Monday 4 August 2008

A cast of thousands... the deerhunter



My fishing forays have been reduced recently due to other calls on my time... work is the usual one but a more than worthwhile visit to the Royal Horticultural Society show at Tatton Park was the other. The visit, just over a week ago had me girding my loins and getting on with terracing the bottom of the garden with the old railway sleepers bought a few months ago. Two days of non stop work has finally finished off that part of the garden. Now to plant it up!

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, as they say... so back to fishing!

A few trials and tribulations to start the week. My wallet went through the washer... the £20 note survived but all my fishing licences ended up as a soggy mass. Like a forensic scientist each piece of paper was carefully pulled away from the next and dried... I've applied for a replacement rod licence but the remains of this one has been put in a laminator so that the evidence is there for the Environment Agency folks if they should ask for it in the interim!

The week had been busy and I decided to take a couple of hours out on Thursday evening to fly fish on my new water. I noticed that the water had coloured up over the last few weeks and the sinkers weren't quite as visible. Not deterred I used a combination of black and white Zonker, orange and chartreuse Zonker style and an Eric Hope magic fly in a perch pattern... someone was in my favourite mark BUT I was to worried as the wind was blowing up to the top end of the lake. A quick wander up to the top mark and "blast" spooked a jack! Plenty of swirls but no takers. A quick phone call home to say I'd be back soon(ish) then I saw a very large pike exit the water and crash down on her side. Quickly up to a snaggy mark and fluffed the cast. I snagged the bottom and lost a magic fly.

Went home with a bitter sweet taste in my mouth!

Nothing until last night... too much other stuff! Taking the eldest to get a new BMX bike tore up Saturday but I enjoyed it as well as having a ride on his new machine... I could never understand the desire to ride a bike with knees under the chin!

Anyway last night's fly fishing... no fish, no follows and no takers. BUT I have to say I was extremely pleased with my casting ability... practice makes perfect! I must have cast well over a thousand times now!

Just got to join up the fish and the casting!

A post script to the blog is thanks again to Eric Hope who has (unwittingly) become my long distance piking mentor... Everyone should go and fish with Eric... fantastic chap. Can't wait for the magic fly supply to arrive!




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