Willow lake February 1st to 3rd

Roach fishing tackle for sale. only joking.

I arrived late on Tuesday 1st of Feb to find the lake completely frozen. I phoned my good Lady to curse and swear and take my frustrations on what I found not on her but boy oh boy I was angry. I had phoned a friend who said that all was good on the lake. But to be fair we had a good frost on Sunday which turned the lake into a frozen waste. There was little free area’s of ice but could I help progress. The temperatures were due to be warmer as the week concluded.

I briefly looked and saw that I might just have a “Cunning plan Baldrick”

I fired out some maggots with a catapult onto the thin ice hoping that the ducks would do the business and break the ice.

In the mean time I would fish the plateau swim just one rod length out in 15 ft of water. Here I’ve just got a feeling the roach might just patrol along. Any thoughts of running down to the Dorset Stour for big chub evaporated as did the chance of catching medium size chub from the Bristol Avon.

I slowly broke the ice with my landing net, until calamity struck the landing broke and certainly the disaster  of the day continued. I don’t normally do angry but things were not going to plan. I started to think the lake was against me and that the big roach wouldn’t play the game.

The sun had set and the temperature  started to drop. However the air temperature was higher than the water temperature and a mist started to gather. I say water temperature the lake was still covered in ice. I’m still not happy but I’ve got a line in the water where dreams of large roach are made. The evening passed with the air temperature being warm and fog started to gather.

Soon the water saturated air condensed on the trees and the drip drip of the water droplets falling on the bivvi confirmed that the thaw was on the way.

I listened to the radio in the bivvi it was football and time went by fairly quickly. The winter fishing and bivvi is not my “Cup of tea” the roach don’t feed and the hours of darkness are long. However the thoughts of that 3lb plus roach keep you going. This was to be my 13th night on the lake. This didn’t change my luck.