Christmas Special

Old Mill

The Swim!

Hello again guys and girls on this session I was back down at Old Mill, Market rasen. I was meant to be coming hear Christmas day for 3 nights but Chris the owner was going away as it was Christmas and all so I decided I would fish saturday the 21st till Christmas eve as I needed to get my time on the bank. 

 

I got to the lake around 11 I already had an idea of where I wonted to fish so I got the gear on the barrow and pushed it up to the lake, Birch was the lake I was targeting. As i got there nobody was in the peg I wonted to fish so straight away I got over there. I stood and looked out at the water for about 10 mins just to see if anything showed as with the strong wind pushing in I would expect it to be moving the fish about. Anyway after being stood there seeing nothing I still decided to get set up hear. I quickly got the bivvy up and everything set out inside, got the bank sticks in the ground and got all 3 rods together. I was fishing 3 rods for this session to try cover all areas. 

On the left hand rod I was using a naked chod rig with a size 8 barbless choddy tied by RC Tackle  for the bait I was using Mainlines Hi-visual fruit-tella pop ups, smell awesome and there a nice bright pink. I used the same set up on my middle rod but was casting it out into open water. On my 3rd rod the right hand rod I was using the maggot rig I have changed a few things since I last used it. Its tied with 15 lbs N-trap soft down to a size 8 curve also from Rc Tackle on the hair I have tied a micro swivel to attach the maggots to with a length of floss, I also put this in conjunction with a pva bag of dead maggots just so I knew there was some bait around my hook. I managed to get all 3 rods set up and out by half 12 so i sat back put kettle on and watched the water for a while. 

 

Pop ups I was using on the chods

 

I gave it about an hour before I gave all 3 rods a recast, my left hand rod I brought in abit closer and more to the left just in front of the small island. My middle rod back out in front out in open water and the right hand rod over to the right closer to the far margin.

 

 

The time passed I had made my dinner and had a brew and was just sorting things out before it got dark around 4 o'clock the bang my left hand rod ripped off I struck into it and my heart started racing I was into my first fish after 5 blanks my hard work had finally paid off!. I carefully played the fish it didn't feel massive but was putting up a good fight! and I didnt wont to loose it. As I got it closer I got the net in the water and I saw the fish for the first time it wasn't an Old Mill chunk but a little stocky common never the less it was a fish, I finally got it over the net and it was in!. As i was dealing with the fish in the net another angler came over and lent a hand he had brought his scales so wen I got the fish out the water we weighted him 10lbs bang on even tho it was small I was buzzing!. We did pictures for Chris's records the returned the fish safely back to the water and the rod went back out on the spot with a few more freebies around it. As i got settled back into the bivvy it was dark by now, i sent the pictures to Chris and he confirmed the fish was called "ARNIE" stocked 2 years ago it was out last year at 3lbs so in that year it had put on 7lbs been on a right much happy days!.

"ARNIE" 10lbs

After all that i got settled in for the night the wind was really picking up at one point I thought I might have got blown away! and the rain was smashing it down making it hard to get to sleep. it was a quite night on the fishing front only a couple of liner but i could quite easily of been the wind. I woke up around 7 got all 3 rods rebaited and cast back out!. I had breakfast a loverly fry up always sorts you out in the morning and a hot cuppa.

 

The hours went by and everything seemed very quite i was sat watching the water hadn't seen anything moving but the weather was taking a turn for the worse, It eventually got dark I had recast all 3 rods and baited up for the night it was hard to get them on the stop with the wind being so strong but we got there! all was quite through the night I woke early doors with the wind howling and rain pouring down I had spoke to a couple of other angler who had walked round they hadnt seen anything and everything was quite on the other side of the lake around dinner I rang the mother and she had informed me that the weather was meant to get worst on the monday night so with this in my head i decided to cut the session short and go home I was happy with what I had achieved finally got myself a fish even if it was small but hopefully next time I can bag one of the chunks!.

 

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