Oh June like the mountains I am blue

There wasn't anything to be blue about in June. The month's fishing began at Robinwood Fishery with the fiberglass Carp rods and Cardinal reels. It was the Jubilee bank holiday Friday and I expected it to be very busy, so I was pleased to find it quiet.

I fished one rod with a tiger nut boilie and the other with a very fishy-smelling, spicy shrimp and prawn boilie, purchased the day before on impulse. Both baits were hair-rigged on size 12 hooks. The tiger nut boilie had the first take a few rod lengths out, but was unfortunately lost after a hook-pull. Not long after the same thing happened with the spicy boilie in the right-hand margin. I decided to change to a longer hair rig and cast back out to the same spots, baited with chopped boilie and bloodworm pellets.

Shortly after, the spicy bait was taken and the reel screamed as the line disappeared down the righthand side of Lake 3. After a while, I managed to retrieve some line and get the fish out of the reeds and back towards my landing net, hoping I wouldn't experience another hook pull. After some toing and froing, I managed to get the fish in the net, although when I tried to take the net out of the water the fish went crazy, splashing about, so I left it in the net and took the picture below. A Common Carp I estimate was maybe 14lb with a back broad enough to put a saddle on!

I kept feeding both spots, but the tiger nut boilie didn't have any more takes. The spice bait in the margins, however, did attract another fish leading to another hook pull and then I landed two smaller Mirror Carp, seen here below and at the top of the page. Happy with my spicy boilies, it will be interesting to see if they can do the business at other venues.

The next session was back at one of my favourite places. The Trent & Mersey canal at Willington, on a spot where the towpath is wide and the opposite side of the canal, is very fishy looking, with reeds and lilies. For this session, I decided to go back to cane and chose the Lee of Redditch rod, paired it with a recently purchased Mitchell 206S, and float-fished red maggots on a size 14 hook.

I cast out to the far-side shelf as I watched a family of Canada Geese pass by, and it wasn't long before various sized Roach started to confidently take my hook bait.

After several Roach, the slimy Skimmers and a few greedy Perch moved in. Then, a really nice surprise, a Daddy Ruffe! I was amazed as I'd not seen one for many years. A wonderful surprise proving you never know what to expect on the cut.

We've holidayed on the Norfolk Broads for several years, usually in September after the school holidays. However, this year we went in June before the schools broke up.

Although I took a few different rods and reels I ended up just float-fishing with a Lee of Redditch split cane rod and Allcocks centrepin reel with a small waggler attached at both ends of the line. Red maggots, sweetcorn and bread were the baits of choice for the week and maggots caught the most fish, mostly Roach and Rudd along with a few Skimmers and Perch.

I fished most days, and managed an afternoon fishing next to the Swan Inn on the Staithe at Horning, where Arthur Ransome set a few of his books. I met some interesting people and had a few pints as I fished away the afternoon.

On the final evening we had a visitor. This Heron landed at the end of the garden and walked slowly up towards the cottage. I'd seen Herons sitting near anglers as they fished, hoping for a free meal, but this Heron hadn't been near me when I'd been fishing. It was as though he'd come to say goodbye, see you next year!