Angling: Markle was a real cold fish

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.