Quick commuter stop at a lovely place near Holt before a pre-work proper coffee. Nice isn't it?
Holt is nice too but no fish.
Couple of very frustrating after tea sorties on Golden Pond. Plenty of dips and even proper bites but only two fish hooked on both occasions and both came off. Lots of pre-frisky mudpigs dashing here there and everywhere stirring up the swim and dislodging the float constantly.
Went for a slightly different approach on Friday and fished off one of the stages with corn over hemp, I can't claim much credit for the two bream I did snare as they both hooked them self and took line off the clutch whilst I was looking the other way. I also dropped the top section of my old faithful Drennan Waggler rod in the thick silt but managed eventually to get it out.
Saturday was hotter and a mid morning look round confirmed the mud pig jiggy frenzy had started but I'd been given a mud pig free green light and three hours with an early finish. Sated, the mud pigs had gone of for a fag so the little corner was a bit calmer but still but quite bright. I became frustrated by more dips and misses, and another two dropped fish and vowed to change the hook link after the next cast even if the QM1 felt sharp to me. I over cast, and wound to sink the line and found myself attached to something that had taken the 12mm Source on the drop. Not big but welcome. The flag iris had been green buds on Wednesday
The sun had been dimmed to a rheumy muted orb with a lovely halo which seemed to hasten the resolve of the fish to take a better gob full of the bait and stick on much better. Some less battered than others. I love the deeper and richer sheen of the Source when it's been in the water. A (loaded 4gramme ) Puddle Chucker, two Grippa stops, a couple of #1 shot on the deck and a 4" pre-tied heavy hook link with a #12 or #14 QM1 and a push stop.
Rhodos are starting to burst out along with this flag iris and the white lillies
Rather than count I took a piccy of every one that hit the net so the SD card had it as a productive spell by all accounts and could have been even better if I'd been brave enough to make wine o'clock my curfew.
This one was targeted by casting at the bubbles
I'd seen some tell-tale dorsals in the pads and when I tucked the float as close in as I could I was rewarded by this yellow bellied and pink gill covered prize taken on the rod designed for it.
One more cast and a familiar friend on the mat had me heading the short distance home more than pleased with the last hour.