Beyond a joke now...

I was surprised to see that the ice covering the lakes defrosted Saturday night and knowing that the fishing can be brilliant as soon as this disappears couldn’t help but wonder if my decision to fish on Monday night was slightly too late. Sunday evening would have been best yet every other weekend I don’t fish as it’s the ladies weekend off and by doing this it creates a good balance in the relationship.

A brief look at the weather forecast though showed a band of wet and windy weather approaching, however rarely beaten; I headed for the lake I’ve been pre-baiting late afternoon. The rain had started and the wind was gaining in strength, yet amazingly the spod flew out nice an easily, even against the strong side wind. Come an hour later though I was back in the car cursing a number of things. I could have blamed the crap maggots that I bought from the local tackle shop, the annoying road works in Aldershot making any journey made around the kids school run extremely frustrating, even the strap of my Petzl head torch that after years of trusted service has now become loose and hangs of the end of my nose, or the oversized hood to my waterproof that hangs in front of my face obscuring my vision, yet all these things are normally taken in my stride. What’s annoying me and basically causing me to become what can only be described as depressed is this f*****g weather! Sorry for swearing, but its now beyond a joke! Last week we saw temperatures dropping to a chilling -6 some nights, yet today it’s a Caribbean 11 degrees. With the temperature up and down like a whores draws us anglers stand little chance of putting a consistent run of form together. In fact we stand little chance of putting a fish on the bank. To be honest I sometimes wish I was an angler that was happy to chuck out a deadbait in the most comfy swim on the lake or a boilie with a PVA bag of pellets attached, yet I’m not. I’m the sort of angler that has to work a swim, casting repeatedly and watching the water, and when this isn’t possible due to a mixture of heavy rain and gale force winds, well there’s little point me being there as its only going to stress me out!

Fortunately the girlfriend sensed my frustration and knowing that the wet and windy weather was to continue through Tuesday evening decided to change our seeing night to Tuesday, freeing up the best fishing conditions of the week, Wednesday. This is great as I can stay in doors whilst the rain falls and create a predator article of a European magazine that’s been requested. Maybe it’s all falling into place, yet the way my luck is running, come Wednesday a freak tornado’s likely to hit the venue I’m fishing!

After dropping the girlfriend of I headed to a local lake with a couple of new pike rigs. I had written an article for a European magazine of popping baits up for pike and whist doing so it got the brain going. I needed to test out what I thought would work and less than an hour after casting a sardine popped up six inches of the bottom received a screamer from a good double. I was hoping for more, yet the clouds dispersed and the sun came out probably killing any further action so by late morning I was home once more and organising a late afternoon evening trip to the lake I have been pre-baiting. Unfortunately the fish were once again being elusive and apart from two definite enquiries the evening past uneventful.

Although I was up early on Thursday, I didn’t cast out till around 9am. The session was more to take a look at a venue that has produced the odd big pike over the last few months as well as catching up with my brother. My efforts went unrewarded, yet Kevin took a couple of pike to 12lb which was encouraging. The lake has a very choddy bottom and presenting rigs effectively over the top is difficult, so later that day I tied up a couple of rigs that offer slow sinking herrings. Arriving at the lake on Friday well before dawn I fishing four three hours yet once again my efforts went unrewarded. Friday evening I was once again fishing the pre-baited lake after depositing a good helping of hemp and dead maggots within. The wind was finally easing and with a couple of fish showing as dusk fell my confidence rose, yet apart from two slight tremors the fish once again got the better of me. I have to say that although I’m not catching a great deal, I feel that I’m fishing well and more to the point I’m enjoying getting back into the big fish scene again. A few more fish would be appreciated though, yet when targeting tough venues and big fish, things don’t always go to plan, however I know that one day, hopefully soon, the right bite will come along and my run of poor form will be forgotten.