02/09/2026
🎣 East Delph Lakes — ANOTHER Serious Carp Socials TO REMEMBER! 🎣
Driving down the A1 towards Cambridgeshire, there was already an optimistic feeling about the Bank Holiday weekend. It had been a couple of years since we'd visited East Delph Lakes as a group booking, and remembering some of the captures from previous anglers, there was a feeling that this one could be a good one.
Like last time, the majority of the group met up for breakfast at The George. It was a chance for everyone to have a proper breakfast, break the ice, meet up with old friends and introduce themselves to those coming along for the first time, while we waited for the time to head down to the lakes.
It wasn't long before we arrived, met James and got the draw done. Then it was time to get the rods out and settle into the swims.
As with our previous visit, we were recommended the house pellets as the main feed, and most of the anglers decided to give them a go. As the weekend went on, it soon became obvious that this was a very good decision.
Fishing was underway on both lakes and, after the rain held off for the first hour or so, everyone was settled in and the tone for the weekend was set.
Alarms were ringing from the first cast!
Trevor was the first to get things underway, landing a lovely mirror from the back lake.
By late afternoon the rain had moved in, but rather than dampen the spirits, the change in conditions seemed to spur the fish on. The low pressure was more than welcome and it just felt right for a bite.
Multiple bites were coming from both lakes and suddenly it looked like we'd landed in exactly the right place.
As darkness arrived, everyone was counting the bites coming from the front and back lakes and it looked like we could be in for multiple fish on the bank by Saturday morning.
A few anglers ordered takeaways to the gate, which were very much needed to keep the energy levels up before settling down for the evening.
🌙 OVERNIGHT ACTION
Overnight there were some really good reports coming from both lakes as we ticked off who had caught.
Of course, there were also fish lost to hook pulls. The carp had incredibly soft mouths and, with the amount of power they were carrying, getting them into the net wasn't always straightforward.
These fish certainly knew where they wanted to go!
Saturday arrived and, as the afternoon came around, everyone reeled in for a break and it was time for the Serious Carp Socials BBQ.
As always, the food went down an absolute treat, and it surprised a few of those new to the group just how much food there was and the quality that gets put on for everyone.
It was also a great chance to catch up with people we hadn't seen for a while, talk about the fishing, share information and, of course, have plenty of laughs.
The anglers who had been successful were passing on what they'd learned, and those who hadn't had a fish yet were certainly taking notice — with the house pellets becoming a popular choice for those looking to change things around.
And it wasn't long before more anglers were off the mark.
Those who had been staring at motionless indicators finally saw them spring into life, bringing a huge sense of relief and plenty of happiness.
We'd told everyone that their turn would come.
By late Saturday afternoon more and more fish were hitting the bank, giving everyone confidence that nobody needed to panic if they hadn't caught yet.
Both lakes were producing bites from all over the complex, and going into Saturday night there were only a handful of anglers left who hadn't seen a fish on the bank.
Then came another night of alarms echoing around the complex and the WhatsApp group pinging away.
The front lake was complete.
Everyone had caught.
Cheers could be heard in the distance that night, and it made us all laugh. It was exactly what the socials are about — not competing against each other, but enjoying the experience together.
🎣 THE FINAL DAY
The final full day was much more relaxed.
It was about waiting for that next bite and, more importantly, making sure everyone on the back lake got their fish.
Some anglers were walking around to those who hadn't caught, offering advice, showing areas to look at and helping wherever they could.
At this point it wasn't really about getting more bites.
It was about helping people get into the right areas, giving them the confidence to stick with it and, ultimately, getting those final anglers onto the bank.
And that's exactly what happened.
Going into the final evening, mission completed.
Both lakes had produced fish for every angler.
Once the first one came, the rest followed, and before long everyone had caught more than one.
Our final tally went over 40 carp for the weekend — our biggest total from a Serious Carp Social so far this year.
And what a collection of fish they were.
Mostly stunning, heavily scaled mirrors, with the odd immaculate common thrown into the mix, and fish reaching 29lb.
Even the smaller fish, around the 14lb mark, fought like absolute chunks and simply didn't want to give up.
❤️ THAT'S WHAT SERIOUS CARP SOCIALS IS ABOUT
The final morning arrived and, with everyone needing to be off the lake by 12pm to make way for the next booking, there were plenty of anglers stopping by each other's swims to congratulate one another and say their goodbyes.
There were still fish being caught right up until the end.
And then there was the obvious question...
When are we all seeing each other again?
Well, for most of us, it won't be long.
🇫🇷 Dreamlakes France 2026 🇫🇷
With 57 Serious Carp Socials anglers getting ready to take over Dreamlakes for another exclusive trip, the next adventure is already on the horizon.
The excitement is building.
🇫🇷 57 ANGLERS. ONE COMPLEX. ONE MASSIVE SOCIAL.
It's prep time for us all!
But East Delph was another reminder that it's not always about the size of the carp.
It's about the quality of the fish, the people you're sharing the bank with, the help you give each other, the laughs, the BBQs, the WhatsApp messages, the cheers from across the lake and the memories that come from spending a weekend together.
East Delph certainly has plenty of photo-album-worthy carp to go at, with some fantastic features including the overhanging trees, proper carpy swims, the famous creepy caravan and the carp artwork as you arrive onto the lake.
A massive THANK YOU to every single angler who came and fished with us over the Bank Holiday weekend.
And an equally big thank you to everyone who supported other anglers throughout the trip.
There were plenty of livestreams running across the weekend which were watched by loads of people across our platforms — even keeping an eye on the live bites!
Finally, a huge thank you to James at East Delph Lakes for having us back and allowing us to fish the complex exclusively.
Another Serious Carp Social done.
Another group of anglers leaving with memories.
Another trip ticked off.
Now...
🇫🇷🎣 TIME TO GET THE FRANCE KIT READY! 🎣🇫🇷
DREAMLAKES 2026 — HERE WE COME!
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