I initially wasn’t planning on getting the rods out last weekend with so much going on at home but after a phone call from Pete late on Saturday evening we arranged to have a quick day session the following morning on our small syndicate water a few miles from home and after a little bit of persuasion and a spot of begging my wife eventually handed me a pass for the day, game on!
I quickly began sorting all the kit, replenishing tea and coffee supplies as well as tying up a few rigs so there was no messing around once I was on the bank, before I knew it the van was loaded and ready for action and after a couple of beers I decided on an early night ready to rise with the dawn the following morning.
It seemed like I had only been in bed a few minutes when I became aware of my phone telling me it was time to get up, I threw it across the room in an attempt to shut it up but unfortunately that didn’t work so in the end decided it would be for the best if I did as I was told and reluctantly rose from my pit in an almost cave man like trance.
After finding my way to the kettle and necking a few cups of the good stuff I finally felt as near human as is possible for me so grabbed my camera off the side, bait out of the freezer and made my way outside to the van.
It became quite possible that I still wasn’t awake at this point as just as I was pulling off of the drive I noticed that I couldn’t actually see anything and after rubbing my eyes for a few times realised that I needed to scrape the windscreen as it was frozen solid, “wake up smithy” I said to myself whilst laughing, it was the first time I had had to do the deed this winter so it took me a bit by surprise but after the job was done it was full steam to the pit with the temperature gauge in the van never rising above -3c throughout the whole journey.
As I pulled into the gate I was pleasantly surprised to see a good friend “Jon” an Avid Carp Consultant, I knew straight away that this was going to turn into a bit of match and even more so when another friend “Dave” also an Avid Consultant turned up – Team Avid vs Team Lead Shed (and Pete) bring it on!
After a bit of banter in the car park the game was set so after unloading the van I threw all of my gear on my back resembling something like a pack horse and made my way through the bog round to the pit with Dave & Jon.
As soon as we got to the pit we saw a fish show straight in front, Jon & Dave reacted the quickest and dropped their kit in the nearest swim to the show choosing to double up. I on the other hand had other ideas and headed further up the bank to a holding area where I had enjoyed success the previous winter.
I was just getting my first rod sorted when Pete turned up and dumped his kit next to mine choosing to double up with me, I had just begun to inform him about the show when he interrupted and complained that the kettle wasn’t on the boil – so after answering his demands I carried on with my story, we were both optimistic considering the harsh frost and ice in the margins.
Being only a small lake of just a few acres I only fished two rods, the left hand rod was fished close to an overhanging bush on the far bank baited with two 10x14 Live System dumbbell’s on the hair and fished helicopter style, I then scattered two pouchfuls of 10 millers over the top.
The right hand rod was fished with a single 10x14 Live System dumbbell on the hair in a solid pva bag with matching pellets and then pumped over to the same overhanging bush as the left hand rod.
With the rods sorted it was just a case of sitting back with a brew and having a catch up with Pete listening to his tales of Woe since I had last seen him a few weeks earlier whilst waiting for my Neville to sing its merry tune.
I was on my 3rd coffee when the right hand Neville out of the blue went into complete melt down, I was on it in a flash not giving it an inch and after a brief battle under the rod tip was pulling a mid-double mirror over the net cord, I turned around to see Dave & Jon behind me who had heard my Neville and had come to investigate looking rather glum, the banter commenced!
The little mirror was rather lively on the mat, it certainly made up for not putting up much of a fight in the water but was soon on her way back from where she came.
Dave and Jon left muttering something under their breaths whilst I carried on with the banter knowing they loved it really!
With the fish safely returned I quickly got the rod sorted and back on the spot on the far bank before firing up the coleman once again for a celebratory brew.
The next few hours past quietly with no action to note, it was about 2pm when I was just rustling up a Risotto for lunch when Dave & Jon arrived admitting defeat, they were cold and bored – after a bit more rib tickling they slopped off down the bank and left us to it.
I was just finishing the last mouthful of my lunch when my left hand rod pulled up tight and ripped off at a rate of knots, once again I was on it in a flash – this one put up a better account of itself but a few minutes later a stunning little common about mid double was being held up in front of the camera.
Once she was safely returned I couldn’t help but send Team Avid a tweet informing them of my success, and was greeted by a simple “well done” through gritted teeth I am sure!
After that small piece of action I was more than happy and was hoping Pete would be lucky enough to bank one, I offered to move my rods so he could have a couple of rods on my banker spot but he wasn’t having it saying that he would have one.
With the daylight beginning to fade and the temperature dropping by 4pm we decided to call it a day, there was already frost on the unhooking mats and the mesh on my landing net had frozen solid, we packed everything away other than the rods which were laying on the floor and had one last brew hoping for another but unfortunately it never came.
Needless to say I was chuffed with a couple of little corkers on a short day session in such difficult conditions and look forward to a few more similar sessions throughout the winter.
I was planning on fishing a quick night this weekend but during Friday afternoon received a phone call from the head bailiff on the Big Pit informing me that the adjacent river was now flowing through the pit – bloody great!
Just as I was leaving work I received a phone call from Dave telling me the same about the Ouse Valley and that I wouldn’t get the van anywhere near the place, I was fuming – it was the first time I could get out for a night in several weeks and had nowhere to go, I headed for home and consoled myself with several beers knowing that I wouldn’t have to be up early the following morning.
Saturday was spent tying rigs, reading and anything else I could do to beat the boredom, Pete rang on Saturday evening also feeling down in the dumps but after a quick chat we decided to go for a drive round a few pits the following morning just to get out really and see what damage had been done due to the flooding.
Some of the sights we saw on the way to the venues I can’t put into words, extreme weather at its finest but fortunately our target waters were not as bad as expected and fish losses/escapees should be minimal, we left for home breathing a sigh of relief.
So after that bit of excitement I am sitting here trying to work out when I will next get some “therapy” and with the Carp Show next weekend, my birthday night out the following weekend and then my works Christmas do after that it’s looking like the 23rd December before I shall be out again, I actually don’t know how I will manage!
Until then,
Smithy