Not all trees, you understand, just the ones that try and claim
my tackle. Ever since I started fishing, the Tree-Gods have been asking for sacrifices from my meagre tackle box. On recent fishing trips I have managed to avoid such expense, but today was one of the days the Trees won. No they did not claim any tackle (apart from one hook!) but they did spoil my day.
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| Nice looking lilly pads close to the island and some clear water to have a go at pallet waggling... Yeah right! |
It is all part of that learning curve. Today's lesson was to look up and to each side of the peg rather than just looking at target swims. This may be obvious to many but, as it appears, not to me. After I got myself all set up and ready to go I discovered that I only had a very small window that I could actually cast at. The 'cover' either side of the peg was not a problem, it was the overhanging trees that prevented me from making a conventional cast in any direction other than at an angle of between approximately 75 and 85 degrees to the peg.
My main aim of the day was to get to grips with pellet waggler fishing. I have tried a couple of times previously but to no avail. This time I was ready and ready to go, but every time I cast, the rig tangled. Today was not going too well... I had joined the hooklength to the main line using a small swivel, as had been suggested in something I had read. Maybe this was causing my problem. Removing it made no difference, in fact it probably made it worse.
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| loading the method feeder seems to work well |
At this point I decided to revert to my plan 'B' and get the feeder rod out again. As I have already said, from this peg I was restricted to a narrow window to where I could cast. I had got the method mix right, I know my
two-dog groundbait mix works as I have caught lots of fish with it on previous occasions. With the help of a couple of the other guys I have got the constancy right. I can make very neat method feeders up and they stay in place on the cast. My little black mixing bowl is great (See the top and bottom of
THIS post from a few moths ago). I can pick it up and put it down with one hand and it sits on my lap a treat when filling the mould. I must say I do like this Preston mould, it seems to do exactly what it is supposed to do with ease. After more hours casting at the same spot I got nothing. I should have got up and moved but you know how it is waiting for a bus - it will be along in a minute, it never comes and in the end it would have been quicker to walk! The same applies to moving peg, next time if it is not right, I will move.
The lesson was learned and it ended up spoiling my day in terms of catching fish. I still enjoyed myself and I packing up early, which gave me a chance to have a good look around the other lakes/ponds at Beaver.
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| Juniors Lake looks interesting |
Here bis just one of the other lakes... Lake No.9 is Juniors Lake. According to the literature, it is often overlooked because of its name but it is purported to hold a good stock of fish with carp up to 20lb and Tench to 6lb as well as many others. I might give it a go at some point in the future but it is a bit off the beaten track, well at least the end I fancy fishing is. For the time being I will stick to the pegs with easy access to the van. I should really sort myself out a trolley of some kind then it would not be so much of a problem...
Ralph.
