Is That An Ass In My Bivvy
Posted: 3rd Sep 2012
It was one of them moments that you had to be there because the timing was priceless.Keith from last weeks group had been talking with Mark & Neil in peg 2 when a single bleep on his bite alarm signaled his middle rod was about to "one tone" so he sprinted back to his peg. At this point Mark shout's down "Is all good" and Keith bends down to get something from his bivvy and replys with "I'm In" to get the lads going!! The timing was pure quality because as soon as his head enters the Bivvy door with his Arse sticking out of the bivvy, a Donkey in the distance lets out the big one "EEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRR EEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOORRRRR with Mark and Neil rolling around like school kids thinking Keith is "In alright" with a right donkey in his bivvy. Happy Days
The fishing and company was great and once again the lake was kind to the lads with them all catching fish over 40lb+. The highlight was mid week with the run of 40lb+ fish back to back but the massive drop in temperture & the Full Blue Moon towards the backend of the week, did slow the catch rate down somewhat. 40 fish was the total catch with the best going 45lb and 5 other fish over 40lb+, no less than 24 x 30lb+ (including 11 over 35lb+, 4 between 38-39lb) 9 x 20lb+ (Including 4 over 27lb) and one 25lb+ Grassie. Big fish mix & pellet scoring and only one grassie this week on the fishmeals. These fish have been introduced for one purpose only & that's to control the weed which they have nearly eradicated, but if you do or dont want them in your catch it is possible to target them with the right bait, and they do add intresting sport with epic fights and stunning looks, but they are a love or hate fish!!
This was one of the first weeks all season where the fish could be seen ripping the bottom up and feeding hard on naturals and bait and it was a sign of a good feed up. The lake bed out in front of pegs 4 & 5 each morning was frothing like a witch's cauldron and reminded me of my early tench days as a child on a misty lake chasing those bubbles!!! The fish have been feeding hard on the bloodworm beds and chasing the young crayfish in the shallow areas of the lake, which is always evident with agressive tail patterns breaking the surface and plumes of clay clouding up as they turn each stone and pebble litrally thumping the lake bed with their mouth in search of the critters. The crayfish have not been to bad at all this season with most weeks the anglers not needing to mesh baits with only the odd occasion having to wrap hook baits at night. A little thought is all that is needed, with air drying hookbaits, keeping the swim topped up with a few extra baits to keep them happy and when the carp move in, they move out!! Another little tip is put a box of womens tights in your rucksack but either way let your wife know the score before you do so!! If you get caught buying a box from the supermarket it does take some justifying, but if you get caught in the knicker draw stealing a pair it could be the last session you ever do!!! You've been warned. Anyway a little piece of the tights wrapped around your hookbait then dipped in a bait soak makes all the difference, and with it being a tight weave material it lasts much longer than the coarse open weave mesh you buy from the tackle shop.
The weather did turn on it's head backend of last week with tempertures plummeting to 5oc on Thursday Morning from the 40oc high from the week before, but it is set to climb back up to 30oc this week and some late summer sunshine is about to return. The wind makes all the difference in this part of the world, and a change in the wind can make it feel like summer one minute to winter the next, strange.
Week 23 is under way and Paul in Peg 4 had a 35lb 8oz, 36lb, 37lb on the Saturday night, so hopefully another good week will unfold.
That's all for now, back soon.
Over & Out
Team Sanctuary