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Prawn cocktail? Mon 10th May
Posted by
The Flying Tench
,
10 May 2010
·
23 views
6.40-9.10pm local pit WT 13.5degC
The aim of the outing was to find out a bit more about the perch in a pit I've spent a few sessions on now - and also to try prawn as a new bait. I've never been keen on the messy business of chopped worm, and I hoped that Tesco's economy prawns would prove an alternative.
Started with maggot feeder tight to an overhanging tree, but zilch for the first half hour. With the water temp having dropped it didn't seem too promising, but then I noticed some fry scatter by the tree where I was fishing. Switched to worm on float, but didn't fancy my chances of not getting snagged up if I cast along the bank to the tree, so moved along a bit from the peg. First cast had a stripey of about a pound on, but he got off. Next two casts ditto - it was a BIG worm and I obviously hadn't allowed the sergeant long enough. BUT this was a great chance to test the appeal of a prawn compared with worm. Hmmm, no interest in the prawns on float at least.
At that point a committee member came along and told me I should not be fishing away from the peg. Fair cop, gov!
So I wondered how to make a virtue out of a necessity. It occurred to me that the reason the bites on worm came so quickly may have been that I had been casting past the tree and then winding in slowly so the float came under the branches. I decided this might be a new method of fishing, a bit like jigged worm but using a float. So set off to try it in some nearby swims. Almost first cast there was something solid on, but it turned out Mr Esox (3 or 4 lbs) had shown an interest. Thankfully he didn't bite me off.
Tried it a bit more with no success, and then as dusk came on I decided to go back to the original swim hoping that the stripeys would show more interest in the prawns, now that my loose fed prawns had been lying there a while. After 20 minutes the bobbin moved and - hey presto - a perch of about a pound and a half. I was very pleased to have caught on prawn, but it had been a bit slow, and I must say I have more faith in worm for the moment. But the prawn does have the loose-feed value. Maybe a cocktail of worm and prawn would please Mrs Perch? Now that puts a new meaning to 'prawn cocktail', does it not!
The aim of the outing was to find out a bit more about the perch in a pit I've spent a few sessions on now - and also to try prawn as a new bait. I've never been keen on the messy business of chopped worm, and I hoped that Tesco's economy prawns would prove an alternative.
Started with maggot feeder tight to an overhanging tree, but zilch for the first half hour. With the water temp having dropped it didn't seem too promising, but then I noticed some fry scatter by the tree where I was fishing. Switched to worm on float, but didn't fancy my chances of not getting snagged up if I cast along the bank to the tree, so moved along a bit from the peg. First cast had a stripey of about a pound on, but he got off. Next two casts ditto - it was a BIG worm and I obviously hadn't allowed the sergeant long enough. BUT this was a great chance to test the appeal of a prawn compared with worm. Hmmm, no interest in the prawns on float at least.
At that point a committee member came along and told me I should not be fishing away from the peg. Fair cop, gov!
So I wondered how to make a virtue out of a necessity. It occurred to me that the reason the bites on worm came so quickly may have been that I had been casting past the tree and then winding in slowly so the float came under the branches. I decided this might be a new method of fishing, a bit like jigged worm but using a float. So set off to try it in some nearby swims. Almost first cast there was something solid on, but it turned out Mr Esox (3 or 4 lbs) had shown an interest. Thankfully he didn't bite me off.Tried it a bit more with no success, and then as dusk came on I decided to go back to the original swim hoping that the stripeys would show more interest in the prawns, now that my loose fed prawns had been lying there a while. After 20 minutes the bobbin moved and - hey presto - a perch of about a pound and a half. I was very pleased to have caught on prawn, but it had been a bit slow, and I must say I have more faith in worm for the moment. But the prawn does have the loose-feed value. Maybe a cocktail of worm and prawn would please Mrs Perch? Now that puts a new meaning to 'prawn cocktail', does it not!
