Minnows first points

[Droppenfish]

sorry being a bit thick I'll post a report here!

well it was my second trip to me new home water and I only had a couple of hours to fish. Since I'd done well with bread and corn fished tight in the margins earlier in the week, I thought Id try the same trick again. This time things were a bit slower though and after about 35 biteless minutes I decided to swtich to fishing at about 4 rod lengths as I'd spotted some tell-tale bubble patches rising to the surface that normally signal bottom feeding fish. I had a nice piece of bread flake on the hook and before the float had even settled it dipped and moved sideways, so I struck and in came a feisty little rudd that had taken the bread on the drop. It was such a lovely little fish that I couldn't resist altering the float to fish shallower to see if there were any of his mates in the vicinity. the next 4 casts produced 4 similar redfins. happy that I'd seen the float dipping a bit, I decided to fish on the bottom again and try to find out what sort of fishy activity was causing all the bubbles. To get past the rudd I switched to sweetcorn on the hook and fed a good handful around the float. With bubbles effervescing all around the little porcupine insert waggler I was using, I kept expecting the float to slide away...but nothing happened. Hmmmm although I'd plumbed the swim I was a little worried my bait wasn't hard on the bottom, so I adjusted the float to fish a little deeper and cast again. This time I didn't have to wait long, after a tremor and a wobble the float began to move off and submerge at the same time - rather like the periscope of a diving submarine. I lifted the rod and was into a very good fish. At this point I'll mention that I had arrived at the swim only to find that I'd forgotten to put my normal carping rod in the car..all I had with me was a nice little shimano travel spinning rod I carry everywhere with me. It's only 8 foot long and not really up to double figure carp, but no angler in his right mind (is there such a thing as an angler in his right mind?) would leave the banks of a beautiful little lake on a perfect evening just to go and get the right rod so I set it up and hoped for the best. So there I was with a big cross double figure carp heading for the horizon and putting a pretty significant bend into the skinny bit carbon I had been stupid enough to try to capture him on! Thankfully the lake is pretty clear of snags and I was in no particular rush, so as the sun set over the distant Malvern Hills and the wood pidgeons cooed there way to sleep I concentrated on squeezing every inch of power out of my little rod. Ten precarious minutes passed..maybe fifteen, but it seemed the onlooking gods of fishing were looking down on me in benevolent mood and slowly the big gold scaled fish came nearer and nearer the net. It was only at this point that I realised I was being watched. theres a caravan site close by the pool and out of the corner of my eye I could just make out a couple of people leaning over the fence and watching the battle intently, "You'd better not make a mess of the netting" I thought "this fish is going to look impressive".So I took extra care and gently steered the big fish with it's mouth agape over the waiting net and lifted it smoothly on to the grassy bank. Only once I'd unhooked the fish and held it in my arms did I turn in triumph to the two onlookers to receive their admiration...unfortuately for me ego, it turns out my peripheral vision isn't what it used to be, as the spectators were two rather unimpressed goats - Oh well If they'd been human I'd have probably lost the fish and fallen in!

The Little as the sun sets

[devondave]

well done mate!

someone will come along and move this to its appropriate place soon im sure :)

i think you may need a bigger landing net in future and i guess you didnt try my method with the bread then?

[Droppenfish]

Originally Posted by devondave

well done mate!

someone will come along and move this to its appropriate place soon im sure :)

i think you may need a bigger landing net in future and i guess you didnt try my method with the bread then?

I started off fishing a very small bait hoping to pick up a few different silver fish. your method with the shot on a hair would have required a bigger bait, and then I switched to corn. But I'll be fishing your method from the start on Monday...hoping to pick up a tench or two and maybe some bream.

[devondave]

ok mate great would be interesting to know how it gets on as ive not had time/chances to try it course fishing as of yet so dont know how the fish will react