One step behind
Small window: Light wind sweeps across the lake, making it no hassle to anchor in open water. A wide reed forest shields this area, and it’s impossible to reach with tackle placed from the banks.
Tomorrow this gentle wind will pick up strongly… It will be an unpleasant experience, if I don’t move the boat before then. With a window of only 16 hours fishing, all preparation takes place with a minimum of disturbance, so no carps are scared far away from this spot.
From Ice Age: 190 hectare of water surface, spreads out in a landscape formed by mighty glaciers from the past. In this process valleys emerged, and architects of nature designed the foundation of Lake Sorø’s existence.
Some places, large stones protrudes from the lake bed. One of these blocks lies at a depth of 2 meters, in front of tall reeds. It rises 1 meter from bottom, and its upper side takes up 2-3 square meters. I spread a few handful of boilies around the spot, then the inflatable boat is fixed to the lake bed, just 15 meters further down the reed forest.
To keep area calm, only 2 tackles are putted in to action. One flies down along the reeds, where it finds rest 3 meters from the stone. The other is placed little further out, near a small belt of weed at depths of 3 meter.
Shaved expectations: It’s with a tickling stomach sensation, as my first boat-night of this season lies ahead. The trip had been spontaneously arranged and I find sleep in certainty of, that the calming sound from waves under the boat, very well could be interrupted by a screaming take!
A single beep penetrates the night… It gets in motion before I stand up! My tackle along the edge flies, and when the rod is lifted towards open sky, 4-5 meters of line has disappeared.
The anima takes the outside of the stone block, as its escape route. Under medium pressure and hissing brake, the carp passes the obstacle in direction of deeper water, so this can hardly go wrong… A totally underestimation of its intelligence!
Next second it steers behind the block, and if I’m right? This bandit continues around the stone, heading straight back towards my boat!
Horrified, I feel the 7 meter long leader hit granite, after which a rasping sensation propagates deep into the blade.
To avoid a total defeat to zebra mussels living on this stone block, I release pressure immediately… But it’s too late! Contact disappears, while the line lies flat on surface.
During inspection of my 0.70 mono-leader, small fine nylon shavings are revealed. Last meter of leader, is removed like with a razor blade.
The rod is re-rigged, tackle laid back on spot, and a handful of boilies hit the bottom. When I crawl back to bed, good feelings in my stomach has completely disappeared. It has been replaced by the fact, that a monster chance was missed in night-darkness of May.
Next day, camp is moved before the wind picks up. Night will be spent in a sheltered bay, with shallow water covered by water lilies. A couple of Tench reaching 3kg+, are the only ones offering their company.
When gear is packed up, there is an unwelcome but easily recognizable feeling of a zero trip.
Elusive Shadows: One week later, the inflatable boat is set for one more round. It’s beginning of June, and carps have started gathering in the spawning areas. Coming days will be cloudy, so spawning should be postponed, until next sunny period with rising water temperatures.
Polaroid glasses are found, bucket-hat is pulled on, sonar/GPS tarts up, and the electric motor sets the course. Slowly, I sail along edges of a large shallow bay.
I spot quite a few carps in this area, but filled rod-pods stand tall on the banks, which leads me to look elsewhere.
It doesn’t take long, before next silhouette appears beneath surface. A large reed forest with overhanging trees, turns out holding a group of carps.
Some stands calm between the reeds, while other slowly patrol along the edge of these.
A single marker is placed at a dense weed belt at 3.5 meters of water. Rest of the fishing will be at close range, in front of reeds or bushes.
Now it’s just a matter of positioning the boat, without disturbing this herd too much.
Boat-camp is positioned, but before the anchoring is complete 2 wide shadows comes directly towards me! All movement in the boat stops, while one hand grabs a thick lump of reed, to keep boat completely still…
2 large carps swims calmly under the keel and continues undisturbed.
