A session on the zigs
Tuesday, 14th.July 2020
Paddlesworth, Pollard
Peg 44, The Brambles
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| Peg 44 - The Brambles It's absolutely covered in Eel Grass out there! |
RH rod - 5 wraps - 13ft.
Centre rod - 12.5 wraps - 20ft.
LH rod - 7.5 wraps - 18ft.
09.30
All rods on the dancefloor. Did a complete circuit of the lake first thing and got soaked in the rain. Didn't see a thing. Pitched up in The Brambles for no other reason than I have caught from it before.
All rods on zigs.
Lots of Eel Grass inside the five wraps line. Far worse this year than last. Lake looks dead. Nothing showing. Wind blowing right to left.
10.40
Fish moving in front of P29.
10.50
Again. Fish moving in front of P29.
The bloke in there should be catching. They're no more than 10 wraps out in front of him.
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| Adjustable Zig arrangement. Really starting to get the hang of these things now and can virtually guarantee presentation. Only thing is, the Carp don't seem to appreciate this. |
12.45
Recast the RH rod due to Coots picking up the bait.
13.00
A show. In line with 26 at about 10 wraps. I've cast a bait to it, fished 4 feet down.
I think one of the essential aspects of zig fishing is getting the bait near a showing fish. Casting randomly into the beyond doesn't cut it.
13.15
Some noise from the LH rod now! Do line bites occur with the tight lines associated with zig fishing? I suppose they do just the same as any other sort of fishing.
The Eel Grass is a significant feature around the whole lake. It's quite dense in places and harbours all kinds of stuff the Carp feed on. Fishing just over it seems a good idea if there is no obvious spot to cast to.
Coots a bit of a nuisance. Must be clear out there, they can see the baits six foot down.
14.25
All baits recast. I've moved everything round to the right a bit because I'm picking up Eel Grass quite a long way out. Seems to be denser to the left of the swim which is where the shallower water is. Maintained the 4, 6, 8 depths right to left.
Bloke opposite has got one of those super-intense lazer lights for scaring Coots away and he's just shone it straight into my eyes. Not deliberately of course but people have got to be careful with those things. They can be damaging to the eyes. Shouldn't shine it right across the water!
I feel super-confident in what I'm doing, all that needs to happen is for the fish to do the decent thing and play.
15.00
A small Carp has just leapt a good three feet out of the water, dead in line with 30. Competing for the Carp high-jump Olympics!
It feels quite eerily quiet at the moment. Almost as if something is about to happen...
What I like about zigs is that you can confirm good presentation 100% because the bait is visible at the surface and you just pull it down to where you want it. Spot on.
16.00
I think there is a fundamental truth that if you fish the same as everybody else, you can only expect to be as successful as them. The only way to surpass their performance is to fish differently. This is the strategy I'm adopting. By fishing off the bottom, I hope to catch better than the majority of members spodding and using bottom baits. That Carp spend most of their time in the mid-water depths is universally agreed. My call to fish for them there is both rational as well as conforming to my new regime.
17.35
The earlier promise of action has completely evaporated. I haven't seen anything since three o'clock this afternoon. If the fish don't want to play there's not a lot you can do.
Air pressure predicted to be steady through until tomorrow morning at 1015mB.
17.45
Just seen a fish leap. In line with 28, about halfway across. A long way from my bait.
18.50
Fish jumped in front of 29. It's begining to look as if the fish are more towards the far side than my bank. Next session I shall definitely be looking for a peg in the 20s. None available at the moment.
19.40
Fish jumped in front of 28.
Lake dead. Absolutely nothing. It's as if the whole population of the lake has keeled over. Heard nothing during the hours of darkness. A move is on the cards, either to another peg or home for there seems little point in continuing here.
07.45
A fish! Topped in line with 28. I've lost no time in putting a zig right over it. Will this just be a flash in the pan? Bait is 14mm. 4 foot down.
Another one. This time in front of 27, not far out from the bank.
08.15
What is beyond question is that big fish do not give themselves up easily. It is certainly true of the fishing in Pollard. There are multiple times when all seems hopeless. A bit like this session. At this point, giving up definitely enters the mind. But this negativaty must not only be put to one side - but used as an incentive to even greater striving towards the goal.
I have yet to catch a fish on my zigs, yet my confidence in them has not diminished. Blank sessions are nothing more than the prelude to success. The fact success is so hard-won only makes it all the sweeter.
