No More Ice Bingo… Please!

Both my winter leagues were called off at the weekend because of ice and driving conditions. With no matches on Saturday I had a look at the local river, only to find it chocolate and raging through from all the ice melt, so that was a non-starter…

Sunday I decided to brave the Tunnel Barn open, with around 26 of us daft Eskimos in attendance. I wasn’t unhappy to draw peg 25 on Extension, but less impressed to see my Big Bertha breaker bouncing on the two inches of ice I was greeted with!

After an hour I’d finally heaved and chipped my way out to 12 metres and hoped that was far enough. It definitely wasn’t, as it was still the same depth there as closer in. Too deep with all that cold water going in. I didn’t mind the cold or the ice. However, the wind in my face really was painful and made the fishing really difficult.

It took over two hours to catch my first fish. Everyone was catching to my left and not a lot was getting caught to my right. My next door neighbour packed up with two hours to go and I should have done the same in hindsight. The fishing never improved, but that biting wind was joined by fine rain misting up my specs!

I’ve limped home with just 6lb. Think I’ve only had a dozen bites and five of them were tiny roach. I’m sure if I could have got into shallower water I would have caught a few fish, but there’s not a lot you can do when the ice is that thick and it’s such a wide peg. Holding a rig still enough to get a bite wasn’t easy either with that biting headwind. All in all a very frustrating day!

Not seen the full results but I know sport got better to my left with peg 19 winning the match with around 29lb. Well I suppose I got some much-needed exercise. Aching a bit today. No more ice bingo this winter please!