A thing of beauty - golden crucians and a prized possesion

"A thing of beauty", so someone once said, "is a joy forever." I'm not quite sure if I go along with the "forever" bit (after all, "forever" isn't just a long time, it transcends time and takes us into eternity), but I'd endorse the sentiment .... things of beauty should be enjoyed, and the enjoyment should extend beyond the present moment. All of which brings me to some recently caught fish, and a newly acquired prize rod.

 

 

As an angler who normally sets out his stall for a particular target fish, and who, although not size obsessed, prefers the fish to be capable of putting a reasonable bend into the rod, it's been a great pleasure recently to return to my roots and to fish for "whatever comes along" and to enjoy a mixed catch of, mostly small, fish. A big part of the enjoyment has been the company in which the fish were caught: our church's fishing club, and my son, but in the case of some recent crucians it was also the sheer beauty of the fish themselves. I'm fully aware that not every fish that looks like a crucian is a crucian, and fish hybridised with carp, plain feral goldfish, goldfish crucian hybrids and F1's can all obscure the picture, but these fish- crucian or otherwise, were certainly attractive, with vivid red fins, golden scales and the ubiquitous plump profile. Great fun, for me and my son.

 

 

The other object of beauty is a new fishing rod. Last year a number of e-mails were exchanged between me and my friend Don Morse of Rattlesnake Rods, a top fishing rod builder based in Florida. I was after a new, custom built light lure rod for my canal pike and perch fishing. We discussed rod lengths and design, money exchanged hands, and Don set about building the rod, a 6 foot 3 inch spinning rod. This week I took delivery of it (just 3 days from Florida to Leicester by FedEx!), and am delighted with my new "toy".

 

 

I'm reluctant to publish pictures, because they really don't do justice to the rod. In real life, close up, it's an absolute beauty. It features an abbreviated, shaped  cork handle, the blank between the corks is decorated with God's Country Camouflage, my name, and a copy of the Icthus and cross tattoo that I have on the inside of my forearm. The guides are of the prize winning Microwave type, increasingly being used in the US, but only just beginning to appear on the UK scene. With whippings in British racing green, and a lovely lightweight feel, I can't wait to give it its first outing on the canal.

 

 

 

 

Whether or not it's a joy forever, what's undoubtedly true is that it qualifies as a "thing of beauty." This much is sure - if I hook a snag, I'm pointing the rod straight at it, setting the clutch as tight as it will go, and pulling for a break ........ this is one rod that I certainly don't want to snap! Thanks Don.

 



The debut outing and an abundance of fish

 

Sunny at times, windy at times and mostly dry, the first ever trip of the Thurnby Church Anglers was everything that could have been hoped for. No-one blanked, but more importantly everyone had fun, and the bankside banter and conversation was as much a part of the day as the fish landed.

 

 

Although all members of St Luke's Church, we were an eclectic bunch, a mixture of experienced and obsessed anglers and newcomers to the hobby (in the case of Graham's nephew, one teenage angler fishing for the very first time) and the tackle in use varied from state of the art to "out of the ark". Although the fishing was never hectic, fish came steadily throughout the day, with perch, crucians, roach, bream, tench and chub all putting in an appearance.

The crucians were chubby and for those of us who were pole fishing pulled the elastic gamely before dazzling on the bank with their plump profile and golden sheen.

 

 

 

Most were small, like the ones pictured above, but the odd better sized specimen turned up, like the one held by Louie in the picture below:

 

 

As someone who, in common with many anglers, generally fishes with one particular target species in mind (usually pike or perch in autumn, winter and spring, and carp in summer), it was a real pleasure to be fishing for whatever chose to take the bait, and to never know what was going to bite next. This chub was my most prized fish of the day, not for its size, but because it was the first of its species that I had caught for many a year, and it gave a good account of itself on my light pole tackle.

 

 

We mostly fished using either pole or waggler tactics, both proving effective, but Pete's experiments using the Method towards the end of the session showed its potential for this lake, with a succession of carp attacking the feeder within minutes of it landing on the lake bed.

 

 

Some of the mirror carp were among the prettiest I have ever seen, with lovely scale patterns. I often think that carp are similar to pike, in that while the giant leviathans provide a sterling test and look impressive, it's their smaller brethren that are the most aesthetically pleasing to look at.

 

 

All too soon it was time to pack up, but it was unanimously agreed that the inaugural trip had been a stunning success, that every church should have a fishing club as well as Bible study groups, Alpha Courses, Sunday schools and youthgroups, and that we should meet again next month for another outing. I, for one, can hardly wait .....