Red letter day
Every now and then you get a special day, for me it maybe flying, climbing or fishing.
That's what get us out of bed in a morning and gives you something to think about on a cold winter's night.
My Cousin Jim came up for a few days which gave us chance to catch up and get some fishing in, something we'd not done together for over 30 years. As Jim had not fished the Ribble before, and it had been fishing well a trip up was planned. Unfortunately all best plans can’t determine what the weather will be like and unfortunately the river was pushing through and it was blowing a gale. Jim would have been happy fishing next to the cars, but I was keen to walk up to the top pegs which had been producing and lend them selves to some great float fishing. I knew high tide was around 10am so by the time we got there at 12o'clock I expected it to be running off.
After 2 hours and no sign of it dropping, we were starting to loose heart I only managing to catch a few small Dace and Jim was struggling to hold bottom on the feeder. We decided not to stick it out so call it a do and try our luck in another swim.
Plan B was to head back and fish the large slack next to the car with a view to staying on in to the dark. I was impressed how up beat Jim was as he’d not had a bit up to now but he was convinced that we would be more successful fishing the slack water. Jim cast his cage feeder filled with liquidized bread and a pinch of flake on the hook just a few road lengths out. Within 10 minutes I was amazed to see him guiding a lovely 1.8lb Roach over the net, his best ever. The photo said it all, with a smile that made him all the keener to fish on in to the dark.
I was now felling a lot more confident and sure enough first chuck I soon had a lovely Roach on the bank, although not as big as Jim's it was well received. The night didn’t bring the expected net full, but Jim did end up with another two lovely fish with my just catching one more. Not a bagging up day but still well worth the effort and no doubt I will be tempted to fish that slack more often.
Friday we only had a few hours to play with so a short session was planned on my beloved Irwell. I was keen to show Jim a few pegs and hopefully land a few nice Chub or even one of the elusive Roach, but yet again the weather had other ideas, with the river pushing though. Not easily put off a plan B was called for.
I’d mentioned previously that I’d had some quality Roach to 1.8lb out of my local pit up in the Sandhills. This had been one of our old play grounds as kids and Jim had not been back since, so didn’t take much convincing that it would be worth a visit. Although the clouds where heavy we didn’t think it would be necessary to take the brollys, that proved to be a big mistake as we’d no sooner sat down as the heavens opened up. Hail, rain and funnelling wind the lot, still we stuck at it and soldiered on ever the optimist. 30 minutes into it with not a bite AND still peeing it down I was starting to thing I made a bad call.
Then out of nowhere I’d got a decent fish on, perhaps this would salvage the day!
As the fish broke the surface I knew it was a good one, careful playing and a few anxious moments and I had a cracking pristine Roach on the bank.
At 1.15lb it didn’t quite make the magic 2lb mark, but it’s certainly the best fish I’ve ever caught, and one I will never forget. Maybe next time I’ll get that 2lber or maybe not, that’s what keeps us going, gets us out of bed in a morning. Those special moments, the ones that come out of the Blue when you least expect them to. Two personal best in Two days Can’t be bad.
Thanks Jim for sharing that special moment.
