Social Sunday

Benno, Luke and myself met up at Scroggin's Lake (Marshside Fishery) for a social. The weather was glorious and Luke still in a daze after his 30 lbs 1 oz Common of Friday night. There was no chance that we would recreate that occurrence at this venue - it home to hoards of "scamps" plus a few other species - tench included and exactly why we were there?

The set-up today - KM rod pod with Gardner rests and bars.
A Duncan Kay with my Match Aerial and the Bruce & Walker Mk IV and Mitchell 300.

The two boys used quiver-tips and fly rods - I stuck to my task and fished two bottom baits. A Duncan Kay/Match Aerial combo with curried chick peas whilst the Bruce & Walker Mk IV housed a Mitchell 300 and 1/2 flouro pop-up and 16mm halibut pellet hook bait. Both rods were fished tight against the marginal reeds to my left and right. It was hard going, but the banter was good, those bloody barbel are already central to our combined thought processes.

Me with a tench - it's been a long time!

I caught a few "scamps" on the chick peas before the pellet was away - that Mk IV is next to hopeless - the harder you pull, the further it bends - fantastic fun all the same! A tench of 3 lbs 10 oz found itself engulfed in the landing net and a rather happy Dylan gazed down at his prize.
Sadly, it was not the immaculate creature I had envisaged, its' mouth was badly deformed due to frequent visits to the bank; captured by anglers using heavy carp tackle and, almost certainly, barbed hooks (contrary to the fishery rules!) Benno came round and captured the moment - happy daze!

You work that out - there's definitely some bream in there somewhere - but what else?

The two boys left early, I stuck it out until 17.30 hrs before deciding enough was enough. I'd thoroughly enjoyed myself at this superb little fishery. A chat with one of the bailiffs (Pete) was a very pleasant exchange and I gleaned much insight into the fishery from this conversation. My final bite was from a Roach/Bream hybrid? It really was a bizarre creature, it leapt right out of the water as I hooked it!
Back home by 18.30 hrs - I had the moth trap to check, my birds to feed plus water the window boxes and hanging baskets - oh then I could cook my dinner! The trap was quite busy - the first Common Wainscot, Flame Shoulder and Lime Hawk-moth of 2015 plus good numbers of Diamond Backs. Temperatures look pretty good for tonight - let's see what tomorrow brings?

I don't give a monkey's about rarity - these are the creatures that make mothing such an enjoyable pursuit