Heavy loss

Date fished 20/07/2024

5am until 9.30am

I caught three of five fish that I hooked this morning. Lots of other bites and pulls too. It was a great morning, but.....

An early start as I decided to stay local, I had thought about going to the river but I have some busy weeks ahead, so figured a lazy day was in order. Lazy means a 4.15am alarm for me!! 

7ft ledger rod, small feeder, sweetcorn for the hook and I was ready.  I headed to Wydon lake in Hexham. A long drive, didn't even manage a whole song on Heart 80's and I was there. 

Setting up in my usual swim, the lake looked good. Fish were topping and after a few handfuls of corn, I even saw a tench come to the surface. Grab a floating skin and a flick of its big green tail and it was gone. 

The three fish caught were all around the 3lb mark. Great fun on a little rod at fairly close range. Not sure why tench are so angry, but they seemed to be this morning. 

Two grains of corn on a size 14 to 3lb hooklink seemed to do the business. A 10g cage feeder with mashed corn slop completing the rig. 

So, why the but......? 

The second fish I lost, I didn't see. It's 'best' that way, I think. Or is it? You tell me. 

The first fish I lost, which was the second I played. I saw. It's hard to say a weight in the water, but by it's length it was a very big tench. And it didn't fight half as strongly as the others. I will never know, but that's the "joy" of fishing. 

Home for tea and medals before a ball was bowled.