Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Not catching eels

This evening I went for a second half-hearted eel session. I took a couple of rods down to the canal again, using half rudd as baits on simple running legers. Sort of like the John Sidley eel rig, incorporating some ProLeader for the short hooklink.

I started off by feeding two spots with maggots, then fishing a float over them to try to catch some fresh baits. One small perch was all that I managed, from the only decent bite. So after quarter of an hour I put the eel rods out. One bait over each patch of maggots.

Some bubbles appeared, moving around between the baited spots. Could have been bream, but I had a feeling an eel was responsible. My hopes were raised.

First time out I had one twitchy take and the bait had disappeared. This time, in ideal warm still and muggy conditions, I started getting twitches when the sun had disappeared below the  horizon. Enough of them to keep me interested. Like a fool I was fishing off a very slack baitrunner. Evidently not slack enough. I tried touch legering, but I was still only getting short tugs. Open bale and slack line, watching where it entered the water, was no better.


When I wound in to check the baits were still on the hooks they both looked to have been clamped down on. After I recast them the bites stopped. As it was only a tester session I packed up at nine fifteen. I might have stayed longer if I'd been better prepared. Then again I probably wouldn't have.