Well, I have to say it's no surprise that the weather has done it's usual turning colder at the weekend trick, again! With the Saturday night being the coldest night for a bit (according to the weather forecast I just saw it was colder than most of the February nights) I was surprised to find the lake free of ice on arrival, especially as the temperature in my back garden was a dizzy -4 degrees C in the sun at 7.30am.
I decided to take an earlier draw this week, although most of the fancied pegs in the 20's were again gone when I got to the draw bag! I was quite happy with my draw, peg 31. Being on the same side of the lake as the favoured 20's I was sure it would be good for a few fish, although it's fair to say I expected it to be a slow start after such a cold night. Still, it wasn't raining and in fact it was quite pleasant to be sat in the sun, as it almost felt like (dare I say it!) spring was just making it's arrival.
I had four rigs up, three for fishing across (one deck rig on the slope and two shallow) plus a rig up for the margin, which I fancied I may be able to nick a fish from late on as it would be in the sun all day. The deck rig across was a 4x12 Preston chianti in not quite 4ft of water, while the two shallow rigs were both 4x10 PB2's, one set at 3ft and one at two and a half foot. While those were meant to try shallow they could also be used to push tight to the island (which I could touch at 16m, even with a short 4th section) should I see fish there later. I had found a couple of areas to fish there, although not to the left near the point of the island as the slope is kind of like a shallow beach nearer the point and the depth was shallow close to the island. Line was .12 dia on all three rigs, and with size 18 hooks on all too. Lakky was Preston 13h on the deck and deepest shallow rig and grey hydro on the shallowest. Last rig up was a 4x12 Preston somo set to fish in about four foot of water at 5m to my right, under some overhanging branches. Gear was a slightly more robust, using .14 line to a 16 hook and a soft 12 latex elastic.
On the whistle I only fed the margin line, giving it just two grains of corn, a small pinch of hemp and half a dozen casters. I wanted to see if there were any signs of fish across before feeding so I set about searching the far bank using a single grain of corn. I gave this half an hour, trying in various areas without a sign so I fed half a dozen casters directly in front hoping to attract something while still allowing me to search down the peg. With no sign on the deck on maggot or caster I tried the deepest of the shallow rigs. After perhaps another ten minutes I had a bite directly over the feed and missed it- I'm not sure if it was a liner or a small fish but no more followed.
With an hour and a half gone the pegs further up (in the 20's, the area I and the other framers were in the last match on this lake) started to catch odd fish where as the pegs either side of me were still bite less. I had a quick try in the margins on maggot and caster but with no joy so I went back across on the deck on a single caster. This gave me a slow bite and the lift gave me the familiar 'jag jag' sensations of a perch, and a decent one too, probably nudging the pound mark. No more followed so I started to drip feed maggots across, trying to get a response from anything but even the normally plentiful small perch were only conspicuous by their absence!
With an hour and a half left I was at a loss as to what else to try- I couldnt buy a bite doing anythin, and the pegs in the 20's were still catching odd fish. The peg to my left was still bite less and the peg to my right had only had one bite, a perch that weighed in at 2lb 1oz at the end! I came in to the margins again, on double maggot and this time the float slipped away. I was then attached to something that felt pretty substantial. I'm not sure if it was foul hooked as after a few minutes it snagged me in my own margins and I lost it. When I hooked the fish it obviously also moved something as every time I dropped in there after I got snagged!
I spent the rest of the match searching along the far bank, trying both of the shallow rigs and the depth rig all along the bank as far as I could see but with no joy. With nothing to lose I decided to feed further down the peg too, giving it a fair amount of maggot but with no joy. With ten minutes to go I had a definite liner, fishing on the deck in front of me. I tried the deeper shallow rig again and with five minutes to go I foul hooked a carp, just lifting the rig to lower it in again. Needless to say I lost the fish so I decided to do something that I seldom do and I packed up before the whistle!
I didn't bother to weigh my perch, opting to try and dry my nets instead. I can't remember the exact weights but about 22lb won, 18lb odd was second (with one fish of 13lb 1oz) and there were a couple of low double figure weights. I can only think that the very cold night had knocked it on the head, the peg I drew, although not the most favoured is pretty decent. I never saw a fish move in it all day, which is pretty unusual. The peg to my right had just the one perch and the peg to my left finished bite less too so it wasn't just me that struggled.
Although the we are supposed to lose the hard frosts in the week coming it doesn't look like it'll be warm enough to change the fishing much, so next weeks winter league is looking like it may be a peg lottery. I hope I'm wrong, as I don't do very well in any kind of lottery!
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