Mad March Hares

I decided to fish the Trent after work, but while I was on the M1 heading there, my wife rang me to tell me she was going out that evening at 7:30pm. This now ment I only had an hour or so fishing time. On arrival I headed for the Perch pegs, with some spinning and jigging in mind. My Rod pre set up, I unfolded it and pushed it together, set up the landing net and was all ready to go. The jig I used was a skimmer bream imitation, but didn't show up in the water too well, so I soon  swapped it for a mepps spinner with some bright red markings on it.


However after a few casts in a couple of pegs I wasn't that confident and decided to get the Barbel rods out and maybe spin near to them instead.



Once the Barbel rods were out, with meat in the middle and a monster crab boilie in the side, I didn't bother spinning as I was enjoying the peace and quiet, and relaxation  just sitting there too much to bother. After a few minutes I noticed a movement on the opposite bank, it was a hare. I watched as he (assumuing it was a he ?) scampered around for a while and didn't seem to notice me sitting directly opposite him. I took a few snaps with the camera but didn't manage to get a good shot as the zoom was a bit undergunned for the distance. The hare bumbled off up the hill and pretty soon after I saw a gooseander fly past in front of me following the river upstream. Then a while later a "dirty" black cormarant took off from the water opposite me.









On the ridge of the hill across the river I could now see two hares chasing one another, and I remembered the old adage about "Mad March Hares" and realised it was based on fact. While the hares dissapered into the distance along the ridge, I still hadn't received a responce on the rod tips. I decided a bait change was due as they had been in a good half hour and I would have to pack up soon to get back in time for my wife to go out. I wound the rods in and decided to have another go with the spinning rod. Firstly trying the most likely looking of the three perch pegs, but still got no reaction. The water was a bit too coloured for the spinner I thought. It would definatly pay to have a few more change lures in my collection especially some bright ones for occasions like this.

After a short while I headed back to the Barbel rods, and had one more cast of each. I left them only a few minutes but then all too quickly my time ran out and at 6:15 I had pack up and head back home. It was a shame really as the water temp was around 7 - 8 deg C, so I felt confident that come darkfall the fish would come on the feed, as had happened on the previous session last on Monday. Never mind I thought every session has a lesson to it, and I hope to be back again for at least one more session next week before the end of the season.