Shaun’s Diary – Part 4 Another Bank Holiday – Spent on the Bank!
Saturday 30th April – Another Bank Holiday week-end.
At one time Bank Holidays meant only one thing for me – get out on the bank! This bank holiday had an extra day tagged onto it for the Royal wedding giving us from the Thursday to the following Tuesday with most factories closed here in the U.K.
This morning I rose at ‘silly o’clock’ and drove my way back over to Grenville. I really do have the bug for it at the moment despite knowing it was going to be busy but with a few due to leave this morning I would at least get the option of somewhere to angle.
I pulled up in the car park, walked into the cabin and found Ron and Paul having a chat and both said along the lines of don’t bother looking around 8 is free and the fish were there last night.
I didn’t need telling twice and soon my gear was un-loaded.
I can’t really believe it, I have turned up in the middle of a busy bank holiday and slotted straight into what looks a great swim for this week end. According to the log book there hasn’t particularly been anything out of note all week although Nick Dodd’s had caught from here in the very last few moments of his session before leaving last night. Well, it certainly seems the place to start.
I decided to start off without feeding the swim deciding to minimise the chance of spooking anything that may already be there.
Left hand rod tucked inside the island close to its margin on a 15mm Rahja Spice ‘Ultrabrite Fluoro pop-up’
Mid rod off the front corner of the island on a double Pimple Pop
R.H. off the front of the island again is as far as I dare cast it under the overhanging cables on a Fruity Trifle’ Ultrabrite Fluoro Pop-Up’.
Middle of the afternoon and the left hand rod which was cast to the near side of the island signalled another take as the ATTS alarm called for attention. An absolutely brilliant scrap ensued and it seemed an absolute age before I was able to slip the net under another mirror this time weighing 29 lb 13 oz.
I had to smile just now, one of the members has just commented that he was sat in his swim yesterday and noticed a marker float that he had presumed had been cracked off. As he looked at it the float slid under the water and reappeared again a few yards back when he suddenly realised that Mark Hutchinson was actually attached to it as he decided to check out the contours well over 200m then baited it with his Spomb and then landed a PVA bag on the same mark! Said angler hadn’t realised just how far our best casters can launch a lead. Mark then went on to catch a fish on that rod too. Nice one mate :-)
Just as the light was dropping revealing a spectacular sunset which I was capturing on film Andy Hanahoe appeared in my swim asking if I could do a few pictures for him. He had just landed a mirror of 38lb 12oz at the other end of the island I was fishing to.
I took the pictures for him and not wanting to waste the opportunity asked if he would pose with it with the sunset behind before releasing it (he had set himself up in front of the bushes for the main pictures). I’m glad I did as I feel the sunset in the back ground really makes the picture that little bit special.
Sunday May 1st 2011
Well almost a repeat performance of yesterday for me. A 28lb mirror in the morning and a 24lb 4oz mirror in the afternoon and not a lot to say about the captures really other than I am on cloud 9.
Both fish again gave amazing accounts for themselves and I particularly had some hairy moments playing the 28lb fish as a wind knot appeared out of the water whilst playing it. I hadn’t felt it wrap through the rings on the cast but seeing it meant I hardly dare play the fish with any pressure at all for fear of trapping, crushing and breaking the line. Fortunately my patience held fine and eventually the carp was in the net. What a huge relief that was.
Monday May 2nd 2011
I awoke to the pleasing news that Osama Bin Laden has finally been caught and killed to join so many others he had done the very same to.
Nothing else happened in my swim before winding in and leaving.
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