Three tiny spinner-caught perch from the canal don't exactly signify the greatest ever comeback since Lazarus, but at least they restore some sort of parity between me and my underwater quarry after last week's blank on the Estate Lake. There's nothing quite like an ignominious blank to pull me back to the water's edge!
However, whatever slight sense of satisfaction I'm feeling has to be offset by the fact that this season (in these days of all year angling I date seasons in Calendar years, not from the once-hallowed 16th of June) has been a "season of two halves". My summer which was spent chasing crucians was great fun, and although I failed to land my target 2 pounder was a success both in terms of enjoyment and numbers of fish caught. The autumn/winter, by contrast, has never really got going, always been slightly half-hearted and has yet to see any fish of note caught.
Time seems to be the great enemy. I'm nicely sorted for summer fishing, with the Estate lake offering cracking crucian sport, and another local lake where (if the inclination takes, although this year's crucian obsession didn't allow) decent fun-sized low double carp are always on the cards , but I really haven't cracked the winter predator fishing round here at all. The combination of a busy work and family life haven't allowed ample time for the extensive exploring that's always a precursor to success when faced with long lengths of canal and no prior knowledge, and so my results (like the fish I've caught) have been stunted.
Eternal salvation might be undeserved and all of God's grace, but success in fishing comes by hard work and human effort, and at the moment I haven't got the time! Never mind, only 6 months till the weather picks up and I can resume my carp and crucian capers!
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