Contemplation

 Date fished 24/05/2023

12.50 until 16.35

The lighter evenings are perfect for a few after work hours. Driving to Tilcon takes 11 minutes from the office, so it makes sense to combine the two. "If I have to go in the office, I will fish" - something like that. I pity the person that line manages me!! 

I am off to Dorset with the kids for half term, so thought I would get an extra trip in, I am also thinking of going early (5am) on Saturday too, we will see and I will let you know! Is kinda hard to say no when the weather is playing ball. 

I was preparing before the trip and I noted this is my 274th blog entry, maybe I should of kept that for the 300th, but I looked now. Maybe I will remember for the 300th too, do something special!?

Just the float rod this time, with stronger line. As much as I am not after the carp, I dont like them always smashing me up, lets get one on the bank!

Lots of bites but no fish hooked. Was nice to sit and contemplate stuff on the bank for a few hours. 

Workin' 9 to 5

Date fished 20/05/2023

Fished 5am until 10am and work party until 2pm

A 4am alarm woke me up, it must be nearly summer time! I tumbled out of bed and stumbled to the kitchen.

Getting in the car, it said 4 degrees, maybe not quite summer. The mist rose off the lake as I parked up. I wanted to fish a particular swim and at 5am with two cars in the car park, I felt lucky. Of course the two anglers were in that swim, I settled for my second choice. 

As usual bream were the target. It never goes to plan and the first bite was a lovely tench. Still not even 6am. I had the float rod with sweetcorn on the hook and also the feeder rod with pellets or corn, depending. I fished with both rods at first, but the constant knocks and bites meant I could only concentrate on one. I opted to float fish. 

Watching the float as the mist rose was awesome.  It was a bit chilly but the flask of coffee soon warmed me up. I wanted a good picture of the lake but I didn't have my filmographer with me and thought my phone would not do it justice. I fished on and soon it was a bite a chuck. 

Fishing the float is such a nice way to catch, nice and calm. The float buried and the rod was pulled around. The drag spun as the fish was now heading towards Newcastle City centre! My tackle was not suited to carp, so as predicted, it "smashed me up!" Proper style, nothing came back. It is a hard balance using beefy tackle to bully the carp away from the weedy areas, but when you are catching small silvers "most" of the time, I don't need the sea rod and rope style line just yet! 

It's enough to drive you crazy, if you let it! 

I now just had the feeder rod, so carried on fishing with that. The sun was coming through now and I took the wellies off to warm up my feet. This distraction didn't worry the fish and several more tench on the feeder graced my mat. 

Still wanting to float fish, I tackled that back up and cast in. The float was away again, another train heading to the far side of the lake. I played this carp a little longer but again its strength and ability to get to the weeds proving too strong for my 3lb hook link. You think you will land them, they let you dream, just watch 'em shatter!

I was surprised to hook carp because as far I could see and hear, they were busy in the reeds "getting it on." A heron watching over them, surely they are too big for its lunch?! Although I did see the heron at 5am having a large silver fish for breakfast, I thought they targeted smaller fish!? Says the zoologist!? 

The carp left me alone and I enjoyed some fish in the float. 

It was soon 10am, work party time. I swapped the rods for a spade and set about relocating some Iris to the silt trap area. The rest of the crew were in the same boat with a lot of your friends, waitin' for the day you ship'll come in and repaired some swim platforms on both sides of the lake. 

These photos make it look easy, but these civil service hands are not used to manual work. Three hours of digging and about 15 plants moved, including the big one that required wheels!

Am home now, jump in the shower, and the blood starts pumpin'.

It was a great morning, fishing and some manual labour. Unlike Dolly though, I don't agree that .....

"For service and devotion, you would think that I would deserve a fat promotion!"

(Did you spot the other lyrics?) 

A perfect blank

Date fished 1st May 

7.30am until 1.15pm

I have been to Dorset alot this year as Davey was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in mid December. We have rallied together and done our best, chemo number six tomorrow Dad. See you soon x 

I sent Tom ahead to Tilcon to bait up for bream. He has been catching a good few recently, me not so much. I arrived 30 mins after Tom, there was a good few anglers on the lake but I spotted him straight away. He picked a perfect swim, made more perfect when he scooted over a metre and I joined him in his! It was like sharing a sleeping bag!! 

I fished corn under the float, Tom had method feeders with pellets. I think they might of been "marine halibut", I might need to double check. 

We chatted about schools, rugby, our kids, holidays, fishing, cancer, social media, politics, hooking ducks (non eupho) and alot of other nonsense. 

The fishing was secondary today, we chat in pubs over a beer but the chat on the bank is much more relaxing, well to me it is. 

The sun came out and some clothes came off. Both of us Southern softies had thermals of some description on under our layers! It was also a woolly hat for me and I needed to borrow Tom's sunglasses just to keep watch of my float. 

We were soon interrupted by the softest of low volume bite alarms as Tom's right hand rod went about three times. "That's a fish" I hinted as Tom did the business. 

We chatted some more and I had a bite. The hook came back minus the corn, so am counting that as a bite!! 

Tom soon left as we had put the world to rights. I ate my lunch and squinted in the sun. The black clouds came over and I no longer regretted not having my sun glasses. A few spots of rain, then a few more. Within two minutes it was torrential and I laughed at the "fair weather anglers" comment I had made earlier! 

I packed up, drenched to the bone and headed to the car.