Blank Again!

Tuesday 9th. June 2020

Paddlesworth Pollard, peg 36 (The 'W')

13.00
So-called because the mark is at 9½ wraps at the 'W'. I came with empty bowels and a new approach (see my previous post of 9th. June). I had a complete re-think and decided to go back to square one and start again.

The 'W' peg.
The mark is to the right of the two depressions formed by the W.

My previous captures on Pollard had been during the autumn and winter, fishing at between 12 and 18 wraps. This put my baits into relatively deep water - 14 feet plus. I began the post-lockdown trying to emulate what I had found to be successful in the past, but found these tactics unsuitable. My focus now is on fishing shallow water up to ten feet deep and this corresponds with margin fishing (mostly).

Plumbing reveals the following:

I had a thorough plumb of the peg at the end of the session (in the pouring rain!)
The entire area goes down to 17 feet so the mark is on a distinctive plateau.

Two baits are Ryan's wafters with cork inserts, and the centre rod is a Mannila pop-up on a 360 rig. In effect I've hedged my bets in the margin because there's a lot of filamentous algae on the bottom and my pop-up gives me some assurance of good presentation.

My margin spot, just off the bush, two baits close together although I later reverted to just the one.

Both marks have received a good helping of the usual spod mix. I feel a good carpet of Hemp and boilies will at least catch their attention even if they are in no mood to have a right old nosh.

16.00
Change of tactics. I've withdrawn the bottom bait on the'W' mark and replaced it with an adjustable zig set at 2 feet down. Much of the surface activity I have seen is massive shoals of Bream but at least some of it is Carp. Talking of which, a large sail-like dorsal fin has cut across the swim thirty yards out! I can not shake the feeling that my gut tells me a zig is the way to go on Pollard. At the moment though, I can't seem to get it to work.

16.45
Tactical change number two. I've withdrawn the pop-up and replaced it with a fixed zig, two feet off the bottom. This is fished over the top of my spodded feed on the 'W' mark at 9½ wraps. So far I have not used this tactic on here but I've caught very well on it elsewhere. It has certainly produced fish when bottom baits and pop-ups have blanked.

17.15
Further changes. I saw a fish 'top'about 25 yds. out to the right over 17 feet of water so I've moved the adjustable zig to cover it.

Topped up both spots with feed.

Bream on the top. They can be very deceptive, they can often look like carp and you have to double-take on occasions to be certain.

18.00
I've read all the articles. I've watched all the videos. I have my own past experience that tells me - in the summertime, you can catch carp with a bait set anywhere from six inches off the bottom, to right up to the surface. Yet the Pollard Carp are stubbornly refusing to play ball.

Damn!... I will make them have it!

Wednesday, 10th. June 2020

07.40

Very very quiet night with none of the activity I have heard from the Carp previously. Bream fed on the 'W' mark for much of the night. I had a series of line bites followed by three fish which had obviously 'hung' themselves. When I got them to the bank it was apparent they had been feeding on the spot, swum into the two-foot zig, and pulled the bait and hook down, wrapping it around one of their pectorals. So none of them had actually taken the bait at all. There must have been loads of them out there.

I wonder why Bream only feed during the hours of daylight on Pollard? I don't very often catch them during the day.

Of the three sessions I have fished since Lockdown this has proven to be the quietest. I can not condemn the tactics I've used for the simple reason I don't think the Carp have been in the mood to be captured by them.