Value for Money

Bank holiday Monday has arrived and all around the country anglers are lining the banks of still waters to get there fishing fix during the extended weekend.

For me, it was on one of my new water for the year and it is becoming a favourite place, trouble is some other had the same idea.

I ventured out of the house at dawn and arrived at the lake in good time, but when pulling into the car park, a sight that I wasn't expecting greeted my eye. Instead of the usual empty car park, there was a number of different car and vans parked up, including a friend who was fishing with me. Its a good job he arrived a lot earlier than me, because, had he not, we would have been struggling to get into some of the better swims.

After the mornings pleasantries were exchanged I was soon lugging the gear to the swim.

I'm still after the elusive tench with the smattering of bream too, so stuck with the carp style fishing set up.

Rod were soon unbanded and rigged up with the usual baits, maggot, corn and 10mm boillies. These Two were cast into an area about 40 yards into the lake and a marginal /sleeper rod was swung out.

The lake was alive with topping silver fish and jumping fry. The fry shoals were vast and with the bright, warm conditions the hunters were out in force. The fry were hugging the bank, closet to me and the perch were swimming adjacent to them, occasionally striking into the shoals for a meal.

Carp love fry

It wasn't long before the alarms were sounding and the bobbins jangling, but alas these were small fish peaking at the baits. Some call them nuisance fish, to me there are just fish that aren't big enough to swallow the baits.

This activity continued most of the morning until a couple of better sized roach hung themselves on the rig. But all was not right and before midday the bites dried up completely, what could be the reason I prey. But no sooner had that thought crossed my mind the middle rod was beeping and the bobbin dancing again, I struck and felt the tiny knock of a roach, only for it to go solid and the tell tell thud of a pike on the line. The pike didn't stay on long and  retrieved the method feeder to find the hook link cut in half.

New link on and feeder recast and i sat back in the very warm sun pondering the morning. The carpers on the lake were having more luck and a few decent fish were landed.

I did hook one bream, but alas it dropped off in the margins.

Midday came and went both being uneventful including the eating of lunch, curling sandwiches and the warm squash, yuk, prefer the winter hotpot and 2 litres of tea!!

The afternoon rolled in and whilst sitting by the rods another jangling roach bite followed by a drop back, so I struck, another some thud was soon followed by the rod bending into something half decent. a tench maybe. Then came the knock of a pike again.  It soon became apparent that Mr Pike was either not letting go of his lunch or was hooked. I was hoping for opinion one, but it was the latter and I was soon battling with a small pike on size 14 hook and 7lb hook link.

Rubbish picture

The pike made a few dashes for freedom, and I was convinced at some point the hook link would be bitten through, but amazingly he was hooked cleanly in the side of the mouth and the hook link was well away from his toothy jaws.

After a spirited fight, he was in the net, the hook neatly in the scissors still with the double red attached.

the pike was soon unhooked and swam away strongly, hopefully the roach and bream would returned.

Alas they didn't and  fished until home was dinner was calling. I packed up at 17:00 n the evening sun still tinca less.

TL