Wednesday 17 July 2013

Interlude

Where have the last few weeks gone? Summer is well and truly here now and long may it continue but with all the other warm weather distractions I’ve had little time to fish. The Ashes series has arrived with a bang and the thought of another four (nine!) matches like the first test is almost frightening. This match will be compared to 2005 and I’m not sure I could handle another summer like that! There’s lots to do in the summer, lots of time for socialising while the good weather lasts, parties, festivals, pubs…something has to give. 

The easy place just doesn’t interest me at the moment, it’s the Marsh or nothing. No matter how badly I fair I just love the challenge. I’ve managed two recent trips using differing methods at opposite ends of the lake. Both times I felt I was well in with a chance, I had fish in my area but on both occasions I couldn’t tempt them to take my baits. Every time I fish the place I get frustrated by my futile attempts but when I reflect I’m full of ideas for next time. I’m not going to moan about hot weather after the year we’ve had but… from a fishing point of view a brief change to cloud and south westerlies will help. Then it can go back to warm sunshine again. At this stage of the season the lake is quiet and peaceful and it’s a great place to spend my time. I’ll have one of those bloody fish yet!

I have managed to read a couple of good fishing books lately, both written about Carp fishing and both by Dave Lane. I don’t much like the “how to” type writing so Dave Lanes anecdotal style is right up my street, he tells a good tale too, just like Rod Hutchinson did in “The Carp strikes back” a generation ago. His first book covers his earliest fishing and takes us from water to water as he strives, mostly successfully to catch bigger Carp. He eventually finds himself fishing the Colne Valley and much of the book is dedicated to the famous Wraysbury and the equally famous Carp that lived in there.

The second book is called “A Flick of the tail” and this one features Dave fishing many different waters and catching huge Carp from most. The waters and the fish are well known in the Carp world, it’s a shame that Pike anglers aren’t able to write in such clarity. Along the way he dips in and out of fishing a mysterious water known as “The Mere”, for the huge “Black Mirror”. Both the water and the fish become Dave’s nemesis and the final chapter tells of the time when their paths finally cross. I really enjoyed both these books, the stories of trying to track down a handful of big fish in very large waters is similar to the fishing I enjoy, albeit for different species.

Big party plans this weekend so no fishing and I hope the warm dry weather continues a little longer. However the year is zipping past quickly and soon I’ll be looking forward to a bit of this…

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