishery at Burghfield for a day after carp.

The Blue Pool is well known to most local carpers but it has changed a little in recent times with the carp having been thinned out slightly to stock other fisheries it is not as prolific as it once was but nonetheless remains a terrific fishery to get amongst big doubles and 20lb plus fish.

The other main change is in the administration of the fishery as the water is no longer a day ticket fishery but now offered on a pre-booking basis.

Arriving for his session, James chatted to the previous party who were packing up as he arrived and the news was not good as they had not seen a carp, let alone caught one.

Undeterred, James went for a look around the lake and within five minutes had found a group of fish feeding at the back of the island and after a further five minutes later he had them feeding hard on floaters.

James set up a light controller outfit with 8lb main line and long hook length to a size 12 hook baited with a cut down pineapple pop up boilie and flicked it at the edge of the group of fish and sprayed a pouchful of floating pellets over the top.

Within a couple of minutes the bait was taken, the shoal of fish bolted in all directions and James found himself attached to a very angry specimen which was determined to escape behind the island.

Thankfully, he was able to turn the fish in time and after a five minute fight he banked a solid-looking mirror of 24lb 4oz - the perfect remedy for a series of blanks!

Commercial carp of a slightly smaller stamp were the reward for local rod Gerry Tyler who fished at the Royal Berkshire Fishery to take three fish topped by a lovely common of 16lb 4oz which took a flavoured pellet on a size 10 barbless hook to 8lb line fished over a bed of pellets in the margins of Lake One.

The Winkfield venue is in good form at present and there are plenty of good carp to be caught to a variety of methods.

Completing the round -up of commercial results this week is Marlow-based Frank Jeffreys who paid a visit to the Theale Match Lake and alternated between waggler in the margins and the method feeder to take a mixed bag of tench, carp and silvers estimated at 85lb.

Frank fished corn on his float line with a loosefeed of carp pellets and hemp and when the nearside line dried up he switched to the method with a Fishmeal groundbait laced with pellets and a small cube of luncheon meat on the hook.

The tench, which ranged to 5lb in weight, came mostly to the float with the carp, to around 7lb, picking up the feeder fish bait.

Prospects on the commercials continue to look good for the week ahead and with a slight change in conditions the rivers might just show a slight improvement too, and don’t they need to!