08.30
Added another 2 feet to the zig I just recast, making it 6 foot down.
08.37
Fish jumped in front of 31.
Session end. I'm going to pack up and either move or go home.
Recast the RH rod due to Coots picking up the bait.
13.00
A show. In line with 26 at about 10 wraps. I've cast a bait to it, fished 4 feet down.
I think one of the essential aspects of zig fishing is getting the bait near a showing fish. Casting randomly into the beyond doesn't cut it.
13.15
Some noise from the LH rod now! Do line bites occur with the tight lines associated with zig fishing? I suppose they do just the same as any other sort of fishing.
The Eel Grass is a significant feature around the whole lake. It's quite dense in places and harbours all kinds of stuff the Carp feed on. Fishing just over it seems a good idea if there is no obvious spot to cast to.
Coots a bit of a nuisance. Must be clear out there, they can see the baits six foot down.
14.25
All baits recast. I've moved everything round to the right a bit because I'm picking up Eel Grass quite a long way out. Seems to be denser to the left of the swim which is where the shallower water is. Maintained the 4, 6, 8 depths right to left.
Bloke opposite has got one of those super-intense lazer lights for scaring Coots away and he's just shone it straight into my eyes. Not deliberately of course but people have got to be careful with those things. They can be damaging to the eyes. Shouldn't shine it right across the water!
I feel super-confident in what I'm doing, all that needs to happen is for the fish to do the decent thing and play.
 |
| The business end. 11mm. 'Proper Job' Pop-Up. Surely the most buoyant pop-ups in the world! This thing would float a barge. Size 8 Fox Zig and Floater hook. Small silicone aligner. |
A small Carp has just leapt a good three feet out of the water, dead in line with 30. Competing for the Carp high-jump Olympics!
It feels quite eerily quiet at the moment. Almost as if something is about to happen...
What I like about zigs is that you can confirm good presentation 100% because the bait is visible at the surface and you just pull it down to where you want it. Spot on.
16.00
I think there is a fundamental truth that if you fish the same as everybody else, you can only expect to be as successful as them. The only way to surpass their performance is to fish differently. This is the strategy I'm adopting. By fishing off the bottom, I hope to catch better than the majority of members spodding and using bottom baits. That Carp spend most of their time in the mid-water depths is universally agreed. My call to fish for them there is both rational as well as conforming to my new regime.
17.35
The earlier promise of action has completely evaporated. I haven't seen anything since three o'clock this afternoon. If the fish don't want to play there's not a lot you can do.
Air pressure predicted to be steady through until tomorrow morning at 1015mB.
17.45
Just seen a fish leap. In line with 28, about halfway across. A long way from my bait.
18.50
Fish jumped in front of 29. It's begining to look as if the fish are more towards the far side than my bank. Next session I shall definitely be looking for a peg in the 20s. None available at the moment.
19.40
Fish jumped in front of 28.
Wednesday, 15th. July 2020
07.00Lake dead. Absolutely nothing. It's as if the whole population of the lake has keeled over. Heard nothing during the hours of darkness. A move is on the cards, either to another peg or home for there seems little point in continuing here.
07.45
A fish! Topped in line with 28. I've lost no time in putting a zig right over it. Will this just be a flash in the pan? Bait is 14mm. 4 foot down.
 |
| Geese feeding on the tops of the Eel Grass. They are over 18 feet of water, so how high is the weed?! |
Another one. This time in front of 27, not far out from the bank.
08.15
What is beyond question is that big fish do not give themselves up easily. It is certainly true of the fishing in Pollard. There are multiple times when all seems hopeless. A bit like this session. At this point, giving up definitely enters the mind. But this negativaty must not only be put to one side - but used as an incentive to even greater striving towards the goal.
I have yet to catch a fish on my zigs, yet my confidence in them has not diminished. Blank sessions are nothing more than the prelude to success. The fact success is so hard-won only makes it all the sweeter.
08.30
Added another 2 feet to the zig I just recast, making it 6 foot down.
08.37
Fish jumped in front of 31.
Session end. I'm going to pack up and either move or go home.
As it happens I went home... Not before meeting up with my good friends Nobby and Steve who not for the first time injected some common sense into my fishing and set me on a path much more likely to bring about success...
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