Carp & Ghosts at Redmire Pool

Mark Bendle (PureLake Baits)

Sunday 14 March 2010 finds me looking out over the famous Redmire pool from the dam wall. The smoke from my Kelly Kettle gently drifting through the trees to meet the rising sun coming up from behind the evening pitch swim, Surely no better view in angling exists!?

The last week of the season has not been an easy one. For the first 4 days we were dogged by a north easterly wind and clear skies at night which were not ideal. We did not see a fish until Thursday afternoon when one of our group (big H) banked a 13lb common at 4.30 pm from Keffords on a Purelake baits 15mm tiger and peanut boilie over a lightly baited area.

That night was to produce another 2 fish this time for Tony who was fishing Greenbanks. His first fish a 14 lb common fell to a tigernut boilie, the second a superb 21lb common was on a Purelake baits spicy tuna boilie with a bag of chops. Up to this time I had bivvied up in the evening pitch (which is supposed to be haunted) but with no signs of fish or ghosts a move was on the cards.

I wasted no time in moving to Hiltons in the shallows which is next to one of the old climbing willows. Once up this tree (its bark worn from countless hands and feet), you get a true feeling of what Redmire is all about. How many great anglers must have stood in this tree watching the same carp you are? It gives you an emotional feeling. One which I will never forget!

My move coincided with a change in the weather, the wind started coming from the west and the temperature reached double figures. That evening at 5.45 I received a small drop back on a single tigernut boilie after a brief tussle the hook pulled and we had no more action that night. Sadly the last full day was upon us. As it was a beautiful sunny day I changed to zigs on all rods. No joy was had so back on the bottom baits went ready for the last night.

I cast on the same spot where I had lost the fish the night before. I fished a Purelake Baits Tiger & Peanut snowman with a small stick of boilie crumb. Within 20 mins the rod was away with a one toner thankfully this time the hook hold was good and Tony was there to net a 13 lb common. After the photos and a drop of wine I retired with my first Redmire carp under my belt.

The next morning Chris, a Redmire veteran & the only one of our party yet to catch, was fishing in Inghams and managed a 9 lb common whilst packing away, talk about cutting it fine!!

On the last night we heard some strange music drifting around the pool it seemed to be a very old song called 'busy bee' made famous by Arthur Askey, we can’t explain where it came from but since our return we have heard of other anglers hearing the same music and other strange happenings. Truly a strange end to a fantastic week and for me a lifelong ambition achieved.

I would like to thank Les Bamford, Robert Fox and the Richardson family for keeping Redmire Pool historic and unspoilt.

For more information on Mark's week at Redmire Pool, he has put some other information on a forum thread on the official Redmire Pool website. You can read his posts by clicking here - http://www.redmirepool.biz/forum/viewtopic.php?t=655