Eight Anglers, No Fish

I'd made plans for Thursday, beyond pike fishing, as I had no idea what state the rivers would be in after the heavy rain. As it was the rivers had come up at least a metre or more overnight and were still rising. I decided to head to the estate lake, despite the fact it had not fished well for pike in recent times. They're still in there, but just not been very cooperative. When I got there there was just one other angler, fishing waggler for whatever. I had a wander round with the lure rod, I had re-rigged several lure the night before so seemed a shame not to use them. This produced nothing. I settled in a swim by the island. As I set up an other couple of anglers arrived, one coarse fishing, one pike fishing. Having got the baits out I proceeded to gather up the litter from the undergrowth. Not a lot but still far too much.

 

One rod had a suspended roach on which I hoped would trundle about, but there was little on no wind initially so it sat remarkable still. The other had a popped up smelt on it. With an AA shot just below its head, hooked back to front. it looked like it was feeding sort of. This was eventually dropped into a gully near the island. Each year this gets harder as the branches grow further out. By now a lure angler had turned up along with another mag and wag man. I had brought with me some chunks of used baits soaked in winterised oil, so chucked a few of them about the general area. I'd also grabbed a small bag of frozen hemp, but this was still defrosting. It does take a log time to thaw does hemp. Mid morning a lure angler turned up and had a wander about. As I was partaking of elevenses, the sun had moved round enough to feel the a bit of heat. Also some baitfish scattered near the smelt. I gave the smelt a couple of twitches which resulted in nowt.

 

 

After elevenses I moved the smelt and allowed the roach to drift over the area a few times, as a breeze had got up.. before trying it sink and draw. This also resulted in nowt. The pike angler opposite, meanwhile, landed quite a sizeable branch, at least he'd had a bend in his rod. It later transpired he'd had a run, but the fish had come adrift when it had got under the sunken branch. By lunch the hemp had thawed, so I scattered some about in the hope of drawing in some bait fish. I also chucked a few more fish bits about. As the breeze was now quite strong I increased the depth so as to anchor the roach on the bottom on the bottom and put the popped up smelt back in the gully. Just after lunch the float above the roach bobbed away. Brief contact was made with something small which managed to steal the roach. I had a chuck round with the lure rod again with out so much as a follow. As that was my last roach I put on an eel section. and cast it to the same spot. Half an hour later the float trundled off again and again brief contact was made with something. I'm very reluctant to leave the strike two long. I hate dealing with deep hooked fish.

 

As one of the maggot drowners left with so much as a chewed maggot a another lure angler arrived for a short while before, like the previous one, leaving fishless. A carp swirled under the overhanging tree at the end of the island at which point a kingfisher turned up on the other side of the tree. It appeared to be the only one having any success as I watched it through the leafless branches. Three more time bait fish scattered above the gully and one time the float was knocked by a pikes tail. I tried, at various times, wobbled baits, sink and draw, and various lures, but nothing made any attempt to grab them. The pike were clearly taunting me. As the wind dropped again fish started to dimple the surface a round the lake. There's a good head of blood worm in here and there must have been a hatch of midge. Slowly everybody disappear as another pike angler set up stall. He too, like the rest of use would end the day fishless.

 

I had, at one point, considered going barbel/chub fishing, but as the gear and bait had been packed away I thought it would have taken too long to get ready and no doubt I'd have forgotten something vital. This may have been a mistake as the rivers started to drop after lunch and from reports one two barbel were taken in the afternoon. Oh well, you can't be everywhere. I just find it hard to believe how badly the estate lake is fishing. On the pike front only the very occasional jack is appearing. The roach which can provide some reasonable sport seem to have gone off the feed. Back to work until Christmas then a few days off. can the rain just stop and  the rivers settle to a reasonable level. I have unused grayling gear setup and ready.