Having started fishing only 3 years ago, I think it’s easy to say that I’m a rookie, rank that I fully accept and confess.
Taking the above information into consideration, it is easy to imagine that my so called expertise in the field is quite limited, therefore my catches are seldom stunning. Usually medium, nice at best. I do regularly watch big names in the field doing their thing.
Therefore my story would have plain, with little carp, if not for a stranger’s big heart (i will write about it in a different article). In short, he gave me his anglers’ rods and reels, but urged me to start thinking and targeting big carp. He made me dream about it with my eyes wide open.
Which I did. I evolved from 2 kg carp specimens to almost 10 kg ones (grasscarps) and 14 kg ones (common). Not bad for my level, but the numbers don’t tell the whole story, as two local anglers provided me with info, tactics, strategy and so many more (search Claudiu Eremia or Viorel Ionescu on Facebook). They even gave me trust to evolve and think that catching huge carp is not impossible.
I set up in my mind a 15 kg PB, but it elluded me for several times on the bank. Needless to say that frustration came along and modest outings.
That would all change as I targeted one of our nation’s biggest carp venues, Hermes Peris. Had a wonderful 60 hour game (which will be dealt with separately), with more than 5o carps between 8 and 19 kg (a friend of mine, Liviu Mihail, getting the biggest ones). Everything was good as i fulfilled an objective of mine of having a great game with a lots of bites. But no 15 kg carp for me, despite my best efforts and great fatigue. I left disappointed with low levels of confidence.
Yet, it seemed that someone else had his own agenda rearding me (i call it God, one can call it the Universe or any other energy in which one believes). The next day I would be again on the bank, near Hermes Peris, on Tancabesti Lake, as a friend of mine (i.e. Viorel Ionescu) invited me over there. Dressed in my office outfit, I arrived over there with no idea of what was to happen.
The alarm went off, my friend gave me a little nod and i started battling the unknown. Moments later, I saw a giant grasscarp (a little over 22kg), which I photographed and tried to held it in my arms (but that was almost impossible).
I couldn’t believe what had just happened and I still don’t. I asked God for a 15 kg stunner, he gave a monstrous 22 kg submarine.
Needless to say that I am chuffed ever since. For my new PB, but mostly for the people in my life, who always give me much more than I deserve.
