The rainy forecast hadn’t put off the crowds. The car park was almost full as I arrived at this Surrey fishery mid-afternoon. A woman played a fish from the bank right in front of me. One chap was weighing his catch. I felt the swell of early season optimism.
The water in the Weston main lake was clearer than I ever remember seeing before. However, this only highlighted the lack of visible fish. Not a trout was to be seen as I trudged up the muddy path to the smaller Wood Lodge pool. Four or five anglers were already in situ. I found a space – albeit with a limited back-cast space – and tried my luck with a Cat’s Whisker…which shortly found its way into a tree. I re-tied with a Blue Flash Damsel and continued. The low light conditions and murkier water in this body of water conspired to hide any fish. My co-fishermen had little luck and one-by-one they dispersed. I tried a few other spots around the pond, and then on the main lake. Neither produced a fish (or even a single sighting of a fish which was unusual).
Nothing was working for me. I’ve struggled at this fishery in the early part of the season before. Time to take stock of the situation. I took a break, lengthened the tippet, de-greased it, rubbed a lucky rabbit’s foot, crossed myself, made a silent prayer, and the other activities you try when hoping for a change in luck.
If the dropping light and smoke from a nearby bonfire, I wandered down to the gloom of the third lake of this fishery. I’ve not fished Millhouse Lake before, however I was encouraged by the occasional sighting of a fish close to the banks in the murky water. One fish snapped at a bit of debris attached to my line, but ignored the fly itself.
A curious movement in the shallows turned out to be mating toads. I began to worry that the amphibians were going to be the only ones getting any action today. A change of tactics was definitely needed.
The fish were clearly shoaled up deep in the centre of the lakes. A long cast and a lure fished more deeply seemed to be the solution. On my first visit to this venue, an intermediate fly line and a Fulling Mill Blob Twinkle Orange did the business. I re-tackled accordingly and returned alone to Wood Lodge pool for a last attempt to bag a fish.
The sun had just set as I cast towards some surface activity. A few delicate plucks and a fish was hooked and in the net within two minutes. Not the biggest of rainbow trout – just over 2lb – but most welcome.
I walked back to my 4×4. A few last casts tested the fishery’s fishing-till-dusk rule. Small bats were already hunting across the water’s surface. Time to go home.
Total Catch:
- 1 Rainbow Trout (Blob Twinkle Orange)
A Fishing Diary 