Childhood Dreams Long Overdue

Where do I begin?

It was back in the mid-90s as a teenager when my interest in carp fishing first began. At the time I was regularly competing on the match fishing circuit but wanted something different out of my fishing. This is when my interest in carp began to grow, I had dabbled in targeting the odd carp with floating crust and luncheon meat but being a teen unfortunately I had inadequate tackle for the job. It was several years spent collecting birthday and pocket money before I really took the leap. I was regularly reading the weekly fishing magazines and papers just to try and learn what I could about the carp scene. It was so different back then, especially as I did not know anyone who fished for carp, you couldn’t go online and find hints and tips from more experienced anglers. Self-learning was my only way forward, this is when I started to read about Horseshoe lakes and the tales of huge scaly carp in the depths of this unbelievable water. I had never seen a gravel pit or a water of this size at the time, it was simply mind blowing. This began to get the fires burning and the excitement began to grow. I soon joined my first carp syndicate, only fishing for single and double figure fish but this was a massive learning curve nonetheless. I relied on my dad for transport so was limited in my fishing. I spent many happy years on this water, but Horseshoe was always on my mind.

As is often the case, once my early twenties arrived, time was better spent chasing girls, other waters and life took over. It wasn’t until many years later when my wife and I decided to make the move to the Midlands that I began to think about the possibility of fishing Horseshoe lakes again. Horseshoe is only an hour away from our new home making it a perfect second water. At the time I was fishing a syndicate in Cambridgeshire but with a more than two hour drive I was looking for a local water, Horseshoe seemed the perfect choice and one I was very excited about.  In the summer of 2022, I finally purchased a season ticket, but it was not until August that year that I planned my first trip. We had been experiencing some unbelievably hot weather and high pressure, wind and rain was virtually non-existent. As a result, the heatwave had totally shut down my syndicate water. It was the perfect time for my first trip to Horseshoe, having a much higher stocking density the chances of catching a fish increased, I soon had the car packed and was on my way. Getting closer the excitement grew and all those childhood memories came flooding back. I couldn’t believe after all this time I was finally going to set foot on this historic water.

 Arriving at the gate, I drove through and parked the car, just sitting there for a few minutes and taking it all in. Finally, I got out, took a deep breath, and set off on my first lap of the lake, taking in the beautiful surroundings and thinking about all the past anglers footsteps I was following in. It was all a bit surreal and before I knew it, I was back at the car. Watercraft had gone out the window on that first lap so off I set again, this time with my fishing head on. The lake was empty with the conditions as they were, but I knew it was not going to be an easy task. It soon became clear that most of the stock were sat in the large weed beds of summer bay, the water level being right down due to the lack of rain and extreme sunshine. Fishing to these thick weed beds in shallow water would be very challenging, so I decided on a swim just at the entrance of summer bay giving me the chance to set a trap. I expected the fish to leave these heavily weeded areas at night and I could intercept the carp on there way in and out of summer bay. Well, that was the plan, time to get the gear set up.

I set my bivvy up as tight to a tree as I could, hoping to shade me as much as possible from the mid-day sun and then set about trying to find a fishable spot out in the lake. This took what felt like an age with the sun beating down, water low and weed in abundance, but eventually I found a spot I felt happy I could present on. The rods went out with half a bucket of spod mix and I was finally fishing, totally exhausted, but fishing. I slumped down on my chair in the shade of the trees with sweat running down my face but smiled, content at just being there. I relaxed as day turned to night in the blink of an eye, sat there staring at the stars, bats hunting over the water and an owl in the distance and reflected on where I was. I couldn’t quite believe I was spending my first night on the water I had spent my childhood dreaming about. It was soon time for bed and who knows maybe a carp would come along.

 I woke just before first light and sat watching the steam rise from the water in the cold morning air as the dawn chorus began but unfortunately no carp to be seen. Just being here was enough. The morning was very short lived as the sun was quickly beaming through the trees and rising. It was going to be a long day, by mid-morning I was starting to question my sanity as the heat was intense. Suddenly, I heard two beeps on my left-hand rod. Quickly, picking up the rod, I knew instantly it was a tench ...still though, my first Horseshoe fish! My first bite and a fish this lake is so famous for!  I do enjoy the odd tench; it’s become a bit of a forgotten species in recent years. It was soon in the net and quickly returned. That was the first of a flurry of tench right through until late afternoon. Well, if nothing else, at least I knew the spot was working and hopefully it was only a matter of time before the carp turned up. As we all know, the carp in Horseshoe are famous for putting on a display but I had not seen a single show since I’d arrived. However, that evening I saw a carp show just at the back of my spot. I went to bed full of confidence.

