Lady Luck ?

I was joined for a night on the lake by Lady Sarah this week, she has often brought with her a little bit of angling luck and is always welcome.
I sloped off from the shop an hour early and we loaded everything in to the car with no drama. "Will we need any money ?" I enquired,"Not unless someone is coming around the lake tonight selling raffle tickets" was her witty retort...I left the cash at home.
 I'd visited the lake the night previous, there are a few anglers starting to get out on it now and I blagged a cuppa before putting two kilos of bait on an unfished (by me) spot with the throwing stick.
 I considered that a tweek of the rigs and starting to use my warm weather bait, along with the Good Lady for company might bring a change in luck.
 Lady Sarah sat in the evening sun whilst I set up the bigger of my two bivvies, furnishing the inside with our bedchairs and sleeping bags, she'd bought enough food to last us a week and a bottle of wine, we were sorted.
 Setting off around the lake with a view to parking the car in a safer place now that our home for the night was made, I was amazed to find that some idiot had taken one of the lifebuoys from its red plastic station and tied it to a nearby bush, a group of 'erberts sat upon a nearby bench, I just gave them 'the look' before returning the buoy to its home, which incidentally looks like it may also be home to a family of Blue Tits quite soon, judging by the presence of a new looking nest inside the plastic housing, a small hole on the casing looked barely big enough for a bird to pass through.
 As I returned to my swim a fellow piscator (one of three of us) approached and gobsmacked me by saying that he read and enjoyed the blog, cheers fella.
 Back at the swim it was time to get fishing....
 It was at this time that the age old problem of getting a cast from a tight swim with a bivvy behind me arose. There was nothing to it, I'd have to take my shoes and socks off, roll up the trousers and wade out. The water is still cold, very cold, but three baits went out on the baited area just fine and were followed by another kilo of bait.

 As darkness fell the clouds gathered and a few drops of rain started to fall but the faithful shelter of ours was snug and secure, we drank a couple of glasses of wine and chatted into the night before our eyes became heavy.
 The now familiar sounds of night on the lake affected Lady Sarah's sleep more than mine, at least it wasn't my snoring this time !
 Time passed,  my eyes opened, it was light, fishless again, I looked over to the good Lady, awake. We exchanged morning pleasantries when, BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP, a single toner, I bumbled to get out of the bivvy door, ignoring my strategically placed shoes, out into the cold morning air and into the muddy ground to the rod, its reel still whirring...I struck...contact.
 The fight was spirited, the fish had run a long way and definitely knew where the weed beds were, fortunately so did I and it was light enough to see what was on the fishes mind, I steered it away, taking line as it kited to the right. Eventually it came into sight, a common, not 'The Common' but the first common to be caught on the lake this year, and on my mainstay bait for this coming summer, a result.
 Once netted and on the bank the fish continued its fight, I've never had a fish struggle so much to escape a net, especially after such a scrap. I decided on one quick snap, you can see I am poised for it to flap, I sensed its muscles tensing as I held it but am glad to report it was returned none the worse and fighting fit.

 I was also able to sport for the first time my British Specimen Anglers hat. Check out their site for all things fishy.
 Lady Sarah had once again brought me some luck, and even her photographic skills are getting better....I just wished someone had come around selling raffle tickets, her face would've been a picture.