stevetheangler

And the day being Saturday August 16th 2014 I headed out to a club pool I’d not fished for probably 12 months – and going out fishing on a Saturday is a rarity itself and that probably having last happened 2 years ago! Weekend fishing for me is usually avoided as that is when the water’s tend to get ‘busy’ with ‘the workers’ making use of their free time – and I, being retired, can pick and choose my moments :). In fact, if it wasn’t for the ‘crowding’ that would happen on the water banks I’d be campaigning for the government to make angling a government sponsored (£50,000 per annum with a minimum 35 hours per week spent at the waterside) activity/occupation – it well deserves to be!

The main reason for the delayed return to the pool was that on the previous session there in the summer of 2013 I was inundated to the point of distraction by carp of 2-4oz constantly attacking the baits – usually grabbing legered baits as they fell and, if they reached the bottom, nibbling 14mm boilies to nothing with 10-15 minutes. And  I left at the end of the day very frustrated.

Anyway, I set off from home around 0630 – a little earlier than planned but the ‘V Festival’ takes place locally and I thought there may be traffic building up – but, in fact, there didn’t appear to be with the road running alongside the pool only busy to the usual degree… but more time to fish anyway!! I had intended to fish a different pool initially but to get there I’d have to pass across the main road ‘V’ site and I suspect traffic around there would be heavier.

 I was the first arrival at the pool – just – as I was closing the gate behind me another angler arrived – and then one arrived about 2 or so later another – and that was it for the day – so much for ‘crowded waters’! :D

 So, car was unloaded and tackle taken to my chosen peg of the day – quickly in case my fellow arrival was also hoping to get the peg :D – peg 8, which is on a widening of the pool and faces across the bay to the dam wall about 40 yards away and has broad-leaved pondweed (Potamogeton natans) growing in the margins…

General topography of the bay is that the bay gently declines down from its marginal 3’ to the 11’ of  the main body of the pool and as that approaches the dam wall it further falls to 20+’ deep.

Intending to fish two rods – one with worm/maggot in the bay for perch which were there pre-water level drop and I was hoping with the return of the PN that the perch would return too, and the other rod with extra-hot chilli enhanced sausages into the main body for carp/bream – I baited up the bay swim with bread crumb mixed with dried blood, small halibut pellets and maggots and wetted with a blitzed prawns/mussels/tuna ‘ooze’ and the main body swim was baited up with a spomb loaded with a breadcrumb, maggots, chilli sausage pieces and small hemp pellets.

Tackle for the day was the usual leger setup with 1.75lb TC rods, 8lb mainline, 8lb braid hooklengths with the ‘perch/bay’ rod with a size 12 hook, the other a size 6.

The view of the pool as seen from from peg 8:    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsbY2LRy8bM

In the video it all looks very calm and it was at the time but during the course of the day in wind freshened and was quite cooling – and although no rain actually fell where I was, it could be seen falling in several places in the distance – particularly over the Wrekin which seemed to be having a good dampening at one point. And at 1500 the breeze freshened further and seemed to hint at incoming rain so I packed up at that time, the other two anglers having left in the previous hour or so. In the end, there was no rain but the extra time at home was useful to effect a couple of tackle repairs/adjustments and to get baits put away, nets set to dry, etc.

OK… the results…

Bay rod… not one perch at all. However, action was virtually constant the whole day long with small carp (mirror and common) of up to 4oz or so, roach of varying size to around 2-3oz and probably 10 small tench of same size as the roach. Also 3 larger carp were hooked with two of 4lb 3oz and 4lb 4oz landed but the third, which felt larger, got into submerged streamer type weed as it came towards the bank and managed to shed the hook.

Main pool rod… many twiddled away baits and plucks and nudges and about 3 carp of about 4oz landed … and one carp of around the 4-5lb mark managed to shed the hook as it was approaching the net

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FUTURE PLANS

Well, I’m hoping to maybe get a few River Severn hours in on Tuesday but that depends… as we’re some work due to happen in the house on the weekend and need to prep the arrears to be dealt with which involves moving furniture, etc probably into the tent on the back lawn… and so need to pitch tent too… but fingers crossed it will all fall into place… I’ve not been on the river since last September but if not this week then should be the following one.