Once the heat went from the sun the wind was icy. Two fleeces and the waterproof jacket just about stopped me shivering as I sat behind three carp rods. This time the wind did as it was told and dropped with the sun. Things were looking up, especially as there was a short drop back to the marked rod. Even if it was just a liner there were fish moving over the baited area. I wasnt the only one who thought summer was getting closer. There was a swift, my first spot of the year, flying overhead at one point. Plenty of bats both high and low once it was dark, too.
It stayed bearable until tennish when it picked up again. Once more I decided to cut the session short and pack up at half past. Stuff was tidied away when I checked to see just a few minutes left until home time. Then the unexpected happened. The random corn was off again on a steady run. obviously not a carp I took it easy as I wound the tench in. Near the net it woke up. Three test rods are far from ideal for playing tench. Not wanting to tear the size 14 free I had to play the fish off the reel. On a lighter rod I could have put a bend in the rod and netted the fish quicker. A tench in the dark was a turn up, though. Maybe if I let them think I'm after carp I'll catch more tench in the night like carp anglers do? And maybe like carp anglers manage they'll all be over seven pounds too!
On the mat it looked like it would make five pounds, but being skinny it fell short by an ounce. My tench guestimates are getting better.
Still waiting around for blanks to arrive I couldn't face any more boredom on Tuesday and headed to the railway pond for some guaranteed small carp action. The idea being to see if the 10mm boilies I'd bought, and tried a couple of times, would actually appeal to fish. I only went for a couple of hours, which turned in to two and a half fishing the usual margin approach with baits over pellets. I threw a couple of the boilies to a cheeky mallard. Ducks eat anything. Anything except these boilies. It picked on up, played with it and spat it out. Great...
Around five the boilie attached to a hook was picked up by a fish and not dropped. The fish, however, fell off. It only felt bucket sized, but at least something had picked up one of the baits!
Wednesday was another day of frustration spent waiting for Mr UPS. Who didn't bother turning up. More in anger than anything I put some gear together and went to sit in the last of the sun. This time behind three tench rods. Like a pillock I picked the only swim on the bank which was shaded from the sun. Apart form numerous single bleeps, which could have been liners or small fish playing with the baits, nothing else happened.
I just wish I could decide whether to fish for tench or carp. Trying to do both doesn't really work. The trouble is I'm not sure the tench in the lake are interesting enough to me. And the carp are only interesting as a target to achieve. As fish they are (mostly) horrible ugly things that don't excite me. Time to get the eel baits out, perhaps?
