One of the secrets of fishing to my mind is first, find some fish. You can have the best cast, the nicest flies, the best tackle, but its all worth nowt if you can’t put the fly near to fish. And I wonder if my recent trouble with Rainbows is down to (partly anyway) not finding fish in the first place. ( I guess you can’t say that with Swanswater- they are right there in front of you)
I went to Bristol Barrows again tonight and my hopes I have to say were not high, but it beats being stuck on my todd in a hotel room. I started by trying to get my revenge on the fish that broke me last week in Barrow 3 by returning there first. Again trying dries, buzzers and finally a sink tip line with a Cruncher and Buzzer on the dropper and a Cat Whiskers Boobie on the point. I rarely if ever fish Boobies but felt this set up would help my buzzers get down without hitting bottom and all the weed allowing me to fish different depths. Whatever the idea it was rubbish and never touched a fish nor did I see one.
Time to go back to Barrow 2. The wind had got up and was not in an ideal direction for the favoured ( I am told) deep end near the road. When I got over there it was mobbed down this section so I was not sure where to go. As I considered, another angler came by and I asked him what was working. He said there were fish moving and two had been caught by others, a Cruncher was the favoured pattern. He commented he was fishing a boobie on point and a cruncher and buzzer on droppers- Exactly the same as me- though I had the sink tip- I dunno what he had! How’s that for coincidence?
I decided to go round the shallow end, as it was better for wind direction. As I walked I saw fish move on the surface near the sheltered corner. I nearly went for them but carried on round past the low fence and cast out. First cast I had a swirl at the Boobie, second cast I had a take but after a short scrap it came off. But it was sport.
A Brace of Rainbows from Barrow #2
After this things went a bit nuts, and in short I had four fish, three in very quick succession, with one about 2lbs the others between one and a quarter and one and a half. Two took the Booby and one the Cruncher.
As half nine approached I got my fourth ( again on the Cruncher) and decided to call it a day. One fish, the smallest was the fastest fish I have ever seen, pulling off tons of line very quickly making the line buzz though the water- amazing.
A fantastic nights sport for little money- the bag was 4 fish for about 6 and a quarter pounds.
