Easter Break.

I was glad to have a couple of extra days off work, but typically the weather was not looking good for the weekend. weather wise, the best day was Friday, I did have plans for an early start at the lake but the morning frost on the Friday morning changed my mind so I swapped plans spending the day at the zoo with Cerys leaving the fishing till Saturday. 

I woke early to a dull, damp, frost less start and there was only the hint of a blue pantone to the sky as I made my way to the pool.  From the corner gate I could just make out a dark shape at the far end of the road bank that looked very 'bivvy' like, I was expecting to find one of the younger members breaking the club rules and night fishing the water but as I approached I realised that it was in fact a bivvy shaped bush, should have gone to specsavers!

The morning didn't go to plan and I was all packed up for ten thirty and heading for home, I'd seen a few Carp show which was good and I also saw my first Swallow of the year, so does this mean that summer is here?

Monday was looking good for a fish, the wind was swinging round, there had been a steady temperature, above freezing, for a couple of nights and on the computer screen all the boxes were ticked for a bite, the only thing not looking good was the forecast for heavy rain.

The gear was ready to go and I had a phone call from Barry we had a brief chat and discovered we had similar plans, there were now going to be two lunatics heading out for a wet day on the bank but when we arrived at the lake two others had already got there before us. We set up on the point and put a bottom bait out to the front of the island and a method feeder with a bright pop-up out into the main part of the lake, I didn't have to wait too long for the bleeps to start on the method and in no time it was away, first Tench of the day.

Pink boilie chosen by Cerys

The next rod to scream off was the bottom bait and as soon as I picked up the rod I knew this wasn't a Tench but it didn't feel that big, after a very energetic fight a small common found itself in the folds of the mesh. Not a big fish at a quarter over seven but very very welcome. The crease in it's scales on one side will make this one recognisable for the future, one to keep an eye on.

'The Crease', one to watch for in a few years

The rain wasn't as heavy as the forecast had predicted and it was turning into quite an enjoyable session.

A Perch for Barry

Barry was having fun with maggots and worms catching Roach, Rudd and a few Perch, it's a shame that a Pike didn't pick up his dead bait on the sleeper rod and add to the species list. I managed to bank another Tench on the bottom bait rod before losing a series of three takes on the method, these felt like Tench, shaking their heads until the hook fell out.

A young lad fishing off Morris's banked a nice Carp of fourteen plus and judging by the celebratory yell that came from that direction when the fish hit the net, he was well pleased.

The rain did start to get heavier later in the afternoon so we broke camp and headed for home.