stevetheangler

Monday 25th June, I took a trip out to my club’s ex-carp-free pool (AA-B) planning to fish a swim that I’d fished probably only twice before (peg 14) – and both those times I hadn’t had a single sniff or nibble – but it does look perfect…

… with the end of an island with overhanging bushes and brambles directly in front, an extensive patch of lilies to the left and the inlet pipe from a small brook that maintains the pools level enters at your feet – although with the dry weather of recent there was no or very little water entering.

Usually I float fish this pool – 9 times out of 10 using the lift method which works well on this water. However, I elected to ledger with frame feeders on this trip using 2 rods. And I tried out a new groundbait additive…. aniseed is supposedly a good flavour/aroma to attract bream and I’d made my own additive – from boiled fennel – the water from boiling was saved and then the solids were blitzed. BTW to find fresh fennel heads was an event in itself – 3 towns and their major supermarkets, Asian supermarkets and greengrocers I visited over 2 days until I eventually located some in a local Waitrose – fennel seeds were plentiful but no good for my needs. Anyway, I added a small handful of the pulped fennel to my usual groundbait mix and fired out a few catapults of that to just short of the island and a few ‘pults of maggots were placed just off the edge of the lily patch (for possible float fishing later) before tackling up.

First casts with the groundbait loaded feeders were made at around 0720 to the island with hookbaits of bread and worm…. small balls of groundbait and maggots were catapulted out about half hourly but to no avail. There were fish about – a couple of small carp swirled and rudd were dotting the surface but I think all their interest was in grabbing the multitudes of hatching midges…

So, come 0930, with nothing doing, I decided to have a walk around the pool to see what was happening elsewhere. First thing I noticed was that the pool in the current conditions (dry for a long spell) would have been quite clear normally but due to the newly stocked carp and their diggings it was now quite coloured. Second thing I noticed was I had the pool all to myself – and didn’t see anyone else all day long after either. Third thing was that the main area of fish activity seemed to be at the opposite end of the pool to where I was set up – as usual!!! So I decided to move my tackle down that end to peg 1 …. also a peg I’d also only fished twice with the same results as 14!

Luckily, well by considered choice really, I have a Ford Galaxy 7-seater and only have 4 seats in situ (driver and front passenger and middle left and centre), with the 2 rear seats and middle right removed which means I have a long clear channel from the back of the driver’s seat to the rear hatch door for long items (rods, etc) plus plenty of room for bags and seats… and this made the move easy as I didn’t even need to pack down seats or rod pods – just pushed in set up…. and the rods, fully tackled, and the landing net were fitted to the roof bars with twist ties….. which are very useful things to have anyway. When sea fishing the rods and rests are bound together with them for transporting and when pier fishing they can be fashioned around any railings to act as secure rod rest/holders. And inexpensive too … think ours came from Aldi several years ago….

So, down to peg 1 I drove and I quickly unpacked and laid out my gear … and cast out with the same set up and baits as previously….. and another two hours passed by with only small nudges on the buzzers and bobbins….

SO… at 1145 I elected to pack up the ledger kit completely and to get out my float rod and to float fish off the edge of the lily pads where I’d been feeding maggots throughout my time there….

By the time I’d packed away the rods and pods and buzzers, etc and set up the float rod with a size 12 hook and a 4AAA antenna shotted to fish on the drop it was now 1230 before I made the first cast with a bunch of 6 maggots…

And first cast, first fish of the day …. a perch around 4oz …. and for the rest of the day until packing up at 1530, using maggot and worm baits, I landed 6 perch of 2oz-6oz and a rudd of around 4oz.

So nothing major came to the net … in fact the landing net didn’t even get damp ….. but it was an enjoyable if not exceedingly hot day (temps around 28/29’C). Aniseed didn’t seem to be a wonder attractor either – perhaps it was TOO strong?? Will have to try it again in lesser quantity … more of ‘an hint of’…?

Plans for next outing …. Friday 29th … a club’s estate pool with mainly tench plus some silvers, perch, pike and eels … and hopes of a possible new PB tench.