Piscatorial Quagswagging

...the diary of a specialist angler in around the Warwickshire Avon and its tributaries.

Friday 19 May 2017

Closed Season Zander Quest PT63 – Boustrophedons and Bumpershoots

It’s been rather unsettled of this week, mild, rain in spells and rather unpredictable, a little like this Zander quest of mine which for this closed season has been disappointing to say the least.

What is not unpredictable though is how I have been approaching it, a rather boustrophedon manner when a pattern form in covering a water with a bait to maximise any chances of finding fish.

I’m an engineer after all…. 


Last weekend I was at a friend’s wedding in sunny Falmouth and it turned in to a couple of days of bladderation, in moderation of course, but with the long drive and lack of sleep the start of the week I was proper knackered.

The venue in Falmouth had a private beach and extensive exotically stocked gardens so a stroll to the beach and then uphill back numerous times, decent footsteps were covered so I barely had time to put my feet up despite the fact we were kid less for the weekend.


I’m 45 this year remember, so my battered bones because of the uphill paper round take ever increasing time to recover these days, but one thing fishing is good for is relaxing, so it doesn’t need the 4 or 5 miles I often cover over a 5 hour session but you can take a more static approach.

So for this short evening session some nice thicket provided a much needed umbrella for likely light rain but for something different I’d also fish a lure to see if the milder water would have the fish, if in residence this, a little more active than they have been. Also I wanted to fish this one particular area of cover to see if I could spot some carp that sometimes hang about here.


I’d hooked and lost a couple the previous year, and not only would they be bigger now but I’d be more prepared and in fact because of the disappointing quest thus far I might even dedicate a remaining session or two for them.

To be honest, as I’ve said a few times recently it’s testing my resolve. The bloggers species challenge, a forgotten pursuit.

Bait for this session, not my favoured roach sections but whole small roach, the dregs of the bait freezer and then a sleeper rod out for carp that I know habit this area.

As you know I plan my session and this one was no different, what I didn’t factor in to the mix though was a three rod carper was sat in the swim I wanted to fish so it meant after a few pleasantries I was on the march again.


I know this area well though so after probably near a mile I’m eventually fishing.

Nearly two hours in open water and biteless I’m on my way again.

The section of cover has some carp so a handful of pellets with a snowman rig over the top and a deadbaits tight to some cover it was stand back and wait, this time the heavens opened and I’ve taken shelter.

Not long after the sleeper rod starts to have the odd beep and sure enough something is making the rod top bang. I thought it was a bream at first because a carp would have screamed off but after striking in to the fish it became clear, it was a bleeding Zander. 


Obviously hungry then….

I moved up the cover and the same was done, deadbaits tight to cover, sleeper in a nice cut out in the thicket.

This time the float starts to move after a few minutes.

As expected for my quest for this closed season, another splasher.


I’ve had a enough by now, South Indian prawn curry and a couple of beers are in order.
I’m out Sunday somewhere, decisions decisions.

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