Lure Of The Secret Lake

As is the way with most untouched tranquil pools, there is an aire of the unknown, a mysticism. I have no idea what lurks in the weedy depths of "The Secret Lake" other than a few snippets of information reluctantly extracted from anglers who have spent time here some years back...The question I ask is "Are the fine, scaley, wood carving like beasts I've heard tale of still here?.....perhaps a 30lb Common?
  All I know is that this small pool has woven an enchanted spell upon me and I find myself wanting to spend time here....I spent last night on its banks through rain and thunder, my only reward a solitary Bream of around 6lb.The Sun came out at daybreak though and I was able to explore..I saw nor heard any sign of a Carp...I will return.

Action Shots From Nashy's Church Lake

Full Story Here.

Return To The Secret Lake

 

After my recent run of blanks, it was time to get the feeder rod out, I love to catch fish of all species, and though the specimen hunter instinct sometimes blinkers my attitude, every now and again it's nice to just get a bend in the rod.

 Today I had the privelege of Lady Sarah's companionship and it was decided that we re-visit the secret lake, the scene of my recent Catfishing blank and also of my early Spring Rudd bonanza.As usual there were no other anglers..Set-up was maggots to size 16 hook with a black cap feeder.

 Of course it was raining as we arrived and the air was cool and quiet. The brolly went up for the good Lady and I sat out.

 It's incredible how quickly one loses the ability to fish a certain way with lack of practise and I probably missed the first ten bites.....too slow on the strike, the hook returning with a couple of sucked out maggots.

 Then there was the hooking up of clothing, my hand towel, shrubbery and overhead branches, "Bull in a china shop" springs to mind.

  It all came good though with bites and fish coming fast and furious, all Roach of a certain size and one rogue Rudd.
 The highlight of the day (apart from the sun finally coming out) was not a fish however, but as I sat watching the tip of my rod the good Lady whispered "Look at the other side of the lake"..there stood a Muntjack Deer that had come to the lake to quench its thirst, had I been alone I'd have missed it completely.

 Lady Sarah did take many photos of the Roach, only two were any good !....Finally,I have found something she is rubbish at!!

The Flip Side

It's Monday evening, the weather is good so the shop has been busy and I'm the only fellow serving and giving advice. It seems that everyone needs my attention but my mind wanders, meandering off to the banks of a nearby lake, a lake I will fish tonight for Catfish. My feet ache, my eyes are strained and the day drags long,long....Hmmm Catfish, big Catfish. The very fact that I am discussing this wonderful pastime of ours all day, somehow makes the longing to fish more acute in my mind.
 It's two minutes to five, a chap walks in, picks up a basket...I am polite and pleasant, but in reality I wish the fellow had come in an hour ago. Fifteen minutes later (that's thirteen minutes after closing time) he pays and I close up the shop.
 I have now caught the traffic of the factory workers leaving the nearby industrial estate, oh to just be at the waters edge right now.
 Home, grab a bite, quick bath, change to angling attire....open the room of The Intrepid Piscator, "Catfishing, now where are the rigs I spent an hour tying last night?, large forceps?, beefy rods? Have I forgotten anything?....No...Yes!!...bait...anything else?, think.....No, lets go fishing.
 I load the car, backwards and forwards four times with so much stuff for a comfortable night then off to the lake.....more traffic...come on...otherwise someone else will be in the swim.
 I reach the gate, get out of the car, unlock the gate,get in the car, drive through, get out of the car, lock the gate....this procedure I repeat another two times before parking up.
 Tackle unloaded, no barrow for me, they are for cisseys, right?, I should be able to do the trip to the other side of the lake in one journey. Off I set, laden with Holdall, Rucksack, Unhooking Mat and Bedchair etc....it's a killer, but I'm not ready to barrow yet, of course!
 There it is then, the view I've longed to see all day, except when I imagined it earlier there wasn't another angler bivvied up there, just there...I continue around the lake and settle for the next best..grrr.
 Ah the relief when that rucksack slides off the back...time to construct camp.
 The air is muggy and the sweat drips from my brow as I try to insert bivvy pegs and banksticks into a ground reminiscent of concrete with a modicom of stealth. After another forty minutes the rods are baited, cast and I can finally relax, even though I cannot find my headtorch and fear it may be at home. I sit back at last, for the first time today...I am fishing.....then something happens, something so predictable these days that it is truly, truly beginning to get to me. "Was that a Rudd topping, there's another...No...not Rudd..Rain....AGAIN".....the heavens open, I dive for cover.
 Confined to barracks I stare out into torrent until, finally, it abates. It's nearly dark now, twilight, that time, on a warm, humid eve, when our friend the mosquito comes out to play. I'm alright though because I am now in possession of that stuff that sounds like a ladies moisturising product from a well known door-to-door cosmetics company. You know, that stuff the British Army uses in Belize and every Highland Ghillie uses to deter the midges, the stuff every angler that knows about, gives that knowing nod....I'm sorted..quite lucky really considering that my all singing, all dancing, all year round sleeping bag is still too hot at this time of year even though I have removed the winter inner section, and I will have to sleep on top of it.
 Into slumber then....deep sleep, I dream of a large moggy, but hey,what's that noise? A buzzer screaming out?, nope, that noise is rain on my bivvy roof, relentless until daybreak when I get to look at motionless bobbins instead of motionless isotopes.
 My one salvation is a delivery of food by the good Lady Sarah, I look at her,after my fourth blank in a row, through sunken eyes, my skin akin to a 'dot-to-dot' such are the amount of insect bites............."Any Luck?", she asks!

Scenes From A Secret Lake

A lot of us know one, we all dream of them, sometimes we fish them....a secret lake.
Regular readers will remember that earlier in the year I spent a day on a little fished pool for Rudd. With my river fishing not happening for me a the moment (don't worry it''ll all come good) I ventured back to this magical place.
I didn't catch (or even see)one of the alleged Catfish or Carp in this pool but the visit has whet my appetite for the place and I will be returning to this sanctuary soon.