February 2014

So that was February then and for SENPAC it was a very quiet month on the fishing front, judging by the reports that I have had from the members. The incessant wind and rain certainly had a part to play and whilst up here in the north east we have been extremely fortunate compared to areas of England in the south and south west, the storms rolling in from the Atlantic have been sufficient to convince some of our less committed members not to venture out and for those that probably need committing the local rivers have really been too much of a challenge and the water levels in the lochs and lakes that we fish have been such that on a number of occasions I am convinced that we have been fishing in the fields!

As a result of this the fishing has been fairly poor and the over-riding feature for most of us that were out was the mud! We didn't seem able to escape the stuff no matter where we went, so much so that the club's Newsletter editor felt the need to reminisce about the good old days when we all enjoyed those magical, still, frosty, mornings when you just knew that the fish were going to be interested as the pale sun appeared over the horizon and began to burn off the mist.

Our February club trip coincided with one of the more vigorous storms and we had to battle 70mph winds, rain as well as the inevitable mud and by the end of the day, despite all present having numerous takes and runs no-one managed to get a fish to the net. Frustrating!

Of the February fishing results well it was generally a month of small jacks with a couple of exceptions, Steve Sandiford enjoyed an exploratory trip on one of the local rivers which needless to say was well up, coloured and running through and so reverted to the worm rod to take a very nice 3lb sea trout and a something over 3lb chub but by far and away the best fish of the month fell  to SENPAC joint RO Bruce Turnbull who after something of an extended fishless campaign on a water finally cracked it with a very fit fish of 24lb-10oz.
As for March, well the SENPAC squad will be off to one of the larger lochs in Dumfries and Galloway for the final club trip of the season on Sunday 16th March, a location which at this time last year produced two 20lb'ers in a week for one lucky (skillfull?) club member and there will no doubt be the usual end of season flurry of activity on many other waters in the area. A little colder weather and less mud would be a real treat if somebody could organise that please?