Arrival
Monday the 14th of May saw me and Claire load up my
trusty old golf and head west to Wales to a lovely venue between Cardiff and
Newport called Cefn Mably lakes. We had booked this late last year after
receiving the news that my mum had a month to live in August 17 and we thought
it would be a good place to get my head straight afterwards. However, on a very
good note my dear old Mum, 9 months later is still battling the Big C and
kicking its arse by the look of it for which I am truly thankful.
We had opted to stay from Monday till Friday on Spring
Lake in a self-contained pod named Osprey. Unfortunately not being able to get
on until 3pm on the Monday meant losing most of the day to be honest and having
to leave 10am Friday also meant losing a day, so to be fair we had 3 days of
sightseeing shopping and fishing. The pod we had chosen to stay in was truly
perfect, even having its own hot tub too, very pleasant indeed.
We got to the lodge at 3pm and was shown round by a
very helpful member of staff who wished us luck as he left. We proceeded to
unpack which was a massive ordeal as we know how fickle the weather can be and
we had packed for all possibilities. I found one very major disappointment in
the rules when I arrived, no surface fishing! I love surface fishing, I’d brought
10k of mixer along for the ride for nothing as well as my favourite stalking
floater rod.
Around 4.30 pm I managed to get both rods in the
water, one down to a reed bed on the left the other about 15ft in front of the
decking jetty. I baited with half a kilo of the legendary Shoreline Sausage Oil
over both rods and before long I had a cracking mirror from the left hand reed
bed rod at just under 19lb. Claire did the honours with the camera and we stood
and watched it swim off very leisurely upon its return.
I cast the rod back to the same spot, put 4 good
handfuls of sausage oil over the top and went into our pod to make a brew, I
gave Claire her tea then came back down to the rods and sat back on the steps
at the bottom of the swim and waited. We had just sat down to an alfresco tea
when the right hand rod in open water was away, it was a proper screamer and
after a very spirited fight my first twenty of the session graced the mat at a
rather plump 20lb 4. It was a lovely mirror, I was well pleased. Claire snapped
away with the camera once more and I decided to remove the other rod until
after tea, we enjoyed a very civilized outdoor feed and after making yet
another brew I decided to put both rods back out on the spots.
By this time it was starting to cool down a bit as
the sun started to set and it was quite nice just being bank side taking in my
wonderful surroundings along with the peace and tranquillity of the place. However
this was soon shattered by a one toner from the open water rod in front of the
platform and the fish left the spot leaving a massive bow wave. I was having
real trouble slowing this one but I kept my forefinger on the spool like a
small brake until the moment felt right to re-engage the spool and then try to
gain some line. After what felt like ages and 3 failed attempts at netting it my
prize finally rolled across the cord and I had won the battle. The resulting
prize was a lovely grey mirror of 21lb 12. I was ecstatic, 3 fish with an
average of 20lb; I should have come to wales about 5 years ago!
We took a few snaps in the fading light and decided
to call it a night. Before I retired for the night and baited the spots once
more and turned in for the night.
Second Day
Tuesday saw us playing tourist once more as we
headed off to visit Cardiff and its lovely town centre, we spent most of the
day drinking coffee and going round the shops and the quaint old fashioned
indoor market which I really enjoyed but Claire didn’t! Funny girl. We managed
to finally get the rods out just before 6pm and shortly after the open water
spot produced a lovely mid double mirror. The fish were almost waiting for me, they
were obviously on the feed and really enjoying the Sausage Oil bait I was
using.
I recast once more only for the same rod to burst
into action literally as I put the runner on. I was just flicking the lever
forward when it jumped forward and we were fish on once more. After this I
opted to rest the swim whilst I had a bite to eat and another brew. I sat on
the top decking looking down at the jetty, brew in hand when I spotted a tail
waving inches from the bank so I lowered a rig with a double dumbell hook bait
right in its path. The take was nothing short of electrifying to be honest, I wasn’t
sure who was more surprised, me or the fish! And so it proceeded to try empty
the spool. My victim this time was a stunning high double mirror, I’d never
caught so many mirrors before. I was absolutely shattered by now and as I stood
dripping in slime chatting to Claire, my left hand rod was away so hard it
snapped off my front rest clean off the stick!
