The Search

Dan Leney: A man fuelled by an insatiable drive to enjoy, catch and seek out carp in and around his home nestled in the Colne Valley. Always the optimist, even a brief chat on the phone with the Tackle Fanatics employee can seemingly get you buzzing to get bankside. I met up with Dan on the Island Lake, and after a quick call to say I had arrived, Dan was soon on his way over in the trusty, ever reliable Bic boat he had been using and abusing for the seasons previous. I wanted to gain a greater understanding of Dan’s optimistic approach and what has led to him settling on such a daunting and impressive piece of water, so after a quick brew, we got chatting…

The carp dog

Dan, take us back a few years: Where did the real buzz begin in the Colne Valley?
“It all started on a little lake called Cargils at the back of Wraysbury 2, a venue ran by Blenheim Angling club. This was going back a few years now, but I really enjoyed the fishing there; it was full of commons and in the middle of nowhere. Funnily enough, to get to the lake, you had to pass Colnemere, so every time I fished the venue I had a quick look at the lake and on some occasions spoke to the anglers on there. That was one of the really interesting aspects of fishing that lake, as you were passing a well-known ‘guesting’ water, seeing some incredible sights before venturing on to the lake. At the time I was waiting for a ticket to come up on Fox Pool, so the club lake I was fishing then was a sort of stop-off I suppose before receiving that.”

Did that come along?
“Eventually it did and it was a ticket I had wanted for sometime. Growing up and reading Rob Maylin’s books over the years, I just had to experience it for myself. At the time, it was like walking out at Wembley; having read so much about the venue in the past, actually being there was something else and it was a crazy feeling, hard to describe. I caught a few fish, but with a reasonably low stock of carp, it wasn’t the easiest of tasks; in fact, just being there was a buzz in itself. At the time, a friend of mine had kept hammering on about fishing Wraysbury 1 and half way through the season on Fox Pool, the opportunity arose to fish the venue. I was in two minds at the time, with such a daunting prospect and no experience of using a boat, I wasn’t one hundred per cent sure of the idea.”

I suppose with such a low stock of incredible carp, it was different to anything you had experienced before; did you take up the challenge?
“Well, I carried on fishing Fox Pool until around December-time; I didn’t want to venture over to Wraysbury when a lot of the other keen anglers were fishing hard there. Back then, Wraysbury certainly wasn’t your typical venue where you could just turn up and catch, so my theory was to start investigating the venue in the winter when it was quiet and more with the hope of learning the venue, the different areas, bays, swims etc. from the boat at a time when the venue was quiet. I had previously never used a boat, so in itself that was a new experience and something I was keen to learn.”

How did your angling on Wraysbury pan out?
“To say it was a grind would be a huge understatement! I fished every week from January until May 19 when I had my first bite. I was fishing a swim called ‘The Turfs’, when one morning I saw a big fish crash out beyond the right-hand rod. After a quick move into another swim known as ‘The Diving Board’ to get closer to where it had showed, another one popped its head out in the area. ‘Game on!’ I was thinking, two ‘shows’ in a matter of half-an-hour. I got two rods out sharpish, both on long running Chods to the areas they showed in. After that, I didn’t see another fish in the area, but went to bed pretty hopeful that night. At first light, the rod just ripped off and after a hairy boat battle, my first Wraysbury carp was in the net!”

What an incredible feeling!
“Without a doubt, I had been dreaming of that moment for a long time. With a swim full of people now waiting to see what I had caught, the buzz well and truly hit home. I hoisted my first fish up onto a sea of waiting mats, to unveil an incredible looking mid-thirty mirror. But it didn’t end there: After everyone had left, my other rod was away. It was just crazy. The fish turned out to be one called Rosie, a real old one of the Leney generation and one of an incredible brace I will simply never forget.”

It is a completely different story at Wraysbury now compared to those times; what did you do after they sold out to RK?
“They sold the venue to RK Leisure during the second season I was fishing there. Even at the best of times Wraysbury could kick you in the teeth, so with plans underway to restock and re-landscape the venue, I just thought it was time to move on.”

Did you stick around the Colne Valley area over the coming months?
“Yes, I had heard about the Island Lake after chatting to a good friend. It transpired it was very similar to Wraysbury, but with a bigger head of incredible looking commons and mirrors lurking in its rich depths. Having caught some truly stunning mirrors over the previous few months from Wraysbury, my head had turned and I was now eager to catch a big common.”

Did you do much research before fishing the new venue?
“Like always, I think it is worth doing a small amount of background research into water before you set foot there. Nothing actually beats being there and seeing it for yourself, which is one of the reasons I joined the venue, and to use the boat and further my watercraft skills. The stock in the Island Lake is so diverse, so it’s one of those places where you can get your own thing going if all the other areas of the watercraft puzzle add up.”

