The FAL Syndicate by Ron Buss
I think there must be someone out there somewhere who is looking down on me like a Guardian Angel, or maybe its just golden dangly things, but when I received an invitation to join what I can only describe as an awesome syndicate, I honestly thought there must be a mixup.
But no it was addressed to me and yes my name was on the invite, you could have knocked me over with a sweaty Pop Up. To say I accepted gracefully was an understatement, on the phone to the Guvnor I was a babbling mess, no self control whatsoever, came close to cacking me grilies, but accept I did, Bless Im.
Just up my street, a large water, gravel pit, I should guess in excess of fifty acres, loads of weed, stocked with Mirrors and Commons, but not overstocked, somewhere, in excess of one hundred and fifty but under three hundred, its not exactly a runs water, but it’s the quality of the fish not the quantity that rings my bell.
The fish are stunners, heavy plated Mirrors, Linears and immaculate Commons all go to making any time spent on the water worthwhile. Just the anticipation of catching one of these awesome fish is enough. I couldn’t wait to chuck a bit of bait in and have a go. I spent three nights in April which resulted in Sweet F.A. fish wise, I did, however, put a few things together and hatched a plan for when I returned.
I must admit that I thought it wasn’t going to be a walk in the Park as there’s a fair amount that’s not going for someone tackling this water – the weed for one is bottom to top and I soon learnt that although the fish do have bait, so getting bites is on the cards – getting the fish out of the weed in another thing.
Most of the swims have good marks to fish to; it just depends on what’s betwixt the mark and the angler. The nearer the mark the better chance you stand but you still need to be relatively close to your rods, as an early strike does not allow the fish to put too many weed beds between you.
My second chance to fish came late May early June, conditions were favourable with warmish southwesterleys blowing at near gale force, so I opted to fish two thirds down the lake, the obvious spot the size of a large table was clearly visible at just over a hundred yds out, but on trawling the spot it soon became apparent that it was covered in a snotty green weed which denoted to me that it was not being fed on.
However, four yards to the right of the spot the weed was quite sparse and the bottom was relatively clean.
I opted to fish two rods into this particular area, keeping it simple, using 18mm Richworth UltraPlex Bottom Baits with an inline stringer of two 14mm Baits a large hook size 2, but short shanked, a pattern I am Field Testing at the moment which seemed just right for the situation being quite heavy and also forged giving strength. This was used Stiff Rig Style 6” in length using Korda Fluorocarbon, a 4oz Korda Distance Lead was used and set up Bolt Rig Style.
The Bolt effect is gained by using a Korda Shock Leader Rubber and a cut down Korda Rubber which when cut right fits over the Leader Rubber nice and snug, the large eyed distance lead allows just enough travel of the Rig to ensure the hook is set, but if a breakage occurs – Back Rubber and Lead comes over the Leader Knots safely.
Just prior to lashing out attaching two pieces of Dissolvable Foam over the hook point helps to alleviate any weed from masking the hook and also when the foam breaks surface gives you a good guide on the area to be baited.
With two baited hooks out in the area, I fed twenty five freebies twice a day on that spot and it produced one bite over six nights, which turned out to be a stunner of a Mirror at Thirty Seven Pounds Ten Ounces, Jobs a good-un.
The second pair of rods was fished out to the left of the swim, having thrown a marker float all over the place and not finding much other than weed I spotted a big Tench roll at 40yds, so if, thinks me Tench are feeding, the Carp also might be about and I can sling a bag of Pellet and Bits 40yds No Probs – I’ll just F.A.L. two rods in the weed, Big Bags 2.5op Korda Flatline Pears, load of grub in the bag.
Well bother me they had only been out there three quarters of an hour and KinBingo right hand rods away, good scrap or what – 26lb 8oz of fully scaled heaven and twenty pounds of weed, but it was mine all mine, was I a happy puppy or what, I tell you something, I can’t wait to get back there and F.A.L. again.
Being away from the lake for a wile gave me some time to get a plan together, I’m not a good sailor, therefore I declined to use a boat as is the norm for the water. I decided to pick a swim whereby I could work out a good ambush spot laying in open water that would give me more than a good chance of banking a fish should the opportunity arise.
Going on my previous results I decided that due to the amount of weed in the water my maximum casting range would be no more than 70 yards. This would be castable with a bag and very accurate baiting could be achieved with a catapult, the hunt was on! Several swims were visited with much thrashing around with a marker float and of hauling in loads of weed.
With aching arms and much cursing I finally found what I was looking for. A nice clear spot capable of accepting 3 baited bags, there was a nice gravely patch at the far side of a hole leading off to sparser weed growth, the weed was very thick between the bank and near side of the hole. It was at this juncture that line breaking strain came in to play and I upped my line strength to 20lb suffix tritanium.
Not that I was going to hit and hold, the plan, should a take occur, was to let the fish run into the sparsely weeded area at the back of the hole off the gravel.
I would carry on using the Richworth UltraPlex in a 3 size format, 18mm on the hair with a mix of 10mm 14 mm in the bags coupled with a bag fill mix of 2mm Richworth Halibut Pellets with hinders combi mix which provides a nice bit of grub for a hungry carp.
Come on the, lets have ya, and av’em I did. Over the next three months I managed 22 nights in the swim and at the end I had accounted for 8 carp from the hole. 4 cracking mid to upper 20’s, three 30’s to 33lb and a nice lump of a 43lb 14oz and a new UK personal best for me thank you very much, love it.
My first term on the F.A.L Syndicate 10 fish, was I pleased, is the pope a catholic……
Just incase you are wondering about F.A.L. in a loose interpretation its ‘Flingout and Leaveit’ but I’ll let you decide as to the Fling part. Well there you have it, back to Woking for me for a few days as I have to open up on our Club Lakes at Send.
A big thanks to the Guvnor, great breakfast, I must be getting used to his cooking, the guts ache only lasted two days!
BE LUCKY
RON BUSS
