Let's deal with the big fish water first. Last weekend was our second and last session for now on this special water, though the day was warm and very pleasant compared to the previous week, the fish still refused to play ball. We had hoped the unseasonably warm spell would create opportunities for us to stalk them in some margin spots, but the fish had other ideas and spent the day in unfishable snaggy areas sunning themselves and, I would imagine, digesting a large amount of food they had probably been troughing from someone's baiting campaign. But despite this we were able to get a grandstand view of some of the lake's impressive inhabitants to wet our appetite for a sustained campaign much later in the year during the Autumn and Winter season.
Just a few yards away, some very big fish were sunning themselves......
One thing I do enjoy is Tench fishing, and this very warm March we have experienced has woken them up very early indeed in my local club water. A few evening float fishing sessions have produced a handful of nice specimens that have given good accounts of themselves.
The third and final report for now concerns a little session yesterday evening with my eldest son and my mate. The three of us descended on the local club water for a short session into dark in the pursuit of some Carp. Fishing a single rod each on some close in margin spots, just how we like to fish. My friend was the first to get a run from what was clearly a good fish, as I approached to assist with netting I could see his powerful Century stalking rod bent alarmingly through almost to the butt. Obviously not a small stockie then! The fish led him a merry dance for a few moments and managed to pick up a loose fallen branch from the bottom of the lake, still playing the fish with the branch attached to the line, my mate tried to inch the fish and branch toward the waiting net, then as it looked as if we were going to be able to net the fish, disaster struck as the Carp, in slow motion, rubbed the hook out of its mouth and into the branch, right in front of us! The fish sat motionless for a second and then slowly cruised off. Gutted isn't the way to describe how we felt, because having got a really good look at it, the fully scaled mirror Carp was clearly well over twenty pounds....
Throughout the session we all continued to receive line bites as the fish fed on our small baited patches, occassionally brushing the lines and making the bobbins rise and the alarms sing. Dark had descended altogether now and the temperature had dropped dramatically, my Son began to ask when we would be going as he was feeling the cold. Just as I was about to give in and declare home time, his alarm began screaming a one toner as a fish shot away from his margin spot having picked up the hookbait and hook !
It was again clear from the start that he was connected to a decent fish and he played it well with a little coaching, and soon it was ready for the net. As soon as I saw it in the headtorch I knew which fish it was, and as I lifted the net complete with fish out of the water I was certain we had another twenty pounder.
The scales confirmed my suspicion, and settled at twenty pounds and four ounces!
As for my trap, well as I went to reel in to go home, I was snagged on the bottom. The vicious liners I had been receiving all evening had dragged the hook into a snag....
A little assistance was needed to help the youngster with his prize !
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