My first trip to the Lake was around
mid-September. The conditions were not great with high pressure, bright
sunshine and very warm temperatures. I arrived early in the morning and the
surface was alive with Roach topping. Most of the activity was in one corner of
the Lake so I set up in this area. The Lake is a Carp syndicate and the Roach
were probably feeding on some of the boilie bait that was going in for the Carp?
It made sense to use small boilies in the feed and as hook baits. I know this tactic
was used by other anglers targeting the Roach, so it was a proven tactic to use
until the water temperature dropped significantly. I was using Dynamite baits
frenzied hemp and green lipped muscle method mix groundbait in my open-ended
feeder. Hookbaits were a washter 7mm barrel on the feeder rod and a cut down
source bottom bait over a scattering of the same bait on a running ledger rig.
Casting regularly through the day brought me the odd small fish but feeding was
not high on the agenda for them due to the conditions.
I was very keen to get back to the Lake, so I
was back a few days later for an afternoon session. The conditions were much
more favourable with low pressure and some patchy heavy rain showers. There was not as much activity from the fish
as the previous trip, so I opted for a swim on the end of the wind in a corner
of the Lake. There was also a pump in this corner so would possibly be a good
holding area as it provided cover for the fish. My feeder rod was cast to this
corner and my mini boilie rod was cast more into open water with half a dozen
boilies fired over the top every 15 minutes. The feeder was cast every 15
minutes too and was the first rod to signal a bite. A lovely Roach of about a
pound in weight was soon netted. The boilie rod was away about 15 minutes later
with a similar sized fish. The better sized fished certainly seemed to bee
feeding on this occasion as the next bite that came to the feeder felt like a
much better fish. It kited to my left and I was worried it would deposit the
hook in the shallower margin! I picked up the net and went towards the fish to
scoop it up before it could do that. I drew it towards me and as it came to the
surface, I could see it would easily the biggest Roach I would have caught to
date. I scooped the fish up in the net first time of asking much to my relief.
It weighed 2lb 6oz and was indeed a new personal best Roach.
It was a few weeks later before I could get
back to the Lake. Conditions were not great on this occasion, but I have to
fish when I have time whatever the conditions. The Lake felt very different
now. It was well into Autumn and the mornings were on the chilly side. Fish
activity on the surface was at a minimum and I just knew it would be a
struggle. I had a few small Roach on the groundbait feeder but not a sniff on
the boilie rod. That was until about an hour after dark and I had a drop back
on the boilie rod. I hit into the fish and was met with a very hefty feeling
weight. I thought it was either a record Roach or a Bream. And yes of course it
was a Bream! It was a crazy fish and wiped out the other rod! I took that as a
sign so packed up thinking a change was needed for my next visit.
It was now feeling much more like predator
fishing season so when Giles asked if I fancied a trip out trolling for Pike I
jumped at the chance! Conditions were great with a mild breeze and overcast
skies, so we were hopeful of some action. As always I got to the venue nice and
early. We were fishing a small Fenland River that has good form for Pike and
Perch. I had my dropshot rod with me and while I was waiting for Giles to turn
up, I cast a Lobworm out in a pool to see if I could get a quick bite. Sure
enough I soon had the tip of my rod knocking away. I struck into a solid
feeling fish and a nice Perch came doggedly to the net. At around 2lb in weight
it was a lovely bonus fish. Not long after this Giles pulled up and we set
about getting the boat ready for the day.
We set off downriver trolling hard jerkbaits
behind us. Just one rod each and holding them so we could be in contact with
any fish straight away. The first half an hour was very uneventful with no
action coming to either of our rods. Eventually we came to an area we had
caught some good Perch from in the past so as we slowly drifted, I dropped a
worm over the side on the dropshot rod with an almost instant result! After a
short tussle I netted a gnarly old looking Perch and was another lovely bonus fish
on what looked like a hard days Pike fishing ahead of us. Thankfully it did not
take long for the Pike to start smashing our lures after we got trolling again.
We were getting regular action all along the River from that point and double
hook ups happening on more than one occasion. The Pike were not big but
provided lots of fun and by the end of the day we had boated 23 Pike!
By the time my next Roach session came along it
was mid-November and a change of tactics was employed after the lack of action
the previous trip. I was using maggot feeders fished helicopter style on both
rods. Short fluorocarbon rigs. One had a small size 14 hook with single or
double maggot and the other was a large size 10 wide gape with a fake maggot on
the shank and two lives on the bend. The idea being I would get lots of bites
on the small hook and less bites on the big hook, but hopefully from the bigger
fish. Every cast I made I would first pour in a generous helping of my
favourite Dynamite baits xl liquid strawberry for high attraction to hopefully
draw the fish to my hookbait, which was also dipped in the same liquid.
Action was coming on a regular basis with Roach
to just over a pound in weight. Perch also kept the alarms bleeping as fish to
about a pound joined in on the action. The day was drawing to an end and Dusk
had now fallen. There was little activity now so I decided I would slowly pack
up and head home in half an hour’s time. As I was packing my bait away, I
received a drop back on my left-hand rod. I wound into a fish that certainly
felt bigger than anything I had hooked previously. It came towards me easily,
but it did kite over my right-hand rod which I had to drop down in the water to
avoid a tangle. As it was getting closer to the net the heavier it seemed to
feel. I netted it first time but did not get a good look due to my head torch being on a low setting. As soon as I turned up the light level and saw exactly
what was laying in my net, I said to myself “that’s a 3lber!” Or something to
that effect! On the mat the fish looked massive. Really wide! I wetted the
sling and zeroed it on the scales before putting the fish in it. As I lifted
the fish clear of the mat the needle did indeed go past the 3lb mark and
settled in-between 3lb 3oz and 3lb 4oz. I settled for the former as I didn’t
want to be greedy! Lol
I was absolutely shaking, and I didn’t think
self-take pictures would be a good idea. Luckily, earlier in the day another
member, Richard, offered help with pictures if I needed it. So, I took him up
on the kind offer. Richard and another member James came over and took some
great pictures for me. Interestingly the big fish came to the rod with the big
hook as did all the better fish previously. It certainly seemed to confirm my
reasoning behind using it, and I’m glad I did.
