Leaving it to the Last Minute.

I am sure we all know the feeling when we delay finishing a fishing session and go home. That last cast turns into ten last casts. This happens more when it has been a slow day. Match anglers have no such dilemma as you stop fishing when hooter sounds. Pleasure anglers, however, can, within reason, stop when they want to. This feeling is often enhanced when fishing into dusk in the winter. All the articles i have read on fishing for big perch say that leaving it to the last minute and staying put in the swim often leads to the biggest fish as the wiley old big perch feed hard at dusk.  Carp also feed well in the dark which is why so many of us fish for them through the night.

This issue was bought home to be on the recent pike fishing session. The clocks had gone back and i had been by the water all day. The day was drawing in and dusk approaching even though its only early evening. Apart from two dropped runs early in the day my pike float had stayed still. Autumn was spitting some venom at me as high winds blew the leaves across the lake and constantly catching on the line and float. I was fishing with my brother Andy and he was going to go out that evening so wanted to be away. The approaching darkness also said pack up. I had only just started to tidy the area when i looked up and saw my float snaking across the surface of the water.  I struck into a nice size Jack pike of a few pounds which saved me from a blank. It was nice to get my winter predator fishing off to a catching start and leaving it to the last minute is something i will be doing more of from now until spring.