The Clay Pit (16)
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Arrival time: 10.15
Weather: Very hot during a late summer heatwave, reaching 27⁰C by the time I left.
Tackle: Hardy 11' 6" Marksman Specimen Avon, Allcocks 4" centrepin, preloaded waggler, 6lb line direct to 12 eyed hook.
Baits: Sweetcorn & cheese paste.
Fish: 5 Tench (one very small) and a small crucian.
For various reasons I hadn't been out for over two weeks and when the opportunity arose we were in the middle of a late summer heatwave. I really didn't fancy too much walking as would be the case on a stream or river, so I decided to go to a local pit where in the past I had been almost guaranteed some fish.
I got my usual spot but the water level was down even compared with my last visit, and the surface was covered by a film of what I assume was dust arising from the parched conditions. All in all it didn't look too promising. I had taken sweetcorn and cheese paste as baits, these being what I had available in the house, the trip being very much a last minute decision in view of the forecast very hot temperatures.
As usual I fished waggler into the corner of the pond, loose feeding sweetcorn and with the same bait on the hook, but I had to wait quite a long time for the first bite, which I missed. Soon after another bite produced a very small tench, the intended quarry, albeit a lot smaller than I would have hoped. Not long after an equally small crucian came to the net. But at least I was catching fish.
I didn't have to wait much longer before I was encouraged to see bubbles coming up around my float and, sure enough, the float soon disappeared and I was into a decent tench. As usual it fought well and I nearly lost it when it burrowed into the reeds at the near bank. Fortunately hand-lining released it and I was soon guiding it into the net.
After this first fish I was fortunate enough to net a further three tench. The bites certainly weren't coming quickly and I had to wait quite a while between each fish, the last one coming literally on my last cast. I had changed to cheese paste after catching the small tench and crucian, but the last tench was again taken on sweetcorn. I also lost a fish on sweetcorn when the hook pulled, it almost certainly being another tench.
The best fish was 3lb 11oz, another being 3lbs exactly while the last one was under 3lbs. I didn't weigh the first sizeable tench.
Of these other three fish, one tried to seek refuge in the same reed bed while another almost snagged me in the brambles close to where I was casting. Unusually the third didn't really fight at all, making a series of strong 'thumps' on the line rather than speeding off like the others. At first I thought it might have been a bream.
So, what started as a somewhat uncertain session in very challenging conditions actually turned out to be surprisingly good. It was the first time I had used cheese paste at this pond and I'm willing to bet it's not a bait that the fish usually encounter. Whether that contributed to my success it's difficult to know. It might be that the fish will feed on most things as long as they feel confident. Although I guess that they are more used to maggots and, these days, probably pellets.