It’s a fascinating sight of these elusive fish, which are surely some of this lake’s really big residents!
scary fights: On left side of this floating fishing camp, a tackle is placed right next to the reeds. On right is a large overhanging tree, which next rig is laid close in front. Middle and last, lands in direction of my marker, where it settles near the weed belt some 30 meters away. All spots are fed with 3 handfuls of 18mm F6 Boilies.
Towards evening, everything is ready for the redemptive run.
There’s no wind and the mirror-like water surface, boils with small fish snapping at low-flying insects. A few carps show themselves, which assures they are still in the area.
For 40 minutes, I enjoy the whole scenery, which has been nicely complemented by a flock of swallows hunting low over water surface. The trance is broken, when a brutal splash sets the water in motion a few meters away! Only a really big fish would be able to produce this sound, and if it wasn’t scared by the boat… It could almost be positioned under my bed at this moment!
Next 15 minutes, the air thickens with a smell from an up-coming take. The wait ends with single beeps from the middle rod, which is stroked before any more happens.
A sinking 18mm F6 Boilie, balanced with a 15mm F6 Matching Pop-Up, has produced result in less than 1 hour fishing. The carp accelerates towards land, but no faster than even pressure can be maintained, while line is retrieved.
It reaches the overhanging tree on my right hand… Next intense seconds, we disagree whether it should squeeze between treacherous sunken branches, or succumb to the pressure and remain in free water. The tug of war takes place above my second tackle with associated feedings, which is cunningly arranged 10 meters from the boat.
The fish abandons its pretension, but with surprising speed it burrows into the reeds next to the tree… To pursuit the trophy, moorings are instantly released, to pursuit the trophy.
Before 11.8kg common carp arrives in the net, there’s so much commotion that it’s terrible. During a panickly action, several square meters of reeds is overturned or broken completely. As I sail back to the rod setup, it’s in knowledge that the big fish that were lurking around the area, should have been scared far away by now.
Following 2 days, 5 more carps are outwitted. It’s commons between 8 and 12.2kg that get hooked at close range, where they deliver highly entertaining fights.
All fish fall for an 18mm F6 Boilie, tipped with a 15mm yellow Birdfood/Amino Pop-Up.
Shadows and splashes from monster carps.. Nothing more is seen or heard!
Clean Table: At the end of July, there’s packed for a few days fishing from shore. Strong wind from the north/west pushes across Sorø Sø, where I have chosen to set up camp fronting the wind. Clusters of weed drift with the waves, and large piles have gradually gathered at the edge of the reed forest, which I’m hiding behind.
The rods is positioned deep between the reeds. With this placement, back-leads can hold the lines closes to bottom before they’re in open water, where they would otherwise be caught by drifting snags. Tigernuts and 18+24mm F6 Boilies are on the menu. 1kg being served at each of the 3 selected spots.
After a fishless night, wind has dropped and I go sailing to check out the lake. It is a lot easier to probe the terrain, than it had been in that windy weather the day before. The boat glides above a spot, where a tackle lies at a depth of 1.5 meter.
Bottom is clearly visible through the calm water surface. Despite polaroid glasses beneath a hats shade, it’s difficult to see the 1kg of feed that should be spread… Perhaps strong onshore wind has left some sediment, which now camouflaged the boilies and tigernuts out of sight?
I throw 1 single boilie followed by 1 nut, which hits the bottom without being hard to identify at any point. An oar is used to stir up the sediment, but the solid bottom is practically blown clean.
The next thing that catches the eye, is my tackle with its untouched hook-bait… It’s left alone on an empty dining table!
Ugly words leave the mouth, but it does no good at all. Just have to accept being overrunned, by dinner guests running from their bill.
Full of anticipation for the next day’s fishing, spots are fed up and hook baits is changed from balanced to sinking. The improvement in weather makes it possible to slack lines, so they will follow contour of the bottom, hidden away from sensitive eating-machines.
24 hours later, the boat glides over shallow water once again. Everything is in best order as I left it. Boilies, tigers, tackle lies untouched, and once again I pack up camp with no business done.
