Hartleylands Farm Fishery. January 2nd, 2004.

A Cautionary Tale……….

First a word of warning Dear Reader, If you fancy a quiet days fishing in pursuit of Perch DON’T post the idea on Maggotdrowning.com.
Hijacked?………Well at least Dick Turpin had the decency to wear a mask.

Last week realising that I’d be off today (friday) I posted on the going fishing section, “I fancy a day at Hartleylands on Friday the 2nd to kick off the New Year.
Anyone else up for it?”  Thinking that someone may be mad enough to fancy a trip out after the excess of Christmas & New Year.
Dave the Fish mentioned that he fancied a crack at the large Perch that inhabit Samson pond, and before you could say “STRIKE” they were all lining up to join in.

Welshmen (Dai & son Dan) were planning round trips from the valleys, while a grumpy ex-pat old Englishman, moved a doctors appointment to stow away to his homeland.
Colin joined in because he had to supply a kettle for Dave the Fish, While Mick (Weyback) tagged along on the flimsy pretence of acquiring a ring for an old rod.
Terry aka Wily Coyote decided that as he’d found his “Winter Woolies” he’d better use them, and on the day from out of the blue “The Hat” aka Andy appeared.

Vince, the bailiff on hearing of this mini invasion, suddenly found a visit to his
Mother-in-law to be preferable, in case he had to get the excavator out to extend the pond, though he did appear briefly to part us from some ££££’s for BDAA raffle tickets.

Malc? Who knows with his inherent sense of direction, he may still be wandering the surrounding lanes searching for a sign.

So to the fishing, it was soon apparent that 9 into a tiny pond that may at a squeeze take 7 wasn’t going to happen so some split to other parts of the fishery.
The Hat & Wily strolled off to the reservoir, The Hat armed with his new margin pole to try for his target of a “Twenty” on the pole, while Wily just wanted to be alone to recover from the shock that the grumpy ex-pat old Englishman (Geoff),was in fact the very same Master G Palmer that he had been at school with some 40 years before.
Mick retreated to the relative seclusion of Finches, while Colin elected to try Hennicker, though he later shifted to Nick’s Lake. The rest of us? Being Lazy Buggers piled onto Sampson, despite it being at least a 2 yard walk from the car park.

Oh yes I hear you say, what about the fishing? ………….. Well not exactly stunning.
The Hat got his Carp, just a shame that it had been on a diet and lost 15lbs, but did get a specimen Perch ............

Wily managed a few silvers towards the end, but was probably left wishing that he’d never found those “Winter Woolies”.


Colin managed to save his day with some small Carp from Nicks lake.

Dave wondered if his float tip would ever get wet, but did manage a couple of silvers at the death on some month old pinkies. Mind you he did have the handicap of seeing a beardless Geoff in the swim next door all day.

Geoff managed a couple of Gudgeon and a few silvers, but was left cursing after losing a Common Carp of about 5lbs, that smashed him having swum through some brambles, and promptly retreated under his hood and baseball cap to hide his shame.



Dai, despite the provocation of Geoff's phone playing “Sweet Chariot” at various times got a few silvers and a start in “The Fishing race 2004″, but poor Dan had a mare and despite trying with Dads pole in his swim only succeeded in bumping the 3 Roach he hooked.

Me? I managed 3 small Carp and lost another Common when the hook came out, and about 20 assorted small Skimmers, Roach and Hybrids.

And 12 points for The Fishing Race 2004 ………..



The best bite of the day? Without doubt the hot pasties and pies that Dave the Fish kindly supplied half way through the day from the farm bakery. Nice one Dave.

So that was it a nice quiet day out that became a mini fish-in.
Friendships made and renewed, and faces put to names on a forum. A laugh and a joke with the fishing becoming incidental. All in All……A Grand Day Out.