The (fishing) future's orange ...

The weather forecaster's gloomy predictions of rain, blustery winds and the occasional thunderstorm proved to be welcome in their inaccuracy as the morning sun rose over the lake. It was Friday, and the fact that it was "normally a work day" added to the pleasure for the non-retired anglers among the group from Thurnby Church Anglers as tackle was excitedly unloaded from cars and vans. The lake, which was new to all but one of us, looked pretty and was nicely secluded as we chose swims, with interesting but benign cloud patterns scudding across the sky.

 

 

I picked a nice pitch, lined with reeds and dotted with lilly pads, and dropped a float in on the edge of some pads about a rod length out. I had decided to have one of my "retro days", and so was sat on an old willow fishing basket that I'd picked up on e-bay and renovated and fishing an old school looking rod, centrepin reel and using a lovely scorched sarkandas reed waggler made by Ian Lewis. (Ian Lewis handmade floats). The lake contains tench, orfe, bream and crucians, and it wasn't long before I was playing my first fish to the net.

 

 

The fish turned out to be a golden orfe, my first ever of the species, and I went on to add a further half dozen, along with a number of bream and crucians. The largest orfe (which unfortunately remained unphotographed as Greg, our resident pro-photographer as well as fellow angler was wandering around the lake taking scenic shots at the time) would probably have tipped the scales at about 2 and a half pounds, and fought well on 4 lb line, 3 lb bottom and a size 18 spade end hook. Here's the fish which broke my orfe duck, a much smaller but no less handsome creature.

 

 

Greg in the next door swim was also soon into orfe, and around the lake rods started bending as anglers struck into fish. No-one blanked and although the fish tended to come in bursts, everyone was busy as floats dipped and buried, and the fish obliged.

 

 

My only disappointment (and it seems churlish after such a good day's fishing) was that I failed to catch a tench. Pete, Mick, Roy and Jez did all land tench, with Pete proving the "tench master" with three tincas coming to his net.

 

 

In addition to the golden orfe, tench and crucians, Wayne landed the only blue orfe of the day, a fish which when held in the light had a lovely iridescent violet sheen. The highlight of the day was being joined by Roy, who some of us have got to know on the christiananglers.co.uk website, and who drove all the way from Yorkshire to Leicestershire to join us. As well as catching tench and bream, he kept us amused with his chatter and showed us some of his innovative (often home designed and made) tackle solutions. A real gentleman, we hope he'll be able to join with us on future trips.

 

 

By mid afternoon it was time to pack up, as many of us had children returning from school, and real life chores and duties to pick up. However, it had been a wonderfully engrossing way to while away a few hours in beautiful surroundings and fishing for fish which, although not easy in the manner of many commercial carp, were obliging enough to put a smile on all of our faces. The formation of our church's fishing club has certainly proved to be a highlight of the year. I wonder where we'll go for our next adventure....?