M. Andersen / T. Askgaard: Two focused carp anglers, whom had selected Lake Sorø as one of their 2022 projects. First few trips in April, didn’t pay of as hoped.
In return, the team had acquired local knowledge to use later in the season.
Timon Askgaard strikes gold in the third attempt, when he in end of June, pulls 15.4kg inside the net frame. This mirror carp is one of the lake’s old warriors, and an absolutely worthy trophy for the collection. Next trip is planned for August, when 2 weeks will be set aside to break the code completely.
For Martin Andersen and Timon, carp fishing is time consuming and take big part in their everyday live. Thorough preparations in the form of domestic research, followed by drives to lake-side without rods, so the team knows what lies ahead.
When waiting game arrives during fishing, camp life is enjoyed like sunshine for the soul. They are on their toes if a rod takes off! Ready to go all the way for a good result.
Their great love for all facets of the game is unmistakable.
Martin and Timon triumphs: August trip becomes a reality, where the first days offer dull fishing. Although they have 14 days to execute this trip, anxiety spreads in camp after 2 nights without a run.
Third day is spent looking for fish. It’s agreed moving camp to a large shallow bay. Camp-move is planned for next morning, and despite a small carp getting caught at dawn, that decision is not to be changed.
At the bottom of this weedy bay, tackles are neatly placed in shallow water.
The camp does not manage to be completely in place, before first take is initiated by an 8kg fine mirror carp. It’s a pretty nice start, which sets high expectations for their up-coming fishing.
The next 2 days, results in a couple of bites per day. The carps are outsmarted right in front of the reed forest, but the anxiety moves back into the camp, as none of them exceeds 11kg. Furthermore… They all strikes on same rod, so if bigger fish were to be in camp, things had to change!
New hope is found, in an area where 2 small padges of sand, shines bright against all the surrounding weed. The sand contains large quantities of crushed mussels and snails, which strengthens belief in these newly found hot spots. Forthcoming night, 3 full blooded runs manifest the effectiveness of the sand patches.
With 3 rods in play, the next 3 days became highly entertaining! Up to 4 carps a day takes of, and they push weight to 15kg+.
Unfortunately… it ends as abruptly as it started. Increased fishing pressure from other like-minded anglers, causes the shy carp to withdraw. Thorough preparatory work, combined with solution oriented fishing, had resulted in 16 carps through 2 weeks. Must be said, that it’s a premium prize they received for their effort on Lake Sorø.
Spooky finish: Beginning of November, I found myself at lake side again. The autumn’s valuable fishing, was spent on an absorbing monster hunt, elsewhere in DK. This rate was planned shortly before, and now camp is ready to receive a suitable finish, to the more or less successful Sorø trips in early season.
Darkness settles over the lake. Weak gusts cause the leaves falling in large quantities. A few signs of fish in the area, had triggered my decision to set camp right here. In late evening hours, a few good splash in the surface, tells me that carps are not far away from my feedings.
Intense optimism is consumed with a cup of hot coffee, as a rumble from behind quickly increases in strength… Seconds later, this noisy inferno moves over treetops directly above my head! A jumble made of withered leaves fills the air, and darkness of the forest is completely erased, as the rescue helicopter turns on its large sweeping spotlights.
Something must have gone horribly wrong? Every square meter of the lake surface is searched. The water is whipped under the machine, while flocks of birds flee into the night. My boat in front of camp comes in the search field, and as all-revealing rays hits my face, every corner of the tent is lit up like day. I signal to this brave crew, that everything is ok! They quickly continue an hour-long search…
A person is found drowned under unknown circumstances. Danish rescue service, leaves after completing their task. Following… An eerie atmosphere covers Lake Sorø Sø like a blanket.
This trip doesn’t produce any carps. I neither hear, nor see any signs of fish again, but that is understandable after the sad and miserable incident.
Driving home, thoughts revolve around the year’s sporadic adventures, on this historic Danish water… Thorough preparation and time, did not met in a higher unity. If you spice it up with bad luck, you have the ingredients to be one step behind.
Martin Stormly 2022.
