Trying To End The Year On A High!

Well, with the Christmas excess done, I was rearing to get out and on the bank, despite the freezing weather! With three hard frosts in a row I wasn't expecting the fishing to be great, and it was the only the slight wind that had probably stopped the lakes at Westside freezing over completely.

With the typical poor post Christmas pre New Year turnout no pegs around the island were needed, and the opposite bank was left out as there was a slight covering of ice one the water, albeit very thin. When I went into the draw bag the one peg that I didn't want, peg 68, was already gone but it was no suprise when the peg I secondly didn't want was the one that was in my hand! Peg 72 is one of the four reed pegs on the lake (all were in), but for some reason the fish seem to sit in the pegs either side! True to form, when I put my box down the reeds in 71, past the point of them to my left were heaving and there was next to no movement in my side!

With plenty of room with no pegs opposite I elected to start on the bomb. My well trusted 10ft Puddle Chucker came out of the ready-rod sleeve. I had various hooklengths to try on this, from 10in to 3ft, with different length hairs to allow me to try single and multiple corn or two or three big pellets of bread. A simple running lead rig with a Korum Quickchange bead to let me try the different hooklengths (all .15 Powerline to 18 Kamasam Animals) completed the set up. Now just as I was getting the pole out I got quite concerned as to how far along the reeds the angler (ahem!) on 71 was pluming up, something I did mention but got only a muted reply. I put up two rigs for the open water at 13m, both Preston Chianti's with a 4x14 for on the deck in about five and a half feet of water, and a 4x10 for trying about three and a half to 4ft deep. Both had size 18 hooks to .125 Garboline with the deep rig being on a 12 latex and the shallow one on grey Hydro. Two margin rigs were put up, both Preston pinks to fish cover depths af 16in up to about 30in. Both on .14 Garboline to a 16 B611 on Preston 13h lakky.

On the whistle I fed my long line with a pinch of casters and 3 grains of corn. Just as I was shipping back the angler (ahem, ahem!) on 71 fed a fist sized ball of likky at the very limit of his margin peg and them followed it up with a handfull of casters then a handfull of pellets! Great, think I'll leave that for a while! First chuck on the lead was with two pellets of bread on a shorter hooklength. No movement or nothing till my third cast, after half an hour or so gave a liner, then nothing more. On the hour mark an odd reed was starting to twitch in my peg so I dropped in there on the shallowest rig, willing some of the hoards of carp to come into my peg from 71! By this time the angler (ahem, ahem!) on 71 was still ladeling in the bait but nobody on the lake had yet had a fish, despite the amount of fish in the reeds in his peg, and now in peg 73! After five mins I cursed after missing a bite, but no more followed. After another 10 minites just as I was contemplating going back on the lead I decided to try punch on the pole. An instant bite leads me to a very brief tussle with a carp of no more than 14oz, better than blanking though! An insant bite next chuck gave a slightly bigger fish of around a pound, but as I put it in the net next door cupped in another fist sized lump of likky, about 2ft past where he had last time! Thats the lot there than I thought, and so it was! The reeds in my swim never moved again all day, and I never had another bite there!

The next 3 hours were totally barren, not even a liner. Despite regulary dripping a few casters on the long pole line with a catty nothing was happening, not even any small roach. Odd fish had now been caught by others, not by 71 though, as despite the reeds heaving in his peg he was now fishing in mine! I kid you not, I was only fishing 14-15ft away in the margins and at times his float was nearer to me than mine was! I'd given up on it at this time though as the two pints of bait that had gone in there had made it impossible to get a bite!

Wondering what to do going into the last hour while on the tip, I dunked my bread bait into the pineapple corn I'd done (nowt to lose I thought!), cast out then picked up my flask (wish I'd made two!) to see my rod trying to dissapear into the lake! A 3lb common was soon in the net so I did the same again, baited up and dunked the bait in with the pinapple corn for a second before casting. I'd just finished my coffee when round it goes again the last carps identical twin finds it's way to the net. Just as I was thinking of a final hours bag up though shit-for-brains next door (given up on calling him an angler now!) chucked a large crumb feeder about 10ft away from my lead, dead infront of me! And that, as you say, was that!

On packing up I really was in total disbelief. I can't believe how people can be so ignorant, stupid or just un-sportsman like. And I can't belive he'd blanked, well, after feeding so much and then not even fishing in the gap in the reeds 10ft from himself which was absolute carp soup, I can! My four carp went 7-14 for 3rd, beaten by someone with three bigger fish for 11lb and someone with six for 17lb. Without doubt his behavour had cost me fish, and I went home in a rather sour mood!

Anyhow, I'd like to wish everyone who reads this a Happy New Year, and to say that I'm pretty sure this blog is moving site soon as I had an offer from someone to host it on their website. I'll keep you updated!