stevetheangler

Friday 21st April and I re-visited the pool of Session 17 (WL2) – but as I’d taken two anti-diarrhoea capsules the previous evening at bedtime and a further one with breakfast I was hoping to at least get to stay a bit longer – and it worked! I arrived at 0700 and departed at around 1530…

I decided to start the day float fishing down the margins with a 5AAA antenna float using the lift-method technique and then later, unless action of the float rod was significant enough to stay fishing that method, to switch over to two ledger rods fished out between my position and an island that lies in the area between the two photos above.

So I did my usual pre-fishing preps but which this time included casting out a marker float for the planned ledger part of the session. Actually, the ‘marker float’ was my FishSpy camera and I had been hoping to grab some underwater footage over the course of the day but, unfortunately, although the camera had been attached to my PC overnight, the battery appeared not to have charged… reconnected since and charged OK so not sure what had happened before. Right, so with marker float in position I put out about 2Kg of feed (usual bread crumb based with maggots, particles and pellets added and wetted with creamed rice pudding to which tuna, sardine and molasses had been added) around it … and also 3-4 golf ball sized lumps in the area of the margin I intended to fish.

So, preps completed, the float rod was set to the correct depth and cast out using 6lb line and a size 12 hook baited with worm and maggot. At intervals the usual loose maggots were catapulted around the float… and regular small lifts and dips were apparent but it was around 1000 when the first fish was captured – a tench of 2lb 0oz …

[ORIGINAL TEXT: but the anti-camera gods struck again as I took 10 shots of me holding it via the camera’s self-timer function and then released the fish – however, on checking the captured shots all I had was a ‘Memory Card Error’ message! It seems the memory card was not seating correctly and thus nothing was recorded – took out the card and then replaced it back in the camera – and was working correctly.]

CORRECTED TEXT: At the time it seemed that the pictures of the tench had failed for the reasons described above… however, when I used the memory card from the camera for another subject and cane to transfer to PC I found that the pictures of the tench had, in fact, actually been recorded  … and here it is!!

Anyway, despite making slight changes to the shotting and even setting to fish on-the-drop and with the bait a couple of inches off bottom the only other capture was a small (1oz) perch…

1130 and I decided to get the ledger rods into action – 8lb line and size 6 hooks – one rod baited with bread and sweetcorn cocktail and the other with luncheon meat cubes both fished into the pre-baited area and with additional feed in the shape of luncheon meat cubes catapulted out now and then. However by 1515 not a single touch had been registered (bar a diving coot that kept hitting my line underwater twixt me and bait – still, the alarm beeps got the adrenaline going a bit!) and I started to tidy my area and pack away unneeded equipments and baits … and at 1530 I pulled in my lines completely.

The future? Well, as we’re away the week after next camping in Newquay, Cornwall, next week is designated to checking the camping gear and sorting stuff out so no fishing can be fitted in then … the week after, well the sea rods and gear are being packed so hopefully we’ll find some suitable rocks, harbour or pier… and the crab lines are packed too for mine and Liz’s holiday crab competition(s)…..

And then there’s our traditional Wetherspoon’s holiday breakfast to be look forward to as well!! YUMMMMYYYY MUMMMMY! Just hope they’ve Sadler’s Mud City Stout on and I’d be heaven!!