Red Black and silver!

Getting older has some good and some bad bits, one bad bit is not getting enough sleep then, trying to get up in the morning early, by early I mean before 7am. Today was one of those days, I saw the clock at 6.55am but turned over knowing full well the consequence would be a later start. Today I wanted to try for some of the silver fish at Hallcroft, on a lake I have seen some better roach come out in the summer to pleasure anglers. So after a big breakfast, tea and flask made, a nice stone bread sandwich with cheese and pickle done, I set off.

Croft is a small lake on the complex maybe an acre but full of fish, all sorts as I was to discover. I managed to get a swim out of the cold wind, but with sun and calm water in front of me. I set up a 2 gram Sensas float for fishing on the bottom with bulk shot and two number 8s droppers, positive. I got the set up and floats from this winter roach video below.

I started with a small amount of groundbait, laced with hemp and corn, not wanting to attract carp with too much food. There were only two other anglers on the lake, one in a spot I fancied myself today against some rushes. I started to catch perch, nice net fillers of around 6 oz and a little bigger. After maybe 20 such fish I changed rig to a .5 gram float fished through the water, shotted with no8s right through the rig, I still caught perch, some bigger almost a pound in weight, but no roach sadly. While this was fun on the 6 Aqua elastic and .09 bottom where the roach?

The day wore on, and despite what-ever I tried the perch dominated with the very odd skimmer and roach. I had maybe forty perch from 3oz to a pound all on maggots. When I changed baits, the bites dried up for long periods? Around time it was getting dusk, I hooked what I thought might be a big perch. It was the first big fish I’d hooked on the light elastic and fine hook-link. I simply let the fish go back and forth, little runs, then sulking under the rod tip. Finally I netted a nice common carp of about 7/8 pound, I was really chuffed to be honest. Disappointed to only catch perch (as much as i love perch) and no roach I was expecting, and the landing of a good fish on fine tackle. All told I was content, but will try another lake just to see.

Oddly the guy by the rushes fished in the margins all day, clearly after the carp. I did not see hime take one fish, each to their own, but surly fishing for all sorts at this time of the year does not preclude catching carp does it? I did see the other young lad hook a nice fish but lost it, its does happen unfortunately? I always feel for people that sit it out then lose a nice fish, but I’m sure his time will come.