Well that was 2017 then, out of all of my gaols for the
year I managed to achieve 1 in that I won the R.Sigs Coarse Angling Champs
again and came close with another by coming second for the second year running
In the R.Sigs Carp Champs. I did get to
fish both in both Corps teams though, however, I don’t feel like I have had the
rub of the green this year and it has been a series of near misses and calamities.
So to the last couple of weeks, my traditional end of the
year usually sees me slogging it out on a carp lake somewhere hoping for a rod
to rattle off, well this year I thought I would catch some fish.
I started on the Dorset Stour at nutford, it kind of
summed up my year really, I spent loads on bait, carried too much kit to the
river, then proceeded to break my cupping kit whilst balling in only to find that the roach were not there
and I ended up on a mighty blank….. So enough of that. I even moved swims to one that looked bob on
for a perch to sit there for 3 hours without a sniff on worm!!
The next day I popped down to the Nadder as I had heard
that some good weights had come off a couple of pegs at the top of the stretch,
I fished my little cotton socks off for a small chub and some bits in 3 hours
before a dog walker came past and told me that a couple of guys had emptied it
the day before…… I am spotting a theme here.
Anyway I moved to the last swim above Harnham mill and proceeded to get
a few nice roach and a hybrid lined up until a massive essox decided to eat
everything that I hooked. I packed up
early and went home with my tail between my legs.
It was Thursday now and I was allowed out for a couple of
hours in the morning, off to the Lords walk I went and had a lovely few hours
annoying the small dace along that stretch.
I bumped into another club member and he told me I wouldn’t catch anything
big on maggot, so I stopped off at Tesco on my way home and blitzed some bread
for the Friday….
Reinvigorated and with my kit stripped down even more I
pulled up at the River Avon upstream of Salisbury, the day was brilliant as I
had a few hours in the morning catching roach to 10oz and Dace to 8 oz on my
17ft float rod and a small crowquill trotting breadflake at them.
Unfortunately
a pike moved in again so I decided to move downstream a bit where I fancied it
for a chub. Same tackle and tactics and
I was rewarded with a small chub and a lovely net of roach and dace.
My next trip out was after Christmas and I had to endure
waking up to a mini blizzard, still I had things to do so I ignored my nice
warm bed and drove up to Swindon to get a new cupping kit from Lee and then
doubled back to Great Bedwyn to try and snag a big perch or two. The drive was horrendous, it wasn’t the snow
on the road but the trees that had given up under the weight of the snow that
was causing the issues, I made it to the canal at about nine but because my man
flu was making me feel the cold I was off by one in the afternoon. I had managed 10 roach, a waspie perch and a
small skimmer so at least the float had gone under a couple of times.
 |
| New friend!! |
Next day out was the Friday again and I decided to try
the other bank of Lords walk, it was a nice few hours but quite frustrating as
the wind was horrendous, I had a few trout trtotting bread flake but had to set
up a light bread feeder to catch a Grayling.
I enjoyed it none the less.
So that’s it 2017 done, I am still trying to beat my PB
carp that has stood for 12 years now and I will be trying hard again to do
better in the Army angling groups both match and carp. I will also be trying to keep this a bit more
up to date although “I went to the lake and blanked!! Again!” is all you may
get.
I hope that your 2017 was a good year and lets all hope
that 2018 is better.
