On Tuesday 10th May I decided to go back to Marsh Farm on my own in the hope of being able to fish a really sensitive rig for the crucian carp. It couldn’t be as windy as last time, so I arrived at 7.30am after a good breakfast at the Little Chef on the A3. The lakes were like glass and I chose the swim that Bob the Navigator had fished last week as it was facing the direction I was expecting the wind to come from.
I set up my 15ft match rod with a centrepin loaded with four pound line and fished a small sensitive pole float right under the rod tip in about four feet of water. With a soft expander pellet on the hook I caught a crucian carp on the first cast and thought I was off to a good start.
A strong wind suddenly started blowing from my right, bite detection became impossible and to add insult to injury a passing bird unloaded the contents of its bowels onto the brim of my hat and down the sleeve of my jacket. This is why I wear the broad brimmed hats everyone takes the mickey out of - otherwise that lot would have gone down my neck. It reminded me that tonight was our monthly curry night and as I fumbled through my fishing waistcoat for a tissue (yes I know the bird would have been miles away by then). I wondered what sort of bird could have made a mess like that? “Why didn’t I just look up and try to identify it?” I hear you ask. They tend to fly in flocks, don’t they? And as they all tend to eat at the same time, wake up at the same time and…?
It was an omen, for the next twenty minutes it continued to blow a gale and my bait remained untouched. I decided to move down to the swim I fished last week because the wind was blowing into that bay and close in the swim was sheltered slightly. After putting in some hemp, pellets and red maggots I decided to have a smoke of my pipe. Panic stations! I couldn’t find it, it was back on the roof of the car. I walked back to the carpark and met Brian from BB Angling and a friend of his fishing the other lake. Small world. I reminded him about the Molesey Anglers Curry Night and he said he wouldn’ t be coming. On my return to the swim I started the best day of crucian carp fishing I have ever experienced. All fish were taken from under the rod tip on either soft pellet or red maggot.
Towards the end of the afternoon Brian came and joined me in the next swim but shortly afterwards the swim died. At least he hadn’t had an avian critic!
My total catch was sixteen fish, the biggest being three pounds ten ounces and all averaging over three pounds.
That night at the Curry Club I was like a dog with two tails, ten members turned up and a great time was had by all. Bob, Barry and John had decided to go to Marsh Farm the next day but I had to decline their offer to join them, a decision I was to regret when the following morning I received a text message from Bob telling me he had caught an eight and a half pound tench.
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