All Change

I've caught next to nothing since the season ended and was flitting about doing nothing very well.

A change was needed, so I packed the camper full of gear for a few days chasing tench and crucians. 

Unfortunately, a family issue meant that I'd have to leave a day later than planned, so I grabbed some tackle out the van and headed off to the first crucian water.

It was a small commercial fishery. To be honest, as commercials go it was quite nice, not really my thing at all, but lure of some, cliché alert, "bars of gold" ( copyright Angling Times ) was too much to resist.

I started tackling up and found I'd forgotten the hemp. And the worms, but far more serious than that I'd forgotten.....the fecking reel.  Unbelievable. 

The Drennan Speci Float rod was pressed into service as a pole, with the line tied to the tip ring. What an absolute noddy.

Luckily, the only other angler there was kind enough to lend me his spare reel. Lovely old boy, but when I looked it had about ten yards of 20lb line on the spool. Luckily I'd got several spare spools, so I loaded it some 4lb Maxima and we were fishing.

I think lack of hemp may have inadvertently helped the crucian fishing because the usually dominant ( so I was told ) tench seemed, if not absent, present in lesser numbers than expected. 

In three hours I had six cracking crucians between 1lb 4oz and 1lb 14oz plus several nice tench. All in absolutely immaculate condition I'm pleased to say. 

Nice place, but a few hours was enough for me.

Next day I was heading to another "tench and crucian" venue, this time in the camper.

Having a recce before making an early start the following morning, I was stunned at the beauty of the place. Its a tiny pond, but full of wildlife with loads of lilies,weed and cover and best of all, far from the madding crowd.

Rising very early, I walked the half mile or so to the pond with the sound of the dawn chorus growing and in the half light I tackled up, squinting and struggling to see properly. 

A couple of handfuls of groundbait laced with dead maggots, hemp and diced meat was chucked in and within twenty minutes the swim was fizzing with bubbles.

I seemed to have problems with the line wrapping round the rod tip, preventing a smooth cast. Or so I thought. When it got light properly I found out I'd missed out THREE consecutive rod rings ! Which obviously resulted in the line sticking to the blank. Plonker. 

It was a very warm day and it looked like I'd timed it perfectly, the fish were active and feeding.

The lift method. I have to say that despite using it a fair bit, Ive never been totally happy with it. In theory, great, but too many missed bites for me. 

What do you mean it might be my lack of competence and not the method ?

Anyway, I fished a dead depth float rig with a little piece of peacock quill, which worked really well, with the vast majority of bites hit. 

Tench outnumbered the crucians and it certainly felt like they were bullying them out the way. 

Pretty much all baits worked but tiny specks of meat on a size 16 were without doubt the most effective. What crucians I did have, were caught very close in next to marginal cover, beautiful dark fish quite different in colouration to yesterday's fish.

The final score was twenty seven tench and five crucians, so plenty of action on the hottest day of the year so far, with added bonus of having the place to myself. A truly lovely day all round.

Back at the campsite I feasted on crackers, half a pound of Stilton and a very good bottle of Chilean Merlot, whilst listening to football on the radio. Ahh, I love it.

Next day was forecast to be cold and rainy. They were not wrong. I thought, shall I just have a bit of a lay in and not bother fishing? Pfffff.

No, let's give it a couple of hours.

Started about eight ish, brolly up, the Drennan Speci Float, 3lb Maxima ( still the best ) tiny home made peacock quill, with 2BB bulk and two no 8 droppers to a no 16 B983.

Within ten minutes of putting some bait in the bubbling started. A steady stream of tench followed before I walked round the lake to have a chat with The Crucian King. 

What a nice chap, I picked his brains and learned a few things and was pleased to see his method was pretty much a more refined version of mine ( or the other way round ), but with a very specific way of feeding. Watching him you could tell he'd spent hours getting it right.

Basically to to catch the crucians, don't attract the tench. Simple but very difficult. 

I was happy catching anything, especially tench and the feed I was using, hemp, diced meat and liquidised corn certainly did that.

As the rain continued, I made regular trips to the camper to make tea and coffee and warm up. Yesterday, hot and sunny, 22 degrees. Today wet, 9 degrees. That's Old Blighty for you.

At midday TCK said " I thought you were only staying for a couple of hours ? ". 

"I'll be off shortly" I replied.

At six in the evening we had the same conversation, but this time I did pack up, two hours having turned in to eight.

I was muddy, soaking wet and very happy.

That's fishing for you.