The weather this week was completely different from last week—northerly winds, minus temperatures at night, and daytime highs of only six degrees C. With that in mind, I really didn’t fancy being exposed to the full force of the wind. The tricky part was that the wind was blowing from the north and north-west, which affected many of the swims on this lake. Realistically, I needed to be up at the north end, but there’s only one proper swim there, and I already knew it was occupied. Another angler was set up on the south bank as well. You can definitely tell the weather is starting to put people off coming out.

During the drive down, I mulled over my options, but I knew I’d still need to check each swim properly. I had no intention of setting up anywhere that was getting battered by the wind—cold surface water being pushed down and out into the lake isn’t exactly ideal for the fishing. I quite fancied the west bank, hoping parts of it might be sheltered, so I checked the sanctuary area first, but it looked cold and uninviting. One of the bays was high on my list, but it seemed equally bleak.

I carried on around the lake. Another swim I thought might work was getting hammered by the wind. Oddly, it still felt more fishable than anything I’d seen so far, but something wasn’t quite right. With only one swim left to check, I pressed on. The one on the point—right in the middle of the lake—was completely out of the question given the conditions.

The final swim I reached was free, and it looked like my best option from the start. I parked up, grabbed the marker rod, and flicked it around. Within a few casts, I found exactly what I was looking for—my favourite kind of feature, a lovely little area that felt spot on.

That sealed the decision. And some people may think I’m mad, but hear me out: yes, it feels like winter has arrived early, but the water temperature down on the lakebed won’t have dropped anywhere near as quickly as the air temperature. With that in mind, my approach this week was exactly the same as last week—basically piling the bait in.

My usual mix went out: Nutrabaits boilies and solubles, combined with Jurassic Particles hemp and buckwheat. On the business end, a white Blank Saver hookbait inside a solid Castaway PVA bag filled with pellets and Boilie Bites.

The only real change I make at this time of year is rod discipline. I leave them out for the full 48 hours I’m there, only topping up with a few freebies if I feel the need.

Fingers crossed for the next 48 hours.

The first night passed with no action. I woke to bright sunshine blasting through the bivvy door, though there was no warmth in it until around 10 a.m. At about 2 p.m. I topped the swim up with the last of my bait. I didn’t reel the rods in—I was confident everything was fishing perfectly out there, and if a bite was coming, it would be in the next 18 hours before I packed up around 11 a.m. the following morning.

Again, I was woken by sunshine, and again there hadn’t been a single bleep overnight. Still, I was convinced I’d picked the right swim and the right spot within my water. When I reeled in, everything was absolutely perfect. At least I came out, put the effort in, and gave myself a chance. It’s due to warm up next week, and with any luck,   it’ll produce something nice.

Until next time,
Richard

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