Another in the bag... well almost!!

We’ve had snow this week… the last place the wind stopped was Russia. Most of the UK was covered in the best snow for decades. I would like to ask a question. So where was ours?

Watching the barometer edge up, the temperature rise and the wind drop I thought I’d give the day a go. I spent the day mooching around the lake getting to know other areas to cast from when the girls start to look for the boys in eight weeks or so.

I set up two rods today… “Caledfwlch” had the WF10 weight striped bass intermediate on it and the Ron Thompson had the WF9 sinking with an extra fast sink pike poly leader… I have to say the latter was a bitch to cast, especially when I put the big silver streamer on! But I really just wanted to get over the margin and into deeper water quickly then to work the streamer “up hill” where I knew the pike hang out.

I cast around with the intermediate first using a largely white bait fish fly and then an orange pattern… nothing. Switching to the other set up… blimey hard work. I was working the fly back really slow with figure of eight retrieve. A big pause, lift the fly and pause… a jack quickly came out of the abyss and nailed the fly. An amazing sight as it opened its mouth and flared the gill covers showing those bright red gill rakers. Although it connected it must have been behind the hook as the fight was quick and empty handed. The fly might be tied again with a stinger hook as I can see that all but big fish may struggle to get hooked up on the big tinsel fly. I had a fish though on what might have been classed as a poor day!

Nothing else appeared… not even the silver fish played ball for the other anglers. I left for home happy just before an angry north wind piled in!

Maybe we’ll get snow!

No photo of a pike… but this piece of gear (Christmas present form Janet) is the best bit of fishing luggage you can ever own. Organised up front and load carrying at the back… well done fishpond!