With the forecast for colder weather arriving at the end of the week I grabbed a few hours over the lake this afternoon. I’ve been letting the fishing slip a bit lately and must really try to get out more often.

I arrived a 13.30 and started in the Lily Pads swim, putting a light leger out between the two beds of pads. Not a touch. Not even nibbling from smaller fish, the luncheon meat being untouched when I retrieved it. I persevered until 15.00 and then decided to move around to the deeper water in the SW corner. It’s a dodgy swim, with a very steep bank and deep water right near the edge. I was very careful as I inched my way down with the tackle.

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I cast the leger to the edge of the pads on the left [see photo]. Nothing happened for a while, but at 15.30 the bait runner started turning slowly and I tightened into a fish. After a good scrap a beautifully conditioned fully-scaled common of 8lb was in the net.

Landing the fish caused a bit of commotion and I wasn’t sure whether I would get another from the same swim. I decided to fish on until 16.15 and then go back to the Lily Pads swim as I was sure fish would start to move into it as dusk approached. A large fish actually broke the surface over by the lily pads while I was in the SW corner. I didn’t get another bite in the corner and as planned moved back to the Lily Pads swim, after carefully scaling the steep bank, taking my tackle bit by bit. By 16.30 I was set up again in the Lily Pads swim.

I again cast between the two large beds of pads and waited. Once more there were no nibbles from smaller fish. Finally, after a couple of recasts to try to get further into the gap between the beds, at 17.20 the line ran out and what felt like a good fish was on. It gave a very good account of itself, trying hard to get into the lily pads to the right, and then trying for those on the left. After numerous attempts to get it to the net, I eventually managed it. It was another beautifully conditioned fish, this time 10lb.

I had planned to pack up at 18.00 as darkness descends pretty quickly at this time of the year. By the time I had weighed and photographed the fish, I decided it was unlikely that I would get another before 18.00, so I actually packed up a bit early.

So, two bites and two fish. I must admit that at one stage I was thinking I might not actually get anything given the complete lack of bite indication. But things actually turned out quite well.

I was the only one on the lake and with the lack of any appreciable wind everything was very quiet and peaceful. I saw a snake swimming towards the lily pads at one point and was also treated to the sight of a kingfisher plunging in after a meal.

Magic.