Normal service is resumed!

[Catfish.017]

The title is pertinent in so far as it alludes to the Tench reverting to their fickle ways after a brief period of co operation on the Daw End Canal. My neighbour Russ expressed an interest in joining me on my next visit. Being mainly a Carp angler he fancied a change so we went this morning, arriving at first light just after 5.00 am.
We settled in to two swims around fifteen yards apart. I stole a march on him with my rod already assembled and got a two pound Bream first cast! A false dawn sadly as everything went quiet for a long time. Two hours in I was on my third swim and Russ was enjoying himself catching little Perch and Rudd on my maggots!
Back to the second swim and a lovely big fizz of bubbles announced the possible presence of my quarry? Soft weed on the bottom was making things difficult so I switched to lift method and popped up a piece of crust a couple of inches. It was out a little while when the float tilted backwards before absolutely whistling away, a typical spooky Tench bite which needless to say I missed. On to swim number four where I missed another screamer before hooking and losing another Bream.
From then on I just did the rounds, fishing in an increasingly robotic fashion, all hope evaporated. Russ got a nice pound Perch as compensation. We packed around 10.45am and walked slowly back peering into the water as we went. We didn't get far, stopped in our tracks by a Pike sitting in my second swim. I prodded it with my rod top and it sidled slowly away disturbing two quite big Tench as it did so! The ultimate poke in the eye!