Nytt PB Karp - The Carp i never wanted!
Night session at Härlanda Tjärn 28th – 29th June 2004
“The Carp I never wanted”
************************************************** ***************************
I decided to go and fish Härlanda Tjärn after work on Monday 28th June 2004.
I had a major problem though. My digital camera was at my girlfriend’s house and she was away, so there was no chance of me getting it. Should I go carp fishing without my camera???????? That was a chance I would have to take and I was not happy about it! Not once have been carping without my camera, could this be the kiss of death???????
When I got home there were big dirty horrible black clouds looming above in the skies.
I knew it was going to chuck it down, but the question was,……..when??
I took the kids home and thought to myself, sod it, im going carp fishing!
So I packed the car with as least as possible, knowing only too well how far I would have to haul all my kit when I got there.
At 18.15hrs I set off on the 8km drive to Härlanda continuously looking up through the windscreen at the clouds.
I knew for a fact that they were waiting for me to get my gear out of the car and then they were going to let me have it!!!!!
Right on cue! As I pulled up in the car park 15 minutes later the heavens opened and down it came.
So I sat there in the car and thought to myself, will it stop long enough for me to get to my swim and get my Nash Profile up? Or will I just grin and bear it and get wet?
Well, the clouds told me NO, but the carp told me YES!
The decision was made, it was time to get wet! …….again!
People were running to their cars, dragging crying children and even the jogging brigade that frequent the lake were in full sprint to avoid the torrential downpour.
I pulled the collar of my jacket up and leisurely took my gear out of the car and locked it.
People looked at me as if to say, “are you mad going fishing in this weather”?
But I wasn’t the one clinging to the trunk of a big oak tree in an orange pac-a-mac looking distinctly like a trainspotter trying to avoid getting wet, and looking very sorry for themselves!
I loaded myself up with gear and off I went, blowing the rain off my nose as it trickled down my face.
The rain started to seep through my jacket and I still had 200meters to go.
When I got there I took my kit off, but as I bent over to get my rod holdall from around my neck the weight of my rucksack (40kg) sent me into a forward roll and I went face first in to a huge puddle! I got up as fast as I could hoping that none of them physcodelic trainspotters were watching me make a right fool out of myself.
Luckily enough they had all gone home, but now I was completely soaked through to the skin!
Blood started to drip from my face mixed with rain and I realised I had cut my face open when I swallow dived into the shit puddle. Feffing Marvellous! Could this get any better?
The rain lay off for a while, while I got my gear set up, which didn’t really matter as I already looked like I had just come from the battle of the Somme!
I fished the swim between the 2 jetties on the left hand side of the lake as a friend (Fredrik Palm) has had some excellent results there over the last couple of months.
I loaded 3 rods up with Energy baits 20mm pop ups, 2 “Magic Fruit” & 1 “Scopex & Liver” and cast them about 30 meters in to the margins to the right of my swim.
I walked down the bank and threw about 500g of trout pellets in to the swim and a handful of loose boilies.
The wind was now blowing a gale and the rain was coming down again. Funnily enough I had the whole lake to myself apart from the ducks, coots and seagulls that were begging for some food off me.
I obliged, and gave them some boilies………………… from a well-aimed catapult. That was the last I saw of them J
Cold, wet, battle scared and very worried due to having no camera, I crawled into my British Army Artic sleeping bag to get away from the nasty weather.
I fell asleep listening to the rain bouncing off my Nash Brolly but was awoken about 30 minutes later by a female voice shouting.
I popped my head out of my sleeping bag to find a big golden Labrador dog with its head in my packet of meatballs munching on them like there was no tomorrow!
I flung open my crash zip and gave “Fido” a big right hook straight in the kidneys.
This was followed by “Now F*** Off” and the dog went squeeling back to its owner. And not very happy I hasten to add!!
I was waiting for the woman to come and say something to me, but she just scuttled off. Maybe next time she will take more control over her pet pooch!
I pulled the zip back up and went back to sleep, minus half a kilo of meatballs.
The Delkims remained silent all night, which I had secretly prayed for due to not having my camera with me.
I woke up about 4.15hrs and stared out at the rain splattered lake knowing damn well I had to pack up very shortly and I was going to get wet again.
I lay back and decided I would get up at 5.30hrs, so I nodded back off for an hour.
I was expecting to be awoken by the alarm on my mobile phone, which I had set for 05.30hrs.
