Bream and a Speedy Getaway!

When I wrote my last post I had no idea that my next would be 7 weeks later! This was mainly due to work commitments and atrocious weather conditions.  By now I was desperate to cast a line and I had intended to spend most of the river closed season chasing Tench and Bream. 
Last week I bit the bullet and booked 2 nights fishing at a club water for the following week,
I just had to hope the weather was going to be kind to me.

My 2 night session was due to start on the Monday and I had chosen not to leave too early as the forecast was for the weather to improve as the day went on.
The lake I had chosen holds predominately Bream, Tench, Roach and occasional Carp.  You are allowed to drive along the bank to your chosen swim which does help as its a long lake, however with the continuous wet weather we've been experiencing, I was expecting to have a long walk from the car park.

On arrival around lunchtime I inspected the track along the lake, most parts looked navigable and I carefully noted the areas to avoid so as not to get stuck in the mud.  Although I hadn't seen the lake since I last fished it a few years ago, something was missing.  Then it clicked, all the fishing platforms were gone! Only for me to realise they were actually very much still there however they were covered in about 4 foot of extra water, probably overflow from the River Severn.
I decided to set up the brolly straight away with the weather being so unpredictable.  My tactics were going to be open end feeder fished in a helicopter style, with fake maggot on one rig and a 10mm strawberry boilie on the other.



What was due to be my home for a couple of nights

After an hour and several casts from both rods I had my first indication, the alarm bleeped the bobbin rose to the rod and stayed there as I struck into my first fish of the session on the fake maggot rod.  The fish gave a few head thumps and came to the net relatively easy but it was nice to have a bend in the rod after all those weeks.
A perfectly formed Bream of around 3lb 8oz was soon on the bank and I forgot how slimey these fish are!


Perfect Bream and the winning rig

I have only ever targeted this lake for carp in the past, with not much success I must admit so it was nice to have a second fish on the bank within another half hour of fishing.   Bream number 2, this one slightly bigger at around 4lb.  The wind was now very strong and making casting difficult as it blew left to right.
It was now bacon time, I got the stove out and made myself a couple of bacon baps and a nice mug of tea.  There is something special about cooking bacon outdoors, the sizzling sounds and the smell of the rashers is irresistible.
At this point after lunch I realised that the lake was still rising, and quite rapidly, certainly a few inches over the last few hours. 
As the evening drew on the sky cleared and the sun was beginning to lower over the skyline with a hot fiery glow.  I topped up the swim with bait made a few more casts then I went to the van to get the radio as there was a massive Manchester Derby on that night.  Five minutes into the match, my bite alarm kicked off with the bobbin jumping up and down on the line.  As I played the fish it felt heavier than the earlier brace and soon I was photographing a battered old Bream that looked like he could tell a few stories.  It weighed 5lb 10oz, not a monster, it was nice to be catching fish again.  This time on the boilie rod.


Battered old Bream

Things went quiet for the next couple of hours, once the game finished I turned the radio off and got into my sleeping bag.  I wasn't asleep for long, it was now dark and my bite alarm woke me up at 11.30pm as Bream number four made the bobbin dance on the line again on the boilie rod.  As I played the fish I looked down to realise that my boots were in 3 inches of water were it was dry just hours earlier!   I quickly got the fish in the net and it started to spit with rain, it felt heavier and proved to be at just short of 7lb the biggest so far and what proved to be my last.  I now had a decision to make, it was getting on for midnight and the rain was coming down and the lake was coming up!  As I sat on the my bedchair I realised I didn't want to be stranded or maybe worse.  It was now time to get out of Dodge.
I left the brolly until last so I could keep most of my gear dry as I collected it together and got it in the back of the van.  I did another recce of the path and opened the gate so I didn't have to stop in the boggiest area.  As the gate got closer I put my foot down hoping speed would carry me through the mud and as I cleared the gate the back end of the van slid out and I made it onto the hardcore path - relief.
I phoned the wife to let her know my 2 nighter had been cut short and to expect me home in the early hours, she was glad I didn't take any chances.  I didn't want to leave the lake so soon into my session but no fish is worth risking your life or even your vehicle for, that might sound a bit over the top but as I watch the news today the River Severn has burst its banks, Tewkesbury is under water and people have been evacuated from their homes in Upton upon Severn. 
It never rains, it pours,after record temperatures in March we go and have the wettest April in history, its bonkers!