Trip #96 - Easter Annualisation

In a working world of "week on week", "year and year" and various other almost meaningless annualisation terminology I thought I would make my own annual observations. I had a few hours spare in the recent bank holiday. As I'm sure you're aware little mini Murphy tends to monopolise a lot of my spare time these, so my habitual Sunday of sloping off for the majority of the day to test out various angling venues seems to have temporarily been placed on the back burner. Where I imagine it will remain for the best part of the next year or so. So when the chance came to wet a line, I snatched at it and decided to re-try Lyons Gate Fishing lakes. I had seen on social media that the Tench were start to appear, so I thought I'd give it a whirl, and see if I could catch a few, failing that, I would see if I could remember how to use my pole.

Trip #95 - Last Day Dalliance

The day is fast approaching... The 15th of March, and being a borderline workaholic I wasn't going to be able to get a week day off to get out and give the river a proper bash. To be honest I haven't been able to get out much at all this season, my last trip was a very short and frosty morning spent on  lake very near to my house. Unfortunately I think they may have few resident mink which have wonderfully unraveled all of the great stocking work that had been carried out in the previous summer and the hour or 2 my brother and I spent there was a complete blank! So the week leading up to this weekend was spent religiously checking the EA river levels website. Despite a squirt of rain earlier in the week, the river level was running a lovely and consistent 0.73m. Ideal (Although where I intended to fish would be a fair bit deeper than that). I had decided to get out and away early, and one of the advantages of having a baby is that lay ins are seldom. Sure as the sea, at half 3 we were up and feeding him, and I endeavored to leave the house at 5 and be back for 9(ish).

The dog led the way!

Trip #94 - Go Small or Go Home

Contrary to the popular saying “Go big or Go home”, after some trial and error on one my most recent trips (before the blustery onset of winter) size definitely does matter. The tides were looking favourable and on the whole I don't mind an early start, it also meant that I would be home well before lunch. So when the alarm went at 5, I was up and out the door not long after, driving my way down to Lyme Regis. This early in the morning parking was free, but I had enough change to cover a few hours, if the fish felt like actually biting. I was starting to become disillusioned with constantly blanking while spinning, and was hoping a different stretch of beach may help to break my duck.

Nice to get out so early.

Trip #93 - A goalless draw

A trip from late autumn.

My recent fishing venues have involved beaches rather than pegs and river banks and with a few days off the wife and I managed to sneak off and have a few nights away in Saundersfoot, West Wales. It's a place that I spent several summer as a child and a place where my brother did a lot of fishing while he was growing up. That said I gave him a quick ring for some advice on how best to tackle my chosen venue - Monkstone Point.

Trip #92 - Wetter than an Otter's Pocket

Just a short one this time. Following my last trip to Lyme Regis, I dug my waders out of retirement and was keen to get back out there in search of elusive bass. I check the tide times and it was going to be another early one. This isn't necessarily a bad thing as Lyme Regis when busy is an absolute nightmare to park. I was up, out the door and on the road to Lyme as the sun was rising. Arrived at the Lyme Regis car park just after 6, only one Council van for company. Fortunately parking before a certain time is free, however after 8 it becomes very expensive very quickly. Looking through my wallet I realised I had enough change to see me through until 10 a.m. before needing sell all my worldly belongings to afford another hour. This was hopefully going to be a short but productive trip.

Trip #91 - Higher Farm - Lower Lake

Today’s session was going to be a wet one. The weather forecast was set between light - heavy rain all day. Still a day on the bank is better than a day in the house, and after my recent sea fishing trips I was looking forward to a trip where I knew I would actually catch some fish. I decided to visit a new lake at a venue is visited recent. Lower Lake at Higher Farm, Wincanton. Apparently this lake was where the big fish lived, so naturally I was excited. I set off early making sure I had the waterproofs in the car and was oddly glad that it was raining as it would give me an opportunity to test drive my new waterproof fishing coat. Finding the lower lake was easier than finding the higher lakes, (big gate and signed) and after parking up I found that I would be sharing the lake with 3 generations of anglers, all trying to out catch each other.  I opted to leave them duke it out and chose the last peg on the lake. It looked to be one of this more inviting pegs on the lake, with margin features to right and left and an island to the left at 11.5 - 13m.

Off to a damp start, but I was optimistic.

Trip #90 - Early Morning Spin Class

Looking at the tides, prevailing weather and taking into account other weekend plans, this morning's fishing trip was going to be an early one. For a change I would be trying my hand had a spot of sea fishing - more specifically spinning. I had decided early on to split my trip between Eype and Lyme Regis, in the hope that if I struggled to pick up a bass, I may be more successful with mackerel. Only time would tell, and speaking of the time, even the dog didn't know what is going on being walked around at 4:30 in the morning. Breakfast consumed I was out of the door by 5 and on my way to the beach.

Not a soul on the beach... At half 5 in the morning.

Trip #89 - Higher Farm - Higher Lakes - Lake 2

After my last trip to the Long Load Canal and my trip back to Wales I decided my next trip was going to be another new venue. The tides were not working in my favour, not was the weather so instead of braving a beach I opted for a safer option of a lake. Or rather a selection of 3 small lakes knows as Higher Farm Fishery, not far from Wincanton. I would say apart from find the 2 Higher lakes in which you have to drive down the side of a field, one of the hardest parts of this trip was the junction off the A303.  Which appeared very quickly, with no slip road and very little signage. Anyway, after I finally found the lakes I parked up and after a quick walk discovered that a local match was being held on the lower of the 2 lakes. It really nice to see actually as all the people fishing the pond were regulars at the pub who apparently "did this sort of thing once or twice a year". It meant however I had to heave my gear up what was a rather steep and very slidey pathway to get to the top lake where I had decided to fish.

My peg had plenty of options

Trip #88 - Back at Bills

Ironically many people find themselves in the autumn and winter months with some additional spare time, in these months however but we seem to be at our busiest. With work and various life matters being flat out there seems to be no end in sight of places to go, thing to buy and people to see. Still, being the opportunist angler that I am, meant despite travelling home I was able to arrange a few hours on the fly with my Dad and Grandfather. We would be heading down to Riverside for a few hours to try and tempt some last gasp puddle pigs that resided there before the seasons really took a turn for the worst.

Trip #87 - Long Load Drain

Fish don't catch themselves! Although in some commercial fisheries you could argue that they might... With that contentious issue in mind I decided to steer clear of catch proven and conventional lakes I would normally visit and target a closer and more natural water. I say natural, I would be fishing the Long Load Drain, which was of course man made many years ago, the stocking of it however is a different matter. This season I have been looking to improve my fishing skill set, and the only way I can do that is by challenging myself and fishing more rivers, drains and large still waters. Today would be the turn of Long Load Drain near Langport. Looking down over the bridge onto the drain it was absolutely crystal clear and weedy, but I could see a lot of fish moving in the upper sections of the water.

My peg selection