Well it has been a while since I last got a line in the water so I made the most of an early finish at work and headed off to Farlows. As usual I dropped on to the motorway bank for ease of getting back to the car once the gates were locked. I planned on dropping one rod out against an inaccessible bank about 30m away and the other flicked around a bush. As I scanned the water I saw fish roll over both my chosen marks. It seemed that this was going to be too easy. I really must stop saying that!
I chose to fish running leads on both rods to give myself a good indication of any impending action. PVA bags of pellet and broken bollies were attached to both rigs and the closer rod was chucked over a bed of hemp, pellet and more broken boilies. All I had to do was wait. It wasn’t long before the bush indicator started giving some twitches, see I told you it wouldn’t take long! Then off it went pulling line off the baitrunner. Too easy. I hit it hard and……..nothing! Not even a slight bump. I rebaited and recast, topping up the loose feed too and it wasn’t long before the same rod rattled off again. Once again I hit the run and resulted in grabbing fresh air. A change to semi fixed leads made no difference and the runs proved un hittable. Anyone got any ideas?
Part 2.
A few days latter and back on the same bank but a peg or 2 further up I was back for another evening session. This time I went for semi fixed leads straight away with short hook links and 3 or 4 bait PVA stringers. This evening there were even more fish moving, spawning or post spawning troughing session? This time to avoid a complete blank I also set up a float rod to try my luck on the corn for roach and skimmers.
The first problem I found was that a family of Moorhens locked onto my bait and over the next 2 hours repeatedly raided my trap nicking every last freebee, from time to timeI even got a twitch as one of the adults tried and thankfully dropped the far hookbait.
Meanwhile to lift my spirits out came the light float rod with a 2.5lb bottom and size 16 hook. To begin with all went well and despite a difficult cast (well it was for me) I got a steady stream of bites from the margin under a tree catching roach and bream upto about 8oz. As usual the float wavered, lifted 2 or 3 in and slid away, I struck and hit bottom then the bottom moved slowly and deliberately off towards some tree roots. Carp? Tench? Either way my light tackle was no match and I mentally kicked myself hard for leaving my avon float rod and 6lb line in the holdall. Amazing my self the fish turned, now if only I can get the fish into open water I might stand a glimmer of hope……..oops no now it headeded into the tangle of branches. More pressure and the hook link parted. Flip flip flip!
Annoyed with my lack of fore thought I put the float rod away and dropped a running lead with a boilie and stringer on the spot where I’d been feeding the corn. Just after dark this 3rd rod slowly lifted the ultra light bobbin to the butt. I wanted to hit it early before it developed into a screaming run straight into the snag. True to form I lifted into the fish and once again found fresh air. It wasn’t too long after that I packed away and went home.
2 short sessions a real dilemma about my tactics and no decent fish to show for my efforts. The only saving grace was that on both occaisions the bailiff failed to relieve me of my day ticket money! I need to put some fish on the bank and soon.
