Monday 3rd August and yours truly set off again at 0550 to one of my new waters … using the word ‘new’ advisedly as I am using it as meaning a ‘recently gained access to’ as opposed to a ‘first time access to’ water.

Back in the day I’d usually get a twelve month membership of another club, a different one every year, to go alongside those of my main club and BAA and WAA cards … and one of those memberships was for Blackford’s Progressive AS which originally I took out mainly for pike fishing. However, having left what was my main club back in May and taking out a season permit for Birmingham’s Kingsbury Water Park at that time, I decided the distance was too far… and not having even had a single nibble there in probably 6 or 7 visits didn’t go in its favour either!

So, I decide to head back to the fold of Blackford’s PAS who have several waters and only the one I had fished in my previous membership … Calf Heath Reservoir near Penkridge, just off the A5 (Watling Street) making it handy to access either from the M6 travelling from Jct 10 to Jct 12 (traffic permitting as a VERY busy area) OR directly down the A449 (Newport, Wales to Stafford), that local section of which (from Wolverhampton to Stafford) is usually known as the Stafford Road … but whichever route its only about 9 miles or 30 mins travel from home to the water.

The water and where I fished … quiet its not with the A5 running along that top boundary
but when you’re the closest to as being as deaf as a post it really matters not LOL!


Depth Map

Anyway, the water holds a large head of silvers, bream, perch, pike and carp and, on the day, I set out in pursuit of the bream… not sure about tench but I have never heard any mention … but it appears at one time it also seems zander were present but the C&RT is reputed to have removed them…

So, I set off from home at approx 0555 and arrived on the car parking area at around 0635… loaded up the barrow … and started walking the approx 300 yards or so to my pitch for the day. However, swim selection was out of my hands really as the pegs have scaffolded platforms off which fishing would be performed … and due to the current drought-like conditions the water was 3’ or so lower than would normally be expected and so the platforms were high from the water and also around 10’ short of the water’s edge … however, it meant that one could sit on the uncovered ground and use easily use banksticks with the larger space to spread out the gear… but also meant that one had to clamber/jump down steep’ish banks in order to access … and where I ended up was the first place that I, in my physical state, was able to do so while also 99.5% guaranteeing being able to get back up and get the tackle back up too LOL! Otherwise there were several earlier in the walk swims I might have settled down into…

This bank also sorted the heat-exhaustion problem I had on my previous visit to Marsh Pools as the pool is almost duly in a N-S orientation and my bank was on the west one … thus during the early cool morning the sun was diagonally out to my right but as it passed I was sheltered by large trees to my right and behind … but still needed me to take two short rests enroute back to the car due to the ambient temps to get back but still far far better than in the direct radiated heat of the sun!

Anyway the fishing!! Well I didn’t blank! But neither was it a red letter day! But totally enjoyable whatever! :)

Tackle – 11’ leger rod coupled with 8lb mono with a 6” 8lb fluoro hooklength and size 6 Kamasan Animal hook and a 10g sliding bomb originally stopped at about 30” from the hook..

Pre- tackling up I cast out my deeper sounder (the orange area on the pic) … to check out depths (I hadn’t access to the blue bits) – and general fish finding – not that I really use that any more than an indication  more interested in the topography of the underwater area really. Having done that I then fed the area I intended to put my bait in and used used something I’ve not used in years as it usually failed me … a ‘groundbait baller’…

…and this time it worked like a dream! I must have got the consistently of the feed just right!! :) And the balls, being aerodynamic flew accurately from the catapult like a dream!!

[NOTE on the groundbait mix … much the usual BUT many years ago there was a thing about aniseed being a big bream attraction … and so I added some blitzed up blitzed-to-powder fennel seeds. AND that was definitely aniseedly! I put the bait bag with the g’bait in a sealed plastic bag in the front room overnight ready to load into the car on the following morning … forget your Glade air fresheners and such-like (if you like aniseed, of course!) just put a ½ teaspoon (or less most likely) of powdered fennel in a saucer! LOL]

So, pre-tasks completed and ready to go … and here I cut’n’paste from my notes taken…

And that was my day :)

As said previously, no blank but no disappointment either :)

PLANS

Well, today the men working on our porch area have finally finished – a few minor but time consuming issues, not due to the people involved in the job – delayed the end of the job. All good now – apart from collection of surplus materials which are outside and don’t affect our painting, etc. Well pleased with what has been done – from rotten woodwork, gaps allowing slugs in, asbestos roof removed and disposed of legally (1960s Dad created a tall coal bunker along with cubicle for brooms, etc) just outside of the house’s porch area … later he added the roof so as to be sheltered when getting coal … later added sides with windows and lockable door to fully enclose and add security … so lasted 60+ years until finally it had done its duty with honours and has now replaced by a slightly taller brickwork section at the  bottom end to allow the ability to stand upright whilst allowing for a sloping roof … asbestos free … with laminated floor … uPVC frames and door with double glazing and insulated walling) … and no gaps for slugs to get through!… and still has a cat flap in the door LOL!.

So, now we need to sort out the painting of the newly plastered walls and the ceiling inc a crack I spotted on the original interior porch … bit of filling to be done along with painting. We’ve got the paints, brushes, rollers, wire brushes (probably superfluous now as purchased to clean up some existing old brickwork that lined one side wall with flaking paint to be cleaned off and a gas pipe also with flaky paint intended to be brushed off before repainting BUT the guys boxed both in making the cleaning up no longer needed (or indeed possible) and far easier for initially painting and for future cleaning/painting :)) so we’re all ready to go on that

Then there is to be a purchase of a new freezer and a fridge/freezer … the kitchen was refitted some years ago when our original standalone fridge and freezer were replaced by a fridge/freezer – but the standalones had far more capacity – and the freezer is sorely missed as this one we have now is far too small for the usual market stock up of meats, etc. SO… a new freezer for Liz’s bulk meats and beyond… and a new fridge/freezer (to replace the original I had for my fishing mainly and which went to ‘FF-Heaven’ via the council), the freezer part will be predominantly for me and my baits … with the fridge part being shared so as to act partially for bait storage for me and also for use by Liz as an overflow for the kitchen’s in times of need (eg Xmas stocking up)… and both of these, fridge and fridge/freezer, are destined to live in the new build as my fridge/freezer was originally :)

Also there’s the usual garden, etc stuff which due to the work going on has been a bit neglected for a while … and I expect the rains will return at some point so making cutting of the grass ‘a thing’ again. So fishing will be fitted as and when but hoping to make it at least once a week even if just early morning with the lure rod after perch for an hour or so pre-daily tasks.