Another Fishing Moral

Good news for all you top-of-the-water fans. The Wimbleball trout have been enticed to the surface by the lovely weather that we are having and the amount of buzzers hatching at the moment and, as in most situations, your's truly has managed to winkle out a moral from this excitement.

On 24th March 9 of the 10 boats out were occupied by regular Wimbleball anglers who, normally quite rightly, fish lures on sinking lines until the weather and hatches bring the fish up in mid-April. The 10th boat was occupied by a couple of visiting gentlemen who thought that the weather would have brought the fish up, even though it was only the second day of the warm sunny conditions.

A Lovely Morning on Wimbleball Lake

The early morning was all about the lures. The bright sun meant that the fish were deep. However this was short lived and by lunch time the warming margins had brought the fish to within a few yards of the bank and they were taking buzzers with alacrity – only the only people that were aware of the fact were the two chaps in boat 10 fishing their floating and intermediate lines with Diawl Bachs and buzzers on the end. Enough fish were still taking the lures to keep the others occupied and it wasn’t until late afternoon when someone saw the rod of one them in a permenant state of “arch” that everyone cottoned on. By then the visitors had both caught their 7 and returned a further ten each!

It just goes to show that we can get too set in our ways, and the moral here is that it pays to fish according to the conditions and not just according to the water we are on. I am afraid I am one of the world's worst for this. Because I did it a certain way before and it worked, it is always this same way that I try, to the exclusion of everything else, even if the conditions dictate otherwise.

Having said all that – the lure boys on this occasion still did ok and one of them caught a double bag limit without changing his black tadpole/humungus combination all day; so it does cut both ways.

As for me - I spent the weekend at home with my throat infection and watched Zingzillas about 20 times with the boy!................................................................................................I quite like Zingzillas!!

Fresh Air Does Not Make A Cold Better

In my previous post I failed to mention that I was suffering from a streaming cold, a really bad throat and ear pain and that I thought the fresh air would do me good..............POPPYCOCK!!

Two days later and I have sinus, ear and throat infections, a temperature of 40 degrees and am thoroughly wretched and have spent 48 hrs incapacitated in my bed.

On second thoughts it way have happened anyway so it was probably best that I went out when I did as I'd have no chance now.......................................oh well then.

As you were...............

The Game's Afoot

At last at last, the trout season is upon us - and - after last year when I missed the entire shebang - I rejoice with all my heart....................well, the portion of my old myogenic pump that is left available for such, after similar jubilation for the start of the salmon season two weeks ago! The difference between the two occasions of course is that the amount of trout fishing in March that is available and worthwhile is legion and the amount of opportunities to catch a March salmon, at least here in Somerset, very limited. But all the same, I habitually celebrate both with gusto.

My first day this year was, unsurprisingly, arranged months ago. Clatworthy and it's 130 odd acres played host to my efforts on a beautiful sunny but cold and blustery day. A boat was cast-off and my little electric motor took myself and my fishing partner for the day across a rippled lake with every bit of power that its 54lb of thrust could summon. It took a while.

It was a wonderful day. We caught a few fish on lures and buzzers fished on slow sinking and floating lines, we lost a couple too, but laughed a lot and generally had a great time. Clatworthy is great. It has a lovely glass fronted lodge where sandwiches can be munched upon and tales exchanged with other anglers and a fleet of boats that feel very sturdy and safe. The scenery is fantastic, the level at the moment good and the fish fighting fit. I can thoroughly recommend the place.

So all straining upon the start has ceased and the game's afoot! Follow your spirit and upon this charge cry 'God for Harry! England! and St. George' ...............or don't bother with all that and just go fishing.

Here are some pics.