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Diary of an average angler

fisherman

This diary dates back to a holiday in 2003 when I think the urge to get back into fishing took off. From around 2007 the trips became more frequent with 2010/11 probably being the peak of activity.
Things again pick up in 2020 - a sort of rebirth!

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The Clay Pit (14)

Side pond

Arrival time: 09.00
Weather: Bright start with a light breeze, clouding over later.
Tackle: Greys 12' Prodigy TX Float rod, Allcocks 4" centrepin, 4BB waggler (with 1.2g olivette), 6lb line direct to 14 eyed hook.
Baits: Bread flake & corn.
Fish: Four tench and a bream.

Almost exactly a month since my last trip to the Clay Pit. I was undecided where to go and opted for this venue as it's close to home and rarely busy. I took bread and corn as these were available at home, the bread being the Hovis seedy loaf that I mentioned on my last outing. I was able to get my preferred spot.

I groundbaited lightly using the the same seedy bread, hand-crumbed. I started on sweetcorn and half expected some attention from rudd or roach but I didn't get a touch during the first half hour. Having changed to bread flake I struck on the first dip of the float and hooked into something decent which, after a bit of a battle, turned out to be a tench of 2lbs 14oz. A good start.

It wasn't long after that the float started to move sideways and I connected with another good fish. A second tench soon graced the landing net. I didn't weigh it but it was about the same stamp as the first.

Playing a tench

Playing a tench
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tench

First tench 2lbs 14oz

tench

Second tench - not weighed

tench

Third tench - weighed - 3bs 8oz

tench

Fourth tench - weighed - 4bs 7oz

bream

The bream

I didn't have to wait too long for the next bite which was much more positive, and once more I was battling a tench, this one feeling somewhat heavier. It actually weighed in at 3½lbs. They were getting bigger!

The run continued when another positive bite provided what was to turn out to be the last tench, and the biggest. I knew it was going to be bigger as the fight was much more powerful with the fish getting into the nearside reeds to my right, at which point I feared losing it. But it was ultimately landed and weighed 4lbs 7oz. A powerful male fish.

At this point I felt that I would continue to catch but after the fourth fish things went completely dead. Not a touch. I remained surprised that I hadn't had any interest from rudd or roach.

It was well over an hour before I caught another fish, not a tench this time but a bream, my first from this venue. I had had a few touches on the float and the bream eventually dragged it sideways but didn't take it under. Like the tench before, it was hooked just on the edge of the lip. I was surprised that none of the fish had come off, the 14 hook looking minuscule in their mouths.

I caught the bream around midday and had planned to pack up at 2pm, or possibly 3pm, depending on how things went. But after the bream things went completely dead again. Also, some young lads had arrived to fish at the other end of the side pool but there was much larking about, and much noise, so in the end I decided to pack up a little before 2pm. Earlier than I had planned, but I had clearly had the best part of the day and was in no way disappointed.

So another successful few hours at this small pond.

© 2025 Robert Bassett

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