Clueless !

Some time ago I made the observation that I am sometimes prone to sticking too rigidly to a preconceived plan when I go fishing; It's the stubborn belief in my methods and a rose tinted view of how I expect the days angling to unfold which has so often resulted in disaster. However, my latest visit to Jubilee Pools in the company of my dad presents the case for just the opposite mindset.

The horseshoe pool looked a picture when we arrived, just a slight ripple ruffled the surface and fish were showing on the surface all over the lake while large patches of bubbles betrayed the presence of feeding fish beneath. The rather dull and blustery morning was gradually giving way to a warmer and brighter outlook and the pegs at the furthest part of the water, either side of the dwarf lilies, were free. We couldn't fail!

Once in position we each fed regular small amounts of corn off the end of the lily bed and fished a small lead with hair rigged corn as hookbait. Little encouragement came our way as a result as both tips remained motionless for half an hour, then an hour but suddenly, without any warning, my tip flew round and I was into a carp.
A couple of minutes into the scrap just as the fish made a bid to get into the lily bed the line went slack and a large scale fluttered back towards me attached to my hook.

Further inactivity prompted me to change my approach, boilies went in alongside the lilies while three pouch fulls of corn were fired into the deeper water some four rod lengths out. I could now alternate between the two lines with a choice of hookbait. Dad stuck to his guns with the corn and regular light feeding approach.

More gawping at a motionless tip later and lobworms entered the equation, meanwhile dad fished on undeterred.

With the situation dire and no bites of any sort coming my way the solution seemed obvious; In pretty short order I was fishing a waggler with a single grain of corn as hookbait in 13 feet of water using a 12 foot tip rod (I know!).

Dad had persevered with his original approach throughout and as a result was now playing a six pound mirror to the net.

On a day when conditions seemed ideal everyone struggled badly and dads one fish (he lost another late on) was a more than respectable result.

As for me, well I finished the session casting around the swim with a free-lined boilie. I'm not sure even I know why!