Off and running after a cold start!
Our 1st week of the season was the coldest we have experianced at the lake in the two and a half years we have been open, pipes froze, gas froze, even the lake froze!
It was a real test of endurance for Steve and Andy and I was impressed they hung it out! The lads understandably struggled, but neither of them blanked which I must admit was a real concern when I looked at the forecast for the week.
It started of cold, typical late winter conditions, heavy frost and the Beast from the East charging through the woods and onto the lake, from then on it just got colder and colder until Wednesday morning it hit minus 9! Even with the cold at the beginning of the week Steve had a couple of quick bites, a low 20 Hungarian Royale followed by a lovely new PB at 34lbs.
Steve watch catching from the deeper water so it was no surprise that Andy in the shallower Double was struggling for a bite. On the Wednesday night the conditions changed. The wind swung around to the South West and the tempreture literally doubled in 12 hours, the sun even came out!
That morning we stood together having a chat and I said 'you'll have one today mate' I could see he wasn't as confident as I was but as I was chucking a float about in The Channel I heard his buzzer leap into life and watched the rod hoop over, after a typically manic battle a good set of shoulders surfaced and a proper one went in the net. I asked Andy what his PB was and he said 31 something, 'not anymore' I said. It wasn't one of the really big girls but it was a good 30. On the scales she went 35 exactly, a fish known as blind eye that was last out at 31lbs in the summer and a new PB for Andy.
The conditions since then have continued to slowly improve, and as its warmed up it has again brought with it a load of rain. As a result we are still floded and I can't see that changing for a week or two. I have got the otflow fully open and even dug a small trench but there is as much, if not more coming in than going out!
It has also brought with it an awful lot of bites and some very special ones at that. A full report on those captures will come early next week.
Nic
