Clavering Lakes was the venue and the day was going to prove to be a bit difficult due to the high winds and outlook of rain but we’re not just in it for the sunny days! Lucy was with us today, she’d heard so much about Clavering lakes that she wanted, no insisted, on coming along to see the bigger fish. Now I thought this could be a bit tricky; on the bank, windy, cold, wet, boring for someone who’s not fishing but as ever I didn’t really have a say in it!
We set up on the Silver Fish lake (the only lake at Clavering we hadn’t fished yet) Aaron started out on ledger and I set up my customary 13ft match rod with waggler. Started off with size 12 hook and sweetcorn bait fishing at depth (around 3ft) just off the margins under an overhanging tree, “perfect place” I thought, “should get some action here”. Bites, bites and more bites but nothing hooked! After about 2 hours of this the inevitable happened, Lucy was getting bored and cold (which was quite understandable in the conditions!) - “Can I have a go please?” Well I was a bit sceptical, the rod was too long really and the bites were really hard so I decided to change tact a little and up the hook to a size 8 and go out to the right by some reeds, still at depth but with luncheon meat (always a favourite at Clavering) and plenty of offerings around the hook. The hook bait was soaked in sweetcorn juice and a handful of sweetcorn / luncheon meat went out around the float every two casts.
It worked! First bite within 5 minutes, I showed lucy what to do and landed the common carp (around 2lb). Lucy unhooked it and put the fish back – a first holding a carp of that size for Lucy. Well from there on it just got better and better. Lucy decided she’d have a go so I cast out for her ….. bites started very soon …. Strike! Brilliant! Lucy had her first decent fish on the end of the line and would hopefully land it! She did, a lovely common carp again around the 2lb mark. Now Lucy being Lucy decided that me doing the casting wasn’t good enough so she learnt how to cast .......
Now to cut a long story short the day was fantastic! Lucy went from being a novice at best who had only really held a rod and reeled in a roach on a river to a fully fledged fisherman. I had a nice rest on the bank whilst Lucy hooked the bait, cast out, was very patient, struck at the right time and landed, unhooked, put the fish back and set up again … 5 times!!! Yes Lucy had a wonderful 5 fish day, 4 common carp (all around 1.5 – 2lb) and a nice Bream (around 1.5lb) And … this was not a perfect day for fishing … well done Lucy. Im sure we’ll be seeing a lot more of her on the bank with us.
And it does just go to show (and put me in my place!) that fishing is for everyone. Just give it a go!
