I'm still not going to count this as a carp, so I have to keep going back to the park until I get one. This was a cool fish though, so I'm definitely happy with it. Koi got into the lake years ago during a flood and they've just bred and done their thing since then. I'm pretty sure this one was born in the lake, the older koi are a lot bigger.
When I arrive I noticed this one swimming up and down the bank in front of my usual spot, it shines like the beacons of Gondor so it's hard not to see it. I thought I'd watch it for a few minutes to see what it does, and I noticed that it had a route it would follow, and it seemed to always pay attention to the single clump of reeds in the water about 20 meters out, I think they're on a bit of a hump under the water. I got the pod and alarms set up, then quickly set up my first rod with a method lead and short braid hooklink to a basic knotless knot hair rig. I put a small ball of ground bait on the lead and two kernels of corn on the hair. I put the rod in just to the left of the reeds, hoping I would trap this fish if it came past again, but also banking on the idea that if that fish is so interested in that area, others would be too.
I was in the middle of setting up the second rod when my alarm went wild, I picked up the rod, felt the fish was on and then saw the golden koi I had been watching roll under the surface. It fought surprisingly hard for its size and even had the audacity to try and take me under an overhanging tree. I got it in the net and it weighed in at 3Kg, so not earth shattering but it's a really pretty fish in such good condition. Besides, when you're fishing a lake where the main background scenery is the big Toyota dealership up the road, anything goes!
Posted by _AngryBadger_