14/08/2024 - Another Day - Another Place

 The weather forecast was promising, just an odd light rain shower with a gentle breeze, they got it wrong again. Within five miles of leaving home, it started to rain within fifteen minutes the visibility was poor, making driving a hazard on the motorway, especially with the spray from numerous lorries etc, as we drove on, the weather was getting to be more like November than July. Leaving the motorway driving become better, without the spray being thrown up by heavy vehicles. About an hour after leaving home we arrived at our chosen venue. By this time the track to the water was soft mud with numerous puddles, but the rain had stopped. After parking, I went off with a saw, to deal with a fallen tree across the track, I left my friend to get sorted out, then to find a swim on the left. Some thirty minutes later I’d dealt with the fallen tree, then went back to collect my tackle. Expecting to see Martyn tackled up, he was nowhere to be seen. Loaded up like a mule, I trekked to the other side of the water eventually finding Martyn, saying “Why didn’t you turn left from the car park” he answered “I watched you go off towards the other bank” I remarked “That was to sort out the tree across the footpath”. Eventually we chose two swims with a mixture of reed mace and bulrushes, its not so often I find a mix of both close together. Martyn called to me “I can see some bubbling tench in my swim”

Several Hours Of Heavy Rain

I chose to fish two rods, a converted Sharps 14 foot salmon rod, with a centre pin reel and 12lb bs line to which I tied on a size 4 hook, that would be used if I spotted a carp or hear clooping from the next swim. My second rod was an Edgar Sealey Rover, matched with a Richard Carter centre pin and 4lb line, I then attached a balsa waggler float taking five BB shot, then a size 6 hook. This outfit was for perch and rudd, my baits would be lobs, crust or flake. Within half an hour the rain started, not just a light shower, but best described as torrential rain for over five hours, at times it hammered on the water surface leaving it covered in bubbles, before the rain, carp could be heard clooping, or seen rolling and cruising around, now there was no sound or view of the fish. visibly was so poor at times I couldn’t see the end of the lake, the water fowl had moved away to a sheltered place. So heavy was the rain, I was soon standing in a large puddle.It was time for a brew, igniting the Jetboiler I waited for the water to boil, suddenly my float moved across the surface, striking I felt what I thought was a good fish taking line, I quickly realised it was probably a small carp, it was, a common about two pounds, quickly unhooking the fish it was released.

Looking behind me I could see the Jetboiler had got blown over by a strong gust of wind, quickly picking it up, I switched off the gas. The water had all gone, I was then concerned about the condition of the Jetboiler, thankfully it was ok. I then made another brew for both Martyn and myself, nothing beats a fresh brew on a cold very wet day. Brew finished it was back to serious fishing in the hope of some rudd and perch, an hour later Martyn announced he was going back to the car. I soon had some nice rudd, I had one about a pound, the average some eight to ten ounces, they looked so magnificent in their gold coloured body with blood red fins, on such a dismal day, with the rain so torrential, I wasn't going to use my camera. An hour or so later I got my first decent perch probably weighing a pound and a half. I then got quite a few bites, but all missed, all I got was chewed up worms. Switching to a small section of worm, I caught just small perch, rudd and roach, which I had no interest in catching.A Good WildieI decided to change over to fishing for the carp using legered crust, fished on a four inch link, I waited about thirty minutes for the first fish a common about 6lbs, then in a hectic hour I had seven carp of similar size, topped off by the last fish a wildie of 7lb 10 ounces, this fish made my day. As Martyn wanted to be away by 1600 hours it was time to pack up. Still the rain sheeted down, but I was dry in my water proofs. Arriving home the rain had started to clear. I’d enjoyed my day despite the conditions.

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