Today I tried a morning session. My main reason for doing this was to avoid the mosquitos in the evening (I’ve been eaten alive this year), although it did also mean I could grab a round of golf later in the afternoon.

The lake was very enticing when I arrived. A mirrored surface with the only noise being that of bees and other insect workers among the overgrown banks. Some of the blackberry thorns had re-established since I had cleared them on my last visit.

I didn’t bother with the float rod this time but set up immediately with my Hardy rod and a small bomb ledger. I took a bite alarm this time. I’m not a fan of these things, mainly because they tend to be used invariably in support of a bolt rig, and that’s not my sort of fishing. My reason for taking it was so I could take my eye of the indicator bobbin while I viewed the lake and its wildlife. Looking down at a bobbin continuously seemed such a pity. No bolt rig though; just a hook and a light ledger, and my reactions.

Click image to view larger version.

I missed a fairly positive bite early on. Whether it was a carp or a rudd, who knows. A bit later (09.45) I noticed that the reed stems near the margin, on my left, were being ‘knocked’ in the tell-tale fashion of a carp rooting around. I recast my rig into the spot, only a few feet away, but made the mistake of setting up the bobbin indicator. A fish took but being at such short range the bobbin had crashed into the rod and the rod top bent round before I could react. Thinking that I had blown my chance I was about to recast out to the lily pads, but as I started to stand up I saw a carp surface (a large mouth in fact) at the spot where I had just had the bite. I recast there, but this time left slack line floating on the surface, and sure enough in no time the line was being pulled and I tightened into a good fish.

It ploughed into the reeds and as I applied pressure the line snapped. It broke above the ledger weight, which makes me suspect a line fault, possibly from a previous snagging. Anyway the fish was lost and I had at this stage definitely blown it. I therefore returned to fishing by the lily pads, although I kept an eye on the margin.

A positive but non-carp bite at 10.30 resulted in a nice rudd of 1lb 4oz (photo).

There were a few more half-hearted bites, that I put down to smaller rudd, or perhaps more cautious ones. But I didn’t hook them. A more definite bite at 11.30 turned out to be a small pike of probably less than a pound; on luncheon meat, fairly hooked in the lip. There followed another rudd of about 6oz at 12.15.

I tried casting to different spots around the lily pads, and even tried the margin again, although there had been no further signs of fish movement in the reeds. I was rewarded with a small roach of only a few ounces before I packed up at 13.30. By then the sun had broken through and it was becoming very warm. I hadn’t planned to stay but I suspect that I would have needed to wait until late afternoon/evening before having any further chance with the carp.

Despite catching only a few fish I really enjoyed my morning. I like the mystery of the lake, not knowing what it holds, with each bite promising something special. Romanticising again!