With only two trips available for me to fish on Meadow Lake, I’m back at it. There’s a good chance there will be a few more anglers this week than last. Apparently, it was very quiet here. I can only assume the weather played a part in that, keeping many away from the banks.

After an entertaining drive, trying to avoid a traffic jam, I arrived at the lake just before 9 am, only to find three other anglers fishing. I took a drive around the lake and chatted with them. First and foremost, there was no way I was setting up with the east wind blowing into my swim. I’m too old for that hardcore fishing anymore. Some might wonder why I even bothered going in such conditions, while others completely understand my reasoning.

After much toing and froing between about four swims, I eventually settled on one. I took some time leading around to confirm what I already knew from my numerous past sessions in this swim. Initially, I considered fishing long out of the swim, but I couldn’t find anything worth putting a bait on. The best options were the closer-in spots, so that’s what it was going to be. My left-hand rod would go to one of these closer features, while my right-hand rod would be positioned just about where I always prefer to have it—but slightly onto the gravel this time, as I like to fish just on the edge.

I baited up with a mixture of boilie crumb and particles, with various sizes of Trigga and Co-De boilies and solubles. The night was action-free, which I suppose was to be expected given the conditions. The easterly wind was extremely unpleasant at times. I had a couple of bleeps around midnight, but they never came to anything.

The wind was much lighter in the morning, though it still had that chill lurking in it. I decided to give it until 11:00 am before taking a walk to assess my options, as I wasn’t feeling the love for this swim. I needed to see if I was really in the best position or if a move was necessary.

After my walk, I concluded that I was indeed in the best area of the lake. I got the rods back out, simply changing the hook baits around. By 4:00 pm, I had my first tench of the evening, followed closely by three bream. It could have been four, but with little sleep, my memory was hazy. Between the bites, there were also numerous single bleeps, which got me thinking—maybe a change of approach was needed. Single hook baits at range could be worth trying on at least one rod.

The next morning, I decided to spend some time leading around, figuring out my best options for the final night. Unfortunately, the wind was in the wrong direction for drifting the Deeper sonar about, so I had to rely purely on my feel and experience.

By 10:30 am, I had found the perfect spot. I baited it up with a mixture of Nutrabaits boilies and switched to a different hookbait combination. This is something I like to do often and have written about over the years. For this session, I opted to put both rods in the same spot, ensuring I didn’t overdo the baiting. The southeast wind certainly helped me get the rigs exactly where I wanted them.

Despite my efforts, I had yet to see or hear any signs of activity over the past 24 hours. The lake simply wasn’t fishing well at the moment.

Just after 2:00 pm, my left-hand rod pulled up an inch and then dropped back down. Since this was during a known feeding period, I decided to give it until 3:00 pm before doing anything. My other rod was pretty much on the same spot, and I didn’t want to risk disturbing any fish that might be out there feeding.

When I reeled in at 3:00 pm, I discovered that the rig was tangled. Can you believe it? That could have been my only bite! I’ll never know if it was a carp, a tench, or something else entirely.

Frustrated but undeterred, I quickly got the rod back on the spot. I could only hope it wasn’t tangled this time. It was a new rig setup I had been experimenting with, incorporating small mesh bags, so I needed to ensure it performed properly.

As much as I was convinced something would happen on my final night, it turned out to be a bleep-free one. Not a single indication.

I was up at 6:00 am, nice and early, to watch the water while having a coffee. As I packed up my gear, I kept an eye on the lake, hoping for any last-minute signs of fish. With rain on the horizon, I wanted to get home before the downpour arrived.

Until next time.

Richard

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