You’ve been fishing this lake for a number of years now, can you briefly describe the lake?
“It is deceptive to be honest, I think the total area of water covers around 65-acres, but throw into the equation that there are a number of sizeable islands, each individual area of the lake feels manageable so to speak. This lake has all the typical obstacles that you have to overcome: Huge rafts of weed in the summer and big strong winds in the autumn, but I guess that’s what draws me back time and time again. There are three main islands that run down the central area of the lake, splitting it up almost, which only adds to the challenge of trying to find the fish and also finding new areas to target. Additionally, there are a serious number of snags that line this old pit, along with a whole host of natural food and areas where the fish can sit away from any angling pressure.”

The big pit has some truly incredible gems to be had

What is it about the Island that lights your fire?
“Originally, I came on here to catch a 40lb common, and this I achieved fairly quickly after consistently baiting an area for a few weeks. One of the main things that keeps me coming back is the number of fish that go uncaught for long periods of time; they are very elusive and having seen some of the fish from the boat, they could be at incredible weights. Add to that the challenge and the expanse of water you have to go at, you can fish it your own way and get your own spots going. It feels rewarding when you do catch them, as if you have done all the hard work.”

Initially, how did you approach the venue?
“Initially, I took what I had learnt from my time fishing Wraysbury and applied it here. I was looking for areas of the lakebed that were semi-clean if you get me; not the typical clean areas that the fish had fed on in the past, but areas that looked good for the future. Typically, small silt patches or areas that looked like they had a good amount of natural food that could be fed with bait over a period of time, such as silt troughs and areas of low-lying weed. I would often find areas with large numbers of snails and more often than not, these seemed to be the areas that were most productive.”

The waters around this area have seen a lot of media attention in recent years; how does the Island differ to K1 or Church?
“In general, the fishing and the fish over here just seem wilder. The lakes for a start receive much less angling pressure, probably because you have to use the boat to cart your gear to and from the swims. I guess that extra bit of effort puts a lot of anglers off, so it makes the venue feel much less pressured that the other venues close by. The stamp of fish are something else too; with so many different strains and lookers, it keeps the fishing interesting.”

Doing the miles

Rod placement is important and takes some practice with the boat

You have use of the boat, how does this benefit your angling?
“The boat just adds a whole new dimension to your fishing, as it provides you the opportunity of visual feedback that you would simply not see from the bank unless you were fishing marginal spots that you could watch. Being able to physically see your open water spots, with very little disturbance is a huge edge when it comes to baiting and building up an area to fish. Not only that, the boat is vital on a big pit with so many areas of dense weed and snags. Landing them from the bank here would be a task in itself with so much weed, so I guess that is another area it plays a significant role.”

What type of spots are you looking for and do these change throughout the year?
“Spots among the weed are always a starting point for me. Naturally carp love weedbeds; they often sit in them during the day and move out at night. On a big pit, large weedbeds provide sanctuary from strong winds and they contain a whole host of natural food items. If I can find flattened areas - not necessarily clean areas - among the weedbeds, with channels going between, then I would put my money on these spots being successful.”

Do you focus your efforts on one are of the lake in particular?
“I like to have a few of these areas going at any one time, at varying depths, which means that if conditions do change, you have an area primed and ready to go at the drop of a hat. Spots will also change over time, even if fish are feeding confidently on a spot for a number of weeks, these may dry up quickly after a bit of angling pressure. Often what looks like a presentable, obvious spot would have been an old feeding area, somewhere that may be too late to start building on as the fish have already fed and moved on.”

What are the tell-tale signs of a frequented spot?
“Fresh weed that has been moved aside or ripped up in an area. This is where the fish have dug up the bottom and uprooted the weed. Often, these strands will be spread across the lake bottom and that is a clear sign fish have fed in the area. Also, crushed shards of snail; these bits are often white and from a boat look like hemp kernels.”

I have noticed you use an Aquascope. Do you use this year round or does the lake suffer any algae problems in the summer months?
“Early spring and autumn, the scope plays a big part in my approach. As summer arrives, the water clarity does change and this means, at times, the scope is unusable. This is where scouting out spots early in the year pays off, as when it comes to the time when visibility is poor, pinpointing spots is near on impossible from the boat. I use the 3D down image scanner to relocate the spots when using the scope is out of the question.”

Do you also use the help of the boat for placing rigs?
“Yes, as it allows me to see exactly where I am placing the rig on the spot, which I feel is something that is important for getting those bites from wary fish in areas that have seen a bit of pressure. Often, right on the edge of the spot will bring quick bites. I have witnessed, especially on the larger areas, how quickly bait items will be eaten right on the edge of a spot compared to the cleanest areas. If I can, I will lower my rigs right into the seam of the spot, where the silt will meet the cleaner, polished parts.”

