Storm chaser

I left the last blog on my way to catch some roach. Having roasted somewhat the day before  I made sure I slip, slapped and slopped before settling down in a swim with a modicum of backwards projection from that strange hot round thing.  Wind over my shoulder so set the Grey's 15 footer up as a flick tip with the insurance of a clutch should anything serious come to play. Got into a routine of feeding flouro maggot and swinging the rig out. Given it was just maggot and no seeds or groundbait I planned to pick up what ever came on the drop and then come closer in on dusk with corn or fake caster.  It was a bite a put in, mostly on the drop. No tow and a single no. 8 held should the bait get down that far. 

Had a brief glimpse of something following one of the smaller roach, something with red fins I thought.

Getting very grey behind me and the  rumbles of thunder  warning of an approaching storm, with the wind picking up. Just another routine lift of the yellow tip as the falling no. 1 bulks were halted in mid drop and the tip of the rod pulled hard down into the water as I  lifted, and I slipped of the anti reverse, line singing in the wind. Deep, ponderous head thumps, the kite to the emerging lillies and a lovely roach dived into the cover of the extended net. Another black spotted but big framed roach, and another pound plus fish for my tally,  1lb 2oz  this time. 

Just slipped it back when the  first spots of rain began. Hastily covered my tackle and made a break for my car  just as an almost directly overhead flash and crack signalled a monsoon like deluge and it was quite some time as the storm circled before I could think about getting back out. The fish were still feeding but more erratically and I was distracted about getting everything home and dried, sodden as it was. Another small hybrid in the way in suddenly got a lot heavier and with deep red fins and bold stripes. A very good perch had snaffled it and only spat it out at the net. Made a right mess of the hybrid too. Perhaps if I'd been on a single maggot the hook might have taken hold in the perch too.