So here it is, the 31st May and on leaving work at 4ish I remembered that I hadn’t pack my tent or even my unhooking net! Was this a good or bad sign??? There was only one way to find out. Let’s get fishing……
Picking on of my favourite lakes and is actually the largest the water has for my first night – my thinking was that I hadn’t seen really that many people up there all last season – but meeting someone at the gate, I had a feeling that everyone had the same thought!!! To my relief, there was only 3 other keen anglers looking at the lake. After a quick chat we all decided that there were not going to be that many people arriving, so we each picked the swims that we thought would have the most fish in.
I had a look round the other side of the lake and decided upon swim 7 that I had not fished much but my mate has had quite a bit of success. This was slap bang in the middle of the lake with good indentations of the lilies that run the whole length of the lake. Also, this part of the lake is quite hard to fish from the other side so I was sure that no one else would cast to the back of the lilies.
Loading my barrow up I realised that over the closed season I had accumulated more un-necessary stuff, and while passing the 2nd swim, the wheel seemed to fall apart (note to self – new barrow needed). After a lot of grunting and moaning, I managed to get all the gear there.
A few rumbles of thunder and a quick superman impersonation, the waterproofs were on and the brolly system was up! After picking out the rigs and setting the rods up, I was 98% there. Now all I had to do was kill 5 hrs before the season actually started!
By 8.30, the water seemed alive with fish boshing and the air was full of spring midges!!!!!! I had had enough waiting and I know I was breaking all the rules, but I couldn’t wait any more. The bait boat was released on the new season and dropped the payload swiftly just off the lilies.
The trap was set and I was ready for a night full of commotion, excitement and non-stop hulling. By 11pm, I had received 3, yes 3 small line bites and I was not sure if this was due to fish movement or the many bats happily enjoying the midges and other flying meals that kept flying into the line.
The next thing I know its 1am and I my alarm gives off a few notes of life. Before I have even stood up, the bobbin hits the bottom of the rod and line starts to peel from the real. FISH ON!! J then, the line goes slack and the bobbin falls back down to earth with my hopes of my first fish. A second passes and whack, the same thing happens, line tight and slack again……….. I suddenly realise that I have hooked one of the many bream in this lake. Not that I am against bream, but they are just such a boring fish. After practically reeling this fish in, all 4lb of it, I am a little more optimistic as I know my rig is working and the fish are feeding!
After getting the rod back out to the danger area, I climb back into bed and give a little pray that that not my only fish of the evening. Would you know it, within 5 minutes, the alarm is singing again and I am into another fish. AND yes, you would have guessed it, the shoal of bream that the first one came from must still be in the area and I have caught another 4lber!
Within the next hour, I have a total of 4 bream, all about the same size and I am not thinking that this is a good thing as I have work in the morning. But as quickly as it all happened, my rods went quiet, I didn’t hear the other alarms at all during the night and I managed to get a good few hrs of sleep in before I needed to leave the lake for work.
In conclusion to the first night of the season I would have to summarise it up into a few points:
1. I didn’t blank
2. My rigs and new bait DO WORK
3. I got some sleep in so not as grouchy as I could be at work
4. Most importantly – the new season is here so more fishing means more fish!!
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