I had an interesting three hours at Pendle View Sunday morning, before dashing off to do some Christmas shopping. I caught twelve Rainbows between 2-3lb on a variety of lures, which is a PB I guess. Noeyedeer got wind that I was down there and catching so he couldn't resist joining me, even if it meant delaying his own Christmas shopping obligations. I had four before he got there and the rest while he stood 20 yards away blanking.

A bearded chap from the EA turned up and asked to see my licence and I duly obliged, then he went to the other side of the lake and seemed to 'arrest' at least one of a pair of chaps who'd been fishing with bungs (presumably for licence evasion rather than the heinous crime of using an indicator). The familiar words 'anything you do say...' drifted across the flat pond as the EA man filled in some paperwork. Busted! The end of their fishing for the day!

Another unusual thing is I'm pretty sure I caught the same fish twice! How do I know? Well it had a sort of worm-like parasite on it's forehead, about an inch long and segmented looking, an exact colour match for the dark green of the rainbow's head. I'm pretty sure it wasn't a lamprey, it looked tapered at both ends and more worm than fish. Never seen anything quite like it before, but I am very new to this trout thing. I thought it might be a sort of leech but it wasn't as flat or black as any I'd ever seen. A quick Google when I got home didn't answer my query. Hopefully someone here can educate me as to what it was. I couldn't imagine two trout of similar size to have the same parasite in exactly the same place so I believe I caught the same trout twice, once on an orange zonker and once on a white fritz. It goes to show that with careful handling C&R fish aren't put off their appetite for fry and their imitations.

Noyedeer was still blanking when my time ran out so I lent him my white fritz that had been working well. He persevered with his bung'n'buzzers set up for a while (having given up on lures in spite of my steady accumulation) but by the time I'd reached the shops I got a text saying he'd caught four in his last ten minutes, you guessed it- all on my white fritz!

It was the sort of day when you think 'is this too easy?' and might push you towards new challenges so I'll be looking forward to unwrapping my new #5 set up on Christmas morning and planning some river fishing for wild fish in the New Year. It was easy, maybe, but certainly not dull!

SharkyP

Hi Sharkey,

It seems that you came across a fish leech (Piscicolidae), it matches your description. You will find that at this time of year, fish tend to pick them up off the bottom when feeding or resting. The leech will attach itself to something on the bottom, then wave the other end in the water until an unsuspecting fish swims past and latch on. They are also pretty efficient swimmers!

I think you are right Snowshoe!
should I have attempted to pick it off do you think. How harmful are they? I think I can deduce they don't affect the appetite or fighting spirit! Looks like the sort of thing a trout might eat, rather than vice-versa, anyone out there ever tied/fished with a Piscicolidae pattern?

Sharkey P

They can attach quite firmly so may cause harm if you pull them off as they feed on the mucus lining and skin of the fish. This may leave them prone to secondary infection. But its a no win situation as when the leech has had its fill, it will drop off and cause this to happen anyway. I don't think fish readily look for leeches but will probably have go if they see one!

Fished PV today in challenging conditions - managed to land 9, my best to date, 3 of which were on a Teal, Blue & Silver I'd tied as a lad (14) still in my fly box!

Also....amazingly got 2 on at once for the first time ever. 1st fish took a Kate McLaren dropper then when near the bank, 2nd fish took the point fly - Black Shipmans. 2nd fish was bigger so fish 1 kept getting pulled halfway out of the water. Landed & released both ASAP to avoid any fish damage (C&R ticket).

Also bumped in to the EA baliff in town later, who said the guy from last week (see above) not only didn't have a rod license, but was also fishing without a ticket! Sounds like poaching to me.

Hey Noyedeer,
I warned you about fishing the water features outside Debenhams!

Great to hear about your ancient boyhood patterns still catching in the 21st Century, and two-at-once, another fisherman's tale!

Hope the wind dies down and we can have another session before Christmas.

SharkeyP

I was fishing the Maggot Drowners Fur & Feather last sunday on Pendle Views "specimen lake".
I caught 10 fish for a total weight of 2oz's and came 3rd in my section lol.

I wish i had taken my fly gear instead, at least the constant casting would have warmed me up a bit.

(all 43 anglers in the match had a valid rod licence with them !)

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Hi Nelson
I noticed the comp going on last week on the specimen lake, --> I think the only way I prevented freezing over these last 2 outings was due to the casting like you say.

Re: 2 Fish at once --> I should also have noted out of the 2 other flyfishers out today, another guy said he also had 2 on together. Only the second time it had happened to him. I have a theory it was the fish going a bit mental due to the stormy conditions with heavy rain (finally blowing a gale 2nite here). They were coming to the top when you might have expected them to be deep.

When I was leaving at Sunday lunchtime I noticed a lack of action on the coarse lake, and I wondered if my 25lb+ bag might have had me amongst the prize-winners.

SharkeyP