Monthly Report February 2017
I suppose I’d better start by
explaining TRD from last month’s write up. This actually stands for ‘The Rudd
Diaries’ however to prove I’m not throwing a red-herring in I’m going to reveal
that I’ve given up this winter as I just can’t locate them. Yes and not through
lack of trying, well maybe, in a total of seven evenings at Frensham Great Pond
I have received the grand total of zero bites! Things did look good, as first
evening on, and in the face of a howling breeze my brother managed to bag
himself a 2lb 9oz rudd. Anyone that has fished next to my brother will know
that his flimsy old set-up seems to bleep for England, how he can tell a bite
from the thousands of bleeps is beyond me but bag himself one he did as well as
saying he had another chance. That evening I received the grand total of one
bleep, that I do reckon was an enquiry.
Feeling we weren’t in the right spot I
decided to head to the opposite bank, albeit in another brewing storm. Some
days we just talk ourselves into going, even when we know we shouldn’t and
tonight was one of those days! It was a Sunday and I had to pick the girlfriend
up from work at 4pm and with the light almost gone come 5pm I was on a loser
right from the start, especially heading for an area that I hadn’t fished for a
couple of years. Arriving at around 4.45pm I decided to pull the chest waders
on in the car park and with the rain and wind growing had to wear my waterproof
jacket over the top. With the hood flapping in front of my face and the tackle
loaded over my shoulders and with hands full I made my way down the track but
halfway to the lake I stumbled on a tree root and landed flat on my face. With
my hands full I went down hard and after spitting out a bit of Frensham sand
lay there for a few seconds wondering if I’d done myself any serious damage.
Fortunately I hadn’t and after picking up pieces of kit that was thrown all
over the place finally arrived at a swim to be faced with a howling wind coming
straight in my face and the ice that had covered the lake the previous day now
creating large flat spots in the heavy swirl. I finally moved up the lake a few
yards, where there was no ice and after questioning my sanity managed to spod
some hemp and maggots out. By now it was dark and here I was standing in the
water thinking about going home all the time, but I was determined to fish.
First rod went out fine but on casting the second something went wrong and
although the feeder hit the spot I felt that I had clipped a tree behind. On
winding in I found two foot of carbon dangling of the rod end, Joy. Frensham
has been hard this winter and now down to one rod I finally threw the towel in,
yet there was more damage to be seen as on winding in the first rod I realised
that the handle shaft was bent. More joy. Wet and frustrated I headed home not
realising that this sequence of events would be the highlight of my rudd
diaries!
Back to the other things that I
have been up to and in truth actually being outside has been dramatically
limited, due to a new post that will be revealed next month which has taken up
loads of my time. Ten bankside trips have all that I have managed, five being
personal outings, mainly evenings at Frensham, three have been guiding other
anglers and two have been features which is a shame as halfway through the
month we were blessed with some really mild weather, 18 degrees in fact on the
20th. I was hoping that the six pound plus tench taken at the start of the
month was going to see an upturn in my catch rate but it wasn’t to be, as from
all my efforts I just can’t seem to get any bites, well not from big fish.
Fortunately my customers have fared better and caught, so it really proves that
I should have knocked the rudd fishing on the head and just gone out and caught
what was feeding, something that I will be doing from now on. Although February
has seen limited fishing the hard graft in the office is pretty much done so
with the days getting longer, the weather getting slowly better and knowing
that the fish will be up for a good feed I intend on making up for lost time
during the coming months.
Day to Day events.
01/02/17 – Headed
to Enton to team up with a mate who was enjoying a few hours on his birthday
and with the temperature at 12 degrees thought there may be an outside chance
of a winter crucian! Well I live in hope as the first bite of the new month
came just as darkness was setting in, the culprit a bloody trout. Looks like my
run of form is to continue! Fortunately an hour later another bite came and
although not from a crucian it was from a proper fish this time, a 6lb
tench.
03/02/17 – With a
storm brewing decided today was office day.
04/02/17 – Headed
to Linear Fisheries this morning to team up with my mate Jake Lund and get
another Anglers Mail feature sorted. With around 120 rods out the night before
and only one fish out to our knowledge Jake took note of what was going on did
something different and managed one within 40 minutes of casting out! If you’re
a carper and want to put a few extra fish on the bank then it might be worth
looking out for this feature coming soon to Anglers Mail. And to make things
better I was back hope in time for the rugby, although we won it was a shame it
was such a disappointing match.
