New Target

So it has been like for ever since I posted anything up on the blog, well sometime absence makes the heart grow fonder.

To be honest the fishing and the writing had become a tad boring and whilst I enjoyed being out, the lack of catching bar stunted fish was again getting boring. So I stopped, regrouped and went tench fishing for the last 2 months. But alas, this has to be the worst tench season I have ever had, so again I stopped and regrouped.

I couldn't decided what to do or where to go, so I looked back at last summer to look for inspiration to the lack of mojo. It was last September when after much deliberation that I was encouraged to go rudd fishing a few times and I kinda enjoyed it.

Whilst never specifically targeting them I had caught my far share of rudd to half a pound, but I never found that as a species that they grow to a size locally that could mean they were worth targeting as species. This was all to change after chatting to my good pal John W who is an out and out specimen hunter, but you'll never heard him call himself that. John is a man in the know, on the grape vine, in the inner circle of anglers who get put onto other species but other anglers in the know.
So when he put me onto a water that had down rudd to 3lb+ I had to have a go. Well last summer I caught a few to a 1lb 8oz within a few sessions, then the autumn came and toothy species then came back onto my radar so the rudd go put on the back burner.

Well with the tench fishing being a trifle pants and me being me and needing a new challenge, I decided that I ditch the tench fishing and target some rudd. So early on Saturday I drove for a hour and a bit to a lovely gravel pit where the rudd grow quite big.
On arrival there was a few cars parked up. Most of these are likely to be carp anglers as this water has a decent head of carp to 30lb+ plus some good silver fish numbers. I wasn't worried by the number of cars and I knew that the carp anglers would be in there favourite carpy swims, which would leave the rudd swim alone. Upon arriving on the bank I was right, the carpy swims were indeed taken and the rudd swims were vacant bar one.

I set up in the best swim and soon have the baits out by the lillies. After much deliberation the night before, I gone set up with running rigs rather than bolt rigs to see if this made much of a difference to the  finicky bite rudd can give. Baits were simple 10mm boillies on one rod and 2 grains of corn on the other.

With the baits in position and a few freebies scatter over the top, it was time to get the stove on for a morning brew.

The morning was warm and muggy, just they type of morning were you could expect some thunder and lightening, but the only rumbling was the sound of the mosquitos that were buzzing about my head. Every so often, one of these blood suckers would land on my neck or hand to see if they could get a free meal.

With the tea warming me, the sounder box bleeped and the bobbins jangled whilst being pulled to the rod. Upon setting the hook and fish could be felt at the other end. It was soon netted and a nice pound plus rudd to boot.

This was soon unhooked and returned.

The early morning rushed by and the rudd seemed to be on the feed, but not enough to trouble the angler to much. The bobbins would jangle, jump, pull and drop but this was most likely small fish trying to take the large baits.

The clock turned 9am and the rain started as I feared it would, so the brolly went up and this seem to make the mugginess even closer.

The rain didn't last long and as the last few drops feel the sounder box was bleeping again. Something was snaffling the corn. The bobbin did it usual dancing and then steadily rose to the rod. Upon setting the hook this felt a better fish and soon a nice 2lb+ rudd was in the folds of the net. What struck me was that this fish was a lot fatter than the other rudd I had previously caught from here and it felt like a monster fish.

I rest the fish in the net and went for the weigh sling and scales from the rucksack, but there was a issue. No scales! I searched the sac and found nothing so they had either been left behind at home or lost on the bank when I was last out roach fishing last autumn. I quickly nipped to see another angler and borrowed a set of scales, but I must admit to being abit weary of there ability to give me the right weight. They final weight was set as 2lb 6oz, but the rudd looked a lot bigger than a near 2.1/2lber. Anyway, it was a new pb and a first 2lb+ rudd for me, so the bar has been set for the coming summer.
The 2lb+ rudd was soon returned and I wish now that I had bothered to get a better snap of it with me, but with all the toing and froing with the scales I kind of wanted to get her back.

The bait was replaced back out and soon another fish was hooked, this was a small skimmer. This was followed less that 10 minutes later with a bigger slab of the 5lb mark. Good fun on light tackle, but they do mess up the braided hooklinks with the slime.

11:00 came and went and the day got hotter and brighter, this killed the rudd fishing and everything else. It wasn't until near on 16:00 that the bites started again, but this was getting late in the day and was time for me to venture back home.

But there is always next week....