A break is as good as ......

In complete contrast to the weather we've had so far this week, last Friday's session was much colder. There was a cool north easterly breeze blowing across the horseshoe pool at Jubilee when we arrived for an afternoon/evening stint on the fly. Both myself and Barry fancied a go with the fly rods for a while but the way the weather had been lately it was just too cold to get the fish up in the water and by the looks of things, this session was going to be tough.

The peg I chose had the wind blowing from left to right with a calm area just in front of the peg, a couple of pouches of biscuits were put out amongst the surface crap that was littering this side of the lake, in amongst all the leaves, blossom and feathers one Carp found a couple of my treats and started to pick them off one at a time, that was good enough for me and I set about getting the tackle assembled ready for the first chuck. By the time I was ready for the first cast the my constant feeding between tying knots had payed off as there were now several fish in front of our swims, Barry was already chucking the fluff so I joined in. These fish were very wary of the fly and I struggled to see any pattern to their movements, I had several refusals and changed fly colour several times before I got a take. It was good to feel the carbon bend under my hand again as a Carp made off with my fly.  It's been over a year since I last cast a fly at a Carp and I can quite honestly say that I missed it, the fight was most enjoyable and I couldn't help smiling as a reasonable fish tore around my swim.

A thirteen on the fly.

Barry gave me thirteen pounds for this Carp but it wasn't about weight, it was about enjoying my break from Ryton.

The second fish of the day was slightly bigger Ghostie, it felt a good few pounds bigger and fought like it, testing my rod and reel control with some quick powerful twists, turns and runs.

A good scrap from this one.

I had another two fish that evening, one was very long and lean with a very recognisable scar near it's tale, I think I may have caught this fish a couple of years ago. I could see the fish confidently slurping biscuits off the top and I was trying hard to position the fly in the right spot which took a couple of lifts and recasts to be perfect, my 'Biccy' fly was next in line to be taken and within a blink of an eye the Carp's mouth appeared next to the fly, I instantly lifted the rod to tension the line and it was on, the water exploded as this fish tore off across the lake stripping line at a great rate of knots on the first of many runs.

Seen you before!

Come in number four, your time is up!

This session was great fun with four fish on the bank, I had to do it again!

Sunday afternoon I returned for another go with the fly but things looked bleaker, the air temperature was down and the wind was a little stronger, it took a good hour or so to find some fish willing to feed and it was to be a tad tricky casting into the wind, still, I love a challenge.

Casting was a little testing and as soon as the swim next door became vacant I moved in and was able to get a cast slightly across the wind increasing distance and improving presentation but it still took ages before I had a fish on the bank, just as I did, Barry and Jan turned up.

Worth the wait.

Barry wasn't fishing but it's strange that whenever he turns up at my swim I almost always catch a fish!

Whilst I was chatting to Barry and Jan I almost missed a take from my second Carp of the evening.

'Gummy'

This 'gummy' beast had obviously been mistreated at some point as it had a badly deformed mouth, and damage to dorsal, one of it's pectoral fins and tail. It seemed happy enough slurping down the biscuits though.

This change in the weather is what the Carp at Ryton have been waiting for, as I write this they are happily thrashing the water to a foam making new baby Carp and I've Just had news that their also at it at Jubilee on both pools, Barry was there today and had ten fish out on the fly, the little git's four ahead now!

Bit of a hit 'n' miss.

I was at the lake on Friday afternoon but I should know by now never make any plans when it comes to fishing at Ryton. Both pegs that I fancied fishing were occupied so I did the rounds to have a good look around the lake and see if I could find anything fishy to cast at and I did. It's still a little chilly to find then in the margins feeding and I was shocked when I found them as I nearly walked straight passed this particular swim without looking, after sneaking in for a closer look I could see that they weren't big fish but definitely worth a go, I was back with the gear within five minutes. A rod was put in front of an overhanging tree to the right where the fish kept drifting off too and the other on the spot where they were visibly feeding. They drifted in a couple of times but became more aware that they were being fished for on each visit, a couple of boilies were picked up but not my bait. The fish moved further away towards some snags and on closer inspection I found some more fish, a bait was cast to the front of the snag and I waited for most of the evening, hovering over the locked up rod, waiting for a take. The other rod made me jump at one point as line screamed off the baitrunner, it turned out to be a small Tench.

