A busy cold day with a funny ending

Coate Water on a Saturday. Coate Water on a Saturday that was the first (maybe second) weekend of cooler, pike fishing weather. It was busy, I arrived in good time to walk, chose a swim and set up for the day ticket start. 4 or 5 people arrived at the same time, but were heading for the concrete bowl pike swims, so no problem.

I had 3 swims in mind; the first was a small swim between the cafe and the swim I fished (to the left of the island) last time. Gutted to find it was taken. The second choice was the last on the concrete bow before the diving board, I'd already seen it taken. Third was the swim I fished last time. It was not until I was upon it that I saw the  bivvy. Bugger! So decisions, decisions. I decided to try the other side, I toyed with going right round the back, but with an already painful back I didn't fancy a long push, especially to find my 'special' swim taken. Anyway I fancied a swim by the overflow, but that was taken, then the next and the next. Finally the first swim after the park was free. It's directly opposite the island and is at the point where the lake narrows somewhat and almost forms a 'channel' between the two main ends of the lake.

From my swim I had the main, deeper, bowl end to my right and this 'channel'. It seemed a good spot under the circumstances; there's every chance that carp moving from one end of the lake to the other might pick up a bait on the way thru'

So that was the plan. Put out one rod 60 yds torwards the bowl end, one straight out 'in the channel' just short of half way, and the last to my left at a similar distance. 3 casts were spot on, felt the lead down on every cast, and each felt fine.

Rods out (minues any loose feed, continuing a minimilist approach) and I set up my shelter and tidied up. Boy it was cold, about 4 degress but felt colder, thankfully I brought a flask of coffee, which helped.

One aside, I love that Coate is a public park and that it's not just a carp lake; I'll be fishing for the pike once the really cold weather hits, but, when you can see that another angler is casting out carp rigs, and you've seen where, you don't stand 10yds away, cast over his lines and do some spinning for 10mins.

Anyway, moan over. The trip was unsuccesfull for carp, it was interesting having a few of a number of carp anglers setting up in the afternoon, watching their spodding and bait boat tactics. None of which I can do or really compete with; going to have to find my own way.

Anyway the day wore on, and at 5.0pm I started packing up; usually order, day shelter, main holdall, then pod etc until I was left with 3 rods on the deck and the landing net. I reel in one rod, rig looked fine, not probs. The second felt 'heavy' as I reeled in; then pulled back a bit, then swirled a little. A bream! No sign of a bite at my end; either it had just picked it up, or it had sat hooked, doing nothing for some time.

However it went 8lb 4oz and saved me from another total blank (there's a carp blank and a total blank!). Next visit, I want to go mid-week again, and am really aiming for that small swim, I'll be aiming for the diving board to my left and a long chuck to mid water, plus a 30yd cast to my right. Unless it gets really cold and I may go for pike, though I'm not feeling it yet.