Angel of the North yesterday PB!!

Chappa · #1 03-17-2009, 05:44 AM

After visiting my lad in Newcastle, I booked up via the net for a day on "lookout" the fishery's course lake. Having never visited before I popped to reception to ask advice and pick up some maggots (sold out unfortunately). Still not to worry as I was hoping for tench, or maybe one of the "specials" from the lake- a nice crucian, golden tench or a ghostie. The weather was overcast, warm but breezy (as the place is quite exposed), and the owners (who were very helpfull and free with their advice) even told me the water temp-8.3deg! I wandered around the lake to chat to the 4 guys already set up, to see what if anything was working for them. As a newcomer to fishing (still less than a year at it) it's often a little how shall I put it? Off-putting when you give someone a polite "hello, having any luck?" and are met with a stern stare and a grunt. It's a funny business fishing, some guys like to keep everything secret, in fear that you'll end up steeling "their" fish! (Knowledge squirrels

)Anyhow, there was none of that nonsense here. All the lads at the lake were very helpfull giving tips on the best pegs, (they'd all been landing good sized skimmers and carp to 1.5lb on poles mainly), so off I headed to a peg on the island, and set up with my back to the wind.

I got my ledger rod out, and stuck some stawberry meat on the end and stuck it into the deepest water, followed by some ground bait with crushed hemp. Then got my quiver tip out and baited up another area with a view to trying hair rigged corn on the method feeder loaded with pellet-paste (fishery's own), for tench. Before I could cast the quiver tip the bite alarm sounded, and I struck into the first fish of the day- a nice little common of around 1.5lb. With the fish biting so quickly I was optimistic about the day to come. As the meat had worked so well, I used that on the quiver tip too, and never looked back as a steady stream of bites came thick and fast- all commons with one mirror up to about 3lb. Nearly all the fish came on the quiver tip and of those on the ledger I missed more than I got, so I used my brain and changed from a bolt rig to a free running in line set up, then one o'clock struck and the lake went dead!

I took the opportunity to get some scran and took a rest, then after 90 minutes of nothing re-cast the ledger closer to the far bank of rushes, to within about 4 feet some 30 yards away. As it had been so quiet I sat back down and watched the other rod's tip. All of a sudden the drop back indicator on the ledger rod slammed down, and the alarm went off not in beeps but like an air raid siren! I jumped up and struck into it and promptly missed as the hook pulled straight out

. I was crestfallen as this was definitely a new PB "one that got away" for me!

I cast out again to the new spot, and the bites picked up again on both rods. With the exception of a 1lb bream, all commons in the afternoon again mainly on the quiver tip. One thing of note is that all the fish were pristine, not a mark on them, and the commons fought really hard for their size. Then around 4pm I got a really solid swing on the 'tip which pulled the rod off the rest. 5 minutes later I saw a big swirl of white on the surface and I knew I was into a big-ish ghostie, and what a fish! Sorry I can't get the picture off my phone (at work just now) but it was a beauty, absolutely unmarked, 100% white all over and about 4lb, smashing my previous best ghost of 1.5lb

I had a few more commons and packed up at last light, reluctant to leave after such a cracking day. The place does have a lot of rules but the fish are choice and the staff really helpfull, so I would highly recommend "The Angel of the North" fishery, I'll definitely go back next time I'm in the fozen north, a thoroughly good day. I'll be celebrating with a couple of beers tonight,

Cheers

Chappa