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NIGHT MANOEUVRES

DAVID MARRS

Dave Marrs, 11lb 10oz Zed

As has been well documented in the past, Zander are thought to be very nomadic in their approach to feeding. There is no doubt that on occasions they will travel large distances and indeed one of the Middle Level's frequently caught 'Known' specimens of the late 90's was reportedly logged from four different locations up to 4 miles apart in one season alone.  During the depths of winter for instance Zander become so much harder to catch and I think that although there are a number of factors that could be attributable to this, one certainly stands out head and shoulders above the rest.  Migration!!!

I believe that after Christmas certainly, when the temperatures are at their lowest and few fish or anglers for that matter, are showing, vast, vast quantities of the drains will actually be devoid of fish.  Due to the low temperatures and probably the fact the fish don't have to feed as much, they will simply find a comfortable area of the drain, probably next to a larder of Roach and lay up. I personally have always found the months of January and February absolutely nails when Zandering, although there have been times when I have managed to catch, fairly regularly too.  These obviously have been the times when my homework has been completed and I have managed to find a good area of drain with fish laying up.  Not the easiest of tasks when one considers the vastness of the drain network.  However, all the doom and gloom over with, in Summer and Autumn when the fish are more active then the chance of a Zander passing through your swim is obviously a lot higher. Things are not cut and dried though, few anglers tip up, plonk themselves in a swim and then catch quantities of Zeds every weekend from the same swim for the next 3 months.  In my experience, Zander are absolute experts at performing vanishing acts once a bit of pressure occurs.  Last Season during one of my frequent 2 night sessions on the Middle Level I made a good catch of quality Zander on the first night. Fish of 11lb 10oz, 8lb 12oz, 8lb and 6lb 8oz were landed.  'Bingo' thought Disco Dave, 'Maybe tonight will produce a real biggie!'.  Now, the first night I had the drain to myself, 4 rods in god knows how many miles of water, I had obviously landed on the fish. The next night two other Zedmen turned up nearby, one being my mucker and fishing buddy Nick Clare. There were now 12 rods out, our chances tripled? Wrong, I had the only fish of the night, a 4lber. The fish had moved. So what methods can we employ in order to keep in touch with the moving fish? Surely a more mobile approach would pay dividends?

Dave Marrs , 8lb 15oz

ROAMING

Moving back to Lincolnshire in May of last year finally gave me the chance to get around to a method I'd been mulling over in my mind for a few seasons. Prior to this, I'd been traveling a large distance to fish and other circumstances meant I couldn't just turn up for short sessions with the bare minimum of equipment.  Basically I was turning up with enough gear to last a week, tapping into the local information network and fishing 'Blind' at spots I felt gave the chance of fish or that had been kind to me in the past.  I did catch fish but I also blanked a few times. However I decided to cut my losses and plan a few exploratory trips taking the absolute bare minimum, like 1 rod and a few its 'n' bobs.

I've never been all that successful fishing for Zander during the day on the drains so I planned to carry out my roaming trips under the cover of darkness.  This in itself didn't initially present too many problems, after all I'd been night fishing for Zeds for 7 seasons now.  However, once I started to have a good think about it all it did pose a few little teasers. Clothing was the first issue I tackled, I use a Sundridge minus 10 suit, clearly too heavy to wear while roaming about on an August night, yet magic to wear during the wet weather of November.  What if it did turn really bad though? I compromised and left the Sundridge suit in the car, while wearing a good warm and waterproof jacket with a pair of jeans and my lightweight boots.  Basically I didn't wear the Sundridge suit although it isn't at all restrictive, for the following reason.  You'd simply sweat your cobs off moving about in it and once you're wet through with sweat and it turns cold, there can be a real risk of hypothermia.  This risk is magnified many times if you're a mile away from your car and you have to get back. I take no chances with the weather in the Fens, I've seen nights that have turned positively evil, even during the height of Summer.  Still, I had my warm gear in the car if I needed it. Venues were the next issue I challenged.

The Middle Level was the main water I wished to attack however, not at any personal risk, fishing is my hobby and as such I don't take any risks, certainly not trampling about in the middle of the night. As many of you will know, the Level varies a lot in its 7 or so miles of length. The upper Level features many steep and suicidal banks whereas the lower Level seems flatter. I plumped for the lower stretches, to be honest I've always found the lower Level harder anyway so it was an easy choice for a bloke who always seems to choose the long way round!  I figured the lower Level was the place to head.  Other waters that lend themselves to this style of fishing are in abundance, the 20ft simply screams out as does the 40ft, Well Creek is another good roaming water, the Cut Off is too.  In fact the Ouse is yet another great water for roaming.  All the gear I took with me was my forceps, weighing gear and camera, a small tackle box, a trace tidy, head torch and spare, with a small flask making up the lot. Obviously a rod, landing net and unhooking mat as well. All I needed now was bait, this was easily achieved with 6 small Roach joining the party in my small white bucket.

My tactics were simplicity itself, just walk to a swim and gently swing my small bait into the water just over the inside ledge and let it work through the swim for 5 minutes or so. I fished a free roving rig basically on my half of the drain, by just swinging the Roach into place instead of casting to the horizon, the bait was kept fresh for hours on end.  The bait could thus be manipulated into working my side of the drain, at least I'd be fishing half of the drain well, a tactic I'd rather perform instead of fishing the whole of the drain but badly!  I ought to mention that stealth was also used at this stage, I kept well away from the water and kept heavy footsteps well to the minimum.  I'd fish a swim for 5 minutes or so and then move on to the next swim.  Almost every take I've had has come within a whisker of the bait going in.  You would be well surprised to find out how close in you can catch Zander, you really can take them from right under your feet in as little as 3ft of water!  These simple tactics were all I employed and I'd fish on until I was knackered.  Normally by sleeping before a trip, the trip basically just became a nightshift, when it was finished I'd grab a kip in the car for a couple of hours or so and then head home.

CONCLUSION

Well you can draw your own conclusions. There is no right or wrong way to fish for Zander, only what you yourself term as results, are what you can go by.  My results were that I never once blanked while 'Roaming' and that included trips out in January! I never managed a double whilst 'Roaming', but it isn't yet a method I've absolutely hammered, the double will come, it just takes time.  I managed to find confidence in certain swims and have since concentrated on some of these swims and caught more fish.  Most of all, I enjoyed myself which to me means everything.  I am happy just being out Zedding, sometimes I fancy a week long stay, but other times the bug gets me and I just want to try out as many swims as I possibly can.  Believe me folks, in Zandering there can be few sights as exciting as watching a starlight sink through the depths under your feet as a Zed strikes! Why not give it a bash.