| #1  03-31-2008, 04:28 PM | ||||
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| Wet and windy, the weather was bad too! We decided to have a weekend on our local lake, we had not seriously fished it before and had been told it was a hard water for the carp. I arrived about lunchtime Friday and started the long, long hike to the swims with the bivvies, only to discover that my barrow had a flat tyre, this made the walk, along with my lack of fitness, a very hard start to the weekend. Lucky a friend turned up with a landrover and did the rest of the trips for me. The ground was very muddy and the forecast was not good, but we had decided that we would do it whatever. I was fishing for carp, and Claudia decided to do carp and dead bait for pike. Here is a view of the lake after one of the many rain showers we had.  Later in the evening another friend turned up and set up in the swim next to me. The weather continued to deteriorate and we managed to get some baits in the water and have a swift drink before we settled into the bivies to avoid the wind and rain. Morning broke and the weather was great, my friend and I spent the first few hours of the day watching the fish top out. During the Saturday Claudia managed a 5lb pike on a dead bait (lamprey section).  The take was a quick bleep and drop back, which we thought was wind on the line, and then a run, by the time she had connected with it the hook was deeply set in the fish, so she decided not to dead bait because of the risk of missing the bite in the strong wind, there was lesson learnt. I had a little spin for the pike, I had a few follows and could see the pike tap the bait right at the bank, and had a couple of fish jump up at my spinners, but I did not manage to hook any, I really did enjoy the spinning, even though it does make my shoulders ache. My friend had to leave Saturday night, so Claudia and I settled in for a very stormy night, it rained and blew a gale for most of the night and finally calmed to a lovely morning on Sunday. I was up with the dawn and watched the mist on the lake rise.  The fish were active again, I watched carp topping and swirling in my swim, right over my baits, but still I had no more than a couple of "pick and drops", I am sure they are very canny fish in this lake. so finally after 48 hours on the lake we decided to pack up and take the long, long walk back to the cars, with all our gear this was 2 1/2 trips for both of us! Luckily Claudia had a pump in her car so the second trip was a lot easier with some air in the tyre on my barrow, another lesson learnt, check the tyre pressure on the barrow before I leave home. We both got home at tea time, cold and tired, Claudia had just the one pike and I blanked, but we did enjoy just being out. Later that evening I was sure I heard a rustling from Claudia's sleeping bag roll, but no one else could hear it. In the morning Claudia, her daughter and the cat were certain something was making a noise in the area of here sleeping bag, so big brave hero me had to open it up in case there was a mouse or something sinister inside. I did and discovered that Claudia had be poaching on the lake and had returned home with this in her sleeping bag roll.  I did suggest she give it a kiss, as it had been in her sleeping bag, and maybe it would be a handsome prince, but she was having non of it. __________________ If you want the rainbow, then you have to put up with the rain     |
| #2 03-31-2008, 04:32 PM | ||||
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| Re: Wet and windy, the weather was bad too! sounds a tough weekend there guys , well done on toughing it out great pics as ever and nice pike by claudia  dave __________________ www.exmouthsaa.co.uk 24 beers in a case and 24 hours in a day, coincidence or just damn good planning Officially a bad influence since 2005 ;-) |
| #3 03-31-2008, 04:50 PM | ||||
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| Re: Wet and windy, the weather was bad too! Well done on the pike Claudia. Glad you both had fun __________________ Dan `·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸ Big or small, look after them all! ¸.·´¯`·.¸ ><((((º> |
| #4 03-31-2008, 05:02 PM | ||||
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| Re: Wet and windy, the weather was bad too! a hard weekend for you both,better times to come |
| #5 03-31-2008, 05:21 PM | ||||
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| Re: Wet and windy, the weather was bad too! Great read & photos Mike. I love the early morning shot. Nice Pike Twids.  Looks like you had a croak-ing time!  I'll get me coat. __________________ Ollie: "Call me a cab." Stan: "You're a cab." Just another night on the beach with Ping. |
| #6 03-31-2008, 05:36 PM | ||||
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| Re: Wet and windy, the weather was bad too! Nice report Mike & some great pictures. Last time I fished there I was after the Pike. After trying various Rapala lures, without much sucess, I switched to rubber shads, fished sink & draw, & was almost getting a pike a chuck. Problem was they kept taking short & biting the tails off the shads... I think the answer is to attach a flying treble hook, nearer the tail. It's certainly a beautiful place. It's just a pity they don't do day tickets any more.   |
| #7 03-31-2008, 07:20 PM | ||||
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| Re: Wet and windy, the weather was bad too! Quote:
 Well done both or you, a tough weekend. I chickened out and ended up at Gold Valley on Saturday afternoon in the wind and rain, plenty of carp and bream but it was a bit wet!  Nice pike Claudia, yet again, saved the blank. __________________ "I'm playing all the right notes but not necessarily in the right order" Eric Morcambe |
| #8 03-31-2008, 07:28 PM | ||||
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| Re: Wet and windy, the weather was bad too! Quote:
 but can't wait to fish it again when the weather picks up again, some nice tench up to 11lb in there  we has so much rain Saturday night that I started to grow fins, at one stage I thought my bivvy was going setting off in the wind __________________ There is certainly something in angling that tends to produce a serenity of the mind." - Washington Irving |
