After losing April due to the unfortunate closure of the
lake the wait for the start of the new club season was longer than ever however today it had finally arrived.
I suspected that there would be a fair few down there on
opening day so I decided to make an earlier than normal start to get a good
choice of swim. I had three or four in mind for my first session of the year.
I was up at 4:45am and out of the house by 5:30 or so.
Not surprisingly there wasn’t much traffic about and so I arrived at the
fishery in good time. My concerns were confirmed when I discovered that I was
the 7th car there.
My first choice of swim was the one right at the top of the lake facing the island. This is the shortest point between island and bank. After loading up the trolley I walked to the swim and found it empty. Lovely.
I set up the float road with a 3bb waggler to a size 16 hook. The waggler was of the clear crystal variety. The feeder rod I setup with a size 16 hook length with a 1/8 ounce bomb to 6 lb main line. Both of these setups contained flaws which showed up during the day. For hook bait I used single maggot and 10ml strawberry boillies respectively.
I made my first casts at 6:46 and sat down and waited for the new season's action to begin.
To be honest the initial going was a bit slow. A fair proportion of this I felt could be attributed to the fact that I couldn't see the float amidst all the shadows on the water. After 20 minutes of eye strain I gave up and changed the float.
Instant success, the new float disappeared almost as soon as it hit the water and in came my first bream of the summer season. This was quickly followed by my first roach and tench.
The feeder rod was also into the action early, 2 small tench with a taste for strawberries also made the virtual net.
Five fish in the first hour wasn't a bad start so I persevered with the same tactics. For the next hour the going on the float rod was very slow. Only three roach made the net. The surprise was the feeder rod. The tip flew round and in came my first NF carp of the season. It was only a 3lb common but it made my day (I'm easily pleased!).
I kept feeding the swim with groundbait (on the hour) plus three or four maggots every cast. I could see/sense fish in the swim but by 9:45 I'd only added 1 roach and 1 bream to the total. The feeder rod produced another strawberry liking tench.
It was at this point that I realised my second set up mistake. I should have gone with a size 18 hook. The 16, I had to load with 2 maggots and the fish were just not taking them and when they were I was missing the bites. On an 18 I could have swopped to single maggot.
I didn't change hooks, instead I chose to swop hook bait. I went on corn and meat and was rewarded with a bream on meat and a tench on corn.
The hour or so leading up to lunch time was very quiet. I was still going with the larger baits on the float but to no avail. The feeder rod did break the monotony when a 2lb common took the bait.
At noon I took a 5 minute break to consume my lunch. I've learnt from past mistakes not to eat lunch while staring at a float. One reason you could miss your mouth and the second is that you KNOW the float will go under while your hands are already occupied.
By 1pm I'd caught my first barbel of the season. Not a monster, it was about 5 inches long! On the feeder rod I got a cracking bite but unfortunately lost it when the fish spat the hook.
At the end of the lunch period (14:45) I'd added just a couple more of the small barbel on the float rod and I'd lost another good one on the feeder rod. This one had broken the hooklength.
I now realised my third set up mistake. A size 16 hook was not big enough on the feeder rod. I changed to a size 14 after I was broken and had my decision justified when I managed to land a 4lb common at 15:15.
I knew that NF picks up again in the late afternoon so I carried on using meat on the hook. The bites weren't terribly frequent but they did happen. On one such occasion I landed a 1.5lb bream. This was my biggest of the season so far.
At 16:05 just as I was beginning to feel the effects of the early start the tip flew round and I was into another 3lb common. This fish was the last I would have on the feeder rod.
The fish kept coming on the float rod, 4 bream, 3 tench and another small barbel until 18:00 arrived when I decided to call it a day.
So what made me pack up for the day when I did? All through the session I'd been feeding grains of corn and cubes of meat just in front of the reed bed to my right. One or two of the fish mentioned above came from this swim when I'd been 'having a look' during the day. As it was late in the day I changed the depth so that I would just touch bottom (about 2 feet) and dropped the bait in. I drank a cup of tea and then the float dipped and started to slowly move away. I struck and the fish shot off towards the back pegs at a great rate of knots. When I felt it slow I adjusted the clutch and started to apply pressure. At this point all the terminal tackle headed back to me in the air! It had spat the hook. Devastated I decided to call it a day.
In conclusion, a day of mixed fortunes which on the whole I can't complain about. I caught fish (29) and lost a few. I will be back soon.
Wild life update: None seen today. The bailiff has shot everything.
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