A quacker of a slow take.

Back at Ryton again with some freshly rolled baits. Cerys is now old enough to help me make my boiled fish food. It's a bit like making playdoh just a bit smellier. She helps to measure out the dry ingredients before we add it to the 'stinky' liquid, the fun comes when we squeeze out and roll into baits.

Stirring the stinky stuff

I was back in the same swim as last week but didn't mess about moving around this time, one bait was on the lucky spot and the other just off to my right. All was quiet around the pool, I'd been given the heads up on what was happening on the main part of the lake via an exchange of texts with Dan and there were a few fish coming out.

 

The chilly wind was blowing straight into my swim and I felt it was having an impact on when the fish would move into the area. It wasn't until after midday, when the sun had moved around far enough, that I saw the first hint of something fishy being in the vicinity of my bait. The clues were there to indicate that something was indeed right over my bait so I got myself ready for a take, sure enough the bobbin began to move very slowly. It crept up towards the rod in a series of short twitchy movement's, my eye's flicked back and forth between the bobbins and the slowly tightening line before I made the decision to pick up the rod and lean into whatever was on the end. My rod took on an alarming bend as the fish tried desperately to get into the sanctuary of the tree roots, I kept the pressure on and it eventually gave in and started to move towards me, twisting and turning in protest all the way. With six foot of water under the rod tip I was able to back off the clutch and allow it a little freedom as I sorted out the net, this felt a good fish and as it rolled over the cord I noticed it was indeed a large mirror, I began to wander if it was one I knew?

 



Twenty pounds and four ounces.

Ryton always throws up a few surprises and this was one, I've never seen this fish before so it's another new one for me. It's an incredible fish, long and lean and full of fight and I think it's one of the best looking mirror's in the pool.

 

The other side

The rest of the day was spent messing with the new reels, don't like them, can't get on with them and gave up on the session, I was more than happy with what I'd caught anyway.

 

The Duck was passed back to Barry!

At last!

At last, some time on the bank. I deliberated for ages over where to go as I'd heard of a few Carpy tales which I've been meaning to chase up but not had a chance to and I was pretty desperate to wet a line, Barry was off on his annual (crazy) walk around the Coventry way so there was no 'Duck' pressure and in the end I settled on a session at Ryton, the monster hunting can wait a bit!

 

The usual spots were taken so I headed off to one of the quieter corners to try a swim that's been good for me in the past, traps were set but after an uneventful hour I noticed some fishy activity to my right, too far right to get a cast to so the gear was packed up and I made a quick move. It wasn't until I moved for a second time that I felt happy with where my cast was landing and the lay of the line leading to it, it was a bit of a tricky one because I've found that if your cast wasn't bang on this particular spot you didn't get any takes. It took a few chucks to get everything spot on and it didn't take too long to get the first take, it was only a Tench but at least I knew that everything was working.

 

A good couple of hours passed and I had a bit of a Jerky take that excelarated into the rod tip pulled round in the direction of the fleeing fish, I quickly leaned back into it but wasn't quick enough, all I could feel was a grating sensation with the odd thump in between. The line had gone round something and I could see the fish boiling below on the surface with the line running at right angles to it through a snag. The fish shook the hook loose and I ended up losing the hook in the snag, it felt like a fairly good sized Carp.

 

The rig was back on the spot and it was one of those cast's that you know was going to go!

After an hour, I again had another slow 'jerky' take but this time I was on it straight away with the clutch locked down tight. The fish eventualy kited out of the swim and I was able to back off the clutch to give it a little false freedom. The fight was very satisfying and it's been a while since I had a nice Carp on the line.

Reel christened but I'm not happy with them!

 

The fish weighed in at sixteen and a half pounds and was the only Carp of the session.

 

My new reels, not happy with them so I may be parting with them soon.