But instead I was woken by the sound of a few beeps of a Delkim Txi. I immediately looked into the swim for ducks but there were none to be seen. Then the right hand alarm started screaming and the baitrunner spool was loosing line at a rapid rate of knots!! The Fox Euro Swinger was bouncing up and down and I was trying to get my feet into my shoes. I got to the rod and disengaged the baitrunner as I lifted the rod and bent into the fish. It began to take more line from the spool and I adjusted the clutch. I looked at my watch and it was 5am on the dot. I then lowered the other 2 rod tips into the water and got back to the battle. She was still taking line and heading out into the depths. I slammed the anchors on and gained a few yards.
The only thing that was going through my mind was that I hoped it wasn’t a big one because I wouldn’t be able to take any pictures.
But the way she was going, I just knew that it was the 10kg plus fish that I have been searching for, for so long. This was the first time I hoped I was wrong!
She came to the surface about 20 meters out and with a splash of the tail down she went again. It was a big tail and again I hoped for a small one.
About 3 minutes later I got the first sight of the carp and my heart stopped! I knew then, that this was the carp that I never wanted!!!
I guided her into the landing net, but could only think about not having any photos of my NEW Personal Best………… and I knew it was!
I took her to the unhooking mat and I was now becoming mad as hell, she weighed a tonne!!
The scales went round to 12200g (26lbs 8oz)and I just knelt there looking at my new PB, knowing that I will never be able to look at the photos!
I picked her up and took her back to the waters edge, all the time I hoped someone would come past with a camera. But at 5.15am on a Tuesday morning the chances of that were slim to nil!
I took one last look at her and bid her a fond farewell. She flicked her tail and she was gone.
I sat back on my bedchair with my head in my hands and thought how this was my most unhappiest fishing experience of my life, Even though I had smashed my PB by 3.2kg, I had no Photo’s!!!!!
Nothing in the world mattered to me at that time and I packed up my gear in the pissing down rain and went to work.
************************************************** ***********************************************
I kept saying to myself before I went, “SHOULD I GO WITHOUT THE CAMERA?”
I took the chance and the inevitable happened. Now I am paying the price.
I will return straight after work tonight, but this time I WILL HAVE MY CAMERA.
NEVER AGAIN WILL I GO CARPING WITHOUT IT, IF I HAVE NO CAMERA, I DON’T GO!
The Carp was taken on a homemade Leadcore helicopter silt rig with a 20mm Energy baits Magic Fruit pop up, 25lbs Kryston Snakebite Gold hooklength and anti-eject rig.
************************************************** *******************************
CHRIS THORNHILL – TEAM CARPOHOLICS
For some foto’s of “when” I did take my camera, visit
WHATEVER IT TAKES!!!!
“The Carp I never wanted”
************************************************** ***************************
I decided to go and fish Härlanda Tjärn after work on Monday 28th June 2004.
I had a major problem though. My digital camera was at my girlfriend’s house and she was away, so there was no chance of me getting it. Should I go carp fishing without my camera???????? That was a chance I would have to take and I was not happy about it! Not once have been carping without my camera, could this be the kiss of death???????
When I got home there were big dirty horrible black clouds looming above in the skies.
I knew it was going to chuck it down, but the question was,……..when??
I took the kids home and thought to myself, sod it, im going carp fishing!
So I packed the car with as least as possible, knowing only too well how far I would have to haul all my kit when I got there.
At 18.15hrs I set off on the 8km drive to Härlanda continuously looking up through the windscreen at the clouds.
I knew for a fact that they were waiting for me to get my gear out of the car and then they were going to let me have it!!!!!
Right on cue! As I pulled up in the car park 15 minutes later the heavens opened and down it came.
So I sat there in the car and thought to myself, will it stop long enough for me to get to my swim and get my Nash Profile up? Or will I just grin and bear it and get wet?
Well, the clouds told me NO, but the carp told me YES!
The decision was made, it was time to get wet! …….again!
People were running to their cars, dragging crying children and even the jogging brigade that frequent the lake were in full sprint to avoid the torrential downpour.
I pulled the collar of my jacket up and leisurely took my gear out of the car and locked it.
People looked at me as if to say, “are you mad going fishing in this weather”?
But I wasn’t the one clinging to the trunk of a big oak tree in an orange pac-a-mac looking distinctly like a trainspotter trying to avoid getting wet, and looking very sorry for themselves!
I loaded myself up with gear and off I went, blowing the rain off my nose as it trickled down my face.
The rain started to seep through my jacket and I still had 200meters to go.
When I got there I took my kit off, but as I bent over to get my rod holdall from around my neck the weight of my rucksack (40kg) sent me into a forward roll and I went face first in to a huge puddle! I got up as fast as I could hoping that none of them physcodelic trainspotters were watching me make a right fool out of myself.
Luckily enough they had all gone home, but now I was completely soaked through to the skin!
Blood started to drip from my face mixed with rain and I realised I had cut my face open when I swallow dived into the shit puddle. Feffing Marvellous! Could this get any better?