05/02/17 – Spent
the afternoon taking a few images for a feature to be shot tomorrow.
06/02/17 – Headed
to a local lake to meet up with a bread/roach expert and gets more article images.
07/02/17 –
Fishing come 7.30am, trying to copy a roach approach recently learnt.
Conditions not great with loads of overnight rain and by arrival time the skies
had cleared leaving a bright sunny start, not what this lake likes. Managed a
few roach to just shy of a pound but after just a couple of hours, and once the
mist had lifted, knew I was up against it. Loved it though and looking forward
to mastering a new art. Should have known that there was something in the air,
but headed to FBP in the hope of catching a few specimen rudd (one would be
nice!), but fishing another new spot managed just one bleep. Brother Kevin
fished next door and lost one as we were packing up. Not sure what hurts most, losing
one or not getting a bite?
08/02/17 – Things
are on the change, no not the weather or my catch rate but something that will
see the direction of my angling career head. Can’t say too much but all will be
revealed in around a month’s time. In the meantime and with the weather turning
somewhat cooler I spent the day in the office finishing off yet another fishing
article.
09/02/17 – The
new project is taking up plenty of office hours but struggling to get my head
around things I headed to Enton to clear my head. Three hours fishing between
5pm and 8pm on a raw day with temperature constant day and night at 2 degrees
bought two bites, both from bloody trout!
10/02/17 – 15/02/17
– I was hoping to get out quite a bit during this period but the new project
has taken up far more time than I had imagined, but at least I’m on the better
side of it now. The weather over this period hasn’t been that great either and
with one of my pets being ill, fishing has taken a back seat of late.
16/02/17 – The
planned visit to the Frome had to be thought due to having to deal with the
sick pet, so I headed to Frensham Big Pond with Chris in the hope of catching a
pike or two to complete a self-take photo article for FAS. I didn’t arrive till
9am due to the problems at home and caught nothing up until noon, yet Chris had
a couple in the net as I arrived so job done. Come 4pm I was back on the lake
this time in the hope of a big rudd yet we both fished till 8pm when we wound
in our rods and inspected the bait which hadn’t been touched.
20/02/17 – Spent
the morning with a couple of customers at Waggoners Wells in unseasonably warm
conditions, 18 degrees. Sport was steady for all of us with roach to a pound
falling to our float tactics.
21 & 22/02/17 –
Another two days getting this new assignment up and running.
23/02/17 – Storm
Doris is sweeping the country but where am I, on the Loddon with a customer. As
they say a good day for catching isn’t a comfortable day for fishing but roving
through the swims Chas was rewarded with three chub, 3lb 9oz, 3lb 10oz and a
last cast whopper weighing 5lb 9oz.
24/02/17 – Out
with Chas again, this time trotting the Blackwater. After a frost it
was always
going to be hard but Chas had chub to 3lb 11oz plus roach, perch, dace, gudgeon
and smaller chub. His cousin Jay spent the day on the lead using bread and had
four chub, the best around 3lb 8oz.
25/02/17 &
27/02/17 – Another couple of full days in the office getting up to date
with things and writing an article for Anglers Mail.
28/02/17 – An
early start, up at 5.30am but still didn’t cast out till around 7.30am due to
one thing and another. Perch were are target for the day but we couldn’t have
wished for worse weather as there had been loads of overnight rain, yet come
dawn the ground was frosty and the skies clear. For some reason, every time I
plan to head to this certain venue with a customer I’m faced with similar
conditions yet we still managed to catch our target species, yet the planned
for two pounders and hopeful three’s failed to show. A few carp kept us on our
toes but sometimes you just have to take what’s delivered and do the best you
can.
Earlier this week I spent a few hours at FAS Badshot Lea, a venue that fishes really well at this time of year. Arriving around 6am we headed up the side of the New-Pin, dad cast out 'FTO' rigs and myself the pellet-cone and plastic in hope of an early season tench. Conditions were far from perfect, bright blue skies plus a chilly S/S wind. Dad managed ten bream averaging 5lb, a tench and a common estimated at around 20lb whilst I couldn't manage a bite on a new tactic and plastic hookbait, yet you have to try new things to stay ahead of the game. Finally realizing that it was too early for the new tactic to work I switched to the Helicopter rig and landed a couple of tench.
Even better if you want to increase your catch rate then why not email me and book a days tutorial where you will learn everything needed to see a never ending supply of fish gracing your net.