Unfortunately, the next two days were a copy of the first with the tench having a field day on my bait, but the carp were not to be seen, not really moving far from the sanctuary of the weed beds in summer bay. If I was right and they were moving after dark, they were not stopping, just going straight past and into the deeper water of winter bay. The conditions were far from ideal and the carp clearly not in a feeding mood, I was hoping for a chance, wishing even. With only one night left to go I started to question if I should bother to move or just pack up and go home. Every alternate scenario going around in my head; rigs, bait, location? What could I change? Would it work? I know from experience if you are confident in something stick with it, it was just a matter of sticking to what I was doing. I’m sure that confidence has a bigger part to pay in your fishing results than people give it credit for. Surely the carp had to turn up, and if they didn’t, being here was enough! The splendour of the glistening crystal clear water in the sunlight and watching nature while time passes us by. We seldom have time anymore, with the hustle and bustle of modern-day life to sit, watch and wonder. Fishing as a pastime, especially carp fishing, allows us to do this and it is what I love about it. The decision was made to keep working the swim, refreshing the hookbaits, then going through the task of spombing out a bucket full of spod mix. This was no easy task in the mid-day sun but soon the final evening was upon me. Once that was done, I sat pondering, thinking about the carp that inhabited the lake. There were three that really caught my attention, three big old Wiley mirrors that I would love in my album.

Like most lakes Horseshoe has had its ups and downs over the years and most of the original fish have now sadly gone. Luckily, with The Carp Society running this lake and with their stocking program they have managed to keep this fishery going for generations. A lot of the iconic UK waters are either in decline or have sadly gone, it’s brilliant to see Horseshoe is back as one of our top waters and I was glad to be sat on the banks of this fascinating water as I turned in for the night. I was still hopeful as I drifted off to sleep, the night passed and just as the dawn chorus began, I was woken by the sound of a big carp crashing out. I rubbed my eyes trying to focus, sitting bolt upright, shoes on and out in that early morning light when another crash followed, and then another. They were on me, putting on a show, carp porpoising and crashing all over me. Great! Suddenly, my right-hand rod melted off, I lifted into it, this time it felt different, this wasn’t a tench, I was attached to a very angry carp! The battle seemed to go on forever and I was praying it did not come off. Eventually I managed to slip the net under a torpedo of a common, yes, my first Horseshoe carp! Almost 30 years after first dreaming about catching a fish from this magical place it finally happened. I was absolutely lost for words, but I had no time to reflect as no sooner had this fish gone in the net, my other rod was away. This time a tench was the culprit, but the carp were still showing all over me. It was hectic with the tench and carp competing. Eventually I got another one toner, picking the rod up I knew I was into something a lot bigger. Slow, and powerful plodding, taking line at will, the fight in the shallow water was unbelievable from weed bed to weed bed. My arm was burning under the pressure, I prayed it would go in the net and eventually ... with a big ball of weed over its head I managed to bundle the fish into the landing net. As I peered into the net, digging my way through the weed there lay a very big mirror carp, a fish known as the party fish, and one of my three main targets. What a moment, the feeling, and a memory I will never forget. I could not believe it, after returning this incredible creature I sat in a daze still struggling to keep the rods in the water. Several tench and another angry male mirror carp later, the carp stopped showing and I was able to catch my breath. By now the sun was starting to get higher in the sky, I decided to end that first session before the heat was too unbearable.

What a start to my Horseshoe adventure. Keeping positive and putting in the effort even when everything was against me really did pay off.  There is always a chance if you are willing to go the extra mile, dreams can become reality! After that initial session I went on to fish Horseshoe three more times that summer, landing over 30 carp altogether including fish over 30lbs on every session but, it was time to head back to the syndicate for the autumn. Hopefully it won’t be too long until I return for some more adventures on this amazing water and maybe even meet another of my childhood dreams… if not a little overdue.