July 10 - RMC
Chertsey
Back again at Chertsey, Steve likes this water. It is a
beautiful lake with a good head of Carp and I like it, too. Except for one
thing, the M3 motorway which runs along one side. When I say along side I
mean just that, there is a bank about 8 or 10 feet high and about same
wide. So, the cars and trucks are going by quite close. You can well
imagine the noise. I wonder if I petition the transport company to close
the motorway when we are fishing will they comply?
Today was one of those perfect days you think about when the
word July is mentioned. It was hot, but not humid, the sky
was cornflower blue and dotted with clouds like sheep in a meadow.
The Carp were cruising on the surface.... that's the back of a
Carp in the photo below...
.... so Steve set up the rods using something called a
zig-rig that allows the bait to pop up and float a few inches below the surface
and cast out.
We hoped that with the bait just below the
surface the birds wouldn't notice. You may recall the problem we had last
time with the Swans. It seemed to work. In fact we saw neither hide
nor hair of the Swans, perhaps because there were quite a few anglers on the
lake this day. Just a few Ducks and Grebe.
We settled down to wait. The RMC forums have loads of
postings saying the Carp have been coming out of Chertsey in fantastic
numbers. Will our luck change?
I watch the clouds pile up on the horizon and look for
interesting images...
Alder leaves above my head
X marks the spot on a tree trunk
Still, the fish don't bite and we wait.... I know you're
out there, Fish !
The afternoon grows old and the sun slides in from behind us...
Finally we start to pack up, once again Chertsey has not given
up any Carp to us. I am of the firm belief that we are nothing more than a
mobile lunch wagon for these critters. They grow fat on all the food we
fling in their water. In return they blow fishy razzberrys and laugh
behind their fins at us. Just wait, though, one of these days they won't
be laughing.... Maybe..