So you’re telling my that accuracy isn’t always key, on a spot?
“That’s right, I am sure you will pick up more fish off the side of a spot in comparison to right plumb in the centre where the fish have been used to encountering rigs. It may be a different factor on higher stocked venues, but when the fish have very little competition and move slowly, investigating the area, I think being bang-on accurate can go against you.”

The traps are set

Is the type of rig important then when lowering it in?
“Without a doubt and the way you lay it down from the boat is equally as important too. When casting, you are relying on hitting the clip to straighten the link, but that doesn’t happen when lowering a bait in, so you have to make sure your bait and rig material work to kick it out away from the lead. I use a slow-sinking balanced bait, ensuring I lay the rig down with the line exiting the spot discreetly. The last thing you want is the rig on the far side of the spot, with your main line trailing across the area, this would ring serious alarm bells to wary fish moving on to it.”

How do you plan your year on a water like this; do you look to put more effort in at certain times?
“Like most big venues, certain times of year are more suited to tripping up the big fish and getting good results over spots. Spring can often be like a switch to these carp and it can go from feeling like winter and not getting bites one week, to the whole pit doing a handful of bites in quick succession. As long as you have the areas sussed out early, you are in the running when it kicks into action. The same can be said for the autumn when the big low pressures move in; this is also a time when a big feed up can be on the cards.”

Are you a ‘moon believer’?
“Of course! It is clear that the moon has a big effect on results, especially around the full or supermoon; there is seemingly just a tense feeling in the air around these times. The moon has a great effect on the sea, so there is no doubt something sort of mystical goes on below the surface at these times of the year.”

Many anglers deem these types of lake not worthy in the winter. What are your thoughts?
“I would agree with them; big pits just are not the type of venues that throw up fish during the winter. They are hard enough at times when the fish are active and will often do no bites from late autumn through to the following spring.”

An Island reward

Are you up against the ‘naturals’ in this lake?
“Yes and no I guess. There is a serious amount of natural food in this lake, but that can often help you in many ways. If you can find the natural larders where the shrimps and mussels occur, then you are already one step closer to finding a natural feeding zone. Low-lying weed is an absolute winner for this and many anglers are often scared by it, but many presentations are suitable for weed fishing and with consistent baiting, these spots soon become much clearer.”

Do you try to mimic the naturals with your loose feed?
“In a sense, yes. The hemp I use is naturally crunchy and milky, and alongside other small particles they create a banquet of attraction on the lakebed, that the fish spend time hoovering up. I guess the small seeds are very much like snails and shrimps, so the feeding situation it provokes is similar to that if they were grazing on natural items. The boilies I use for all of my ‘campaign’ type fishing, CC Moore Odyssey XXX, are by far the most natural and subtle baits I have ever used. They contain unprecedented levels of GLM powder and the carp just go wild for these which I break up and introduce in fragments.”

Is there a good atmosphere around this area of the Colne Valley?
“Yeah, the CV has been known for its real buzz for decades and it’s no different over here on the Island. The atmosphere is great and with it being fairly tricky water, there is always a buzz when an angler catches one of the real gems. The first island is noted for being a gathering place and in the summer months, there is often a barbecue on the go and the lads enjoy a beer before heading off to their swims for the night.”

Sunset over the Island

How much do you take into consideration big weather changes?
“I follow the weather week in and week out like most anglers. If you have only a number of nights to fish each month, you want to be out on the bank at the best of times. That sudden pressure drop and those big winds coming in can be all it takes to stir up a feeding spell.”

What has been your highlight from the Island Lake so far?
“It would have to be what I set out for on here, the big common: Leeches. I sussed out an area for a period of time, a spot in a bay in fairly deep water. I kept the bait going in and despite it all being eaten, I noticed this particular fish had a real liking for the maize over the boilie. I was using the GoPro to monitor the feeding activity, lowering it down and having it in place on a H-block marker float. After baiting and watching for about a week, I finally plucked up the courage to lower a rod in, with the maize on the end. Not long after putting the rod out in the morning it was away and after a crazy fight, through weedbed after weedbed, I finally had the fish in the net. A truly memorable capture and one that I felt was earned through close observation on a spot.”

Do you think it has a few special surprises to throw up in the future?
“Yeah for sure, there are so many good fish coming through in the lake, there is always a surprise to be had. There are two very acute and rare fish: The Zanussi and The Space Hopper that hardly see the bank; so it would be one of those I would dearly love in the next few months.”

The search continues…