This was a much stronger fish plodding around off
the rod tip for ages. I tried to net it 3 times, each time it just rolling the
wrong side of the net cord but I was determined to win this battle and win I did.
My prize this time was a 23-12 mirror which had a massive belly, it was
obviously carrying some spawn. She had clearly been enjoying the sausage oil as
when I lifted her up she farted and shit boilie crumbs all over my T shirt. Claire
was in hysterics when this happened, I actually thought I was going to have to
slap her to calm her down! We took some photos and I made another brew and just
sat out in the fading light waiting for the bat display team. About 9.45 I
called it a night and baited once more.
Wednesday saw us playing tourist as we headed to Barry
Island, seemed like a good idea as were both big fans of Gavin and Stacey. We
even had coffee and a cake at Marcos cafe on the sea front, we bought a few
gifts and we left there to go to Mermaid Quay which for those of you that don’t
know is a Mecca for food restaurants and coffee shops, perfect for us.
We returned to our little paradise around 4 and
after another cup of Yorkshires finest I got the rods in the water and sat down
on the steps taking in all the loveliness surrounding the place. I re-baited
withe the magical Sausage Oil, which by now was getting low but it should be ok,
I had some Complex T to back it up also. Around 5pm I had another mirror of
around 15 which fought like a much bigger fish, staying down deep and
plodding around. It wasn’t until it felt the net touch its belly that it went
into full ninja mode. I stood for what felt like ages just fingering the spool
and the clutch until it rolled on its side and I scooped her up. We took few
snaps and released her back to her watery home to grow on. By now the left
hand rod had been silent for some time and as I stood on the swim platform edge
like an overweight heron I could see why.
They were swimming along the platform edge from
left to right and feeding on my ever increasing baited area. Sly old things. I
sat back down on the swim steps and was reward with another screamer and after
a very bream like fight a stunning orange wristed mirror of 16lb 5 graced my mat.
Almost a fully with areas of leather in it, quite unusual to be honest but
stunning all the same. 2 more takes followed in quick succession, both
similar and both high double mirrors and as the light started to fade I took
the rods out and just sat with a brew, total bliss. Early night tonight as we
planned to fish all day the following morning. Around 11pm I turned in but not
before i baited my spot once more.
Final Day
I awoke early Thursday around 5.30 with a view to
fishing all day. I made a cup of strong coffee and sat outside taking in the breath-taking
scenery and the chilly morning air. I had my joggers on and my hoodie and I was
still a bit chilly. I sat there looking around the lake to see the ducks and
the herons going about their day and as I started to nod lazily in my chair I
noticed a fish waving its tail at me from the edge of the swim around a foot
from the bank, sadly for Claire she was still asleep as I lowered my rig in and
almost instantly I had a violent take and I was fish on once more.
After a spirited fight a half asleep Claire did the
pics and yet another mirror made the album. Claire returned to bed but I had an
instant take upon recasting the rod back down by the jetty and yet another fish
gave itself up for a photo opportunity, I took a quick mat shot for this so as
not to wake Claire again. A nice grey mirror with an obvious lump to its side.
After another brew because my first had gone cold I
woke Claire up and she decided to have a soak in the hot tub, unfortunately I
also had another mirror after about 5 minutes of getting in so I had to do a
random self-take. I re-baited both spots and we chatted about the size and stamp
of the fish and how this could be a regular retreat for us on a yearly basis
and as I sat on the decking chatting away watching the blue tits and the
chaffinches wittering about the peace and tranquility was once more shattered
by a screamer trying to get to the far bank.
I played this fish for ages and after a
considerable time a cracking golden common rolled over the net cord, I was
elated ,finally a common, only a high double but what a stunner. I decided
there and then to stop fishing and chill out for the rest of the day, Claire
kindly helped with the pics and as she swam off I thought not bad,17 hours of
actual fishing for 15 fish, I’ll take that any day. We loved Cefn Mably and Wales
and we will definitely return as soon as we can.
Thanks for reading, it’s been ages since I’ve
written anything, looking forward now to mum hopefully beating this awful
disease and going to France with my oldest fishing buddy Stu. Please feel free
to comment on the page and share with your friends.
Tight lines - Stevo x
