Like Buses....

Well never did i expect to be writing about anything like this again so soon...

On Sunday i went to explore a few ponds that a mate had told me about which sounded promising, it had been a long time since he had been and looking on google earth it looked very weed clogged. I had my hopes up anyway after last weekends mega session. You always seem to get a feeling from time to time albeit rare that your on a roll. I kind of knew and expected high things from today.

Well after reaching the ponds and spending a few hours walking about it was evident i wasn't going to catch, most places were about a foot deep and the whole place was weed choked meaning i couldn't fish much else other than frogs. In the clear areas i could see down to the bottom and see there was no fish about.
I was soon feeling like it was going to be one of 'those' days and not one filled with big fish. I had another bit of water to explore before my last resort which was a canal in hope of some perch. I set off walking and i was actually enjoying just being out in the nice weather for October! I had kind of settled on the fact that today was going to be a day of just being out exploring new areas so i forgot about any expectations knowing id more than likely save a blank on the canal at least. well after a long walk and not even finding the last pond i was looking for, i headed back and got lost amongst all the farm fields which seemed like forever getting back to a tread able path.

So it was to be last chance on the canal, i had a few small perch and a couple of jacks when I'd decided to call it a day. I thought I'd go guns for glory and stick a slightly bigger shad on in hope of just getting a big perch to make the day worthwhile, nothing much was doing so thought if i was going to get another fish it was going to be a better stamp or nothing. I set off back and thought I'd just walk troll the shad down the margin, something i have often done and picked up a bonus fish. I tripped across something a few times which got me thinking it was a fish only to find some cabbage leaf on my shad. Still walking along only a foot or so from the bank when everything went solid, oh great a snag, you can guess whats coming... 'the rod started nodding'   First thoughts were a big perch, then at my surprise the fish woke up and tore off across the canal, my reel was ringing loud. I was targetting perch so had my customised spro ultralight rod and was on 10lb sunline, general finesse gear so it was abit arsey clenchy! I got a glimpse at the fish and it was a good one. A fantastic battle and my wrist was aching, my rod and reel felt tied and was creaking. Finally the fish succumbed and a nice mid double was on the bank, i was pleased with that and a good result in the end.

 

Pleased that the technique had worked i set off again doing the same, i remember that it wasn't far along the canal when i noticed a patch of cabbage and dying lilies so i slightly raised the rod so the shad came up in the water and over them, letting it drop again on the other side. No sooner had i turned away when all went solid again, and again i thought I'd snagged on the lilies deeper down letting it sink too soon. This time the fish that was on came right up to the side of me and just swam slowly next to me in the direction I was walking, it stayed deep and i couldn't move it at all on my tackle. What the hell was on the end of my line I thought, I'd just put a mid double back and this was something else!   I must have walked quite a few paces before i decided i couldn't carry on like this and had to try and either wake the fish up if it didn't realise it was hooked or just try and raise it. I put a small amount of side pressure on the fish bearing in mind i was on 10lb sunline. Well it certainly woke up! it tore off like the other fish but my reel never stopped screaming, i must have been playing it 10 minutes before i even got a look at it, and when i did i remember seeing the angle of the line yet the tail was a long way behind it!
It then kept coming up to the surface a long way out and lunging across the surface, not tail walking but just skimming its under body on the surface. I kept having to switch hands because my wrist was killing me and i feared for my reel which must have been worn out by this time. Eventually it started to tire and i got the better of it....eventually! The shad was so far down its throat and close to its stomach there was only a few inch of trace outside the mouth which just shows that a trace does need to be 12" or preferably (which mine was) more. Even with the long nose pliers i had to put my hand slightly within teeth's reach to get the hooks out.

My 4th 20 in a week

 

I was over the moon with that result and did not expect it all, i spent a good amount of time with the fish and despite it wanting to go a few times i held onto it to make sure it was strong. These light rods are more than capable of getting these fish in but its not ideal and you need to take care of that fish after a long fight.

I was that knackered and full of adrenaline I decided to just go home, i was more than happy and couldn't have asked for more.