Brief round up time

I've not got too much to write about, though as I start to type I'm already thinking that knowing me this could be another whacking great big blog entry. I don't know what it is with me, i've been the same since I was a kid, I always wrote the longest stories ever. I remember once at around nine years old we were all asked to write a story. Everyone managed a few words, half an A4 sheet or if they were one of the better story tellers they might even fill a sheet. However I managed to fill a full school  jotter (remember those) with just the start of my story in rough. I then decided to type all that up on to the school computer where I managed to take up all the hard drive space. It was some time ago so it probably only had about 1mb capacity. I printed my work out, together with some pictures and the book sat in the school library for at least ten years as I saw it when I went back there later. I wonder if it's still being read by the pupils now? See, what the hell has that got to do with my brief week of fishing?

We've had a bit of rain, whoopee! I was waiting for it as I knew the rivers wanted a flush through. They are desperately low and needed some water and oxygen which I was hoping would get the fish feeding. I'd had a few chats with my mate Neil and we were ready to fish the river just as it was running off. I figured that after so much hot weather, some cool oxygenated water would spark them in to a feeding frenzy. Neil and I were there and it looked spot on. In fact i had ten minutes after work when I went for a reckie and managed a pike second cast. I went home and text Neil to say we were on for some fish. The water was running off and it was actually quite clear, though I do prefer just a touch of murkiness to help make the pike react more to noises and something flashing past them rather than watching it come from a mile off and then having second thoughts on the rather strange object passing by. Well the session didn't quite go to plan and we didn't bag up. The fish were there though, we must have had twelve follows, including two following Neils lure at one time, but all except one fish which Neil caught just followed and did not take. It was a strange evening, I wish I knew what made a fish take one day and just follow the next. Maybe it was the clear water?

The next day we were going to try and get out again but over night there was a bit more rain and by evening time the river was up and back down again, though this time it was really murky in colour. I didn't think it was worth an evening raid so just had half an hour and guess what? Two hits and two fish. Was it the murky water that made them hit this time? One of the fish was knocking on ten pounds so it was a good half hour, though I called off the session after that fish as the sun came out and I realised just how warm it was. Not good for pike so I went home. That was it for my week day fishing. A bit of rain should have made for some good fun but it didn't quite go as planned though the river is much better for it.

Very late on Friday I got a call from Woody to say he wanted to get out on the boat. However I was to be working a twelve hour night shift on Friday night as the lads were going to an engagement do and it left just me to cover for them. You can't turn down a double time shift plus your own shift ( I should have been on days) paid too so that was me struggling to make the day on the boat. It took me about three seconds to decide I was still going to make one in. We couldn't start as early as normal as I didn't finish until 6am and was an hour away from our river, but Woody had done some more tinkering to his outboard and wanted to give it a run. There had also been a spot more rain and we expected it to be up a little and maybe even a touch of colour, we went for it anyway. At least we would get to see how the engine was running and if we could winkle out a fish or two that would be a bonus. On arrival we were met with a very murky river and our chances didn't look too good, but we gave it a go anyway. It was about 8am before we got out on to the river so we were already behind but eventually we picked up the odd fish and it gave us some confidence that we could still catch in these conditions.

Superb looking perch

In the end we managed about 35 fish between us. Normally it's been mainly perch  at around 80% of the fish but this time it was probably a 50/50 split. Maybe the cooler water, a good ten degrees on last week. I think the pike were up to about 7lb so we had a couple that gave us a good scrap and we also managed a couple of decent perch to about a pound and three quarters. I grabbed one and Woody grabbed the other, though in revenge for last week when Woody knocked mine off before a photo opportunity I gained revenge buy losing his. It was a funny incident looking back but also a bit of a plonker moment. We had found a spot to jig the kopytos and as Woody hooked in to his good perch I grabbed the net really quickly and scooped it up first chance I got. There was to be no misses this time, or that was the plan. I tried to unhook the perch in the net but the hook was tangled in the net and so I didn't quite manage it. Woody then realised that the boat had drifted close to the trees and my other rod was now tangled in the trees. With the current now pulling us along my rod was in danger of breaking and Woody shouted, "quick your rod" to which I sharply turned to grab it as Woody tried to get some control of the boat. I secured the rod to then realise I'd dropped the net and the fish. The hook was still caught in the net so we pulled it up only to find the perch had gone. I felt bad but at least it wasn't a massive perch. Still, it's revenge for me and we're even!

Sunday was to be a day of rest. Having not had any sleep from Friday morning at about 8am until Saturday night at 9pm when I finally gave in to the heaviest eye lids on earth I figured Sunday would be chill out, go to rugby and then chill out some more. However while sat bored in the evening, everyone in the house had asked me if I was going fishing, and so on that note I did. If I could grab a fish in a steady last hour or so of the evening that would be good and I could still get back for Top Gear. The river was back to normal level but today it was still a little murky, spot on I felt. I picked up a jack of about four pound in no time then managed to miss a fish three times! My god how bad am I? I reckon it was down to the fact I was using a large jerkbait and it was at distance. With a jerkbait you need to be in control of slack line so that you can feel a hit and at distance any slack is multiplied. I switched to a SG lip lure and got the fish the very next cast, a nice pike of eight or nine pounds. Since this lure is a straight retrieve you feel the hit straight away and the hooks set in much easier. I then bagged another pike of about four pound  and then hooked and lost off another after seeing it crash out of the water chasing something else and then casting at it. Another small pike so no major loss. I knew by now with all the action I'd missed Top Gear and so I gave it another half an hour and was rewarded with a lovely fish which came up and took my SG lowrider as I worked it fast just under the surface. This fish went fourteen and a half pounds on the scales and made for a great finish to the week. So there you go, a brief round up of my week. You don't know how hard it is for me to keep it short and sweet!