Due to work commitments I haven’t been able to do more than one nights fishing since the end of August! So, all in all, I’ve managed to lose out on two of my favourite months of the year!

With a two night session ahead of me I was chomping at the bit to get the rods out. The venue was chosen, because I had a strong feeling as to where the fish would be at this time of the year, and to confirm this I did see a large fish show the previous week when I had been having a crack at the huge Bream this water holds.
   
On arriving, my first choice of swim was taken but I was still able to cover a similar area from fishing the other side of the lake, although it did mean having to cast a little further.

With the house set up I positioned the rods all at a similar range but covering varying depths by using a bar and the gulleys it created, this meant that I would hopefully be on the fish and they could feed at their preferred depth and I would still be in with a chance.

During the afternoon a fish showed within casting range but higher up the bar in around 6’ of water. A bait was moved to cover this shallower area when the rods were re-done for the night and then as it got too dark for the gulls to see, a few kilos of bait were scattered over the top of the three rods.

My friend Lee was due to turn up after work and with a little guidance he put three baits out towards the holding area and then we settled down for a casserole he had kindly brought down with him. An early night was called for and we both settled down for the long night quietly confident.

2am and my lhr absolutely rips off, and then suddenly stops only to go again as I got to it. I lifted the rod, after tightening the clutch and hit thin air!! I was gutted. My first bite for two months and I’d messed things up. The rod was re-done and put back out and I went back to the warmth of my bag with my tail firmly tucked where I didn’t want it.

Just on first light I had a single bleep, then another, and so with boots on I made my way to the rods to wind in another Bream, or so I thought. As I got to the rods I had a belting take but there were two l.e.d’s on and with my glasses having completely fogged up I couldn’t tell which rod was going into meltdown. I quickly felt both spools and lifted into the one that was moving!

The rod hooped over nicely and as the fish started to move to the left and I started to give line, the hook dropped out!! I was numb with cold and disbelief and just turned back to the dillo in order to re-do the rod when the rhr took off. This was ridiculous. I raced back to the rod only once again lifted into thin air.

Just as this was happening Lee walked down the bank towards me looking a little sheepish and then retold his story of missing a screaming take. I deliberated not telling the whole story but in the end admitted to losing at least one good fish and having the same thing happen to me twice also.

Lee went off to get some silicone as I had run out and wanted to alter my hooking arrangement, but didn’t return, and so I followed him back to his swim only to be told that he had just had another blistering take and on picking up the rod, hit into nothing again. We just couldn’t work it out.

We thought that there may have been a fish towing a rig, or that the smaller stockies were in residence and my rigs in particular, I knew wouldn’t be effective on smaller fish, but Lee’s would, so that didn’t make sense either.

In the end I decided that the fish were probably just feeding quite delicately and so with re-tied rigs, this time with the hair exiting right round the bend of the hook and with lengthened hooklinks the baits were put back in position.

The day proved fruitless until just on dark when I had a 3” drop back on my middle rod. My first thought was Bream, which was quickly replaced by Carp as the fish took off just as I reached for the rod.

The fight was slow and powerful and it was clearly a good fish. After a few anxious moments a rather sizeable fish lay in the net and looked every inch a 30, and so it proved to be. So by just a slight altering of the rig components I had changed my fortune as this fish was never going to come off, the hookhold was perfect.

Sadly no-one was around help with photographing and not wanting to sack the fish I opted to do self take shots, in the wind and rain, not ideal but far more beneficial for the fish, which should always take priority.

Hopefully this weather will improve but I’m not hopeful as we are expected to be subject to wind chill temperatures of minus 18 at some times this week. So venue choice is going to prove critical if the bobbins are going to keep dancing. Til next time, tight lines.