The previous week the promised detour around HS2 was delayed, for how long, today would show. Down the A425, turn left onto the Fosse Way, two more miles along the road, turn right into the detour, no barriers in place, so far so good but I should have known better, another 200 yds. and there was the barrier.
By then several cars had followed me in, where to turn round? A private drive, retrace my steps, back to the Fosse Way, off to the right for another 1/2ml. and an alternative detour through Long Itchington, was I ever going to get there!!
At last a traffic island with a sign to Napton, almost there. Ten minutes later I swung into Home Farm, hardly surprising, the first to arrive, so a bonus I could choose my swim. After all the delays the Lake looked splendid, no wind or rain and even the muddy banks didn’t keep me away from my favourite swim.
Quickly set up, prepare the Method Feeder ground bait, plenty of ham & prawn diced very small added, and then some extra oil with water. Loose feed small cubes of luncheon meat and some sweet corn with sinking pellets along the margin to the right and place the feeder on top of this with a cube of luncheon meat as the first hook offering. No interest so switch to prawn, still no interest, so use the old reliable, worm.
My memory switched back to those days many years ago when we would always find a plentiful supply of red worms & brandlings in the compost heap, courtesy of the mucking out from the ducks & rabbits; no such luxury these days now reliant on small or large tubs of purchased worms. I should have realised earlier, with all the rain, sodden muddy banks, this was a natural My father must have been this at me from ”somewhere” since I arrived.
Ten minutes later a twitch on the Quiver Tip, there was something there which turned out to be a 3lbs. Common. Some more loose feed pellets, another worm on the hook and re-cast. Soon a Mirror of 5lbs. followed by a Crucian of 2.5lbs., another pleasant surprise.
Worm was proving to be a winner, another one placed over the ground bait and a fourth bite. Struck into the fish, after tussle for about five minutes it was near enough to the side to see another Mirror of 5 to 6lbs., but at that moment the hook pulled free. Hey Ho, try again, nearly an hour before a positive pull and another good fish on. After a good fight finely managed to slip the landing net under another Mirror, this time 6lbs. I was on a roll, just time for one more cast before the blight would be lost, so find a plump red worm, catapult in more mixed pellets and sit back. Hardly time to get comfortable before the rod tip was pulled hard round and the best fish of the session was on.
It took ten minutes but at last a Mirror of 8lbs. was safely in the net.
A last ”Hoo Ra” before the end of this Covid-19 headline hitting year and what an ending, one fish managing to avoid the net, the other four for a total in excess of 24lbs. Worm was the King bait, but most interestingly the mix of fish, 2 x Mirrors, 1 x Crucian, and a Common, lets hope this is a good portent of the Year to come.
A Very Happy, Rod Bending Year to All our readers.
Tinca Tinca.