7 – 0

It’s not uncommon to go out on a lake and not feel confident, thinking that the fish are conspiring against you from all the times you’ve stuck them on sharp shiny things attached to something which doesn’t resemble food the slightest. You get that feeling the fish know what’s coming, or know what you’re offering and totally avoid it like the plague?

That’s what it felt like at a match I fished on Rutland Water just back last week in the Lexus Team final. Having caught well in practice and also the first day of the competition, we knew the lines and method to be on, but it just didn’t happen for me on the second day.

I fished the whole day for just three takes, two of which were lost right at the net, if they both swam the opposite way it would have gone right into the net! It was the sort of day where staying on one method and fishing your flies at the depth you’d expect them to be at all day would pick you up a fish or two, as my partner had down to a tea.

Two fish in the first drift, and a further two in the second, 4 fish in the bag by around 12:30pm, on a tough day like that? Good angling! He ended the day with an impressive 7 fish and won the second day by a pound or so. It’s always great to meet new anglers and take something from the day that you will no doubt remember for the rest of your life…

Lexus team Results

1st – Anglo Welsh