The Black Water session 1

Having pre baited the lake the previous Tuesday, Friday morning couldn't come quick enough. With an hour of darkness left upon arriving, the kit was dropped onto the island swim and by first light the home was built and the rods were baited, as light levels rose 2 rods were dropped into place on the island plateau with a 3rd flicked out into one of the deeper bays. Kettle on and it was lake watching time.
With a northwesterly picking within an hour of dawn chances of sightings were drastically reduced but it wouldn't be long before a good fish was spotted lumping out among the waves at the far end of the lake. With it being the first session and a short 36 hour one at that, i decided id refrain from moving and stay put in the shallower water surrounding the island. By lunchtime the clouds had gathered and the rain had arrived.

Having baited up with a couple of kg of SAE bacteria B1's a few days earlier i had decided to fish 3 bait stringers for the day to get a feel for whether fish were present and on the area before i applied any more, but i did trickle some of the B1 pellet in over the course of the morning. By late afternoon id been plagued by coot chicks diving on the pellet and occasionally grabbing the hook bait, keeping me on my toes!

Darkness came early with the heavy cloud and rain and i could finally get some pellet out onto the areas without the coots cleaning me out all the time, finally the swim settled down. With the rods re baited and positioned a little further off the island but still up on the plateau it was time to eat and settle down with a book. It wasn't long before the eyes were heavy and id drifted off into a light snooze when the left hand rod was away, fishing locked up, i lifted the rod into what felt like a solid fish.

With the clutch locked up the fish had kindly kited away into open water and i could finally let it take some line. After a few powerfull lunges and dives the fish was starting to tire and was soon wallowing off the end of the net in the shallow water and after one final run it was nestling in the folds of the mesh. The sense of elation hit home, overriding the fear of dread at possibly losing the first take from the lake. A quick peek at the fish and i was elated..a good one !
Once on the mat and in the sling the common settled the scales round to 18lb 2oz and was soon photographed and released back into its watery home.
With it being so dark now it was a leap of faith to cast the rig back to the edge of the island and hearing an audible plop i was content not have clipped the island canopy. With a cuppa in hand i sat and enjoyed the successful start to the unknown water.
At around 2am the same rod went off, again with it being locked up tight the fish couldn't take line so kited way from the island, i lifted into what felt again like a good fish , within seconds the hook popped out and all my highs fell away. Gutted to say the least. Back out to the spot the rod went.
It would be mid day on the Saturday when again the same rod went off, this fish managed to get under the canopy and leaning into it to steer it out from under the branches i felt a small fish scrapping on the end. It was soon subdued and resting in the bottom of the net. The result being a 13lb common.

The rest of the soon day passed away with just a handful of sightings among the heavy waves in other areas of the lake and a few fish seen just off the back of the island.
Packing down it was time to leave and pre bait a few areas in preparation for the following session