There
are a few venue possibilities, but after visiting the featured
venue’s website and speaking to some fellow Dutch who were familiar
with the St. Lawrence River in
Canada, I had made a decision. I
decided to go for one week in September with the featured venue,
Canadian Carpin Holidays run by Paul and Lisa Hunt. Canadian Carpin
offers all-inclusive holidays and Paul has 18 years experience of
carp fishing on the river. There is no need to lug out your own gear
as all tackle is provided for you and consists of only top quality
brands and well as anything else you might need.
All that along with the impressive waterfront location of
Canadian Carpins venue The River Island Manor, were the decisive
factors in my choice to fish there.
On the
21st of September I arrived at 18:00 pm local time in Ottawa after a long journey via
Brussels
and New York.
I was met by Canadian Carpin upon arrival in the airport and
transported, along with the other guests who had arrived from London, the short distance to the venue. After
nearly a total of 22 hours traveling I definitely needed some sleep.
But first upon arrival we are served dinner and got acquainted with
our hosts Paul and Lisa and fellow guests. Paul informed us all
about the last weeks catch reports and what first time guests can
expect during their holiday. We are advised that during September we
get up each morning at around 05.30 am and then Paul brings us by
boat to the swims.
At
around 18.00 pm we are picked up and brought back to the venue where
we enjoy a nice cold beer and hot shower. After that the delicious
evening meal Lisa has prepared is ready and there is plenty of it!
Some guests go to bed early to be in top shape for the next morning,
and others stay up to enjoy a few more drinks while playing pool or
just enjoying the view of the massive river. One thing is for sure
when I do sleep, I dream about strong fighting carp which are
waiting for me.
The
following morning we all have breakfast, and grab our packed lunches
and meet Paul in the tackle room where he gives us our fishing gear.
We are supplied with top quality equipment from brands like Daiwa,
Nash, Fox, and JRC which Paul regularly renews to ensure good
working order. Seeing as I came out on my own Paul teamed me up for
the week with Dennis who had also come out on his own. We are then
transported by boat to our first days swim the “canal bank”.
We fished with 2 rods and
fished run for run. The rigs that we use are very simple: 15 cm by
65 lb braided line with a size 2 strong hook. A fairly long hair
which could hold at least 4 grains of maize. We use 4 oz
inline leads on the 80 lb
mainline, because otherwise as Paul advises when you get a run the
strength of the carp coupled with the rivers flow will snap your
line.
We all
then board the boat and set out to our designated swims. On the bank
Paul advises all the anglers on how to fish their particular swims.
In our swim he tells us to cast as far as possible, and he has
purposely supplied us with lighter line and stronger rods 3 ½ lb .
At a distance of 75 to 100 meters. A very strong wind picked up from
the west early on and it has brought in quite a bit of weed, making
it difficult to fish at distance. By
the strong current and the hard wind it is almost impossible to fish
at the right spot. Spodding also
became quite difficult due to the wind. After several attempts of
trying to have it, we decided to contact Paul via the walkie
talkies, which he supplies to each team so we may keep in touch with
the other anglers and get additional advice from Paul. Paul comes to
pick us up and moves us onto a more sheltered swim. Our new swim is
located between 2 other teams who are catching very well, on a long
stretch of bank. However, for us several hours pass with not a bite,
and then suddenly the left rod comes to life! A run, as hard a run
as I have ever seen or heard before! The carp seams unstoppable!
After I engaged the Baitrunner and start setting the clutch
throughout the play, the carp takes no notice and continues ripping
line off the reel. Finally, I gain some line bit by bit which made
me think this carp had to be a good size as compared to my previous
catches in Holland.
After 20 minutes the carp is near the net and I see my first
Canadian carp glide into it. To my surprise the carp weighed in at
only 15 lb, but had the strength of a Dutch 40 lb Carp! It is hard
to describe what you feel with that first run of such a strong St.
Lawrence carp. Just great and a very nice feeling!
The 2nd
day we fished on platform 3, the closest to the dam.
We fished about 20 meters from the bank, just short of the
strong current. There is also the possibility to fish towards the
dam with boilies. However, we decide to start with maize, the bait
everyone uses for feeding and baiting up, which has been supplied to
everyone by Canadian Carpin. 3 pieces of maize on the hair with a
plastic piece on the end to keep the corn from falling off, giving a
critical balanced bottom bait as advised by Paul. This way there is
no need to change your bait every time. Paul also advised that you
absolutely must pay attention that the hook is still sharp each time
you cast out in regards to the bottom rocks which can blunt the
hooks, which is the culprit for most catch losses on the St.
