Got down the new lake for the first time. Two guys were down, one bivvied up in number one and another doing the day in five. There are 10 swims on the lake, four on one side and six on the other. However, one swim is overgrown and unfishable, and one is roped off, so there are only eight swims. The other two sides of the lake contain no swims.
It was a freezing North, North Easterly wind. I fancied swimming eight on the back of the wind, and a body of calm water was there. The Swim also had a ‘a no Swim bank to fish to’ had a lead about found some weed here and there and lots of horrible silkweed typical of clear reservoirs fished one off the no Swim bank in a few feet of water and two out in front in the middle Zone one was on a nice hard spot.
Fished hinge stiff rigs because of the silkweed. Rigs comprise a 20lb Amnesia boom section around 7 inches, 2 2-inch sections made from Ridge Monkey RM Tec and a size 5 Ridge Monkey Apex Chod hook. The boom and hook sections are connected with Avid rig loops.
The rig is fished helicopter-style on ESP rig tubing. Have not used rig tubing in nearly 30 years. However, rig tubing is compulsory in this venue to protect the fish (fair enough). My usual lead arrangement for hinge stiff rigs is 2.5oz, but I had to use 3.5 oz on two rods to get the rigs on the spots due to the wind. Homemade meshed corkball popups for hook baits and 7-10 baits around each rod.
It was dark by the time the rods were out and freezing, exposed to the wind. The Swim itself was sheltered down some steps, but the Swim itself was open and cold. I got the tempest up, zipped the door down (with the insect window open), got in the bag, soon warmed up and went to sleep.
Nothing happened overnight (not that I was expecting anything to). I didn’t see or hear anything and woke to a lovely sunrise packed up at 10 am. All rigs came in with some silkweed, and the ‘no swim’ margin had the most.