Saturday 2 April 2011

Diamonds are Forever

I decided on a return visit to the little Warwickshire pool I first visited last month. Last time I was told that the pool also contained another species, the diamond back sturgeon. The coloured water would not allow me to select individual fish so I would have to trust to luck.

Remembering my Sheringham, I set about cultivating my luck. It didn't work as I managed to somehow break the top joint of one of my carp rods whilst setting up, doh!





This heavily coloured pool set in a fold in the hills, surrounded by trees is a wildlife haven. Today it was just me and the wildlife.  I have to confess that I spent a significant proportion of the day just watching nature. Hares lollopped around the field behind me and opposite pheasants strutted around safe in the knowledge that the shooting season was months away. Behind the dam I discovered a badger set at the edge of the woods. 

Knowing that frogs have already spawned, that croaking could only be the common toad. On investigation cables of toad spawn could be seen amongst the emergent reed stems and water plantain, mating toads could be seen in ones, twos, threes and lets not go there......Frogspawn was also present and the resultant tadpoles will provide a rich harvest for the resident carp and sturgeon over the next few months.

Using one rod does focus the mind somewhat, and so I decided to set up a float as I would be margin fishing.

The fishing followed the same pattern as last time, mid morning the float sank from sight and I struck into a diamond back sturgeon which immediately came up through ten feet of water and half threw itself onto the bank. After  thrashing around on the surface and leaping I guided the fish over the net, the fight lasted no more than thirty seconds

As I packed up "burley chassis" was belting out Diamonds are Forever (on the radio) which seemed somewhat appropriate.