Closing the Season...14/03/08

The day had come at last. 14th March is the last day of the coarse fishing season and means no more fishing for freshwater fish in the UK for me now until 16th June. I could, of course, go in the commercial pet ponds but I have no interest in catching stocked fish from enclosed spaces – I like my fish like my women. Wild.

I half expected rain. I awoke instead to glorious sunshine, a mild to warm day and little wind. It was a perfect way to end the season and so after dropping off my daughter I headed to my usual spot and deposited the kayak on the slipway before parking the car. I was armed with a pint of mixed maggots and a bucketload of groundbait – ground-up breadcrumbs, cat biscuits, flour, milk powder and whatever likely looking stuff I found hanging around the kitchen. The big yellow kayak was already attracting the birds.





I paddled out to a different spot to usual and cast out.



I had the first bite in minutes. And second, third, fourth etc. Try as I might I couldn’t connect with anything for ages until finally one strike hit home and into the yak came a Dace.



It took a while of missed bites before a walloping thump came and I hauled in [s]overruns favourite[/s] a Gudgeon. By now I was talking to a local about yaks and species hunting etc – he’d seen me about and finally I was near where he works. He brought me luck with the Gudgeon and then again when this little Ruffe came aboard. Fishnets always look ruffe.



Shortly after he went the rod tip went down and in came a Common Bream. 4 fish, 4 species.



I was still getting tiny bites that weren’t connecting, and then I struck into a bite that actually gave a decent account of itself. It took a few minutes to come in and took a bit of line but finally I had a cracking Common Bream – a new PB.



I decided to move and chase the Roach. I started with a Gudgeon and then finally in came species 5. Locvely looking small Roach with red-orange fins and a blue back, shiny silver flanks…a cracking looking fish.



After a slow hour I decided to move again and headed down to the bridge. I don’t know what was happening but the fish were so shy-biting today it was untrue. Not many bites and most of those I struck didn’t connect. But I did get myself a Chub after a while.



I followed this with 2 more and then decided to head into the quay for sticklebacks. Nothing.



Not a tap or anything. I tried float and feeder but soon tired of this and went back to the starting point where I had a load of missed bites until finally catching the last fish of the day. I think a juvenile Common Bream.



It was time for the season to draw to a close and with a slow and frustrating day of beautiful weather and a slight tan I’m sure. I finished on 13 fish for 6 species – 3 Bream (inc PB), 1 Dace, 3 Gudgeon, 1 Ruffe, 2 Roach and 3 Chub. Fetching the car I passed a chap I knew and wished him a big fish to finish the season on. returning he cursed me - he'd just caught a Stickleback! If only he knew...



And so ends the coarse season. I’m chuffed, it’s started well and I’ve had 9 species out of the Waveney in 17 trips, a total of 185 fish. Roll on June 16th by which time I shall be cross-eyed and babbling from spending weeks failing to catch a mullet!