A Day On The Pond In Pictures

 It's a bank holiday weekend, it's in the low 20's and I'm in the corner of the pond with the missus. Sitting behind the platform lowering my float by the rushes at the edge of it, what could be more simple?

Bites were instant as I gently lowered my bait into the spot I had been feeding. A small carp oblidged first cast but the next fish was more of a test for my .12 hooklength

A bit of side strain is always helpful, plus it's really fun.

The culprit was a nice coloured common that was missing half it's tail

A few small perch then a couple of gudgeon followed before the fattest of goldfish flopped to the surface, it was as wide as it was deep as it was long.

I picked off a few small but surprisingly energetic bream trying shallow in the middle, nothing was feeding in the deeper water today, among the bream was this decent roach.

By now it was now really warm and in between coffee and lunch breaks a good mix of fish were caught before I introduced a few bits of bread, some on the surface and some in the margins. Changing to a size 12 fishing straight through I spotted this fish close in on the surface so cast to it - notice my bread in the top corner, then my pole float laying flat and my line across the carp's back, that folks is how not to do it.

Despite my iffy presentation it took the bread but what followed was a fresh air strike as the carp got a freebie, rebaiting quickly and casting more deftly I made no mistake the second time around.

I told the missus how ghost carp seem to always be very strong and sure enough after a slow start the fish woke up and went on a couple of clutch screaming runs.

After a fine battle a nice coloured fish was landed which was a fun end to a few hours at the pond.

Of we went home in the mid afternoon heat for a glass of wine(or three) in the garden. Sometimes the simple things are the best on days like these.