Crucian Carp on Milton Lake - Burys Hill 2014

10/05/14 - Crucian carp fishing is relatively new to me and I made a promise to myself that in 2014 I would try and tempt these shy bitters and get amongst some of the larger specimens. I love fishing for new species and this offered a new challenge to test my fishing skills. The first hurdle was finding a lake that contained real Crucians to specimen sizes. Marsh Farm Fishery was the obvious choice but this venue gets to crowded. Summers Pond was another option but requires a season ticket however I remembered that Milton Lake on the Burys Hill complex is packed full of real Crucians to 4lb so I decided to head of to Dorking.

True Crucian carp are quite a rare fish in the UK and only a handful of waters contain the real thing. The Milton lake Crucians are 100% true to their origins. It is important to ensure that the lake you are targeting is not filled with hybrids that could easily be mistaken for a true Crucians. Milton lake has a high density of fish Crucians mixed with tench, roach and Rudd and the stock levels made this the right choice to get of the mark and catch one of these great looking fish.

The lake itself is approximately three acres and has depths from 2 - 4ft averaging 3-4 ft. Reed beds line the margins and patches of lily pads are dotted around the lake creating great features to fish to. 30 pegs are available to fish from and they all fish well due to the high stock of fish present.

After I failed to catch a Crucian from this venue last week and ended up bagging up on tench I was more determined then ever to winkle out a bar of gold from this stunning lake. I changed my tactics from the dainty pole set up used regularly on this water to something slightly unconventional. I fished one rod with an 1oz inline lead in conjunction with a 3" blot rig set up that comprised of 3.4lb Drenham hooklink and a size 16 Kamansan whisker barbed hook. This was baited with Tutti Fruity sweetcorn fished directly onto the hook and fished out to the various features with only a scattering of bait in the general area. The other rod was fished with a light waggler fished to some marginal reeds and plumbed to precisely a quarter of an inch over depth. I used 4lb line straight through to a size 16 Kamasan whisker barbed hook.This was fished with Tutti fruity sweetcorn with a small amount of 2mm micro pellets and 6mm marine halibut pellets scattered over the top on each cast.

It didn't take long for my right rod bent around and I struck into a decent fish. I prayed that a gold Crucian would appear through the milky brown water but to my disappointment a green flank broke the surface and I proceeded to land a tench of around 3lb. The tinca bombardment continued and I landed another two tench before deciding to move swims to an area of the lake sheltered by an incoming northern wind.

It was now approaching three o'clock and I was determined to catch a Crucian so I continued to fish hard concentrating on my float that barley protruded above the waters surface weighted perfectly to ensure the delicate bites of the Crucian would not be missed. As I stared at the float it began to wiggle and then dip very gently before slowly sliding away. I struck and was met with a firm resistance and head banging that confirmed I had indeed hooked a Crucian. I anxiously played the fished and scooped her up in the net. At approximately 12oz she wasn't a monster but it was a Crucian and my mission was accomplished. Ten minutes after my capture my bolt rig rod fished tight to some marginal reeds whipped around and I connected with a better fish. I was convinced that I had hooked a tench from the sheer power of the fish and I was amazed when a Crucian carp hit the surface. I quickly grabbed the net and landed a specimen PB that spun the scales around to 2lb 4oz. To say I was happy would be an understatement and I proceeded to catch another two Crucians bringing my session total to four 2lb 4oz, 1lb 2oz, 1lb, 12oz and three tench to over 3lb.

It was a great session and I really enjoyed the fishing despite getting soaked in the morning and forgetting my lunch. I am usually prepared for such sessions but had even forgotten my scales that were in my pole box from when I visited the venue last week. Luckily a carp fisherman on Temple lake allowed me to borrow his. I hooked two ducks and had half my bait stolen by the geese not mentioning losing five hooks caused by a tricky underarm cast with a float under an overhanging tree. It was a really a strange session that ended with smiles.