Another grand day out on the sluice

I thought I'd have another go at fishing a sluice match on Sunday, but bombed completely and didn't bother weighing-in.  I might've scraped a pound-and-a-half if I was lucky, but considering Graham (on the next peg) had 9 (yes, NINE) tench, I wasn't wasting any more time bothering the scales.

Instead, I prepared what bait I had left for a day on one of the areas of the sluice which almost never gets fished.  One person has owned up to trying it out this year and the signs were there when I walked the length last week.  I pitched up yesterday and after a yomp through the long grass (any sign of that mower yet?) I got to the spot I wanted to try.

As has happened a few times on expeditions of this nature this season, as soon as my seatbox was setup level & I was sat on it, the pumps started.  "Oh golly-heck - that appears to have knackered it" I thought to myself.  While I setup the rest of my gear, the usual rafts of reeds floated past and I settled myself for feeding as a flowing water dictates.

Just as I was about to start, the pumps stopped again - leaving me with a clump of bait in the wrong spot.  I fished over it for a while as the main target area settled down after my initial bombardment.  There were a few small roach & perch attracted at first, before I moved overf to the main swim and the bites started to come from larger hybrids.  They're certainly angry swines when they're hooked and they're well worth their weight in terms of the fight they give.  It wasn't long before the swim started fizzing and sure enough, the larger bream started to respond.  I really do need to replace the rodent-damaged sling I lost last winter, because I can't weigh anything now - a couple of the bream I caught must've been around 6lb each and weren't alone.  There were a good few around 3-4lb and a guest tench also put in an appearance towards the end of the session.  I was snapped twice by what I can only assume were other tench.  The first broke me on my hooklength and the second parted above my bulk shot after the line got wrapped around the pole tip & the elastic failed to take the strain - could've been an expensive incident if the line hadn't broke when it did...  There are some very large specimens lurking in there (of various species) so I'm not entirely heartbroken I didn't see either of the two which snapped me.

Water extraction pump aside, it's a great place to fish - but like most of them on the drains, it involves a long walk so best not to go with loads of gear. I'll be having another go on that little stretch again soon - it beats sitting there scratching your head wondering where the fish have disappeared to.

ADDENDUM:

It was good to see Norman Holt back on the sluice on Sunday.  By his own admission, he hadn't fished a match on the sluice and he looked well.  His luck was no better than mine though - he didn't trouble the scales either...