Off to catch a Catfish

After two sessions in May trying to catch my first catfish, my results stood at three runs with just one hook-up which came off. Phil and I decided to have a session at a new venue just down the road from our first one. We were there for 06:30 and found out we could stay until 21:00 and all for £12 for two rods. We had quite a bit of gear with us, when don't we? Luckily there were trolleys to use. So up the ground we went to the catfish lake or pond! It wasn't the biggest of waters but because of how it was shaped and with a reed island, you could see how it held 10 swims. Although if all 10 were occupied it would be a bit tight. Swim discipline would be paramount.
I set up in one swim facing the reed bed, it's nice to have a feature to fish to. On one rod I fished a big piece of free lined bacon grill, on the other a large oily halibut pellet.
A chap who had set up in one of the first swims fishing into the first bay had a run, I went and helped him land it and take some pictures. It weighed 15lb.
Phil was opposite me and was soon swearing and cursing as he missed bites and lost fish. "Note to self" Phil, disengage the baitrunner before striking, it does help.
Finally he struck into one and it held. I trotted round to offer any help and soothing words, the attached cat was beating him up. After much grimacing and verbals from Phil, I slid the net under a sizeble cat. Onto the unhooking mat, hook out (barbless so it was easily done), it weighed 20lb12oz. A new PB, a first cat of the season and one from a new venue.

Not too long after we had a repeat performance, duly landed by Moi, it weighed 15lb03oz. There goes the average, worse was to come! Bless.

I had gone to the Cafe (static burger van) at 08:40 only to be told that the cook was out delivering and would be about an hour. 09:50 I went back, he'll be back in just a few minutes. Back at my swim the peace and serenity (if you could ignore the jet flight path overhead) was shattered by a JCB digger starting up. This was used to start levelling mounds of earth piled up on the bank of the bay where the catcher of the 15lber was fishing. Stoically he fished on. Not so an angler that had set up to Phil's left. He was adamant that the noise from the digger moving and pounding the earth will have put the fish down, so no more bites. He decided to move to another lake. After he had moved, Phil said come and move into his vacated swim. Fish were showing regularly out in front of him. With a bed of lilies between us I would not be poaching, I could fish water he couldn't reach. So I moved. 
We finally got our bacon rolls just before midday. With double bacon and brown sauce they were worth waiting for.
The reeds were constantly moving as cats moved past or amongst them. Interestingly the moorhens nesting amongst the reeds never swam up to or away from the reeds. They ran across the water. I watched as a mother moorhen brought her young chicks out of their nest. One by one they swam across the water, their wake the very pattern of disturbance that us predator anglers try to give our surface fished lures. I fully expected to see a large mouth and head come up and engulf a chick. Thankfully it didn't happen.
Within 10 minutes of casting out my baits I had a run. I struck and connected with a hard fighting cat. Phil was dancing about singing "Martin's got his first Pussy!" Then it came off! Chickens, Counting, Not came to mind. Next run, no mistakes, I landed a cat (a kitten really) of 08lb04oz.

Phil had another cat of about the same size as mine, dragging his average down even more. As we were sorting that one out, one of my alarms sounded. I began to run (I can do for very short distances) the few yards to my swim when my foot slipped on the grass down into a slight depression. I was now skidding along on my hands. Cat like (furry type not scaly) I was back up and at my rods. I struck into the fish and played it to the net, duly landed it weighed 08lb09oz, a new PB!!!!!

Phil landed his fourth fish, again about the same size as mine, leaving his average decimated. His first ever catfish had weighed 17lb and 19lb caught at Lakemore Lake near Crewe two years ago. So his first two fish today had maintained a good average. The two smaller fish had dropped it considerably. Oh to have such a dilemma.
Phil continued to get bites, losing a couple of fish in the reeds or not connecting on the strike. The chap on the first peg had caught a second cat of about 10lb. So a total of 8 fish had been caught. A good return for the day. 
Then it was time to tackle down, load up the trolleys Phil had fetched, then trudge back to the car. Never the favourite part of a session. The motorways home were friendly and we were back to unload and put everything away within 40 minutes.
I feel another session coming on next week. With the variety of baits I've got I must catch something. Although I haven't got any Bloodied Eel pellets, which is what Phil was getting so many runs on.