stevetheangler

Well, Liz managed to ‘escape’ her promised day of fishing on Monday 2nd… weather forecast had been horrendous for the planned day with thunderstorms but as it happened we didn’t get the thunder but did get a couple of heavy downpours so still a bad to day to have gone.

I did make it out on Thursday 5th though … forecast was grey skies with possible light rain but, in fact, although the skies were grey all day the 25+% chance of rain never happened and was not a bad day even with the higher than desired winds (up to 14mph) at times.

Destination as usual was to AA-B on the Mike Day Fishery arriving there around 0630, and as usual I was the first arrival and had no problem getting my desired peg – the one I’d fished the previous 2 occasions, peg 8, which has a nice ‘private’ area to fish as it is protected from fishing from the far bank by a large marginal lily patch on that side and also protected by lily pads to each side of the swim from the two neighbouring pegs … not that really came into play as only two other anglers arrived over the day and they fished in the neighbouring carp pool and I had my pool totally to myself.

0715, after the usual preps and tackle setting up I made my first cast … legering with a 21g arlesey bomb on a 4” sliding link stopped 24” from the hook … 8lb mainline with 6” of 8lb braid hooklength connecting the size 4 hook to the mainline.

I’d pre-baited the swim on arrival with a mix of seeds, maggots and cereal groundbait and first cast was with a 3/4” cube of salted meat as that had been the most successful on a/the previous visit… casting just short of the far bank lily pads.

[I’m in to salted baits at the mo … equally based on two things really … [1] its easier to store salted baits – no fridge freezer needed and last at least a few months and also when using things that need freezing (eg prawns) they don’t thaw out and need any leftovers to be discarded after a session – just put the lid on the pot and use next outing.. and next.. and next.. so saves expense too and [2] I’ve generally found that salted baits are more effective than fresh/frozen in terms of attraction … seems not only carp (carp fishers tend include a lot of salt in their feed and baits – and packeted commercially boiled hemp usually comes stored in a glycerine and salt mix as a preservative). The salt sucks out the moisture in the bait and it tends to go rubbery but that in itself is an advantage as it makes the bait stiffer and it holds to the hook better for casting but within a few minutes in the water the bait rehydrates and softens …]

Anyway, I gave the meat an hour in the water with no sign of any attention being paid to it … so I switched to (salted) chilli-sausage for another hour … still no joy … so I switched to a salted but raw king prawn tail (raw prawns are 10x more effective, salted or not, than cooked ones IMHO) and within half an hour the alarm screamed and the bobbin flew up to the rod butt … and after a tussle a nice 3lb 6oz tench graced the net …. and following that I was still having takes at probably 30-45 minute intervals but were too fast to connect too…

A switch to 5 sweetcorn kernels (unsalted) on the hook led to another hour or so of inaction … and so a switch was made back to the prawn baits … and a take was forthcoming within 40 minutes leading to another tench of 3lb exactly… and so the bites continued at 30-40 minute intervals until I needed to pack up but were very quick grab’n’dash’n’drop type ones and I didn’t manage to connect with any of them .

I had to get back to collect Liz from work and help with the weekly grocery shop so had to be homeward bound at 1430 in order to sort tackle and baits away and shower and make myself otherwise presentable …

PLANS

Liz has appointments on Monday and Tuesday and has put dibs on having the car for those days … Friday, Liz’s Dad arrives from Cyprus (well Saturday really as landing at 0200 that morning) so will be prepping to receive… so that leaves Thursday weather being permitting for a session.

The following week Liz, Dad and a family friend are off to Great Yarmouth on a surprise visit to her brother and his wife (wife knows!) to celebrate the couple’s wedding anniversary whilst I stay here looking after the cat and ferret … and go fishing! LOL…

The week of the return of the Gt Yar visitors (back on the Monday) I’m hoping to get Phil (Dad) out fishing on the Wednesday for a few hours which leaves Thursday free for his packing for the return flight to Cyprus on the Friday…

The following week sees the start of October … and I’ll be prepping to start my pike fishing season on Thursday 3rd

October 14th Liz and I are off the Burnham–on-Sea for a week where I’m hoping to get a couple or so sessions in on the two onsite lakes… :D