Angling: Markle was a real cold fish

By STUART FRASER
Published on 02/02/2013 13:59

Several anglers were out but there was plenty of room to manoeuvre although there was not much happening.

Maybe it was the snow melt and slight colouring of the water that made the fishing slow but I headed for the smaller pond where the water was clearer. I only fish a single fly or lure in the cold weather unless it’s a competition and then I go with two.

I tried several lures without success until I found a mini silver humungus which I retrieved at a snail’s pace. Despite getting a few tentative offers there was no lock-on, but it was sport all the same.

After an hour or so I made the decision to go on the bung despite not being a fan of the tactic. However, it was near perfect to fish that method with a nice ripple appearing. Suspending an Okay Dokey or, more particularly, a Millennium bug with a small tail three feet below the surface, I watched it bounce up and down on the water line.

Just as it was nearing the bank, the indicator suddenly vanished from sight as I tightened into a sizeable rainbow. Although cold, the fish was very active and fought gamely all the way to the net. That was to be my last offer and so I headed home.