The Calm After The Storm - Zander Fishing - 5/4/19 - 4pm

Unable to get out during the week I was keen to get my fishing fix when the shackles were off come Friday afternoon.

However, what to do.  The original plan had been to return to the scene of last weeks fantastic zander session but as the week progressed with sleet and hail this seemed a less than promising prospect.  The water was sure to have cooled and with it the appetite of the zander.

I considered, perhaps, going roach fishing but in the end the zander won out and a return it was, knowing this week would prove a much more difficult scenario than the previous session, with the air cold and a bitter wind blowing.

As I would again be joined by James at around 5:45pm I decided not to rush to the area that the fish were gathered last week, rather I would work up to that area waiting for James's arrival in a hope to land in that area together.

I worked up the stretch, leapfrogging the rods every ten minutes and, due to the lack of action, I was soon in the area that had proved so successful previously.  This time however things were different.  I stuck in the area for at least forty-five minutes, giving it a good go whilst awaiting my friends arrival.  However, not such much as a bob on either of the floats.  I moved on...

Having leapfrogged another thirty metres of this featureless stretch I was pleasantly surprised as one of the floats cocked and slid away.  Great stuff.  I wound down to the fish and the rod took on it's battle arc.  As the fish felt the pressure it seemed as shocked as I was to see the float submerge and it tore-off, catching me ill-prepared for such a burst of energy as I staggered along the towpath in its wake.  However, after the early lunges the fish soon gave best and I got it under control and ushered into the folds of the landing net.  Not a bad on at all and a fantastic scrap in the cold water.

Soon after James arrived and we worked the rest of the straight without success so onwards it was to the area of cover around the corner which looked so enticing.

We concentrated our efforts there until dusk started to fall.  On a couple of occasions James had some interest in one of his dead roach but nothing more materialised than a couple of bobs of the float.

With barely enough light left to see we made out way back to the area I had caught the fish earlier and gave that half an hour of darkness, figuring there may be more fish as there was one.  It wasn't to be though and we called time on the session with no further action.

Tight lines.