Horton - A New Chapter

The Horton complex has always been on my list of places I’d hopefully get the chance to fish. Many a book contains a tale or two on captures from the iconic waters, fished by some of the biggest names in the sport.  Out of the five lakes on the complex, Horton Church was always top of the list for me. Its history is relatively short compared to some of the other greats out there but nevertheless it’s still up there with the best.  Unfortunately, the bulk of the history fish, such as Shoulders, Jack and the Woodcarving, are no longer residents anymore but there are still a couple of the originals to try and outwit.  Horton Church stock is very impressive, at the right time of year there are five different 50s, over twenty different 40s and countless 30s.  There is also an on-site breeding program started by the late Del, the former head bailiff to ensure the future of Horton for years to come.

I had been lucky enough to be given an opportunity to walk the complex back in November 2020 when the RK office had arranged for Vince, the head bailiff, to take me round the lakes.  As soon as I had entered the gates of Horton and got my first glimpse across Church, I knew I’d be putting my name on the list.  As soon as I got home, I went online and paid my deposit for a gold card, allowing me to then fish the whole complex.  I was told it could be a couple of years wait for my ticket, but I was prepared to wait.  To my amazement, I was offered a ticket early into the new year and I just had to accept it.  I worked every weekend possible to get the extra money together as quickly as I could – this was an opportunity not to be missed! I had in my mind that Church is where I’d start, with Kingsmead 1 and the Island lake being next in line, once the time was right.

The start of the new Horton season was to fall on Saturday 1st May - bank holiday weekend.  It probably couldn’t have coincided with a busier time, especially as the lockdown restrictions for fishing days had finally been put behind us.  Every start to the new season on the Horton complex starts with a draw for swims, knowing this and how busy I expected it to be, I decided that the opening weekend wouldn’t be my first trip to wet a line.  Having the following Friday booked off work, that was to be when I was going to start my first season on the complex and I honestly couldn’t wait.  

Horton is 110 miles from home and if the M25 behaves itself I can get there in just under two hours. I wanted to see how the regulars approached the lake, so on the Bank Holiday Monday I got up at 3am and took a drive to Horton. I wanted to watch the sun come up and see if I could pick up any information before my first actual fishing trip was arranged. That day I walked and walked around Church and K1, my suspicions on it being busy weren’t wrong, it was packed! Hardly any swims were free on the complex but this didn’t matter too much as I was there to watch and learn. I remember reading a few times that the fish in Church liked to show themselves but really didn’t like being cast at. It was no surprise that there were a lot of baiting poles being used but also still a fair few spod rods leaning on the bivvy. This instantly got me thinking, these fish are really pressured as Church is a typical circuit water. I knew I had to try and make my approach slightly different from the others and not fish the ‘normal’ way. After spending the day walking the lakes and watching, it was soon time to get back on the road home; I spent the whole time trying to put a plan together.

I needn’t have set my 3am alarm for Friday morning as I’d hardly slept due to thinking about Horton and my first trip.  Tea made and the car full of tackle, I set off Horton bound.  Arriving at the lakes car park, I could see it wasn’t quite as busy as the previous weekend, so I grabbed my bucket and Polaroids to see what I could find.  At Horton you have to sign in at the lodge, so whilst doing this, I took an opportunity to see what had been out.  Six fish so far in the opening week.  I decided to sit on the steps of the lodge as the wind was blowing south westerly and this gave me a good view of the windward bank.  I didn’t have to wait too long before I saw a couple of fish show.  I wasted no time at all and got myself round there to try and pinpoint exactly where they were.  As I knew very little about their habits, location was the most important thing.  After seeing a couple more shows, I was relieved that they were in front of a vacant swim known as Scooter.  Bucket down and I was almost running back to the car for my gear.  I don’t think I’ve ever pushed my barrow round a lake so fast in my life, I could have overtaken any power barrow with my enthusiasm.

I was already well prepared, so it was just a case of tying a couple of Tails Up Sea Monsta corkers onto my Ronnies and giving them a quick glug. I waited to see the next show before the rod was deployed. True Horton style, I didn’t have to wait long before another one stuck its head out and out went the rod bang on where it had shown. As I felt the lead down, it landed with a mighty crack and I just grinned to myself and remember thinking, “That’s a fish.” The same process was done with the other rod and then it was just a case of getting the bait out. There was no way I was going anywhere near my spod rod, I couldn’t risk scaring them. My plan all along was to use the throwing stick, lovely and quiet, providing the fish with a spread of bait. Keeping the fish moving between baits would hopefully make them slip up and drop their guard.

