Shoals Or Strays
Adam Clewer returns, this time to discuss what he has learned recently since the carp he targets have started to behave strangely!
The last few years have been unpredictable for many of us, probably the whole planet. Remarkable world events, the likes we wouldn’t have believed possible, have become our lived reality.
For many, fishing provides an escape from the ever-increasingly bizarre world we call home. However, from my perspective of late, the carp I target have also behaved strangely and strayed considerably from their *normal seasonal patterns, and enjoyed moving the goalposts often—especially on my days off when I wet a line.
Of course, animal behaviour cannot be predicted—especially given the carp I fish for are wild and often previously uncaught fish. Even the weather has been all over the place this year. Winter was unseasonably mild, and spring lasted longer than usual; cold nights combined with swelteringly hot days tripped me up several times with the wrong choice of clothing, causing for a chilli night on the bank.
What has the result of this been on my fishing? A consistent pattern of either shoals or strays, numbers, or nothing—and very rarely anything in-between. Of course, some sessions have resulted in completely dry nets. But essentially, I have driven home with either multiple wet nets and slings—the sweet smell of success. Or, I worked hard, moving swims multiple times, and watching the water intently to be rewarded with only one fish. Shoals or strays has become my normal these past few months.
What follows are a few things I learned (or am currently learning):
Be open to the unexpected.
Often, I scroll through my phone to see photos of what I was catching and the respective date from previous years. Usually these past results correspond to the current date (give or take a week). None of this information helped this year. Any preconceived ideas I had have failed. Instead, trying new areas and approaching the water differently has scored well for me. Sitting in the swim that should produce at this time with the tactic that did in the past has cost me.
On the subject of being open to new things, don’t change everything.
At the risk of sounding contradictory, stick to some things you know. Boring, I know; I am always casting out a Mainline boilie, either Essential IB or Cell. Also, a bucket of maize is never far away. Rigs are simple, either snowman of stiff hinge pop-ups. Fox curve shank hooks, usually in size 4, combined with 30lb coretex hook link, means that anything I hook makes it to the net. On the big wild waters, I fish; confidence in tackle is everything. Stick to what you know.
Explore, explore and explore again.
For the risk of sounding like a housing market TV show, location is everything. I have spent equal time exploring the water to rods fishing. My castable Deeper, marker rod, waders, Inflatable boat and electric outboard, paddleboard and, most importantly, polarized sunglasses
have worked hard. And, on days, it has paid off. The smallest lake I have fished in the past six months is just under 300 acres. I have explored it all, baited numerous areas forced myself to fish spots I had no prior knowledge of.
Time is of the essence.
Many of us are time-poor. I do not have the time to wait for the fish to return to the swim I enjoy to fish; if they are not there, I need to go and find them. This is where the right time can make all the difference. By right, I mean the time the fish show themselves—nearly always dawn and dusk. In recent times my day sessions have begun early, really early. Frequently, my tired eyes have been rewarded with a show that gave a key clue in locating the fish. Put the effort in, get up early and stay out late.
Shoals and strays some recent results
I fished a large stretch of the Connecticut River, excited to be fishing the exact spot I hauled from the previous spring. I blanked. I came back the next week and repeated the same mistake. The week after, I tried again, and this time fished a new area after seeing fish moving along the margins. The result was ten fish in two trips, nine of the fish being 20lb+.
In March and April, I fished mainly day sessions on the 300-acre lake. Last year’s success was corn with Mainline Toppers at hook baits. This year I shifted to boilies only in an attempt to catch the larger residents. The difference was noticeable with numerous big fish.
One day session stands out in particular. I was fishing with Alexei, a superb angler and all-round good guy. Alexei and I both arrived earlier than expected and saw numerous fish show. Another friend, Dave, was due to join us, so we chose an area that offered good access to the three of us. The fish really did put out the welcome mat for us, with 22 fish landed before 4pm when we called it a day. Interestingly the same area produced zero fish for the following week, with somebody fishing the area every day.
In conclusion, unpredictability is one of the elements that make carp fishing so alluring—genuinely not knowing what will happen. That’s why we keep going, right? And with that in mind…
Tight lines, all.
