Moving on

 Wednesday morning saw me back on the old estate lake hoping for one or two nice tench before they spawn and arriving at 4am I found I had the place to my self. I dropped into a swim I have not fished much this year as there were signs of fish about out in the lake, the tench waving its tail at me out of the water though just a couple of rod lengths out made my choice for me!

 The fishing was very slow, not helped by the hot sun with only a gentle breeze to ripple the water now and again. One bream around 4lb is all I managed. There were though signs of fish a little further up the lake. During the summer this place is weeded up solid and it is now on its way and moving quickly towards my swims. Along the edge of this and also into it there were fish moving about, I was not 100% if they were feeding or spawning but it tempted me into one last shot.

 Yesterday I was back, loaded up with bait. Well as its my last shot I thought I may as well empty the freezer of whats left and fill it in, I'll either bag up or there not on the feed anyway. Arriving before dawn I jumped into the swim along which the ever increasing bank of weed is moving to and had both rods out for 4am. Then I set about spodding a mix of dead maggot, hemp, corn and casters over the top. 3-4 pints of bait went over each rod.

 At just before 5 the far rod along the weed bed screamed into life and I soon had a very fit 4lb male laid on the mat, I thought I was in for a few more but  had to wait until 8am for another sign when a steady take on the near rod resulted in a bream around 5lb. As the sun got up so did the tench, cavorting in and around the weed beds, clearly with things other than feeding on their minds, so with that I packed up and ended what has been a frustrating spring on here. The weather I feel been the root cause, the cold hung on and on and then when it did finally get warm it was too warm coupled with high pressure systems and lack of any real wind. I never had a day where there was a good blow or low pressure system this year.

 With a couple of hours to kill yesterday afternoon and the sun been out I made a spur of the moment decision to head up to a little local pool that I've fished on and off for years. There are some nice original carp that run to low doubles along with half a dozen koi to similar that all seem to be suckers for bread and mixers, that is until you drop in with a hook attached. One fish in particular I want more than any other and that's the big white koi, many times I have watched it nudge baits and whack stuff with its tail never once actually take a freebie in its mouth.

 I soon found groups of fish and put some bait out but it became clear the masses of rudd, orfe and goldfish the pool also holds were going to be a nightmare as they would not leave my free lined bread alone. Soon enough though a group of carp including the big koi came slurping along taking every free bait going including the koi! I put some more out which promptly spooked them for a short while, this gave me chance to get my hook bait out there and a few free offerings of bread further to my side kept most of the small fish happy.

 I could see the fish heading back my way so I tried to manoover my bait into their path, would you believe it the big white koi sucked my lump of bread straight down and I promptly pulled the hook right out of its mouth, Gutted. The fish cleared me out again and moved off. After a short time spent feeding the fish came back again but the small fish were been a right pain and I couldn't keep a bait in the water. One goldfish was so determined to get my bread I dragged it across the surface and the fish followed it all the way in more than once.

 The carp were soon back although not looking as confident as before, one or two nice mirrors were having a go but like usual the koi's were been very picky. I saw the big black and orange one take a mixer so tried to pull my bait towards it slightly only for the big white one to appear again right by it. the fish tuned and came back at it only for the vortex from its fins to spin the bread about and as the fish came up mouth wide open it missed!

 Time was ticking and I didn't have long before I had the school run to do so moved along the bank to where another group of fish were taking odd mixers that had blown on the wind. I cast past the fish and wound back to them, as I did so I spooked a mirror that swam away from the bait only for it to turn 180 degree about 4 yard further on, it paused before heading towards my bread at a fair old speed. It got about 4 or 5 feet away and stuck its head clean out of the water and sucking like its life depended on it.

 This fish wanted that bread and nothing was going to get in its way,  as it closed in it dipped under the surface, came up mouth open and engulfed my bait and bang it was on. The water exploded and the fish dived to the depths. These old fish fight just as hard as they are to hook, it charged about like mad for 5 minutes or so before it came up just off the rod end. It dived for the tree roots but I held on and the low double came wallowing to the top, like a tool I tried to bundle it straight into the net only for the hook to pull and the fish sit there just out of range for a few seconds before sliding away.