He is also a very keen angler, having come back to the sport in 1995 following a break of several years. In this regular column he will tell us about his progress as an angler – his thoughts about the sport, what he learns, the fishing trips he makes, the anguish, the humour, in fact everything he experiences as his angling career develops. | |||||
IT’S GOOD TO BE BACK – THE FISH ARE A BONUS! As detailed in last week’s Pilgrim’s Progress, my car problems kept me off the road longer than I wanted. In fact almost a fortnight went by before I could wet a line. Talk about withdrawal symptoms! Still, the time finally came when I could load the car and set off for a fishing session. As I didn’t want to travel too far – the car was still on probation – it was for the Staffs/Worcs canal that I headed for.
As I walked along the waterway heading for one of my favourite swims I stopped to observe a jay on the far bank as it rummaged amongst the grass in search of food, or maybe materials to build its nest – I wasn’t quite sure which. Jays are usually very shy birds and indeed are generally viewed as nothing more than a flash of pink, as they flee at the first hint of humans. However, this one was totally oblivious to my presence, and I had the luxury of observing it for a minute or two. I’m sure that most of us feel the same way – that fishing is more than just catching fish. Yes, I want to catch something when I go. And as a specialist, I’m usually in search of something that is substantially bigger than the average fish to be found in the water. But ultimately I see fishing as a package deal. Take away the wildlife, the birds, the nature and the experience of being in the wild outdoors, and to be frank I think that the actual angling itself would be much poorer as a result. Now, of course, not everyone will agree with me. To some anglers, all that matters is the landing of a specimen fish, irrespective of the enjoyment of the environment. Ruddy marvellous!
The rudd I caught on the canal was only a few ounces, but what it lacked in inches, it certainly made up for in good looks. The lovely deep bronze colouring was indeed a sight to behold, and as for the deep red fins, they looked as if they had come from the paint pallet section on a computer programme! Crystal cogitations then I headed for a small lake My next trip, a couple of days later, was the day after my wedding anniversary. It was our crystal one (15 years) and even though I cogitated, I couldn’t think of anything that Mrs Sedge could buy me that was fishing related. Still, she lets me go angling when I want and that’s a good enough present for me! I decided to head for a small lake in Shropshire for an evening session. I possess a number of club cards, some of them I have just so that I can fish one or two waters. So I decided to make use of this particular card and fish the one-acre lake. I have fished it once before, in 1995, and on that session I blanked. But how would I get on seven years later?
Although the winds didn’t really let up, the rain did, and so one has to be thankful for small mercies I guess. I had chosen a corner of the lake to fish that had overhanging bushes to my right and, I would imagine as a result of erosion, a root system that jutted into the water. I fished a simple leger rig towards the snag, with four grains of hair-rigged sweetcorn to tempt any feeding carp. Carp on corn I also fished a waggler a couple of rod’s length out, hoping to tempt some roach or perch. There are rumours that the lake holds big specimens of both species, so I wanted to put the rumours to the test. The corner of the lake I was fishing was quite deep and even two rod’s length out, I was in 10ft of water.
But, for as much as the ornithological experience was enjoyable, I had come to tempt fish, not birds. So, how did the fishing go? Well, I ended up with five good carp (three commons, a mirror and a ghost) all taken on the leger rod and one small tench that I caught on the waggler set up. I also lost a carp due to a hook pull. All the carp were caught on Safeway economy sweetcorn, which is now less than 90p per kilo! After my success at Kingsmead a few weeks ago, maybe I should contact Safeway and try and get some sponsorship? Or am I being too ambitious? Perhaps I should start a bit lower down the pecking order and make an approach to one of the budget supermarkets? Now there’s a thought. I could be the first angler sponsored by Netto!
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| Next Thursday’s Pilgrim’s Progress states something that is obvious to all specimen anglers. ‘It’s a fine line between success and failure’. Based on a recent session I did on a Hertfordshire gravel pit, which side of the line did I fall on? Well, there’s only one way to find out, of course, by checking out FM next Thursday. As well as fishing I also get to ramble a bit and cover such subjects as Harry J and The All Stars, skinhead moonstomps, thatched cottages and the World Cup. See you next Thursday. The Reverend Stewart R Bloor Pilgrim’s Progress – read it every Thursday! |
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