Follow Your Angler Intuition

For me, Winter on my Hertfordshire Syndicate had been quite the success, with bites continuing to tick over throughout the cold days with many of the lakes stockies gracing my net. Whilst I was grateful to have had the chance to catch some of these awesome fish, I was starting to wonder why I was not able to lure some of the lake’s bigger residents. I had been targeting a snaggy margin, with Hinge Rigs dotted along the marginal shelf for the first two months of 2021, upon analysing my catch reports, I realised one rod was outperforming the others, the rod cast furthest down the island margin was often the first rod to go. Taking this into account and looking at how I was targeting the snaggy island, I started to forge a plan. 

Consulting with a fellow angler on one of our many catch ups when fishing, I positioned my theory. I took a screenshot of the lake and circled two swims in different colours. ‘the red swim’, was my current swim, consistent bites but the average stamp was low doubles, and ‘the orange swim’. ‘the orange’ allowed me to fish the island margin from another angle, taking into account the line pressure from the red swim, my plan was to fish just off the island margin into slightly deeper water. Continuing to prebait the snaggy margin, I envisaged that fishing the orange would see any fish coming into my hook baits first. The question was set, do I gamble by changing to the orange swim or do I stick with the red swim? The response was measured, “You’re into a good thing with red mate, but an angler’s intuition is often worth the gamble, go for it there’s nothing to lose”. 

My first session was the 6th March, arriving at the lake early afternoon, I retraced my usual steps walking round the small intimate syndicate, with the sun out in full force and 7.5 degrees on the weather reports, it was slowly starting to feel like spring was on its way. With a north easterly blowing in and no signs of fish I jumped into ‘the orange’ to see if it would pay dividends. I casted two Hinge Rigs into the slightly deeper water just off the snaggy island margin and the afternoon went by in a shot. It was coming up to 4 months since I had previously caught the lake record, an awesome 36lb 3oz common, and I was starting to feel that another big fish was due. The sun had just set when the right-hand rod pulled up tight and I was in! Steering the fish from the snaggy island margin and out into open water it wasn’t long before a chunky 19lb mirror was in the bottom of my net, success! After a couple of catch shots I returned the fish, topped up the spots with a few pouches of CCMoore Odyssey XXX and packed up knowing I would be returning before first light the next day. 

Still on a buzz from the success from the evening before, I was up before my alarm even sounded the next morning, quick coffee and I was back at the syndicate in a heartbeat. Making my way around to ‘the orange’ under the light of my headtorch, I flicked out two Hinges back into the deeper water. With the rods only being in the pond for a matter of minutes I started receiving liners on both rods, minutes later and the right-hand rod was away again. Instantly I knew I was into a bigger fish, holding deep and plodding up and down the lake in front of me. Knees shaking, I started to think all of my manifestation of another 30 was going to pay off, I saw a big chunky mirror break the surface in front of me which set my heart racing. Doing a terrible job of trying to remain calm I lunged the net forward and managed to scoop the big fish into the net with a cheer. Upon admiring my prize in the early morning light, I realised I had managed to catch one of the lakes A-teams for a second time, Yo-Yo, slightly down on weight at 27lb 13oz, nonetheless I was ecstatic, The orange had paid off. 

Following landing Yo-Yo the weekend before, I was back down in the week to prebait the island spot, that big fish buzz was still building, texting a few friends in the week, I had probably bored them with my constant reminders that a big fish was due and I was on the money. Repeating the process from the week before, I arrived at the lake on the 14th March in the early hours. This time everything was screaming big fish weather, 20mph winds, overcast and low pressure, the conditions looked perfect. With the orange spot on the back of the wind, I crept round and under the beam of my head torch, I flicked the rods back onto the same spots in the deeper section of the lake. 

Again just like the week before I was instantly met with liners on both rods. I quickly set my bivvy up to escape the wind, and with the final peg making its way into the ground, the left-hand rod, closest to the island margin let out a couple of short beeps. The rod was hooped round, and I was away. Lifting into the rod and flicking the back wind on, I was instantly met with a wrapping of the knuckles with the fish powering off up the lake, this was definitely a big fish! Eventually slowing the fish and turning its head, I slowly started to make progress, clearing the snaggy island, and bringing the fish into the open water I carefully winched my quarry closer and closer, as with Yo-Yo the week before this fish stayed deep, with heavy plods and big bursts of energy there was nothing small about this animal. Yet again my heart started to race with a huge vortex right in front of my swim, it's not often my nerves get the best of me, but for the second time in 7 days I was a wreck, knees knocking, hands shaking and my heart racing. I started to tire the fish out, with a few glimpses of colour under the light of my head torch I knew I was into another big mirror, but this one was bigger than the last. A few minutes passed before the fish decided to concede the battle, passing the net under this massive fish I knew right away I had landed my 4th 30 of my campaign. I secured the net, took a breath and then carefully lifted this massive fish onto my unhooking mat, with the sling zero’d in, I dislodged the hook, threw the net to the side and lifted the fish up on the scales… 36lb!! The second biggest fish I had ever caught only to be topped by the big common at 36lb 3oz in November, I put the fish into a retainer and gave a close friend a call to come down and do the pictures.

By this point I had almost forgotten I had one rod still on the spot in the lake. With the commotion and celebrations calming down, the alarm roared into life and I was playing another fish, after a quick battle I raised the net over a 19lb common marking a 54lb brace for the morning. The gamble to move onto the orange had now fully paid off. I have found time and time again over my years of fishing that it's always worth following your fishing hunch. Don’t get me wrong, there’s many times I can recall where I have moved only to find the fish rock up at the other end of the lake. I've always found that I will always regret something If I don’t try, the orange in this case truly demonstrates this. 

7 days later and I was back in the orange, the same as the weeks before in March, arriving in the early hours and flicking out Hinge Rigs just off the baited area my confidence of a bite couldn’t have been higher. Just like the weeks before on first light a rod beeped into life and another battle ensued, it was starting to become second nature, lifting into the rod and walking back to turn the fish away from the snaggy island I knew that if I could quickly steer the fish into open water my chances of landing it were dramatically increased, after a short battle another big mirror was in my net at 25lb 6oz. Before I had the chance to set up the camera to take some self takes the second rod was away, and yet again I was bent into a heavy fish, I couldn’t believe it, making this small tweak and fishing just off the spot from a different angle was allowing me to pick up a bigger stamp of fish. Again the battle was dogged and intense, but after 10 minutes the net cord was lifted around another chunky mirror from the syndicate, at 25lb 8oz, it was marginally bigger than the one in the retainer, I had managed my second 50lb plus brace for the second consecutive week from the same spot. This second fish was one of the lake's oldest residents and from closer inspection of the fish's flank it was evident this fish had more than a few stories to tell. 

With this brace bringing March to a close, I could not believe my luck; 2 of the A-team, another 30lb fish and 6 of the biggest fish I had caught from the syndicate in 2021, the orange had given me everything I could have wished for. Moving into spring, with the clocks changing and the government relaxation of the rules, night fishing will be back with many eager anglers looking to finally start their campaigns. I cannot wait to get back to the syndicate and see if I can continue my good fortune. 

As always keep the lines tight,

@JackPlayerangling