Bleak

April has been frustrating, just when it seems like spring is approaching two weeks of winds from the north and east made it a cold horrible month.  Fishing time has been limited and I’ve only managed one further visit to the big lake.  I tried to hedge my bets again, tackling up hoping for Tench or Roach but managed neither.  The only bite of the day came in the near dark as I was packing up.  What I have to decide is what do I want to catch most, Roach or Tench?  I know I have a chance of the silvers in the spot I fancy for Tench but there are probably better areas.   Apart from that I’ve been out and about, walking and exploring, looking for signs and clues.  Fishing new waters is a buzz, it’s given my fishing a new injection of enthusiasm. It’s frustrating that my calendar is really full this spring and I don’t know how much time I’ll be able to spend at the lake, not enough that’s for sure.

The angling world has been saddened recently by the deaths of Dave Kelbrick and Jan Porter.  Both men were not only fine anglers but more unusually both were universally liked.  Dave was best known as a Pike angler and was particularly renowned as a lure angler.  Jan was initially famous as a highly successful match angler who in later years became an all-rounder, fishing for anything that swam.  I met Dave just the once, enjoying a pleasant chat at the PAC conference a few years ago.  He and son Luke were warm and friendly just as people who know them far better have described.  I had the pleasure of Jan’s company a couple of times, once spending a full day with him and he really was my kind of bloke; kind, generous and funny.  We found we had things other than fishing in common too.  RIP Dave and Jan.