Can Anyone Say Mirror Carp...?

After seeing fish show at around 30 metres out I decided to place two of my three rods at 3 metres depth. Both rods were fed with a couple of handfuls of 15mm and 18mm Dynamite Baits the Source boilies using the throwing stick. The third rod fished at long range in 1.5 metres of water in front of a large willow tree using 2 Dynamite Baits 15mm Fluro Pineapple pop-ups fished over a mix of 15mm and 18mm Source boilies.

After 12 hours the right rod at 30 metres out screamed off and after a short fight this grey 15lb 13oz Mirror graced the net.

On Saturday late afternoon a typical Johannesburg thunder storm was rolling in and the clouds were growing darker and darker. My girlfriend and I had just finished putting all the essentials under the brolly when the rod fished at long range had a few bleeps before the rod tip bent over.

I hit it and immediately the fish took line and a few seconds later it felt as if I had I lost it. I was winding the slack in desperately when suddenly the rod tip bent over again I felt a few nods and then my Daiwas started giving off line rapidly.

Certain the fish was now on the fight began. All seemed well when the heavens opened and the rain began to come down like a torrential storm. Standing waist deep in the water I then realised the fish was snagged on a broken piece of line. After struggling in the storm for a good 25 minutes with the fish in really close under the rod tip it was touch and go to get this one in the net.

Just then my mate arrived back from the shops and we netted one of the most beautiful carp I have ever seen. 22lb 4oz of pure ecstasy.

Good Things Come To Those Who Bait...

After pre-feeding my swim everyday for a week at a local municipal water – Emmarentia Dam my mate Ryan and I arrived on Saturday morning at 3.00am with worried expressions.














We casted in a our single hookbaits on each rod to around 40 metres out and baited up over each rod with 10 boilies using the throwing stick.

Fishing was slow as expected as a cold front had pulled in the day before but Ryan and I pushed forward with Ryan losing a good common on a buoy after a decent fight mid morning.

Shortly afterward I managed a 16lb 6oz Common on a Pineapple Fluro pop up tipped off with a white artificial sweetcorn.

At 16.30 I had another screaming take so typical of Emmarentia carp on a Monster Tigernut pop up tipped off with a yellow artificial sweetcorn... after going on no less than 4 long hard runs the fish seemed done and ready for the net.

Once on the unhooking mat and the fish taken out of the net a truly special fish was revealed... What must have been one of the old Granddads of the lake, this fish seemed blind in the left eye which was completely whitened over. The tips of the fins white with old age.

22lb 9oz and my first 20 from the water... All in all between the two of us we managed 4 takes and 3 fish. A good result after the weather took a turn for the worst and although the bigger fish weren't around we know they are there and its just a matter of time until they grace the folds of our nets....

A Double Up Resulting in My Target Fish and Another Cracker...

I got to the water late yesterday after work and immediately there were signs of the carp and catfish spawning. I put the rods out on the chosen spots both hookbaits being the cell pop-ups. Using my throwing stick I baited up each rod with a handful of boilies.

Morning arrived in a flash with me having no takes and Ryan managing the only fish of the evening which was a 16lb 6oz common on Dynamite Monster Tigernut boilie.

6AM and a bait change for myself with each rod being a Monster Tigernut boilie tipped off with a yellow artificial maize and with another handful of boilies using the trusty throwing stick.

7AM and my right alarm signals a screaming take, a short fight ensued and later netting my target fish which was a fully-scaled mirror. The fish is down on weight as a result of spawning and is usually a low thirty.

As we netted the fully-scaled my left rod screamed off and this fish seemed a lot more lively than the previous one. A lovely golden heavily plated mirror graced the net to complete my double-up.

Target fish at 26lb 5oz

17lb 8oz Mirror

Lunch Time Surprise

After deciding to go and have a quick look at the water during lunch, to my surprise I found them under a tree and spawning hard and fast....
Hoping tonight they'll get their heads down for a bit of CELL.....

A Touch of Cell

Having gotten a kilo of the cell from my mate Rudi, I put it to good use and it resulted in a stunning 19lb 8oz Mirror and an hour and a half later a 43lb 12oz Common.

Both rods were fed with whole boilies and chops done in the krusha I included crushed pellet as well. The hookbait was a snowman of 10 millers, grange and cell pop ups.

Last Day at Tzaneen

After staring a blank straight in the face and practically giving up, on my last night of a 7day trip I had this absolute cracker of a mirror at 33lb 2oz.

Tzaneens wild carp are definitely any anglers dream... Almost every fish being a virgin fish having never seen a hook before...

Tzaneen - Day 2

Seems the carp gods were on the rest of the camps side today. Everyone had a run this morning except me but I guess that is to be expected when it comes to specimen angling.

Unfortunately Andre and Gary both lost theirs. While Andre also considered taking a dive down to try and salvage the situation he didn't have much luck. Willie had the triumph of the day with a beautiful 33lb 13oz common.

Well as they say tomorrow is another day and perhaps that day will be mine. In the mean time I'll continue watching the sun set over the water...

Tzaneen - Day 1

The weather is fantastic... A light south easterly breeze is blowing and the temperature is 28°C. The only complaint so far is the red mud/sand which seems to cover absolutely everything.

I have been lucky enough to have the first and only run of the trip so far. Unfortunately the feisty fish ran me straight into the cut off blue gum trees at 35ft which are a common obstacle here at Tzaneen. I really did contemplate taking a dive down to free the carp from the sunken tree stump but with the hippos, crocs and that depth to contend with I decided against it.

Lines are back in so holding thumbs...

7 Days on Tzaneen

With the trailer and Gary's trusty Land Rover fully packed, we are ready for a weeks angling on the vast wild waters of the Tzaneen Dam more popularly referred to as the Fanie Botha Dam.

We plan to leave early Sunday morning on the 9th of September 2012 and arrive around mid morning. With the water levels at around 73% we are going to have a drive and look around before deciding where to setup our 7 day camp.

Will post photos and updates the moment we arrive.

"Less is always more..."

Snags close in the margins very carpy.