Time for Plan B

 Having acquired the code for the lock to the estate lake it was tome to put Wednesday's Plan B into action. Arriving around first light I initially contemplated fishing near the island, but there was a good breeze blowing down the lake from the far end which meant I could drift a float over a large section of the lake. The only problem was the lake being 150m long and I hadn't brought a reel with that amount of line on. Mine only had around 75m as most of my piking is done quite close, rarely more than 20m. I'd be able to cover quite a bit of the lake even so.

A vane topped float with a roach deadbait was soon drifting slowly down the lake. I managed half a dozen drifts down the lake on different lines before the wind died. Not only did it die but when there was a bit of a breeze it had changed direction and was now blowing across the lake right to left. This would still allow me to cover  a fair area though. Another angler turned up and went into the swim I originally thought of going in. Then a huge gaggle of Canada's finest crashed on to the lake making a right racket.

I got the other rod set up with my last small mackerel on and dropped that into the bed of the stream that used to be there before it was dammed. The roach was very slowly drifting towards the trees to my left. Just as I made a cuppa the mackerel bait was on the move. No contact, no sign  of any teeth marks. Back out it went. A couple of minutes later it was away again. A rather lethargic and very skinny, almost eel like, jack of 74cm had taken it. The drifting roach then started bobbing about. A very small but much more athletic little jack was soon at the platform. As I grabbed the leader it shook it's head and came adrift. 'Leader touch' so it still counts.

Another roach was swung out having increased the depth slightly. On the other rod went a small trout as I'd run out of mackerel having forgotten to top the bait bag up. Thankfully I'd put the lid on my mug as there was bit's of alder on it which I don't think would have added to the flavour. As I finished my tea while watching the crows and buzzards engaged in a bit of aerial combat the trout was away. I'd clearly missed the initial take as the float was a good 10m further out in the like. Thankfully I struck and was in contact with some thing lively. Another slightly skinny jack of 75cm was soon chinned.

Another little trout was dropped in the stream bed. and the roach recast.  As I was preparing my Hoisin Duck Noodles for lunch a sparrow hawk shot low over the rods, dodged the fence and some how whipped through the trees. No sooner had I finished lunch than the trout rod was away again. This time it was some more substantial. A chubby 8lb 7oz 80cm pike was eventually chinned after a couple of runs. A nice healthy looking fish, unlike the others. Another frozen trout was dropped in the stream bed and no sooner had the float settle then it was away. A rather tatty 70cm jack was quickly wound in and released. It was while having my mid-afternoon cuppa that I got my next two runs, one on each rod. I both cases I never felt anything and both baits were undamaged.

As usual I stayed until I could barely see the floats but nowt else happened. Not a bad day. Eight takes five fish that seemed to rather like trout. Maybe they've not seen it before.  So that's four trips for an average of two fish per trip. Don't think I'll keep that up. One can but try. One thing I keep forgetting is a container for water to wet the unhooking mat. On a trip round GoOutdoors the previous day I found a 5l collapsible bucket for £3. It takes up very little space tin the tackle bag and saved me from having to chuck the mat in the lake each time I caught a fish.