Turning a negative into a positive...

[Arkie]

Just thought I'd share my most recent fishing trip which had the potential for being a complete waste of time.

 

Due to work commitments, it's very rare I get the chance to have a full days fishing, it's usually a couple of hours here and there on the local drains or ponds. However, yesterday I had a full day all to myself to do with what I wished. And of course I chose to go fishing. As I had the time I decided to go to a pond I hadn't fished for a bout a year but had been good too me. The pond was about an hours drive away, but I didn't care.

 

Having arrived at about 8 am I was delighted to find I was alone with no one else setting up. I'm not an unsociable man, but sometimes it's just nice to be alone in beautiful surroundings, with the only sounds being what nature provides.

 

Weather was ok, a little overcast but not too cold and I was able to take my pick of the pegs.

 

I unloaded my tackle, set up my seat and decided I would start the day on my feeder rod, targetting a tempting overhang at an island about 30 yards out.

 

But wait!!! Where is my rod bag? In fact where is my rod bag and my poles?

 

Yep you got it, I had forgotten to pack what some might consider some pretty vital equipment. As I checked the rest of my gear I found I had also forgotten my bait bag. The only bait I had was 2 pints of maggots I had picked up on the way to the pond. So all in all I was pretty much up s**t creek without the proverbial paddle.

 

So what were my options. I could head to the nearest tackle shop and but a new rod or pole. Whilst a possibility, I would never have got that one past the wife. I could head back home and pick up all my gear, but that would take up another 2 hours of my precious day, I could head back home pick up my gear and fish a local pond 10 minutes away, or I could go home, stick the TV on and watch endless repeats of the great rod race.

 

Well the option I took wasn't any of those. As I started to return my gear to my van, I found hidden behind some plastic crates I carry for my job, a spare top 2 which boatsed an 18 elastic. Surely it wasn't worth trying to fish at about 4 feet with a top 2, 18 elastic and a couple of pints of maggots?

 

How can such a stupid idea provide such a great days fishing. I don't know, but it did.

 

Barely managing to reach the waters edge, I dropped in my 18 hook and single red maggot and scattered a few free offerings. Nothing doing for about 20 minutes, and then the knocks started. Struck and missed maybe a dozen takes and could feel the little buggers bouncing off, then managed to set the hook on something a bit bigger.

 

I was into a perch, but not just any old perch. A personal best no less of 3lb 4oz. I could have packed up at that point and gone home a happy man, but decided maybe the gods were smiling on me so decided to crack on. Next came maybe a dozen landing net roach around a pound and then into a shoal of skimmers, that whilst not big, kept me busy for an hour. Things then went a little quiet for a couple of hours and I thought maybe I'd pushed my luck too far and should grateful for what I had got and pack up. But my extraordinary day had more in store. Still on an 18 hook but now on double red maggot, I hooked into something evidently bigger than had gone before. After a short but exciting scrap, I landed a wonderful 4lb 9oz tench. I followed this about 30 minutes later with another personal best tench of 6lb 6oz. Now I really should have packed up at this point and rushed home to the local pub for a few jars and to bore the pub regulars of my tales from the bank, but you know how it is. One more cast, or in my case one more dropping my bait at my feet and hoping for the best. well the best came with a stunning 10lb 2oz common. At that moment in time, life couldn't have got any better. I can honestly say hand on heart that because of the circumstances, it was the most fantastic days fishing I've had in my short coarse fishing career.

 

So the question is, do I sell all my rods and poles and just invest in a few spare top 2's? It would take a brave man to do that I think, but I hope my tale offers hope to all those that think their day is going to be a waste of time.

 

Today it's back to the grind, but I'll be grinding with a big smile on my face for a long time to come...

[Newt]

Indeed - at time the margins really rock.

 

Well done on giving it a try and glad to hear you had such an excellent result.

[Janet]

Great post. Sounds a fabulous day.

 

Janet

 

PS. Welcome to the forum! Hope we'll be hearing lots more from you.

[Leon Roskilly]

[Neil G]

Brilliant, stories like that really make you realise how we don't actually need all the stuff we buy for fishing to actually catch fish!

[Anderoo]

Excellent story! Congratulations on the PBs, and welcome to AN

[Guest tigger]

Great story and some lovely fish to boot. Good to hear there's a few tincas out of bed and having breakfast. I'm gonna nip off in a few minuites to a smallish virtually unfished pond hoping to catch my first green back of the year. Edited March 18, 2009 by tigger

[Dick Dastardly]

Great stuff Arkie! I forgot my landing net pole only the other week! A Stephens Heavy duty bankstick did the trick!

[Angly]

Interesting session, well done on your new PBs.

 

Wonder how you'd have faired had you bought all you gear?

[WickerDave]

Nice write up and some nice fish. Keep them coming.

 

Talking of nice write ups, haven't you been fishing recently Janet?