Is that a joke??
I went Sunday in what turned out to be dreadful conditions. No rain in the forecast that I could see, yet it managed to do so from 5am until 9am in the form of a soaking drizzle, so without weather gear I spent more time trying to keep the gear dry, than fishing!
Along with the rain I had a squally wind that seemed to come from every direction..
All of this considered I caught some fish, but I fished badly and never managed to settle around float or tactics. I went home in a bad mood thinking I wasted my time.
Yesterday should've have been better and it was in some ways, except I spent some time moving three times to find a part of the water least effected by wind or sun. The first choice was shaded and expected to stay that way with a lot of heavy dark cloud, but 30 mins into the session a very hot sun burst through directly into my eyes - and the bites ceased immediately!!
Moved to swim 2 which was in shade but sub surface drift made fishing difficult. I gave it my best and caught a dozen or so decent enough roach on large hemp fishing no more than 3' below the surface. I think I could have caught more but that surface drift........
Eventually, and because I lost two better fish on the strike (surface drift/line not tight enough to the float, of not very good choice!) I moved to swim 3, which looked to be fine in the now heavy grey cloud, but it's sods law that within an hour the damned sun poked out again, and if I dislike anything it is sitting in hot sun!!
No matter, I changed my float, plumbed the bottom and with a 16 hook fished on the drop, proceeded to fish with large hemp or double tares with hemp feed. The hemp produced fish in the 8" bracket with the odd better one and I was enjoying the lightening fast bites jsut off the tip. I supposed I only had 18" between float and sunken tip so rather than an upward strike ( which produced mighty tangles first off) I struck, or pulled into the fish sideways, to great effect.
Once again, the change to double tare made all the difference. Not so many fish, but definitely better quality almost at once, to the degree that was marked. Of the 7/8 fish I caught on them, none were below 10" and most somewhat bigger. I didn't bother to weigh them. All gave a very positive sail away bite, the type that tells you it will be fish on!
If I'm honest I would've liked to have fished longer, but by this time the sun was really hot (yes, I caught those good roach in bright, bright sunlight!) so I cleaned up and headed off home, pleased with my day and for sticking with it.
Two days off now for physio and walking but out again come Thursday providing the ambient is not hovering at 28 degrees!!
Too hot man, just too damned hot...................