I’d decided to leave all my gear on the barrow as although I was on fish, I didn’t want to commit to a swim in case they moved off, so I made myself a brew and sat on my unhooking mat taking in my surroundings.  I noticed every swim opposite me on the causeway bank was taken but the bank I was on was fairly empty.  This lifted my confidence even more as I knew the fish would stay if the pressure my side was kept to a minimum.  As I sat drinking my tea, the left-hand rod went into total meltdown, with the delkim screaming at me.  I picked up the rod in total disbelief as it hadn’t even been out an hour and there I was, connected to my first Horton carp.  The fish fought hard and stayed deep for most of the fight until I slowly brought it up the marginal shelf and into the net first time.  It looked a nice fish and meant the world to me, they always say the first fish is the hardest.  The scales settled on 36lb exactly, it was a fish known as Gizmo. Photos done and I was on cloud nine.  The rod was sent back out exactly as before and again it cracked down.  Another 30 baits out with the throwing stick and I sat back with a huge smile on my face.  The fish continued to show and a couple of hours later the right-hand rod was away again.  This fish stayed deep again but felt a lot heavier, unfortunately the hook pulled out and I was gutted.  I wasted no time dwelling on the loss and got the rod straight back out.  By now the wind was increasing and I was in the teeth of the building south-westerly.  I decided to spend the night in the swim, so set about getting things sorted. That was it for the action that day.  The night passed without anything to show, but I wasn’t surprised as Horton is known for being mainly day bites that time of the year.

As the second day reached lunchtime, I was starting to wonder if the fish had moved off slightly, when out of nowhere, the left-hand rod burst into life. The fight was straight-forward, and I knew from the off that it was a smaller fish. On the scales, the culprit known as The Sergeant spun the dial round to 15.10, a stunning little homegrown stockie and certainly one for the future. I remember looking over to the opposite bank and seeing that I was starting to attract some attention. As far as I knew, the other bank hadn’t produced a fish so I knew my time alone in this area was coming to an end soon. I decided to reposition my rods early as I wanted everything my side to be settled before the others started baiting up again. The plan certainly worked. Not long after, the opposite bank had started spoding my left-hand rod was away. I knew instantly that it was a good fish as it was a typical slow plodding fight. After what felt like a lifetime, I could make out the frame of a large mirror in the crystal-clear water. Luckily, she went in the net straight away and I instantly knew it was over 40lb. The fish known as The Little Leather was weighed and photographed – it was a personal best leather of 43.14lb and I was speechless. I certainly hadn’t expected my first trip to be this rewarding but it made the hard work and planning worthwhile.

Again, the rod went back out and on went the kettle.  Whilst drinking my celebratory cuppa, I could hear someone setting up in one of the vacant swims next to me. I’d been expecting it, especially as I was the only one catching this end of the lake. I needn’t have worried, as shortly after sorting things ready for the night ahead, a couple of bleeps sounded from the left hand delkim.  As I took a couple of steps towards the rod, it burst into life with line screaming from the spool.  Another good battle commenced and it certainly felt like another good fish.  It managed to wipe my other rod out in the process but it wasn’t enough to avoid the waiting net. In she slipped and she was definitely another good one.   I hoisted her up onto the scales and was greeted with a weight of 38.02lb – what a weekend!  As the evening passed, I decided to get an early night as I was shattered from the past few days.  Another quiet night passed and as I stretched my legs, I realised that the bank I was on was now completely taken, including a bucket behind my swim reserving it for when I was leaving.   I packed up mid-morning and wandered off to the lodge to enter my captures into the record books, which have been kept since the syndicate’s conception.

Two weeks passed before I found myself driving through the Horton gates and into the car park once more - full of confidence and still smiling from the last session.   I grabbed my bucket and after signing in, headed straight round to the area I’d fished before.  The weather was exactly the same as the previous time, so I had expected to see the fish in the same areas. As I turned the corner and walked along the north bank, it was clear to see by the number of occupied swims that I was going to need to look elsewhere to fish. As I stood talking to one of the other members listening to how nothing much had been out from that area over the last few days, I saw a good fish roll over the pond in an area known as Weedy Bay. I wasted no time at all and headed straight round.  To my amazement the area was free from anglers, so I sat on my bucket to see what was there. There must have been at least 10 shows all fairly close in, so I left my bucket ready to return with my gear.  I did exactly the same as last time, Sea Monsta corkers threaded onto Ronnies cast into the areas where the fish had shown most with 20-30 baits following each rod via the throwing stick. I sat back with the first cuppa of the morning and started to realise that the showing fish had slowed up significantly.  I knew I hadn’t caused too much disturbance getting the rods out so decided to give it until after lunch to see if anything else started to show.

At 12 o’clock my left-hand rod signalled a slow take, the spool was ticking slowly and as I lifted into the fish, I was met with a solid weight.  I knew immediately that it was big, I barely gained any line and the fish hardly took any either.  It was using its sheer weight and kept deep in the clear water, plodding around in front not wanting to give up easily.  The battle lasted for what felt like a lifetime before it finally rose from the depths and took a gulp of air. Knowing this was my chance, I quickly shuffled the net under its bulky frame and in she went.  I peered in and before me I could see the row of linear scales on its chestnut flanks.  It was one of the VS fish and what a stunner she was.  One of the other members gave me a hand with the weighing and between us we settled on 45.04lb, another new personal best.  Photos were taken and we identified her as a fish known as Iris, I slipped her back still buzzing.  

No further action came my way that trip, but it didn’t matter at all, I was more than happy with the morning’s result. Not long after that visit, the fish had a couple of goes at spawning so that was the end of my successful run of captures. Unfortunately, the summer has passed by with a bad back and a few blank sessions where I struggled to get onto the fish. As I write this, Autumn is upon us; my favourite time of year to be out on the bank. Hopefully it won’t be long before I wet my net once again….