I have been very fortunate this year; being able to get fishing so many times. I have also been very lucky when I have fished. Lucky with some glorious weather, lucky in what I have caught, and lucky in some of the company I have met along the way.
Fishing a favorite lake in Wessex, cloudy and cool, but sheltered on the bank of the lake in-amongst the trees. I fished my chosen swim, casting very close into the margins with my ‘secret’ bait.
Sport did not arrive immediately, the float simply quivered ever so slightly now and then. I would reel in to find I had been ‘had’, and my bait was gone. Obviously, there were Crucians’ in my swim, and very tentative they were too. Again the quill float never dipped but quivered, I gently raised the rod, not a strike as such and hooked a good Crucian. As I netted the specimen, I could hardly believe the size, the old vintage landing net creaked as I raised the fish to the bank. I never usually weigh any catches of mine but on this occasion I had to. The scales went to 2lb.12oz; blimey! After weighing the empty net it revealed that the Crucian was 2lb.4oz. What a fish to end the summer season on.
I could not believe it, A good friend of mine called me on my mobile, and whilst chatting, I had a ‘run’ on the right hand rod. I quickly excused myself, ‘I hung up on the good chap’ and tended to the rod. The run was a short one, I initially thought it was the final Tench I was so longing to catch. The run did not go far and I soon had netted what could only be described as a huge Rudd, certainly the biggest I had ever seen, or caught. Again I had to weight it. The Rudd turned out at 1lb 4oz, unreal! Soon after I caught a huge Roach as well.
I was blessed with catching many smaller Rudd all afternoon, but no final Tench graced my landing net this day.
At around 4pm I noticed a fish roll right next to my float. I waited for the bite excitedly; nothing emerged. I reeled in, re-baited and re-cast to the exact spot. I then saw a huge Crucian ‘porpoise’, ‘dolphin-like’ right over my swim. I have seen this behaviour in the Crucians’ larger relatives, the Common and Mirror Carp, and generally signifies them going heads down rummaging through the debris on the lake bed, swimming up and down to the bottom again, with a ‘take’ a certainty every time. However, not on this occasion. I took this as an omen to pack up and leave. No final Tench of the season. Goodbye and good to see you, hope to see you again next summer season, I believe they were saying.
look ye also 