The Close Season Zander Quest Pt.208 - Tiller Ticklers and Tocodynamometers

With a day of cold rain coming down most of the day I was in two minds whether or not to bother for this morning session. Zander in my experience can switch off in these sort of conditions but having been shackled to ones CAD screen for most of the week, I'd probably only regret not going out.  

Believe you me leaving a warm bed with a couple of large plumb pillows to start trudging a damp and muddy canal towpath with landmine dog poo hazards its a decision not to be taken lightly. I've a Zander Quest to conclude, and that cannot be done from the top of the wooden hills. 

Now before the boat traffic started in anger I fished 5 or 6 swims without even a nudge on the float, in one swim where the nearside bank has lots of reeds on retrieve of the smelt something grabbed it like it would a lure, the bite being felt through the carbon quite clearly. 

I've had this quite a few times over the various sessions in this quest of mind to be fair  when a deadbait has been pulled over or in-front of a Zeds head and with their predatory instinct they grab it. A bite often develops if you leave the bait to flutter to bottom after the initial enquiry was made, and exactly that happened and after a few bobs on the float soon it was off down the turbid canal.

I knew exactly what it was though before seeing the fish, yeap an excitable schoolie, still it gave an encouraging scrap and at one point was trying to mimic a chub as it was trying to get under my feet. It was soon in the net though and like many of the fish I've caught of late, fins and jaws all over the shop like Mike Tyson in his prime. 

Another similar size fish came soon after but sport wasn't exactly like it was this time last week. I'm sure the drop in temperature wouldn't have helped matter sand once the tiller ticklers started up in anger which sometimes can help, I just wasn't feeling it and decided to cut the session short.

You see when a boat goes by and stirs up the silty bottom often the Zeds come out from where they are laying up on a bottle necking fish chasing mission nothing materialised in more than one swim.  

Tough going but to be honest not unexpected. Still with a trip to the hallowed swim tomorrow morning before the heaven opens again hopefully something bigger to test the rod will be up for a feed. 

Fingers crossed !!!!