Closed Season Zander Quest Pt.13 – Grime Suspect

I still wanted to know what caused the huge surface disturbance from one of my previous sessions down the cut. I’d fished this 2 mile stretch a few times previously and up until the last session here I blanked every time. I did eventually stumble upon some fish though but again despite catching plenty of Zander and even a Perch they were well short of a double. The scene of the crime despite being the opposite end to where I caught the fish just looked like it would be home to decent Zander. The four visits proved just that as a decent fish went for the lure and inadvertently revealed itself.

The area is a trek, that’s the issue and it’s by far the furthest stretch of the Grand Union I fish. Another problem is when the boats start moving the otherwise static water turns in to a flowing river, I’d not seen anything like it. You’d need a lead weight the size of an apple to hold your keepnet from washing away.

I intend to come back here in the summer months and fish a couple of times in to dusk but for this session I decided to rock up early fish for a couple of hours in the potential quest achiever swim and then fish a stretch a bit further down from where I’d caught before. The water is some of the murkiest and gloomiest I frequent however it’s also has the largest expanse of water, a bit like looking for a black cat in a coal cellar.

But as I've said on many occasions I didn't expect this Zander Quest to be easy...

Nearly 2.5 hours and 4 different swims not a sign from the Zander, I did manage a small Perch on the lure but as soon as the first boater came past I got back in the car and went to the other end of the stretch. I eventually managed a few fish on the deadbait, again, nothing to write home about with the biggest not quite 2 lb.