Well, it seems the year has ended in the same way it started, with ice covering everywhere! Being as I've not been fishing for a couple of weeks (and it's been even longer since I caught a fish!) my withdrawal symptoms have led me look back on the year fishing wise.
The year didn't start on the best note, I blanked on the first weekend of the year, and also on the first round of the winter league, both times through the ice. I managed to save the winter league in the end, dropping the blank as my worst result. I was very pleased with a second place as in three matches on the old lake I never drew a favourable peg in the conditions, but managed frame placings in all three rounds on the new lake to have a respectable result.
The early spring brought a respite from the frosts and a few more fish but it still wasn't great with no real stand out results but at least an end to blanks or scraping out a few tiny roach! As the weather warmed into late spring and early summer my results started to improve as the frame places went away from being a bit of a lottery and more to those who sussed out the feeding!
As the carp got into the feeding habit my results picked up markedly, and this also gave a rise in confidence which always helps when fishing. I had an enjoyable summer really, winning a match first time out with a new pole will always stick in the mind but perhaps the most enjoyable was the two occasions I finished second on the old lake fishing long pole shallow in the open area of the lake. The lake really isn't known for producing weights shallow but when the island pegs were dominating the frame places I was by a long way doing the best from the open water and sneaking into the envelope places! I find it easy to work hard (if that makes sense!) when fishing shallow, and while I admit a slight rustiness at it perhaps cost me a few fish it's a way of fishing I really enjoy.
As Summer turned to Autumn I perhaps managed my highlight of the year in breaking the match record on the new lake, notching up my first match ton for five years in the process with a weight of just over 104lb. It bucked a trend a touch too in that most people were shovelling in corn down the edge to catch where as the majority of my fish came across to pellet where I fed about a pint of bait. This was followed up with a win the weekend after on the old lake with a catch of 59-5 taken predominantly from the 2+2 line (perhaps the tactic that has dug me out of more holes than any this year) although I'll always remember the day for it being the wettest I've sat in for a long while!
With the onset of the cooler weather the weights took an expected drop but I still found myself doing well, more so on the new lake where I seemed to have found it a lot easier to win on this year! One of the more memorable days (on the old lake) would have to be at the end of October when I struggled for much of the day until the 2+2 line produced five very late lumps to leave me just short of first and second place who'd caught all day. Just goes to show you should never give up as with an hour left I was nowhere. Into November and the start of the month was a struggle with me notching up a 2nd place with just 18lb odd. I missed a weekend and getting back onto the bank the 21st of November is quite a memorable date, as it's the last time I caught a fish at the time of writing, nearly six weeks ago! A narrow win that day with 43-2 on maggot taught me the merit of having a hook-length box stocked with plenty of identical hook-lengths as a quick change near the end led me to go strait back out quickly and a late fish won me the match. I'd only bought the box (the small blue Preston one) the day before too!
After that memorable day the ice has arrived and I've only been out twice since then, my longest spells without fishing since the winter of 96/7. Both times have been blanks but the lack of others catching has led me to stay off the bank. I don't mind breaking the ice if there are fish to be caught, but it seems there aren't! I was going to go on the river but even the Cam has been frozen over too so at the moment I'm sitting climbing up the walls! Looks like I'll manage the coming Sunday but the frosts are coming back after it looks like, so what happens is anybodies guess..
So what have I learnt this year? As mentioned not long ago the hook-length box paid for it's self on the first time out, although I admit I still don't use hook-lengths on my shorter rigs. Maybe more experimenting in the summer will see a change to that? Fishing to my strengths is an obvious one (or not following the crowd) I'd consider myself a competent shallow angler and really enjoyed the days I caught on it, considering the venue isn't known for it. I didn't win, but I done considerably better than the sit-and-wait paste and cat meat heads drawn in the same area. I like it as it keeps me busy! I also had a run of results fishing slightly different ways on the same venue, having good days not only fishing pellet, or meat and corn but also a result on the worm in the summer. Perhaps I'd have done just as well fishing exactly the same each time but something told me something slightly different was needed and it done the job for me doing it! I like to feel I can switch to something else if plan A doesn't work and I have to admit I have a bit of pride in myself for being able to pick up fishing different methods and baits rather than being an angler that only does well at one way of fishing! Lastly the 2+2 line has been a good line for me, only trying it after watching Tommy Pickering fish it on a free Preston DVD given out in tackle shops! I only won one match outright off that line, but it gave me valuable extra fish on other days and got me a frame place from nowhere in the last hour on two occasions! That said, I had days where it was deader than a dodo too- you can't have it all! It's one not to give up on and I find it's so easy to keep topped up as feeding it by hand you don't have to stop what your doing!
Right, I guess that's enough of my ramblings, anyway I'm not sure if thinking so much about fishing has helped or made my withdrawal symptoms worse. Like I said I hope to get out this weekend and hopefully the arctic weather won't hang around too much longer so we can all get our fix. I hope you all had a good Christmas and tight lines all for 2011!
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