Getting the Most from a Physically Demanding Session..

On this blog I am revisiting a very prolific venue Drayton Reservoir, last time I fished this lake I had a good bag of fish ranging from 10lb-17lb all on zigs fished up in the layers. To get constant bites throughout the day, I concocted a sloppy Spod mix which really did increase the action, although saying that at times I didn't even put any bait out over the top and the rods were still ripping off. 

One of the First Fish of the Session.

This time I have gone more armed up more than I had before with more Spod mix which I may put spods out every so often, or even see if I can keep a constant flow over the top of the zigs, in this situation I seem to catch more fish than using single zigs casting them around, this is partly because of the dense stocking of this very large reservoir. 

The Spod mix I am using before I start on the other side of fishing is, Rice Pudding, Condensed Milk, White Crumb and Brown Crumb Groundbait, Velocity Baits V-Cloud and a good liberal helping of corn. Last time using yellow foam on the zigs did really well specially with corn constantly streaming through the swim, this helped so much all I had to do was put the rods back on the area and I was either getting bites on the drop, or even when I left the rod tip in the margin allowing the line to sink.. The rod just uprights itself and that's a good sign of a pick up.

When the action hots up, all I'm looking for is for the line to tighten, I'm fishing a 2 inch drop on the bobbin as soon as the bobbin even starts to rise, I know that I have a bite, I am 99.9% certain that it isn't a liner. 

A Nice Broken Linear, Good Colourations!

So far as the business of the rig I am using, 14ft of Nash NXT Zig Flo in 10lb, a Saftey Bolt Bead with the matching tail rubber, this is coupled with a very important 3oz tournament casting lead. With this size lead and also the shape allows me to hit the clip quite firmly, if I don't hit the clip or the rod doesn't land in the right place, I reel it in and re-do it until I get it bang on the money. 

I am set up on the dam wall, this has always been the flier for me and where I have mainly done well, with the stage stands it makes in 10x easier to get the peg sorted out giving you an adequate amount of space in the swim. 

Same Fish As Below, Look at the Width of It!

Onto the session... 

We rock up to the gate nice and early to see about 6 cars queuing to get in.. We drive a quarter of the way along the bank and see a shoal of fish showing at a comfortable distance in front. 

I didn't hang about getting the rods rigged up and sorted, as I'm fishing zigs, I make a powerful cast the showing fish with a Spod as I know it won't spook them at all, all I do to clip the rods up is leave the spod where I have cast it and cast bot rods just past it so I know by the time the line has dropped back, I am fishing in the right place, accuracy is key to keep the bites coming.

Bit Bright as the Sun Appeared in the Evening. 17lb Mirror.

2 rods are soon punched out to within a six pence of each other to pick up bites a lot quicker, it took all of about 15 minutes and the first rod ripped off and ended up with getting 3 bites in half an hour 2 on yellow foam and one on yellow and black foam.

I had tested the sloppy mix in the margins a few times just to make sure everything was working as it was suppose to. the action came slow and steady for an few hours until it slowed up, I kept on plugging away spodding bait over the zigs then stopped for 30 mins, then the bites kicked in, as soon as I had a fish in the net and before taking pics, I'd leave the fish wallowing in the net and put 5 more spods out and put the zigs back out, by which time I had taken the pictures there was another take.

The Last Few Casts Had a Liberal
Glugging of the Berry V-Cloud. They
Couldn't Resist it!

Overall throughout the session, with persisting to spod over the zigs, I managed to catch 20 fish to 17lb, of which was the last fish of the session, as I look around there were a few people catching but not quite in the quantity that I was. I love this sort of fishing as it keeps you active, rather than setting up and kicking back, it must be said sometimes it is nice to kick back with a tinny or two and soak up the settings but on sessions like these, it simply isn't worth it, don't get me wrong I love relaxing just as much as going out somewhere with the aim of smashing it up, the physical aspect is another I love as well, I may be aching and moaning but the more I do it, the more I can strive to do better the next time.

 

zigs are one of my favoured methods, I was using the most unexpected hook for zig fishing, a Size 8 Fang Twister hook with a Fox Zig Aligna on the hook, I have to admit I love the zig bugs but for 1 bite at a time tactics, the Zig Alignas really did allow the hook to nail the fish every time, the fish was hook so well it allowed me to apply a bit more pressure to get the fish out of harms way and from wiping out other peoples rods and allow it to race around in the margins as they do in Drayton, apart from the one I hooked seconds after casting stripping my spool leaving about 20 yards of line on the spool.

 

This Setup Nailed the Fish Every Time! Size 8 Fang Twister,
Yellow Zig Aligna and 10lb Nash NXT Zig Flo.

I hope there is something you can take away from this, I learned a lot of things, and that is to keep the mix going in throughout the day, because my god you wont regret it when the fish move in towards the evening!

 

Be Lucky, Ross.