Of Surgery and Curlews

With the little trout beck still looking quite horrible, brown, and full of debris which I thought was rather odd. I later found out a fallen tree, which had been blocking a side stream, had been removed and all the crap that had been trapped behind it was, obviously, making it's way down stream. Fortuitously I'd taken a light lure set up as well as a fly set up, so headed to the canal. Unlike last time it was now back between it's banks and remarkably clear, although the beck that runs along side was still well up and coloured.

The first cast, with a Salmo minnow, produced a small perch. I never like catching first cast as it invariably ends up been the only fish of the day. Another half hour, and several bait changes and I was in to a slightly battered jack much to my relief. I had, however, managed to fright a shoal of of small tench out of the cabbages as the lure passed over. Something I managed to do again later. This is nice to see, as I've seen very few tench over the past few years.

 








A bit later I hooked another small tatty looking jack, which very kindly shed the hook straight in to the web between thumb and index finger. A bit of surgery and a cuppa later I was back in action. A spare hook replacing the one I'd chopped up. The lure, covered in dried blood attracted the largest fish of the day. Which quickly came adrift, one of the problems of light perch tackle and pike's mouths. A couple more tatty jacks followed quite quickly before I called it a day. I assume the tatty appearance is down to spawning activity.

On the walk back to the car a curlew flew low over a part flooded field, startled by the calves splashing about I assume. Not a bad day considering the bright sunshine.