More of a video diary this one.
I was very late at deciding whether to go out last night or not, it had been reasonably fine all day but after tea time it looked kind of rubbish, but my son assured me it was quite nice. It was half seven before I left the drive for Coulter. Not a sole there as I arrived. North Third, in contrast, as I drove by looked like a Bucky Brigade car park. Loads of people parked at the entrance milling around in shell suits with big fixed spool reels and tents pitched on the shores. Oh well.
I wasn’t bothering with a boat, and in fact as I got my gear out of the car boot I noticed numerous fish splashing round the boat pontoon. So not far to go! The sky was leaden and there was a cold breeze blowing into me, not strong but annoying, and millions of sedge on the water, and the fish knew it. They were hard on them.
My first cast was with a couple of buzzers and a sedge on the top dropper, as a speculative see what works. First or second cast and I had a ….. Perch. Off with the Buzzers onto a single CDC Sedge.
Despite fish rising all over ( more than will be apparent on the video, though I have included a few) they weren’t looking at this fly, so I retired to the shore and tied on a LTD Sedge with a fluo pink but. Maybe the colour would act as a trigger. A fish rose steadily over on my right and I slowly waded towards it and covered it with a couple of casts when it took. It leapt and jumped and flipped and….. came off. Oh bugger! The fly was still on but I was in two minds if the hook was opened out a bit or not, was it a little bent out or was it just my eyes. The light was poor and I thought I was “bound to get another” soon so would judge then, if it came off too. I followed another couple of fish but got no interest, though plenty fish moved they would quieten off then start again in a new area and the rises were very unpredictable.
I retired to the pontoon and was watching down the bank when I noticed a fish rise again, and again…. and again.
Could I be bothered trying to get to it, it was already getting dark…… the temptation was too great…. just one last cast.
I made my way through the high undergrowth and through the marshy weeds to the bank, the fish was still rising. My first cast was good for distance but a bit wayward so hadn’t spooked the fish. The fish rose yet again, and again, I cast, right on target …. and up she came, grabbing the fly. It felt well on and I kept the line tight and the rod well bent while it arced round past me…… the hook was fine, I told myself.
Then it came off.
Probably just as well, I left my net at home anyway!
Still fun sport for little more than an hour, it was already dark.
