I won’t deny it, I’m certainly enjoying the lifestyle that has come with being on furlough. The obvious benefit is that I’ve been able to do much more quality fishing. I could get used to this. I have.
The latest trip was to an estate lake that has featured regularly since the middle of June, when it opened its doors to anglers again.
I only had a short evening session but it was very productive. Before we realise it, summer will be on the way out and we’ll be looking forward to next spring to do some tench fishing.
You can follow the session via the video below. In addition, there’s a nature clip of a great mullein as well as reference to the English Championship and an email that I sent while I was fishing.
The tackle that I fished with was as follows: Fox Barbel Special 11’ 1.5 test curve rod and an Okuma Zeon reel.
The reel was loaded with 6lb Maxima Chameleon, with a six-inch hook-length of 5lb Drennan Team England, created by a size 10 swivel and a bead. Above that was a 1/4 ounce lead.
The bait was a corn-shaped sinker boilie hair-rigged to a size 10 Drennan Boilie Hook. I loose fed brown crumb and corn.
I also ended the session with fish caught on tutti frutti corn-shaped popper boilies. They’re identical to the sinker boilies, with the obvious difference in the title.
Stewart
As a retired old duffer I see some advantages to lock down (not least that less spending opportunities played in to the hands of those of us on a fixed income) and, if your head is in the right place, it is probably human instinct to make the best of any situation. I did, of course, miss seeing my daughter and her partner for months and surprisingly I missed my fiends more than I thought I would along the conservation and arts centre volunteering I’ve become involved in since retiring. Whilst it is longest I’ve gone without playing badminton since I was about 18, it was a huge boost once angling was allowed again
It is true though that furloughing and lock down hasn’t worked well for many among us financially (a chap up the road has been laid off and he has for young kids as has a friend in the running club who is decent chef and I think top end restaurants will recover slower than the cheap and cheerful ones). Sadly I know of quite a few relationships that haven’t survived the lock down (maybe they would have floundered eventually, who can tell). We also know that this will have been difficult for those whose head currently isn’t in the right place and beyond difficult for those in abusive situations.
So, I don’t think there is any need for us to deny enjoying some aspects of being furloughed, so long as we are cognisant that there are those for whom the pack is being dealt in a harsh way and that not everyone has the same coping mechanisms.
Clive