Lawrence. We are provided
with spod rods which Paul instructs us to use frequently to keep the
carp interested. So every hour we spod around 3 to 5 spods, to keep
the carp occupied and hold them in the swim. The little and often
method is the best. After a beautiful sunny day yesterday the
weather has switched to quite cloudy and rainy. In the afternoon it
started to rain so hard, more than I have ever seen it rain in the
Netherlands.
And you guessed it ... of course, in the half hour of downpour we
get 3 runs. Paul advised us that the overcast cloudy weather plays a
contributing role in the number of runs we get in the fall time on
the river. Our catch
for the 2nd day is 16 carp. Dennis and I catch 8 each, the heaviest
was 25 lb. All of them are incredibly beautiful never before caught
commons up to 25 lb.
On the 3rd
day we fish Platform 1, Paul rotates the swims each day so each
angler experiences the different aspects each swim offers such as
depths, flow and the ever changing currents of the St. Lawrence. It
is a beautiful day, as evidenced by the spectacular sunrise that
morning. What is better than to sit behind your rods on the St. Lawrence River and enjoy a warming sunrise and then
hear the sound of a buzzer screaming off! I can tell you that for me
this stirs up the ultimate carp fever. That screaming take provides
me with my first 30lb common on the trip. After another solid drill
I see the carp in the crystal clear blue water below me continuing
its fight. The water is so clear you can see up to 8 meter depths.
The beauty is that you can see the carp movement under you rod tip
in the clear water, what a beautiful sight! Eventually, I land the
carp and get the scales to record weight of 31 lb 5 oz. Furthermore,
it is rather quiet that day. We have caught 8 carp up to 31 lb 5 oz.
On my 3rd day Denis and I realized that once you get a
run you can normally expect that you will get several more runs in
quick succession before the shoal moves through your swim, as the
carp swim in large shoals in the river.
On day 4
we are on an island swim off the main channel called the Rolling
Rock, which was aptly named after a few well known carp anglers
caught their P.B.’s there.
We fish the swim with the appropriate gear supplied by Paul
for this particular swim. We are advised to fish one distance rod
straight our from the swim where the two currents off the tip of the
island meet downstream and one rod to the side close in off a 35 ft
drop off. We get many runs, especially on the long rod that we cast
about 100 meters from shore, but unfortunately we did lose a couple
of big carp due to a weed bed on the left side of the swim which we
were told was particularly thick due to the past warm summer . We
bank 5 carp with the largest topping the scales at 30 lb. After that
day I decided to do one night fishing on platform 2.
Paul
ensured that I had all the necessary equipment and food for the
night. Immediately after setting up the night’s first run screams
off. After a hard
battle I landing a perfect 22lb carp, I re-baited and cast out in
the same spot and right away the rod was away again! And after a 20
minute fight a lovely 26lb common was in my net. A great start to
the night! By 01:00 a.m. I
had landed 9 carp to 27lbs. I decided to take a short break have a
bite to eat and absorb the incredible series of catches I just had.
I sunk into my bed chair and contently fell asleep only to be
awakened by a resident skunk that was getting cozy under my bed
chair! It was quite a rude awakening to say the least, but luckily
for me he kept his tail neatly down, and was rather friendly. After
an hour or so Paul arrives by boat with the rest of the anglers and drops
Dennis off in the swim along with my breakfast and packed lunch,
after filling Dennis in on my nights fishing we experience a slower
day than yesterday landing carp to 25lb probably due to the weather
change.
.
The 6th
day of fishing will be my last as I am scheduled to leave earlier
than the rest of the group due to my flight back to
Holland. So I arrange to once again fish
through the night as seeing the end near I want to get ever last
minute in that I can on the river. We are fishing closest to the dam
and Paul advises us to use boilies in this swim as there is more
chance of a big fish on boilie in this swim. We fish one rod with
boilies toward the dam and the other with corn just on the drop off
in front of the platform. Again shortly after setting up the short
rod goes and produces a 15lb caught on corn followed soon after with
another on corn weighing in at 19lb. approximately a half hour goes
by when the boilie rod screams off, and It seems the carp was well
on it’s way powering off to the other side of the massive river.
