In an effort maximise enjoyment on the bank I've stripped back the gear, though I have a good selection, I sometimes find selection of tackle a bit perplexing. Last trip out I agonised over the selection as a mixture of lure and coarse fishing was the order of the day. This area of my fishing needs to be honed as I got in a terrible muddle and found the kit prep a chore. So one of my goals this year is to simplify again. I just can't part with it all though!
Another missiont that's a new one for me, is to record my fish weights. I've never done this before, I've just fished. I've been fishing for 25 years, never owned a set. I've weighed them if fishing with someone with scales, but never on my own. I've also never photographed them. The advent of the camera phone has improved this option and I've got one of those tripod and remote things to take my picture with my fish, so that's ticked off the list.
However, something happened to me a week or so ago that's got me fired up. I was fishing with a friend of mine, I got bored of the lure fishing quickly and went back to what I know and coarse fished. I light legered a bunch of worms on a hook and had a blinding day haihaul out bream and perch, thoroughly enjoyed myself, then it happened. Out came a fish that I've never caught before. A Ruffe. A lovely fish. Small. Purple eyes. Spots on the dorsal fin. Once I got it out the water my mate was blown away. He'd never seen a Ruffe so big. Luckily, a boat with two pike fisherman went past and after flagging them down, they weighed this enormous beast. All were blown away, I was still in the zone of not really knowing what all the fuss was about as the river monster tipped the scales at four ounces! I know, a monster right? Pictures were taken, the pike fishermen also taking my picture saying it was the biggest they'd ever seen and that they wanted a picture as I might be famous one day. They went on their way, the fish went on his/hers. I got the phone out and googled this river monster. I was staggered to find that the British record for this species was five ounces and four dram. Without knowing it, I'd come within an ounce or so of breaking the British record. The pike fishermen were heard saying they'd rather have caught that than a big pike. People I've shown the pictures to have been amazed, have said get back there as the next record fish could be there or exclaimed they've never even caught one even after forty years fishing. I caught three more that afternoon. My fishing buddy sat there shaking his head, "it's like catching a forty pound pike that is" he kept repeating. And it's sparked something inside me. I've always wanted to catch a six pound perch. It's a fishing life goal. I've never been a record chaser really, but this fish has done something to me, all I can think about is catching another special fish, not massive fish, special fish. I'm dreaming fishing, googling it, planning trips, talking about it to everyone. I've become obsessed. This little Ruffe, this unremarkable fish in the grand scheme of things has motivated me in a way I didn't think possible. Last year I wanted good sized tench, I still do, and I caught some, now I want the river! I want that magic I felt as a lad casting my float into the canal every night during the summer holidays hoping for that something special. That little Ruffe, or huge Ruffe as the case may be, has recaptured the magic for me.
Next on the shopping list is a set of scales.....and some more worms!
