Good Evening.
Nothing much to report on the fishing front. I think the phrase ‘not a beep’ springs to mind! The weather has been as forecast, and this morning was very sunny and clear to begin with. The day has been identical to yesterday and this afternoon light easterly winds picked up once more. I did hear several fish crash during the night but I don’t think much feeding was taking place on the lakebed.
You have to remain confident when the conditions are like this or you may as well pack up and go home. I have seen on FB that Tim Paisley and Tom Duncan-Dunlop have both caught massive commons from Rainbow; 65 and 82lb respectively!! If they are catching, then we all have a chance, as I imagine most of us are experiencing this cold front with high pressure. Last night got rather chilly and there was lots of humidity; however, as always I was snug as a bug in my sleeping bag!
A new hook bait combo!
I have made one change to one rod this evening trying a new hook bait combination, just to be different. A Macadamia nut along with three grains of maize and a piece of plastic pop-up maize. Macadamia nuts are buoyant anyway so the whole lots sits nicely on the bottom, similar to a snowman in fact. I am fishing this rod not far from a tree, about five yards away from it, and this is on the same line as my other rods. I have not touched these or added more bait to this spot as I am confident they are fine, and I equally confident that there is still bait sitting on the lakebed.
Apart from that little burst of activity the rest of the day has been spent working from my bivvy. I have written a new blog piece for my sponsor Sonik, and taken pictures for an article I have just written. This is titled ‘Playing fish like a Pro’ and its aim is to give advice about what to do, and what not to do when playing fish. I see many anglers lose fish and usually it is down to the angler and not the fish; their poor choice of rod, or inadequate mainline, or other contributing factors. Playing fish is a skill and it is something we can all improve on in certain areas. I make no secret to the fact I use SK3 2.5lb t/c rods at Sierra Brava, and I equip my clients with the 2.75lb t/c version; where as most other anglers use 3.5lb t/c rods at Brava. Which anglers do you think lose more carp? Many anglers rush out and buy the latest beefed up rods without stopping to think about the water they fish and what the rods will primarily be used for. Think before you buy!
That’s all for tonight.
Back tomorrow.
Jake Langley-Hobbs