After a great fight lasting 25 minutes we see the strong common come
under the platform. The carp gives one last strong flick of its tail
before it’s brought into the net. The carp weighs in at 27 lb. The
next two catches come in soon after, both on the boilie rod and
weigh in at 21 and 26 lb. The demand on my right arm is taking its
toll, but it’s an ache I will happily live with! The afternoon is
quiet, the weather is beautiful with bright blue skies and low winds
which in turns means that the takes slow down somewhat. Later on in
the day we catch another 18.5 and 26 lb carp. Again, both on boilies.
It comes time for Dennis to be picked up by Paul, and I am once
again on my own for the night. Soon, however, is the first bite into
the corn bait. And after another immense battle I land a beauty, a
28 lb common. Quickly I get a picture and return the wild carp back
into its equally wild water. I am quick to recast and to my delight
the line screams off within minutes! This one feels as strong as the
last. At this point I am starting to distinguish the bigger fish
from the smaller ones, which isn’t that easy in this river as they
all give an incredible fight. The larger carp are heavier in their
runs, they power off hard, typically without stopping, taking 100
yards of line off the spool. The smaller carp are more explosive and
their runs are shorter. After I finally netted this one he did
indeed weigh in at 26 lb. My streak does not end there, I barely
have time to compose myself when again less than five minutes after
recasting yet another take screams away! I am clearly in a big shoal
of carp. This is what I read about in that article that cold morning
in Holland and here I am in the midst of it!
Just an unbelievable, wonderful feeling!
After my swim is back in
order, and the rod cast, it will now take quite a bit longer before
the next carp bends the rod. But it does come and going by the take
this carp is looking to be a good size again. And what a result
after another battle, 30.5 lb!
And so it goes I will have yet two more banked by midnight a
29.5 and a 23 lbs.
My arm
is aching and I’m getting somewhat tired now so as per my routine
now I decided it was time to have a bit of a rest under the stars.
As I try to drift off into sleep it is not the bites that keep me
awake, but the huge splashes in the water I hear. From all sides
carp begin to jump. 5 yards out from the bank all the way to the
other side of the river which is up to one mile away. The full moon
lights up the river so beautifully, you can see the shining carp
silhouettes jumping out of the water. A very beautiful sight indeed.
To just lie there tucked away under your nice umbrella enjoying this
wonderful river and hearing nothing but carp jumping, what dream
could exceed this? .... Right, another take! Which is exactly what
happens and 20 minutes later a great Canadian
River cracker posing for you in the net. That is the
ultimate carp fishing. The takes continue throughout the night on
the St. Lawrence with the best result being 33.5 lbs. Cracker
common! The crown on this
fantastic night. I catch 14 carp including 9 in the 20 to 30 lb
range and 2 30lbs +.
My
33lb +
The next
morning I get picked up at 7 am and I am able to say goodbye to the
fellow anglers who are all from England and will be leaving on their flight back
to England
the following day. Unfortunately for myself the end had come as I
was to be at the airport by noon for my flight back to
Holland. I am happy that I chose to fish a
couple nights during the week as for as much the experience of night
fishing on this incredible river as for the extra catches it had
allowed me. All in all a
great week! The shoulder pain and fatigue were well worth it!
Unlike
Holland everything in Canada is so much larger with incredible
expanses of land, rivers, lakes, houses, boats, dinner you name it
in Canada they are 10 times bigger!! For instance
Lake Ontario
which drains into the St. Lawrence River
is about 200 km long and 35 km wide. That is more than half the size
of the Netherlands! And
that’s not mentioning the other Great Lakes in Canada.
There
are definitely carp in the St. Lawrence in the 40 to 50 lb+ range.
In such a large system you just must have a bit of luck on your side
to bank one. Paul & Lisa as well as many of Canadian Carpin guests
have banked 40’s and up to 50 lb 9 0z. Look on the website of Paul &
Lisa Hunt,
www.canadiancarpin.com
to see for your self. The
site is full of videos and information. Just contact Paul and he
will give you all the advice you need. They are just great people,
who make you feel right at home in their venue. An incredible venue
that is situated beside an amazing river filled with wild carp!
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