A perfect day. Grey overcast, warm and a gentle southerly breeze.

I’d caught fish at Great Springs and Little Bognor and thought that I would visit a different lake. The scenery was certainly different, 400kv made my rod tingle at 50 herz which was a little unsettling.

I hadn’t been to Lower Figgs for a while and I was pleased to see that the surroundings had matured since it was re-excavated. There was plenty of cover for the angler and I could just see weed beds developing which would surely hold groups of fish.

I chose the open ground and cast into the deep channel near the island. The GRHE was seized as it was sinking and the leader shot forwards. I’d hooked a trout first cast. I wondered about the fly, it was a good imitation of a shrimp, an olive nymph and a pinhead fry but also resembled a trout pellet ? I glanced towards the landing net and the fish wriggled off the hook. On the third cast I repeated the loss and made a mental note to ignore the net until the fish was ready.

The pod of rainbows were hanging about over deep water and a third fish took the fly with a gut wrenching bang on the rod. I bullied the fish a little and released it successfully, it was about 3lbs and had fought hard. A perfectly conditioned fish.

The pod of fish broke up and the fish retreated around the side of the island. Extra long casting, which surprised me, I’d forgotten about the double haul, reached another fish which became airborne at twenty yards. I found another couple of fish, cruising over deep water and decided to stop fishing, four fish is enough for me.

I wandered through the woods and paused at Luffs, a couple of members had bent rods. I had a cup of tea and a biscuit on the bench at Great Springs. My March visits to the lakes had all been successful. When I returned from Devon in early May I would be able to visit the Rother and use a mayfly for the difficult brownies.

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