The Close Season Zander Quest Pt.184 - Snow and Sun-Worshippers

What an odd period of weather we are having, the Easter weekend ones Barbecue was dusted off and the slow cooked beef brisket cooked to perfection, whilst the gardens suntrap if I closed my eye tightly, I could just about believe I was in the White Isle. 

Heck I even managed to catch some rays, and managed some much needed colour to one pasty skin. Vitamin D pills coming to my aid like they always do. 

The temperature had reached 16 or 17 degrees and with the sun high in the clear blue skies it really was pleasant indeed. 24 hours later, snow, yes snow I tell you. I'd had a butchers at my blog archives and in the last ten years I couldn't see any snow at all in April, plenty in March for sure, but April, nothing I could see.

 

Over the next few days the temperatures overnight and during the day to be fair had dropped like a stone and the really chilly wind was back. 

I'd have been tempted to get out but just wasn't feeling it especially when despite catching a CRT bucket load of Zander over 2 very productive sessions, once the temperature had dropped and the winter jackets donned again bites were hard to come by.

I'd popped out one evening after work to the shops and driving back the Jimny was blown all over the place and the snow was coming down like a blizzard. All very surreal, nothing settled however, not sure if that is good or bad as I do like snow, especially with the kids off school.

Now talking of the CRT I've a Freedom of Information Request filed with them to provide dates and locations of where and when the canals in Warwickshire were electro fished for Zander over the last 24 months, and provide detail on what happens to the Zander once removed.

I've certainly noticed in some areas the population has decreased dramatically over the last couple of years so it will be interesting to see what their response is. 

It was encouraging to see this new stretch I've been fishing with so many Zander present but not only that when the light went and dusk came the fish topping was quite incredible. Small fish too, not just bream rolling and roach breaking the surface.

In the first lockdown the local stretches to me that have Zander present when the weather was unseasonably hot even the Wife was amazed to see the huge roach shoals sunning themselves in the upper layers of the water column. Carp too, lots of them. 

Talking of which anyone know what has happened to Andrew Bolderson YouTube  all his videos have been removed, well certainly not available for public to view, all very odd as he was a prolific uploader of late, canal carp his latest load of uploads.  

Anyway for this short evening session Sam was with me where he'd fish with a lure rod and I'd fish a deadbait in the swim which was so good to me a few sessions back. 

The stamp of Zeds was quite incredible really where ok, the biggest was still half the size of the one I'd like to catch but the weights were gradually creeping up where hopefully a big lady would slip up. 

I can tell you a 4lb canal Zander is a good fish and 14 Zander caught over two sessions 10 of those fish were over the 4lb mark, utter madness.  

The best fish 5lb 8 ounces above but I know someone else who subsequently since caught a fish in the 6lb bracket. Encouraging signs for sure and it's a shame the weird weather got them off the feed again because in the years I've been fishing for canal Zander spots like this don't come up for often at all.

Now we hadn't long to fish so we concentrated on this one area but the water had a good foot plus of visibility so I knew it might be tough and boy I was right.

Nothing on the lure and nothing on the deadbaits for an hour we were thinking of moving but then a boat came through and stirred up the bottom and then minutes after the first bite came.

I pulled the bait out of the fishes vampire pincers though after a decent bite developed so knew exactly what it was straight away. Those decent Zeds moved out of the area and the tiny schoolies now in residence. 

Two were caught pretty quickly and then the swim went dead. Another swim tried without success the last hour in to dusk back at the starting swim another bite, but again this time a dropped run, nothing more doing and we left when we couldn't make out the floats. 

Sam went away happy though as he went to bed later than normal and he did a great job of landing the 2nd Zander and got lots of casting practice.