Monday, July 24th, I set out on my own, Liz having decided to do some dressmaking/sewing in prep for our holidays, to one of my clubs’ pools – the notoriously hard one (AA-LA1) although the occasional red letter day does happen from time to time there which, to me, adds anticipation albeit mostly misguided but when it happens it becomes an event to cherish!
So, I arrived on-site around 0645, and was pleased to see that it appeared that I was the first to arrive – and often I’m the only one to arrive all day – but after parking on the car park I walked around a corner in the path to see that there was already someone there, complete with car and bivvy set up in the swim I’d wanted to fish.. so I walked back to the car and past heading to my second choice swim which was in the far corner of the near end of the pool next to the water inlet pipe, only to discover the swim no longer existed – all overgrown and it seemed the platform/bay had been removed…
Historical Pictures
… and so it was on to the 3rd choice of swim – a bit further along the far bank to the next peg .. not actually a bad peg really as Liz had a good tench from it (actually at that time her PB of 3lb 14oz – and which was only recently increased to 4lb 4oz at another venue a few weeks ago) … and one day I had three double figure carp within about an hour on floaters from it a couple of seasons ago.
However, the ‘inlet’ swim would have been perfect for the day as the wind was blowing directly down into that corner and a large amount of scum (which would include fishy foodstuffs) had built up – and to paraphrase the saying “where’s there’s muck, there’s brass’” then often it’s a case of “where there’s scum, there’s fish”. And, in fact, around that area of the pool was where I spotted the most fish action with frequent patches of carp bubbles rising… However, that area was castable too … and I did place one bait (worm/maggot) in that area for most of the day…
Views from the swim….
So, I baited up 3 areas – the first out to my left just out of the overhanging bush that can be seen in the picture was fed with maggot at intervals throughout the day, the second was into the open water to the left where the bubbling evident and groundbait/particles/maggot was fed, and the third was directly in front just off the bank of the island that lies there. Initially I had one baited hook (size 12, maggot/worm) over on the left open water as I said, the other was bread initially, changed to prawn later, over to the island. And for the last hour and a half of the day the left hand rod was switched to fish into the near bank fed area.
A couple of single ‘beeps’ from the right hand rod on bread was the full extent of the action on that rod but late in the day a good sized carp – as golden as a pristine rudd – did head’n’tail a few feet from where my bait lay … and the left hand rod fared only slightly better when a small perch was hooked from the open water area…
So, at 1600 I decided it a day and head home…..
I did notice that due to the current dry spell that the pool level was down a bit – around 1.5’-2’ in my reckoning looking at the water marks and other signs around the pool – and most noticeably by the gap below these island willows’ mantles which would normally be brushing the water’s surface…
So, hoping to get out again on Friday 28th – especially after spending a lot of hours in the garden today to catch up on jobs that I’ve been unable to get done previously – hedge and conifer trimming and grass cutting – as whenever I’d had the time to do them enough rain fell to have to cancel them. However, got out early this morning before the sun got too high and managed to do them – albeit it was getting too hot to clear the hedge trimmings which is a job for tomorrow. Possible destinations for the Friday trip – Warks Avon after bream, tenching at a club pool, or just a fun day at a club pool with high stocks of many species! The WA trip is holding the ‘advantage’ in my head currently though.
stevetheangler 
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