After a bit of a break from fishing, to butter the Mrs up with a holiday and because I had just started a new job, I was pleased just to be starting to get back down the pond regularly.My first few nights in the warmer weather had proved frustratingly difficult! The fishing had slowed down a lot whilst I had been away (possibly due to higher water temperatures and resultant lower dissolved oxygen) but regardless of water conditions I still struggled to feel like I was on numbers of fish. Unquestionably, they’re definitely going through a funny phase with just the odd one showing occasionally and captures relatively few and far between. After the last visit I KNEW that a bit of extra effort was required to grind out any kind of a result.
Like normal, I found myself battling the M25 traffic (2hrs worth!) after work – it’s so frustrating and always at its worth when I’m on my way to the lake. Luckily, when I finally got there I found a fairly quiet lake so I decided to follow the plan. I was going to be disciplined and not set up until I was sure I had seen or heard fish; even if this meant I it was after dark. We call it ‘doing a Greg’ after another syndicate member who habitually walks all night till he finds them – and he is extremely successful for the massive effort he puts in…
It got to midnight and I finally heard what I had been patiently waiting for, as a decent fish crashed out in close in a corner along a tree line. I was on it immediately.
Luckily, the commotion had been illuminated by a brightly lit moonlight sky, which meant that I could cast my White Pacific Tuna pop-up into the zone accurately and I was able to catapult a few handfuls of matching baits along the treeline either side of the rig nice and tight too. Finally I was fishing…
It only took until 7:30 the next morning for that rod to receive a twitchy take, as the fish was actually kiting along the snags. I’d just started trying out the new Covert Dark Mugga hooks and having had a good hit on them the week before from another venue had been really pleased with them – each and every fish nailed and no losses despite the weed there.
Once again the hook hold proved to me superb as I necessarily put a fair amount of strain to guide the fish away from the snags, and after a short battle a lovely mirror was guided into the net. The fish was one I’d seen landed one of my very first sessions on Welly and ever since that day I’d wanted it in the net regardless of size. At 41lb it was perfect and that little bit of extra effort had been fully justified and rewarded. Now I can’t wait to get back for more…
Gardner Tackle used:
Size 4 Covert Dark Mugga
Combi Rig – Subterfuge Stiff and Stripped Back 25lb Ultraskin
Lead Clip
1 metre brown leadcore
15lb GT80+ line
2oz choddy Pear Lead
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