Saturday was an early one and again I'd made plans, why I don't know as when I arrived someone else had beaten me to the spot I'd have liked to have fished. I made my way round to the back of the island and baited a couple of spots and fished bottom baits over both, a couple of Tench rattled off with the baits but this spot seemed to be devoid of anything carpy, I found a couple of fish up in the water in the main part of the lake, they were making the most of the sun so made a move to try some zig's. Time was running out but I did manage to get another Tench before the end of the session.

Sunday evening I slipped onto the information desk after Richard had packed up, bottom baits were out and it wasn't long before I had a strange lift, drop, lift, drop on the bobbin, I thought it was the tufties that were working the area but they were well away from where I'd positioned that bait so I lifted the rod and struck. At first I thought it was a Tench but it turned out to be a rather scabby looking Bream, first time I've caught one of this spot.

A scabby old Bream at five and a half pounds

Nothing else showed all evening but this spot has been hammered every day this week with some good fish out.

On Sunday evening, an angler was warned about night fishing again as he planned to fish till ten or eleven but seeing the amount of gear he had (Stove, five litres of water, sleeping bag, etc) he looked as though he was there for the night. Details were taken from an old membership book as he didn't have the current one with him, and they were passed on to the club who would be in touch with him soon.

Night fishing is not allowed on any Leamington water.

2 - 1

On Sunday morning, Cerys helped me count boilies into their liquid ready for the evening session, she really likes the brightly coloured ones but got a bit upset when I stopped her from sticking one in her mouth.

One boilie, two boilies, three boilies

The session was a short evening one so with no time to waste two rods were quickly out on known feeding spots with a chod on one and bag and bottom bait on the other the plan to just sit and wait.

Sunny for a change.

An hour in and I had a take on the bottom bait, the fish didn't seem to know what was happening just thumping around before getting it together and charging off along the tree line, I don't normally stop them and I don't know why but I turned the drag one click tighter, my mistake the fish stopped and threw the hook.

One nil to the Carp.

The second fish followed around and hour later and this time I got it right. Barry gave me sixteen on the dot for this one.

Sixteen and one all.

One all.

It was towards the end of the session that I got the next take, again on the bottom bait, as soon as I picked the rod up it was off and this time with much more speed and power, there wasn't much I could do with it. I felt a couple of bumps on the line just as a boil errupted on the surface in front of some low branches, at that point I lost touch with the Carp, I was gutted as it felt much better.

Two one to the Carp.

Bivvy Boys

It was a five thirty early start on Saturday but we weren't the first at the lake. Three bivvy's were already set up on the sand bank at the back of the island with anglers fast asleep inside. We woke them up loudly and asked them to show themselves whilst reminding them that night fishing at Ryton and any other Leamington water was not allowed, a head peered over the edge of one of the sleeping bags and said they'd only been there since four and that it was technically morning. "Bull shit" I thought, as his bivvy was covered in either heavy dew or rain from much earlier so he'd been there for longer than an hour and a half. If I was there from four to do a short early morning session the last thing on my mind would be wasting time setting up a bivvy and sleeping, anyway, if they continue to night fish they will be expelled from the club so they continue at their own risk. We left them to their devises and they packed up and left just after eight. (The end of an all night session me thinks)

The session itself was pretty non eventful, we had a cold north easterly blowing across the lake but the odd glimpse of the sun was warm and nice to see. Barry had a scattering of Perch , Tench and Rudd through the morning.

Nice Rudd of around twelve ounces

I had to wait till one before connecting with what I thought was a Tench but turned out to be one of Ryton's Bream, not big at five pound fourteen ounces but you don't often see these so it was very welcome.

Rarely caught Ryton Bream

I cast this rod out to the same spot and had a Tench almost straight away, they were the only two fish of the whole session.