John Bailey – The Kingfisher Diaries
June 22nd 2010
LOOK Before Choosing a Swim
I guess one of the biggest mistakes that I observe on my travels around the lakes is that several anglers often choose swims that really aren't the best any particular day. Let me try to explain further.
The fish on our lakes are very susceptible to changes in the weather. For example, even in a small water like Lily, you will find that the carp really do follow the wind around the water.
So what I'm looking for are those areas of the lake where food is bound to accumulate. A couple of Saturdays ago, for example, there was a huge area of surface scum down on the west end of Lily. All day long the breeze had been pushing food into that part of the lake and the carp had got the message and begun to drift there. I guess there were at least two hundred fish in a comparatively small area. Surprisingly, a hundred yards away, all four anglers had decided to peg themselves on areas where I could hardly see a fish. If they'd taken just that little bit more time out to explore, they'd have seen the fish themselves and probably had a totally different day as a result.
So that's really the message. Walk round the water you've chosen. If you've got Polaroids - then good on you because you'll see a whole lot more. Binoculars, too, aren't a bad idea. But what you need most of is time and patience. Don't think forty minutes or so spent looking is forty minutes wasted. It could save you a really slow day by putting you bang where the fish are.
Location, location, location!