Flaming June

June didn’t start well but definitely not as bad as May. As my leg was healing nicely, I headed to Alvaston Park Lake on 5 June, but I blanked, as did everyone; at least I assume they did, as I didn’t see anyone emerge from their bivvies! It was a nice warm day, 23 degrees with a strong, warm breeze and as the man-made lake is quite shallow, the local wild fowl tend to swim down and eat your bait. It’s only the second time I’ve fished and blanked on this lake, but it's known as a tricky venue; that’s my excuse anyway!

I went to Springwood on 9 June, a nice day, 20 degrees, and I slipped the net under some Roach, Ide, Perch, a Mirror and a Crucian Carp of around a pound. Float fishing again with my old favourite, red maggot.

The first day of the season was another nice, sunny day with temperatures in the high 60s and with the afternoon spare I had a steady session at Mill Dam landing Roach, Rudd and Bream and watched an angler on the opposite bank land a Jack Pike apparently by just waving a hook full of maggots right in front of his nose!

Mill dam again on 23 June for a short evening session where I enjoyed catching Perch, Bream, and several Rudd and Roach.

On 24 June I returned to the canal for a few hours on a very warm, sunny day and with a groundbait feeder I landed a really nice Perch - above - the biggest I can remember catching. It was on the near bank just to the left of me, a few feet off my rod tip and behind some long grass.

With a few hours to spare in the late afternoon of 27 June, I managed a few Roach and Rudd, float-fishing mixed maggots at Mill Dam, and on 29 June I was back at Woodrows for a few hours but blanked.