The Icing On The Cake

Bill and his PB common that rounded off an excellent 2003

In fishing, as in most things in life, no two days are the same, and that was borne out the other day when I popped up to see my mate Nev on one of our club’s waters where he had gone bright and early this morning spurred on by my success of the previous day.

That day however the wind was howling over the Tors of Dartmoor, having swung around northerly from the southwest of the previous day. The snow and hail that was mixed in with the showers were testament to the sharp drop in temperature. The fish had reverted to their winter slumbers and not one fin had been witnessed above the icy waters of any of the three lakes.

Late arrival
Nev and I fish together most weeks but yesterday was the first time we had been out together for some time. We arrived late, at nearly nine in the morning, and set up on a narrow strip of land between the main lake and the smaller weedy lake. He was going to fish peg one on the main lake and I peg 1 on the weedy lake. That way we could fish together as it put us more or less back to back.

I’d had four fish out whilst fishing alone off peg one on the main lake in the last two visits; a mirror of just over twenty pounds and one of 12lb-plus, also commons of 11.5 and 18-plus. So with the temperature just right and the wind in the right direction for the peg I had mixed feelings about standing aside for him to fish it. But I knew he favoured the peg so I decided to fish the weedy lake.

This year we have both had a brilliant season, fishing mostly plastic corn over real corn and Vitalin, sometimes balled in, sometimes on the method. As the weather got colder I tried various other options, such as meat and boilies, PVA bags of pellets, stringers, etc, you name it, I tried it. But nothing beat plastic corn.

As the weather cooled the lakes switched right off but we still winkled out some good fish. I’ve had two carp over twenty pounds this year and one of nineteen and a half, the 18-plus, and loads of upper doubles and doubles. A crock of good bream to 10lb-plus, some super tench to 5.5lb early on in the year have made it a year to remember.

These waters are far from easy and compared to last year we both considered it a result. The one area I had failed this year was on ‘Weedy’, in fact nearly all my blanks had been on Weedy. One fish of almost 17lbs on a three night session was all I had to show this year but the other day it just felt right, I knew I would catch and catch I did.

A rough squall came from nowhere
I set up three rods, two with three plastic and one real corn, and one rod with Peperami. Just as I was setting up the last rod the heavens opened and a really rough squall came out of nowhere. Hail blasted the lake for over ten minutes but it was unusually mild, and then as suddenly as it came it was gone. The wind dropped right down and we decided to brew up.

I had had a few bleeps on the right hand rod and had to reset the dropper. Fish were moving everywhere in both lakes and I saw fish rolling and even one crashing on the main lake; an event all too rare these past three months so it was obvious they were on the feed. We both stood watching the water on the main lake whilst we waited for the kettle when suddenly, behind me, the right hand buzzer screamed out. I ran the few steps to the rod, dropped the baitrunner, and struck into a slack line – the fish was swimming towards me like a train!

It sat on the bottom, laughing
I wound down hard and made contact in what could only have been a few seconds but seemed like an hour. The fish tore off to my left, picking up the line of my middle rod as it went. I desperately applied sidestrain and literally ran around the bank to regain control, but not for long With the rod doubled over and the line screaming off the clutch it was off and out to the middle of the lake where it sat on the bottom laughing at my attempts to move it.

I knew now it was a good fish and Nev was now beside me with the net. Slowly the steady pressure paid off and I regained some line. The fish swirled just below the surface about twenty feet out to my left and I just knew this was a PB.

Scale perfect and a new PB
Slowly I brought the fish in and Nev slipped the net under the most beautiful scale perfect Common I have ever seen. Nev congratulated me and I feverishly unhooked it and we weighed it .The scales went 24lb 2oz – a new PB and my third twenty of the year. Four snaps on the digital camera later and I was gently sliding her back in the water.

what a result! I was so happy I could have packed up there and then. But an hour later I had a twelve and a half pound mirror on the same rod from the same place.

All too soon it was 3.15pm and time to pack up, darkness drops like a stone on the moor this time of year and we packed up quickly, eager to get home to more beer and turkey. Nev, who had not caught, was vowing to come back the following day.

As we left the water was like a mill pond, dead flat except for fish bubbling here and there and the resident kingfisher swooping out across the water as he had all day. As we walked to the cars a moorhen came out from under the gorse bush overhanging the bank to the left of peg 1 where she lives; a perfect scene in a perfect day in what has been pretty much a perfect year.

The PB was the icing on the cake. As 2003 draws to a close I for one am looking forward to continuing my good fortune into 2004. I read a good motto earlier in the year “Take only photographs, leave only footprints.” It says it all doesn’t it.

I HOPE YOU ALL HAD A MERRY CHRISTMAS and here’s wishing you GOOD FISHING throughout the New Year.