Wildlife Better Than The Fishing
Posted: 16th Jun 2013
Well another week has come to a close and once again the fish are not playing ball. The last 3 weeks have been very up and down due to the constant change in the weather, confusing the fish with water temp fluctuating massively. It seems from the females caught this week that some have spawned with very flat bellies followed by other fish that are still very plump and waiting to get on with it. I think because conditions changed abrutly last week the whole population did not manage to finish the job in one large spawning, so it's a case of waiting for conditions to be right once again so they can continue. The problem with this scenario is that the longer this continues the more the weeks roll by with hard conditions for the anglers, which is very fustrating indeed. I find it just as fustrating as the anglers who wait 12 months to get here, combined with hopes of a good week and the fish don't feed. Being so passionate about our role can cause you to ask so many questions but sometimes the fish do have the final say, regardless of my indepth knowledge of the fishery, & I think fish being cold blooded creatures, the weather does effect their behaviour more than most people realise, and it seems this year is playing havoc with fisheries across France.
This time of year is a much slower month in relation to catch rates compared to the months of April, Aug, Sept, and that does have to be taken into consideration, but there are so many other fantastic aspects to our sport that make time on the bank just as enjoyable as catching fish sometimes, not forgetting that summer sun on your back is always a treat.
There was a strange encounter with a Blackheaded Gull this week, which I noticed flapping around while I was working on the back bay, I managed to reach him dangling off the end of a branch and when I pulled him out of the mud I noticed it had stepped onto a swan mussel, which had closed around its leg like a vice, pinning it to the shallow lake margin. After a bit of work removing the mussel I gave the bird a quick bath and let it go to fight another day!!! I have also spotted a Night Heron working the lakes each day and saw it had a nest down in Peg 5 at the top of a thin Willow tree, so it will be intresting to see if the chicks hatch soon. Also I was checking the stock ponds this morning when a Pied Wagtail flew out from under my feet from some undergrowth next to one of the ponds, looking a little further she had 5 eggs including a cuckoos planted in there, so I will take some pictures once the host hatches and takes over the nest!!!!
Back to the fishing, the lads worked hard this week with Steve in Peg 3 fishing his socks off to try and put fish on the bank, the week total was poor with only 7 landed and a couple lost but the fish were simply not feeding, regardless of the effort.Shaun in Peg 1 had mentioned he was picking up bloodworm on every cast but I dont think the fish where even feeding on naturals this week. Best fish was a spawned out 36lb with 3 other 30lb+ fish and 3 upper 20lb males, I can only praise Shaun,Steve,Rich & Roland who were a great bunch for sticking with it and putting the effort in.
We have two new guys this week pitting their wits and it's all down to whether the fish spawn again or not, we shall see.
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Team Sanctuary