Successful German angler Mario Winnikes has had a couple of eventful sessions over the last week despite the terrible weather. The forecast for the UK is looking a lot better from next weekend so hopefully things will kick off here too!
Against the Wind
The weatherman says: ‘strong, cold winds and frosty nights’ for the beginning of spring weekend. “No problem”, I think. I baited a sheltered, cosy swim with the causeway to the river in my back and a tree lined peninsular to the left. That should keep the winds out of my face. Friday afternoon I arrive at the lake and I am shocked! The stormy, icy wind blows straight into my little corner. I must have messed up the wind directions. The water temperature dropped to 4 degrees, the banks are frozen. Not what I call “carpy weather”. OK, I am here, so out go the rods.
Because I have to cast about 60 meters straight into the wind, I use a rig that won’t tangle in those conditions. A size 5 ESP Raptor Long Shanx is tied to 8 inches of ESP Two Tone 25lbs coated braid. I do NOT remove the coating, I want it stiff. The hair is fixed to an ESP Tear Drop Rig Ring which rotates ‘helicopter style’ on the shank of the hook. This minimizes the chances of the hair getting tangled. The rig ring is kept in position by an ESP Shank Stop. A short piece of ESP Rig Shrink completes the perfect rig for long casts into strong winds.
Hookbaits on both rods are what I call the “dead snowmen”. That is a combination of a 16mm Donkey Banana Boilie (sinking) and a 16mm Tigernut Cracker Weightless Hooker (wafting), both soaked with BTC Tigernut Cracker Extract (all baits are supplied by X-TREME BAIT).
The rig works and the carp like my baits. During the next 24 hours I catch seven mirrors with weights from 18lbs to 37lbs all in intense winter colours.
Next weekend I’m back at the lake. Because it is the Easter holidays I have three days of fishing ahead of me. Same bait, same rigs, same tactics but the conditions turned even worse. Ice cold winds, frosty nights AND days. I changed the swim for a more sheltered one this time. At least the wind blows from the back. But unfortunately I had to leave on the second day. I caught a serious cold and didn’t want to risk my health.
But before leaving I caught some fish despite those more than un-carpy weather. I had a 33lb common and four mirrors from 16lbs to 22lbs. On of them was a real beauty with huge fins.
… weil’s fängt, Mario Winnikes.