Autumn Stalking

I managed a couple more days at Avington during October, had some really enjoyable sessions but failed to land any of the really big fish. I did have plenty of rainbows averaging 6lbs+ with the heaviest going perhaps 9lbs. The really big fish are there alright but the shorter Autumn days make spotting and stalking those targets extremely difficult and challenging. The low angle of the sun, when there is any, just makes life that much more difficult. It's not a lot of use just fishing blind as the resident stock fish will usually ensure you complete your limit pretty quickly. But Avington is a very scenic fishery and the colours at this time of year are quite spectacular:





I did spot a couple of truly huge fish both rainbows and browns. I even managed to hook one superb rainbow that was probably in excess of 20lbs. I was just about convinced I had it under control and was mentally weighing the beast when it was gone! The final few inches of my fluoro leader with stalking bug attached had snapped, maybe on the trouts teeth/jaw, who knows. but I was left with that very empty feeling most of us have experienced at one time or another!

Still, I'm going back tomorrow!



Post Script (3rd November):
A very interesting day! Conditions for stalking were absolutely awful, very overcast and light misty rain but..... Halfway round my initial stroll of the first lake, I stumbled upon a fine rainbow of maybe 15lbs+. It was only because it was slowly cruising right alongside the near bank that I spotted it and, wonder upon wonder, it took the stalking bug first time! All hell broke loose and off it went on it's first run..... "it will stop in a minute".... "surely it WILL STOP" .... but no it kept going and eventually hung me out to dry on the sunken branches of a bush on the far bank about 40 yards away! Not happy.

Then it rained and rained and rained some more (reports say there was a mini tornado up the road at Ropley - I can believe it). Anyway, to cut a long damp story short, I did manage to tempt a couple of nicely conditioned rainbows between 7.5/8.5 which both fought really well.

With the fishery closing at 4pm, I was running out of time and was slowly making my way back to the car park when I spotted another heavyweight, again right up against my near bank. This one took a bit more persuading but eventually hit the bug very hard. I played it for quite a while and was reaching for the net went it too threw the hook! It just slowly sunk out of sight and went off to sulk wherever big trout go to sulk! But just as I watched it disappear it's "mate" entered stage left! Without thinking I dunked the bug back in the water and up it came, snatched it on the way down and off we went again! This one stuck and eventually lay on the grass. I'm sure Avington's scales are weighing light! It's "only" an ounce or so shy of 13lbs but looks much bigger: