8am until 3pm
On this winter's day, I decided I would still go fishing. The rivers looked at odds on Friday so I planned to go to a lake. Incidentally the Tees at Broken Scar was a little over a metre early on Saturday morning, so I could have tried there instead.
Planning the trip on Friday, I decided on a visit to Moulton lane pond. I had some dead maggots, Sweet corn and pellets as bait. I was pretty much hoping to catch anything on this cold day.
Organising my kit, I took a float rod as I wanted to try some new floats out. The korum loaded blobs, looked good so I was hoping to bag a few fish with them.
I added a few small ledger weights, just incase I needed to change tactics, my chair, a few bits of tackle and a few packets of hooks. Sizes 10, 12 and 14 ( I wished I took 18 and 16 too!!)
Arriving at first light, I went to a swim I had not fished before and set up. Plumbing up, I fished on the bottom. Thinking the fish would be down there in this cold weather.
I was soon accompanied by a little Robin wanting some breakfast. I threw some to the little fella, but he still felt it better to jump on my kit and get his own!
Eventually a little bob on the float signalled a bite, or at least fish swimming around the line. Nothing developed and I was soon changing to a small ledger, to fish again on the bottom. Nothing on this either with maggot, corn or pellet. As my feet turned into blocks of ice, I decided a move was in order. If nothing else, it would warm my feet up!
Picking another swim I had not fished before, a similar pattern was emerging. This time with a Wren though!
I had plumbed this swim too and fished hard on the bottom. As the rain started and apart from some pb birds, this session was starting to look like a big fat blank! Then my float bobbed, a real bite. I struck and missed it. I wished I had smaller hooks as I was sure these were small fish.
I remembered someone saying to me " it started hard, but when I found the fish it was a bite a chuck!"
I had been on the bottom and not found them, so I set the float at half depth and carried on fishing. As I fed a few maggots each cast, I was soon getting a bite every chuck. I had found them!! It was not long before my luck changed and I had a small roach.
It was really bites galore now. My feeding was right, the depth correct and the fish were feeding. I missed lots of bites, but by the lack of resistance, I could tell they were small fish. Suddenly my float buried and I struck. This time, no little silver came across the surface, instead the rod doubled over as a big fish swam off towards the middle. Before I realised the drag was going and the hook hold gave way and it was off. That was no small silver!!
I carried on and bites dried up. Some more feeding and another culprit was on the bank.
As I fished on, it was much better. Plenty of bites, missed fish, a few caught. I was actually fishing and getting amongst them. I was really glad I made the depth change.
As the day drew to a close, I was soon catching a few more fish. All on maggot and all still at the mid depth level.
A day that was looking like a blank, turned into a busy session with lost big fish, fish caught and eventually warm feet! I was impressed with the Korum floats but less impressed with not bring some smaller hooks!
What was more important though was I learnt something. I didn't just keep plugging away on the bottom, I changed tactics and it worked and I was rewarded. Well done me!!
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