When my adventure with the fishing rod began twenty years ago, Asp was a great mystery to me. Several years have passed, I have gained some fishing experience, however, I still had no luck with Asp. The urge to take on rap was getting stronger and stronger and it even happened, that while browsing atlases and fishing books, I always kept my eyesight on the photos and illustrations of these fish a bit longer and caught them in my dreams. The breakthrough happened quite unexpectedly. One summer day I was returning home from the river and passing a holiday resort I saw a net hanging on a tree, and in it a beautiful silver fish. Asp! Someone's got an asp! It was a stimulus, which I needed. I decided, that I will do anything, to catch at least the same rap this year. So it happened. Today I have a lot of asps on my account, however, in retrospect, I can confidently say, that the first rap was not the most important thing at all. I had a lot more satisfaction after catching a completely different asp.
This adventure happened a few years ago, when spring asp fishing was still allowed. On Easter Monday we went fishing with Jacek, my friend, and at the same time a teacher and fishing guru. We went to the Vistula River near Kłoda (about 70 km from Warsaw in the direction of Kozienice). We assumed in advance, that we will only spin above Radomka. In those years, this river could be safely called the largest sewer in central Poland, no wonder then, that we were not happy about fishing below its mouth. Tell the truth, we focused mainly on fishing with ides and spinning. We didn't even think, that we will have the opportunity to make Monday on this day… pain.
The weather was very nice for early spring and encouraged to fish. After leaving Ryczywół and walking a few kilometers, we finally reached the bank of the Vistula. The queen of Polish rivers flowed mysteriously and carried the spring one, unfortunately a bit dirty water. The water level was quite high. After the spinning was assembled, we went to fight. I started off with my favorite wicker bushes. Jacek went somewhere further. Already in the third throw, I felt a characteristic tug, I cut briefly and the fish began to spin the grinders on the surface of the water. Unfortunately, spring asp is a weak opponent, so after a while he slipped onto the shore. He wasn't great, but for the beginning of the season, 1,07 kg is also a good result. Then he cut it off with a knife – we thresh, we thresh and nothing comes of it. The only entertainment is admiring the landscape and the awakening nature.
High noon, when, already bored with monotonous fishing, I rested under the tree, a colleague informed me about the take and the double pin. He vividly described a beautiful jerk and still could not come to terms with the fact, that almost certain prey had fallen off his stick. "Bishops of Death", After all, the tiny silver centrifuges we made ourselves were impeccable. After losing an unusually large ache from the hook's fault (broke off during the haul), we started to arm all our artificial lures with mustads only. Well, clip is a clip – it can happen to anyone.
The fact of locating the pain electrified me in a fraction of a second. I got up and continued to fight. But nothing happened in the river. After half an hour I returned to exactly the same place, in which Jacek fell two. First throw, a few turns of the handle and immediately take. The stick bent, that's nice, and the fish splattered the water with its tail. Unfortunately, the fight was short again and the silver predator landed on the shore. After unhooking the fish, we made a careful inspection, for the place and size of the prey suggested, that it is the same asp, who was already on the stick today. We gave him an eye of two kilos, although then my assessment of the weight of the fish was in nodding agreement to the master. We looked into the asp's mouth, and indeed – there were clear traces of the treble hooks on both sides! But a coincidence – such a careful predator, and twice in half an hour he made the same mistake. For me the asp went to the plate from the side of the stream, while my colleagues from the shore, and this is where these two-sided traces were created. Jack, which suddenly appeared next to me like out of the ground, he was already joking during my struggle with the fish, that it was his asp and he "let" the fish break off only because of it, so that I could catch it.
The rest of the hunt was normal, that is, the fish were not taking. Anyway, we both had had enough. We put our sticks together and marched to Ryczywół.
On that fine day, I was really very proud of myself. There were two reasons for this - first, a successful catch, as for the beginning of the season, and secondly,, and it was even more important, the first time I beat my master and teacher.
On the way to Warsaw, I repeatedly told Jacek my wonderful impressions of that day, and although I repeated myself, he listened with stoic calm, what I gave him a pouring Monday over the water. From the perspective of the years, however, I can see, that it was one of my few advantages during joint trips to the water. As you know, champions don't really like to lose…
