May 26 2006 - Pondwood Fishery
Yet again we looked out at the weather and saw storm clouds and rain. It was getting a bit rediculous, really. I am getting tired of squelching my way across the meadow at Pondwood to set up the brolly.
There was always a chance that it might clear by the time Steve got off from work... and miraculously it did. We wasted no time in getting our gear sorted and heading out the door. Make the most of the sun while it was there.
The water was still high and cloudy from the last few days of rain and we could see no fish at our usual swims. For that matter there were no fish visible anywhere. We dropped our gear midway and Steve walked on down to the end of the course. He came back claiming to have seen some movement at the last two swims so we trudged on down there with our 'stuff'. I think we must have more 'stuff' than any other angler in the whole of the UK.
Normally we find a swim that is large enough for both of us, so we can fish side by side. We keep each other company that way, and I can get ready help from Steve landing bigger fish. The pegs at the end of The Snake were small, no room for two sets of rods, so we took separate ones this time. By the way, swim and peg are the same thing, they are places designated and marked by the fishery for fishing.
Steve set up at peg No. 1
I set up at the next one down, No. 2
There wasn't much happening so I just sat back for a while and watched the wind in the trees. There is nothing quite so mezmerizing for me as the sound of the wind in a woods and the way the trees move... almost dance... to it.
Trees in the wind
There was a lot of vegetation under foot on the bank so I looked for things to photograph. After all, these are photo journals. I saw a huge hornet queen go into the weeds in front of me. She was a gorgeous honey orange and brown and must have been an inch and a half long. Camera in hand, poised, I waited for her to come back out... sadly, she didn't, or left by different avenue. I turned my attention to the weeds and spotted this little Mint Leaf Beetle; I don't know if those brilliant yellow/orange eggs belong to it or not.
Mint Leaf Beetle
Buried within the larger plants were these forget-me-nots, a delicate spattering of blue amongst the shadows.
Forget-me-nots
An hour, perhaps, had passed by and we'd not seen any signs of a fish let alone had a nibble. Not even the small silver fish were biting. Steve decided to stroll back up the course and see if there was any activity there. He came back a while later with the bailiff/owner in tow, come to collect the fee. After a brief chat with the bailiff about this and that, including the hornet... he had an interest as he use to be a bee keeper... we decided to head up stream and try our luck. We didn't go quite as far as our usual spot, choosing instead to fish the widest part of the brook. There are two swims here and I decided to set up on my own again, at a little distance from Steve. I just love the light at this time of day, it casts lovely shadows and picks out detail.
Our second fishing location of the day
Across from me I noticed some yellow flowers in the shadows of the bank. I tried to get a photo so that I could identify them when I got home. So far, because the low light in the shadows reduced the detail, I've not been able to do so. I'll just have to keep looking.
Mystery flower
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Steve stand up and looking over saw that he had finally hooked into something. I was fishing in close by the reeds and hadn't seen signs of anything at all. To be sure I was on sweet corn again, and he was using worms and dog biscuits. Sweet corn obviously was not on the menu today.
The first strike goes to Steve
When he finally coaxed it into the net he had a nice common. I suggested he weigh it, but the fish was still feisty and as he went to pick it up it leapt out of his hands and landed in the grass. Not a good thing. He dove for it, creating a corral with his hands and arms and body to keep it from doing itself harm... I wish I'd captured that sequence. Instead I only got the beginning as the fish thought about it.. or so it looks...
Just before the great escape
We got the obligatory photo, but no weight... we wanted it back in the water ASAP. My guess is that it was around 12 - 14 lbs. Steve's not frowning in the photo, he's facing into the westering sun and squinting.
A quick pic of the fish
I'm armed and dangerous... I've got a fish and I'm not afraid to use it !
There was a little more activity up at Steve's end... he caught several little perch on those worms of his... but I came up dry once more. By now you are beginning to understand that I am not a very good angler. But, I try... and I enjoy myself. And I take these photos with which to torture you all.
Until next time... "Tight Lines" ... as they say.