The rain lay off for a while, while I got my gear set up, which didn’t really matter as I already looked like I had just come from the battle of the Somme!
I fished the swim between the 2 jetties on the left hand side of the lake as a friend (Fredrik Palm) has had some excellent results there over the last couple of months.
I loaded 3 rods up with Energy baits 20mm pop ups, 2 “Magic Fruit” & 1 “Scopex & Liver” and cast them about 30 meters in to the margins to the right of my swim.
I walked down the bank and threw about 500g of trout pellets in to the swim and a handful of loose boilies.
The wind was now blowing a gale and the rain was coming down again. Funnily enough I had the whole lake to myself apart from the ducks, coots and seagulls that were begging for some food off me.
I obliged, and gave them some boilies………………… from a well-aimed catapult. That was the last I saw of them J
Cold, wet, battle scared and very worried due to having no camera, I crawled into my British Army Artic sleeping bag to get away from the nasty weather.
I fell asleep listening to the rain bouncing off my Nash Brolly but was awoken about 30 minutes later by a female voice shouting.
I popped my head out of my sleeping bag to find a big golden Labrador dog with its head in my packet of meatballs munching on them like there was no tomorrow!
I flung open my crash zip and gave “Fido” a big right hook straight in the kidneys.
This was followed by “Now F*** Off” and the dog went squeeling back to its owner. And not very happy I hasten to add!!
I was waiting for the woman to come and say something to me, but she just scuttled off. Maybe next time she will take more control over her pet pooch!
I pulled the zip back up and went back to sleep, minus half a kilo of meatballs.
The Delkims remained silent all night, which I had secretly prayed for due to not having my camera with me.
I woke up about 4.15hrs and stared out at the rain splattered lake knowing damn well I had to pack up very shortly and I was going to get wet again.
I lay back and decided I would get up at 5.30hrs, so I nodded back off for an hour.
I was expecting to be awoken by the alarm on my mobile phone, which I had set for 05.30hrs.
But instead I was woken by the sound of a few beeps of a Delkim Txi. I immediately looked into the swim for ducks but there were none to be seen. Then the right hand alarm started screaming and the baitrunner spool was loosing line at a rapid rate of knots!! The Fox Euro Swinger was bouncing up and down and I was trying to get my feet into my shoes. I got to the rod and disengaged the baitrunner as I lifted the rod and bent into the fish. It began to take more line from the spool and I adjusted the clutch. I looked at my watch and it was 5am on the dot. I then lowered the other 2 rod tips into the water and got back to the battle. She was still taking line and heading out into the depths. I slammed the anchors on and gained a few yards.
The only thing that was going through my mind was that I hoped it wasn’t a big one because I wouldn’t be able to take any pictures.
But the way she was going, I just knew that it was the 10kg plus fish that I have been searching for, for so long. This was the first time I hoped I was wrong!
She came to the surface about 20 meters out and with a splash of the tail down she went again. It was a big tail and again I hoped for a small one.
About 3 minutes later I got the first sight of the carp and my heart stopped! I knew then, that this was the carp that I never wanted!!!
I guided her into the landing net, but could only think about not having any photos of my NEW Personal Best………… and I knew it was!
I took her to the unhooking mat and I was now becoming mad as hell, she weighed a tonne!!
The scales went round to 12200g (26lbs 8oz)and I just knelt there looking at my new PB, knowing that I will never be able to look at the photos!
I picked her up and took her back to the waters edge, all the time I hoped someone would come past with a camera. But at 5.15am on a Tuesday morning the chances of that were slim to nil!
I took one last look at her and bid her a fond farewell. She flicked her tail and she was gone.
I sat back on my bedchair with my head in my hands and thought how this was my most unhappiest fishing experience of my life, Even though I had smashed my PB by 3.2kg, I had no Photo’s!!!!!
Nothing in the world mattered to me at that time and I packed up my gear in the pissing down rain and went to work.
************************************************** ***********************************************
I kept saying to myself before I went, “SHOULD I GO WITHOUT THE CAMERA?”
I took the chance and the inevitable happened. Now I am paying the price.
I will return straight after work tonight, but this time I WILL HAVE MY CAMERA.
NEVER AGAIN WILL I GO CARPING WITHOUT IT, IF I HAVE NO CAMERA, I DON’T GO!
The Carp was taken on a homemade Leadcore helicopter silt rig with a 20mm Energy baits Magic Fruit pop up, 25lbs Kryston Snakebite Gold hooklength and anti-eject rig.
************************************************** *******************************
CHRIS THORNHILL – TEAM CARPOHOLICS
For some foto’s of “when” I did take my camera, visit
WHATEVER IT TAKES!!!!
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