Crucian Heaven...

I finished work at the usual midday and headed for the moat in search of my first crucian of the year. The day had been overcast with the threat of showers, but thus far it had remained dry. I set up in peg 10, a peg I usually tend to overlook, but after the great success Nobby had in there the week previous, it had to be worth a go. The worry in the back of my mind all day was that when we all fished there, it fished well in the morning yet very poorly after lunch and for the rest of the day. Once in position on the platform I sprinkled some pellets and some sweetcorn next to the pads. With the rod set up I began fishing among a mass of bubbles, it looked spot on, it just had to happen.

TFF at The Moat

I’ve been lucky enough for a good while now to have been able to fish one of the most stunning fisheries I’ve ever had the pleasure to cast my float into. If it dips then great, if it doesn’t, then there is no better place to pack away empty handed. Over the past year or so I had shared my experiences, captures and photos with a group of friends on the TFF (Traditional Fisherman’s Forum), who very strongly expressed a wish to cast a line there themselves someday.

So, with this in mind I asked the question. Mark, Iain, and the rest of the gang told me they’d see what they could do, and came up trumps when they said they could help. So the date was set, with 5 club members each signing two guests each the opportunity was there for 10 TFF members to attend, and as you can imagine, filling those 10 places was never going to be an issue. Saturday 13th September was the date with a 7am meet for breakfast followed by an 8am brief at the moat before a day’s angling amongst beautiful surroundings.

"In the heat of noon day....."

Midday seemed to take ages to come. It was a few minutes before when I exited the building and headed for the car. A quick stop at Co-op on the way for a bite to eat and I was signed in and in position by half past. This time around I opted for a different swim, one with a little shade from the sun.




I fished there next to the pads for about an hour, and although it was kind of cool with the big oak sheltering me from the intense afternoon sun, I caught one small roach and all the time pined for my usual pitch. Another ten minutes went by and as I starred at a motionless float I made the decision to return to where I felt more confident.

One of those afternoons....

With bags to do and limited spare time I was delighted to find a few hours on Saturday afternoon to angle. There was one place on my mind when I knew I could go, the most at Sultan and another crack at those elusive crucians.