I can't work this out!

[geoff]

I fished Abbots Salford Lake yesterday afternoon, only a short session (5 hours). Nothing! Well not strictly true, my right hand rod bleeped twice, 5 seconds apart, which was probably floating leaf, it may have been line bite or the touch of an inquisitive bream but I’m not convinced.
No sign of carp, no fizzing, and no slurping around the edges, and no fish showing on the top, not even in the sunny spots sheltered from the wind.

I know ASL has the reputation for being a challenging venue; it seems to be a case of patience; waiting for that elusive bite, then making the most of it when it arrives because you may have to wait 12 hours for the next one.
But I’m also told that there is the occasional red letter day when you may have a dozen bites.

What I can’t get my head around is why there are so few signs of Carp activity

Does anyone out there have a theory

[Diwrnach]

Only fished it a few times, and yet to catch a carp there, but I have also wandered the lake alot, payed really close attention and yet to see a single sign of carp as well.

Think all the ducks make things a bit more difficult, often think ooooh a carps topped and its a bleeding duck, so possible carp top more than you think,. but ducks are around and disguise it?

No idea, have wondered the same myself.

[Cyprio]

No two venues are ever the same, some places you fish you can use the carp as marker floats, yet others such as abbots, the carp are more elusive. Its good in a way, it makes you use other skills such as watercraft or just experience. Abbots is not an easy venue by any means, hard to spot carp being only part of it, but it means a lot when you catch fish from there, whatever the size!!

[Chris Burton]

Its good in a way, it makes you use other skills such as watercraft!!

Are you on about Bait Boats with Echo Sounders

[nrt]

Hi Geoff, I have fished ASL only for 2 day sessions and it struck me after 2 whole days that you don't see hardly any carp jumping like on most of the venues I have fished before, however I have seen signs of carp on the surface, particularly when firing out bait I have witnessed several big swirls.

I have read that zig and surface fishing is a fairly unproductive approach to this water so I have stuck to the bottom and fed lightly into largish areas of open water and moved at any sign of activity (swirls or consistant bubbling).

It certainly is a challenging water, after 2 sessions I've had 2 runs and landed one fish (26lb) but I like a challenge and this venue cetainly has me hooked!

P.s. there does seem to be a lot of colour in the water (probably added to by the abundant birdlife) add extra smell and maybe colour to your hookbait

[Cyprio]

Its good in a way, it makes you use other skills such as watercraft!!

Are you on about Bait Boats with Echo Sounders

No , because that would be cheating wouldnt it christopher, good anglers use other skills such as . . . . . . . . poaching out other anglers swims, not echo sounders etc.

[rob]

hi adam are you at the vale this weekend as i may come down and have a look ,,with a view to fishing the winter on there ,i would of course get
permission from chris first then i could watch you and learn some more
as i did watching you at a/s.i went down and had a look at horseshoe wed,,
it looked realy nice but a long way for winter fishing but of course it would be more fun poaching your swim now wouldnt it.

regards rob.. just joking about the poaching i think..??

a famous golfer once said (the more i watch the more i learn )err surlely
i got it wrong there.. ,

[Chris Burton]

hi adam are you at the vale this weekend as i may come down and have a look ,,with a view to fishing the winter on there ,i would of course get
permission from chris first then i could watch you and learn some more
as i did watching you at a/s.i went down and had a look at horseshoe wed,,
it looked realy nice but a long way for winter fishing but of course it would be more fun poaching your swim now wouldnt it.

regards rob.. just joking about the poaching i think..??

a famous golfer once said (the more i watch the more i learn )err surlely
i got it wrong there.. ,

Hi rob dnt think Adam will be down the weekend he has been a poorly boy and as he hasn't been to work he wont be aloud out to play de-dums

Adam has asured me he will be down the following weekend I will also be down, no probs in poping down Chris

[rob]

hi thanks chris i will pop down then,incidently a great post from you which said it all ,i went down last year to look at the vale 3 times midweek and wekends and every time it was packed out what you just wrote was spot on.your mate john who fishes at a/s and coppice has a mate called jay (a very tidy angler) had a day at the vale in i think august 2009 and caught 15 carp all good ones. when i asked how he said, pva bags cast out as far as he could,,he has 23/4 rods and 8000 reels
so he would not be hitting the far bank but then he didnt seem to think
you needed to.

regards rob..and good fishing..