Closed Season Zander Quest Pt.42 – On a fighting to nothing

It was 12 sessions ago I hooked and landed a decent fish, a 9lb hard fighting cut Zander that reminded me just how I miss a proper pull on the rod, an ache of the arm, an activating drag.

I use a 10ft 1.5TC Prologic MP Specialist Pro which is a super sensitive, but with a forgiving but slim blank, it’s light too, so great for roving for Perch or Chub for instance, and it gives such feedback even with relatively small fish the fight is enjoyable, but the fight of the 9lber was something else.

Now my 2 rod deadbait onslaught hasn’t changed for a while and I’ve concentrated my efforts on a 3 mile stretch where I’ve now caught two canal Zander lumps, they have been 2 miles apart which is encouraging but there are so many holes in between I’ve not even laid a bait I’m sure there are some lurking monsters that are waiting to grace my hook.

These scrappy schoolies give their best but I want my rod to be tested again….

It got me thinking about the new river season and the way I’m planning to tackle a new bit of river I’ll be fishing on the quest for a >5lb Chub, easily the biggest Monkey on my back and also a PB Barbel would be nice. I wouldn’t say I’m quite at the Joe Chattertons sleepless nights yet, but I’ve already been over thinking my approach come the new season.

I really cannot wait….

So with a few remaining sessions left before I hit running water again it’s these uncharted areas I’m planning to explore.

With it being light till late another change is to fish of an evening, the canal seems to alter its character on this stretch, an eerie silence with a still surface usually covered in plant and forna and it’s quite pleasant to the eye seeing a float move with a Zander tethered underneath disturbing the surface crud, a lure rod would be out of the question.

This session was the first on the countdown, time is running out on my quest for a cut double….

It was warm during the day and a pleasant evening but to cut the long story short, I'll get to the point quickly....

Another blank session, all very odd too as after 2 hours in 3 different swims without a bite I walked nearly mile or so to the banker swim where you can guarantee a zander in Jeff Hatt's X marks the spot fashion but again, not a jot.

They were properly off the feed they really were as blanks up till now have been few and far between.

Closed Season Zander Quest Pt.41 – I Breamed a Bream

The evening was pleasant

Sun falling, gnats still active, the towpath strangely devoid of life, no poo pickers, ramblers or maggot danglers

I’m on route to the Zander hot spot to try a new deadbait. No roach today, bream it is. One bait positioned boat side, the other slap bang in the middle of a large turning bay

Time for contemplation, these canal Zander can be finicky feeders

It’s easy to get in to a meditative state when fishing, dissolution of the boundary between oneself and the outside world, No need for lysergic acid diethylamide

Time passes, how much? Not sure

Weird, I hear some repetitive beats, 120bpm if I’m not mistaken. As a white label producer in my youth that’s clearly the square and saw wave tones of a Roland TB-303, the tones sculpted with the 24 dB low-pass filter.

Up from me a narrow boat comes in to view, disco lights, in full effect. Hang on a minute, surely my eyes are deceiving me, it’s a large group of nuns. White coif, black veil, holy habit……my eyes lower,

short skirts and white stockings…….

The boat is now in full view, our paths will cross. My eyes are transfixed, my ears too

Josh Winks Higher State of Consciousness on the Technics 1200, blouses at bursting point, a glimpse of the forbidden, a wall of hormones, of pent-up frustration

“Fancy joining us?” “We need some help”

The float twitches next to the moored boat, a fish is showing interest, decisions, decisions

“Sorry girls, I’ve fish to catch” I strike, a big fish on, my rods bent

I wake bolt upright, my arms and legs swinging in opposite directions, the Wife doing well to avoid the commotion.

Another memorable dream, Paxton and Whitfield’s finest Stilton kicking in again and given me another tryptamine trip.

I’ve since bought a job lot….try some.

So this Sunday morning session I’d come armed with a couple of Bream, I has some in my bait freezer that were initially for Pike Tyson that I hooked in to down the Avon. First thing I noticed was how much more blood came from the ½ inch sections, ideal as was the skin which is as tough as old boots.

