Back to work

Date fished 18/8/2021

17.30 until 21.19

It was back to work on Monday and after reviewing the 222 e mails in my inbox, I figured it was time for some more fishing! Tom and I planned to have an evening surface fishing session at Tilcon. I had heard of an approx. 8lb Bream taking surface baits, I wanted some of that action!

Tom picked me up at 5pm and it was all systems go towards the lake. Not quite as sunny and warm as it had been, but I was confident of getting the fish feeding off the surface.  

Another angler was in the swim we wanted to fish so we had a look on the opposite bank. The wind was blowing towards us and towards some lillies so we thought our baits could drift that way. We cast out and fired a few dog biscuits out.  Soon the fish were feeding off the surface but the "trot" was short as the wind was blowing our line quickly into the lillies. We wound in and started again, not wanting to have to battle fish in the lillies. 

It was Tom that had the first take. A strong fish taking his bait. He struck and fought the fish, but sadly lost it.  The only action I had was quite close in that we saw the Carp, very golden in colour. It came up several times and sucked my float, I assume thinking the white float was a piece of bread! 

The other angler packed up so we moved around to our favoured spot. We cast to different areas and fed slowly. We were soon seeing Carp and Bream taking the baits. Carp being noisy and sucking them in and the Bream breaking the surface with their back and porpoising over the biscuit. 

Tom had another two takes, but lost them both. The first a reel malfunction when the line caught round the handle quite unexpectedly and the second when the fish swam fast towards him and the line was slack. 

As the bats came out and we could just still see the floats, I asked Tom when we were leaving. I asked the time, it was 21.13 and so I said 

"ok, at 21.20 we pack up".

 He laughed and said "21.15 might be better!" 

It was no use, I could not take the fish taking everything around my float but my bait, so I gave up. Just as I did, Tom struck. His fourth take. The time was 21.19 and the odds were with him. The fish was in open water, it was played to the net. 

At exactly 9lb, it really was a job well done. Maybe I should get a different job, another blank for me!!