Back On It

With high winds and heavy rain, followed by very cold frosty weather forecast for the coming week, we decided to get a session in before it deteriorated.

The compost heap had been raided for redworms and brandlings, I'd got a few lobworms , plenty of maggots, corn and bread, so I was prepared for anything that swims.

Perch were the main target though and an area on a bend with slightly deeper water was selected. 

I caught a few litluns for the livebait rod and within half hour missed a take. The stab marks identified the culprit as a zander.

Shortly afterwards I was in again. At first  thought I was snagged, but a couple of head shakes told another story.  This was obviously a pike and a very big one.

At this point one of the hoardes of lure anglers thought it would be a good idea to cast over my line. I shouted to him that he'd snagged me but he continued to insist that he'd got a fish on. His lure appeared , twisted round my line and seconds later the fish was off.

I was not happy.

Out with the feeder rod. Immediate bites. Decent roach, skimmers, silver bream, lots of perch and few rudd. The bigger perch seemed to be absent.

Out of nowhere I hooked a bigger one, a lovely fish of 2lb 2oz in prime condition. Lovely. 

It certainly was busy. Walkers, dogs, tourists, boats, cormorants, the most stupid swans in the country and the dreaded lure anglers.

In addition to the bloke who cost me the pike, I had one who cast directly in my swim, a gap in the boats on the far bank. 

"Oh" he said, " I didn't realise you were fishing that far out ". That's OK then.

Another bloke in an inflatable with an electric outboard was working the far bank, vertically jigging as he went. He actually stopped right in my swim. I looked up and saw him and told him to, err, move.

Totally ignored me and carried on fishing.

The discourtesy of many of these anglers is staggering. 

I moved to join Bully for the last hour, who had returned to the "rudd swim". The hungry little fecker.

He was catching nice roach and had had a couple of reasonable rudd, but the shoal certainly seemed to have dispersed.

After brewing fresh tea and cooking up toasties, I managed hook a cracking rudd, which went 2lb 4oz.  Great way to end the session.

The evening was evening better, with the mighty Ipswich beating Chelsea 2-0. Upper Towen !

As a bonus the ongoing shambles at Old Trafford offered more amusement as they crashed to another defeat against Newcastle. 

A great day.