I wanted to fish a stretch of thick cover I’ve never fish before after nearly 2 hours without a bite and 1/2 an hour biteless in a turning bay, I had to make a move. The next section of cover I’d spotted some carp in the past so with the cocoons donned and the sun bright whilst waiting for a bite I could watch and listen for a mooching carp.

Cocoons, great polarised 'over' glasses

It didn’t take too long to spot the first carp either, not the biggest but may help me in the future if I’m to partake in a carp quest. The quest for a cut 20, or along those lines.

Just need that double figure Zander….

So the first Zander bite took an hour but then a pack of schoolies must of moved in because the floats didn’t stop, both at the same time too on a couple of occasions. Not what I was after but at least it wasn’t a blank. So 7 or 8 fish within 40 minutes or so, biggest nudging 3.5lb.

The quest continues…..

Closed Season Zander Quest Pt.40 – For Crying Trout Loud

You do wonder about some anglers, fishing for me is about adventure, the uncharted, the new

For the lazy though, they want success, quick

Rewards come with hard work, with blanks, with bank time….

….not probing emails asking for swim specifics

I had a short afternoon session at the Tefal Head, I had my usual 2 float set-up but also came to do some double dipping. The larger Zander have been absent of late so I also rigged up a carp floater set-up using my one piece 6ft 2.5TC Wychwood Extricator.

It was fitted with a Fox Exocet controller float and the plan was to try and nab one of those carp that have frustrated me over the past few sessions leading to two lost fish. I like this set-up because you don’t really have to strike, the weighted float giving a bolt rig effect.

I’d bought some oily trout floaters to try instead of the chum, not only were they larger and more visible in the turgid water but a quick try in a glass of water, they give off a nice slick of oil and flavour too, they are definitely more pungent than the standard mixer.

If I think about the decent stamp of Zander I’ve been catching recently they all have been caught when it’s been relatively cold, maybe they are more active when it’s warm and therefore harder to pin down so a bait dropped on their head when it’s cold they’ve no choice but to take it.

One thing I do know is that it’s a law of averages, so

Cocoons donned, floats out

Weirdly the first fish caught was a Perch of around a 1lb, now considering the amount of time I've spent with dead baits on the canal this was the first one I'd caught, I've not caught a Pike either such is the clarity of water I fish.

The boat frequency was starting to pee me off but despite the swim carnage I was still getting runs, within a couple of hours I'd had around 7 or 8 Zander the biggest nudging 3.5lb I'd say.

For those initial hours I'd not spotted a carp but then with half hour gone without I boat passing through I walked upstream and spotted a few tucked away in the thick cover but they were gradually showing themselves and enjoying the sun. Not big fish but would give a decent bend in the rod.

I could see my floats no problem so I chucked the controller out and watched....and watched

The float drifted down and wedged itself against an overhanging branched and within no time the carp were taking interest, a few nudges on the float, one even seem to take it in whole and spit it out.

Weirdly the rod tip didn't even tremble, it was only when I adjusted its position that I realised as the mixers drifted down the line must have got caught and the bait was actually out of the water.

Upon trying to retrieve the float the hook got caught in the thicket and and rig is stuck fast, bugger, some hard pulls, it ain't budging.....

Now it's only when I look to my left I realise there is a boat coming and it's nearing my swim, I'd no option but to give it one last tug and break the line. It's a strong set-up so suprisingly took longer than expect.

In the mean time the skipper of the boat obviously hadn't seen my floats out and the rods backside so it's powering towards my swim. I've legged it back the short distance but by this time the first line has been picked up and the rods is receiving a workout like it's never had before.

A few exchanges of words and now the next line is being picked up, again the second rod is going canalward.

I lift both rods and the inevitable happens, an angling massacre

So with 3 rods needing to be re-rigged and the boat frequency off putting I called it a day.

Fourth time lucky maybe, but I've decided to concentrate my efforts before the new River season on the species I've grown to love.

It's now full on Zander.