A Very Crafty Common

A Rare Visitor from Swim 3

There’s something about those quiet, unplanned sessions that often turn into the most memorable ones. Today was exactly that.

After lunch, I decided to flick out a couple of rods close to Swim 3 for a couple of hours. Nothing too serious—just a casual cast over a couple of spots I’d baited earlier in the morning with a couple of kilos of pellet. The weather was steady, the lake was calm, and I was more focused on enjoying the afternoon than expecting much action.

But fishing has its way of surprising you.

Roughly 25 minutes after settling the rods, the right-hand one absolutely screamed off. No hesitation, just a full-blown take. I hit into it and instantly knew I was into something decent. This fish stayed deep, hugging the bottom stubbornly. It was one of those slow, heavy battles where you’re never quite sure what you’re connected to—just that it’s not coming in without a proper fight.

After a solid scrap, I finally got it up and into the net. And that’s when it hit me—I was looking at one of the lake’s few common carp. In fact, there are only three commons in Compton's Lake, and none had made an appearance so far this year… until now.

At just under 30lb, it wasn’t just a lovely fish—it was a rare one. A proper character, deep-bodied and built like a tank.

The winning hookbait? A TBS47 20mm Fruity Crustacean—a reliable choice that clearly did the job today.

It’s moments like this that make all the early mornings, blank sessions, and time spent prepping rigs and bait feel completely worth it. You never know what’s coming next, and sometimes, the lake throws you a real gem.

https://www.comptonslakes.co.uk

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