Time flies doesn't it? It's three weeks or so since I last updated the blog. There hasn't been much to blog about with the weather and temperatures taking a nose dive. As I sit writing this we have a yellow warning for snow in the next couple of days. Whether we will see any of the white stuff is debatable but there's no doubt that the freezing temperatures forecast are going to knock any fishing the coming weekend on the head. If we don't fish it will be the first time this winter that we have missed a weekend. I'm not too worried though as personally I could do with a reset with the struggle we've faced the last few weeks, with just a few small examples visiting the bank and a couple of blanks.... I've just looked out the window and seen a few light snowflakes drifting down!
So lets talk about where we will go once things start to look better and what plans we have for the coming year.
We aim to finish off our winter Carping on the water we're fishing at present, carrying on into March and possibly early April ( spring ), until the temperatures improve and we are putting fish on the bank regularly again. Once we determine that the time is right the beach will beckon us and for a few weeks we shall be fishing hard for Rays. Along side this when the sea temps and conditions are right the focus will switch to Lure and fly fishing for Bass, Pollock, Mackerel and Gars. Hopefully this will take us back through to October and maybe even November when we will revert back to Carp fishing on our present water. In between all of that I hope to get a couple more trips in to the Yateley complex.
A pretty full itinerary isn't it? That's the plan, to keep busy and keep the momentum up, more fishing means more chances of catching fish. No one ever caught fish by sitting indoors thinking about it, you have to be there, come hell or high water to present yourself with the most opportunities! Working to a timetable as we are means we have something to plan ahead for. It's all about making the most of what the changing seasons have to offer and taking advantage of natures natural order.
I've always said I have a short attention span and that is why I have always been more of an all rounder. I'm not big on summer Carping and never have been and being surrounded by salt water has always been a distraction to me. I love being stood waist deep in the sea, waves lapping around me retrieving a lure or fly in anticipation of a vicious attack from a marauding Bass or standing on the beach as the sun dips behind the horizon waiting for the tell tale nod and pull on the rod tip as Ray picks up the Sandeel bait and glides off....
Preparation is the key to being able to do all this. Having the gear packed and ready to go at a moment's notice. I have several lots of kit in this state of readiness, as well as bait in the freezer and fully stocked lure and fly boxes and bags, depending on what the weather is doing I can grab some kit and go and do some fishing of some sort. I have tide tables and weather forecasts at my finger tips so I can assess the situation. The windows on the coast are often small and so the fishing can last just a couple of hours, but being in the right place at the right moment is all it takes. Preparation for all this begins now, sorting gear, servicing reels, checking rods and end tackle, replacing anything that needs it and making sure I have enough of the right tackle for the job. That way I needn't worry about rushing around sorting it all out at last minute and can focus on picking the right time to start.
For now though until the year moves on and some warmer weather arrives we shall plod on with our winter Carp campaign and dream of those wonderfully atmospheric mornings and evenings in pursuit of salty quarry!
