Fenland Magic

Yes, back after a biggie. Hopefully. 

The first afternoon I started on a stretch a fair walk from the campsite. Rudd of all sizes hammered the floating bread. You have to find a method to get through to the bigger fish, as there a huge amounts of litluns.

I resisted the urge to cast until I saw a bow wave of a bigger fish approaching the crust. A bit of compressed flake, pressed hard to withstand the inevitable attacks from the hoardes, was cast out towards the swirl. It was taken straight away and the rod hooped over.

Not the fish I hoped for, but a decent rudd in pristine condition. 

Moving downstream I spotted a decent fish near the far bank lillies and cast accurately for once. The fish hit the bread immediately and I could tell from the start this was a big'un. I hustled the fish unceremoniously over the weed and in to the net. It was a big old warrior and went 2lb 3oz. Well chuffed.

I'd put some mixed seed and corn in a couple of swims to see if I could get a tench or more probably a bream and sure enough, both areas were covered in bubbles. I won't bore you with the details but I caught four bream to 6lb in half hour before getting back to the camper for much needed sustenance. No tench.

A good start indeed and I was already looking forward to fishing the following day.

I won't give you a blow by blow account of the next session, but briefly this is what happened.

I decided to have a recce downstream. I walked about a mile and a half without finding any accessible bank.

When I did find a swim i.e a miniscule gap in the reeds, I started catching pound plus fish straight away.

A speculative cast to the far bank resulted in the float shooting under and I was attached to a very big rudd. Again, I had to bully the fish through weed before it hit the marginal lillies, but I couldn't reach it with the net . It just lay there agonisingly out of reach and as I prodded the net further out I knocked the fish. It flipped over, the hook fell out, then ever so slowly a huge rudd waddled away, never to be seen again.

I was gutted. "Only a fish" , but feck me I was not happy. I then managed to hook one of the poxy swans. Luckily for the swan it came off. God, I loathe them.

To compound the situation I managed pee a full bladder full of urine into my chest waders. I think you'll agree it was time to pack up.

For the final day I decided to try even further downstream. Bully joined me for the day and this stretch proved to have slightly easier accessibility which pleased the ageing Bully.

On my first cast the bread was hit within seconds and a clonking fish just short of two pounds was in the net.

Next cast, same thing. An even bigger fish, 2lb 2oz and in immaculate condition. Fantastic. 

I ended up the countless fish with lots over a pound, a great day.

The condition of these fish is amazing.

A great few days fishing,  I want more of this.

The mighty Fens, big skies, massive empty spaces, some strange places and very different to anywhere else. Long may it remain so.