The Complete Fisher Forum

[Allrounder]

As there is little more than a week left of the coarse fishing season I decided to get another session in on the Levels. Normally I don't bother to arrive until mid morning at this time of year but as I wanted to be away before the heavy rain and wind arrived in the afternoon I decided on an early start. In fact I wish I had started even earlier as it had been light for around an hour when I finally set off along the bank at 7.30am on a glorious early Spring morning with hardly a breath of wind.

Water clarity was around a foot so I started with a 10inch white fly but it was hard going. After a fair walk I eventually I got my first pull but it was clear that the fish had grabbed the long tail. By now the wind had picked up which made distance casting difficult so I changed to a smaller fly of the same colour. The result was almost instantaneous and after a short pugnacious fight a Croc that my scales confirmed at just over 7lb was in the net!


Buoyed by success I carried on up the bank but apart from a missed pull that was it for a while. Then I got the pull I had been waiting for. I had let the fly sink a little deeper than usual and on starting the retrieve I though I had hooked the bottom ...until it started plodding up the middle of the drain! It stayed deep while I applied side strain but when I got it to within netting distance it spat the hook back at me! I didn't see it but I am sure it was a double and that was what I was after.

I carried on without any further success until I got the point where it was time for a cup of tea before turning around to fish my way back to the car. I pondered on what to do next and decided to try various other flies which were unsuccessful so I went back to the big White one again. This fly looked really good in the water and luckily for me a decent Croc agreed! It was a pretty awesome take which caused the water to bulge and then erupt and when I got it in the net I thought it might scrape 10 as it was a solid fish but the scales said 9 on the button. Close but no cigar.


That was more or less it apart from a small Jack that wanted to play with the tail and not the hook and all too soon I was back at the car just as the first spots of rain arrived.

So a good session which made me work for my pulls and was none the worse for that

Alan
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Member of ...
The Angling Trust
BRFFA
B.A.S.S.
Pike Fly Fishing Association

If you see me on the bank, say hello... from a safe distance!