Fishing a flooded river for chub

An interesting day on the river! Got there first thing and the state of the river put the sh@ts up me. I've never been comfortable fishing in floods, and thats probably why I dont catch much. But i was determined to give it a right go today. The peg i wanted to fish i just couldnt get anywhere near. Massive shame, as im sure there would have been a lunker or two. However i found a part of the river where the main flow hit a row of bushes and a gravel bar, leaving some slack water downstream and a bit of a deep depression.

I was using a simple link ledger with 3 swan shots, attached via some grippa stops which allowed it to be adjustable at any time. 8lb line was used straight through (no point in going any lighter in floodwater). I tried cheesepaste and breadflake without success, and then put a nice lump of steak on the hook. After 10 mins or so I was suprised when the rod wrapped round and i was into a good fighting fish, equalling my pb of 4lb 13oz (when am i going to get a 5lber!!!). I weight it in the sling and it went 5lb 9oz, but unfortunately we sling weighed more than 9oz....damn!!

I really did try hard for a good few more hours in various spots, but couldnt bite another bite (even on my secret bait). The wind and rain were making it difficult, so i gave up! A good day out....

A snowy morning on the river, with some fish to boot!

Dragged myself out of bed this morning at 5.45am, took the dog out for a quick walk and noticed we'd had a good blanket of snow, but given that conditions haven't changed much for a week or two i still felt I had a chance.

I had intended to walk a lot further today but the snow made it twice as hard so i only really fished a small section of river, one which i hadnt tried before. The plan was to fish away from my car for chub, and back towards my car for pike.

Given the conditions i wanted my chub bait to move around with the flow, so all I had was a link ledger with 1 x AAA and a size 8 korum hook, and starting off with my favourite cold water bait ;) ;D

The pic above was the first peg, which produced no fish. A move further and my next swim, i flicked the bait out towards the centre and after 5 minutes or so the rod wrapped round to an unmissable bite. A pleasing start, at 4lb 9oz...

Despite trying 5 or 6 other pegs no more chub were forthcoming other than the odd pluck. Away went the chub rod, and out came the piking gear for the walk back. Smelt was the bait (Again!!). The first two swims produced nothing, the i had a very slow dipping of the float which i hit and hooked. After a short tussle amongst the branches i soon landed this pike, not quite a double but a pleasing 9lb 8oz.

No more bites after that and I got back to the car happy with my efforts and supped a nice cuppa to warm me up.

The sort of morning I like!

A couple of fish in the snow...

Well that was the sort of morning I love, really hard going but with a couple of fish.

The river was cold, low and clear, so I knew it wouldn't be easy. I started off in my first peg (which is often a banker) but unfortunately nobody was at home (or hungry!). It was nice to see a couple of goosanders feeding (and no cormorants!).

I moved after an hour or so (giving the pike longer today because if the temps), this time just trying a float fished smelt near a slack bit of water and overhanging tree. To my delight, the float quickly darted away and even though it only weighed 6lb 8oz, and 26 inches in length, I was happy with the result - though my target of a Swale 20 continues.

I tried one more swim for pike with no success before moving to an area that I always catch chub from. Tactics were a single swan shot on a ledger link, size 10 hook and steak. This was cast to the middle of the river and allowed to flow back into the near side bushes. The first bite didn't take long (I'd prebaited the swim on the way to my first peg) and a 3lb 7oz chub was soon thumping against the drennan series 7 specialist Avon. Happy with that....

I moved a bit further downstream and did the same again. This resulted in a verry confident bite, and a big big chub hooked. I had it on for ages but it just wouldn't give up. I had to bury my rod to avoid some snags, but unfortunately it did snag and the rest, as they say, is history. Definitely a pb, but never mind!!

I went home shortly after this, happy with mornings work.

On a cold and frosty morning...

It was a but of a frosty night, which had nearly lifted by the time I left. I was wandering the banks of the river tees, probably about two miles with nobody else in sight. I didn't have any bites in the first swim, but then a bit if slack water underneath an overhanging tree saw my float bobbing and disappearing from sight. After a determined tussle, which saw it explode out the water, I caught this low double.

Nothing else to report other than bulls, an otter, a water vole and a woodpecker. Lovely morning...

A pleasing start to 2013 river piking

Just had my first trip out to the river in over a month. Decided on a change, conditions seemed ideal after the recent floods and i had a particular peg in mind which always produces a couple of chub for me. After setting up my drennan avon 1.25lb test, with a light link ledger and cheese paste, i flicked it out, let the current take it under a tree and balled in some liquidised bread. I was expecting a bite pretty quickly, but nothing happened, and after an hour nothing had still happened to my surprise!

Fortunately good chub swims also make good pike swims and i was wondering if the chub weren't there for a reason. In came the chub rod, out went a float fished smelt. I was just pouring a cuppa when the float bobbed and disappeared. I struck instantly and a spirited tussle commenced. Fortunately it wasn't long lived and as I landed it i knew it was a decent fish in top condition. I was hopefully it might just push the needle past the 20 mark, but at 19lb 4oz i wasn't disappointed.

Shortly after, a move of swim and a change of bait to luncheon meat also produced a nice chub of 4lb 8oz. A pleasing start to 2013.

A detour to the sea

I've not been out much of late, having been out of the country. What I have done has been at the beach, albeit in the mouth of my beloved river tees. I've been practising my casting and tying rigs, catching small stuff like codling, whiting and rockling. Cold but enjoyable, however I'll be back out on the river this weekend!

A cold morning on the River

A delayed report this one. It took a while to get the fish in a feeding mood because of the overnight frost. I started off on 2lb line straight through, but ended up scaling down to a size 20 to 1.5lb bottom to buy a bite. After taking a dozen or so dace, I hit into a mystery fish which I couldn't budge. Unfortunately the hook pulled.

After taking a few more fish again I hooked into another one but it didn't feel quite as big. After a good tussle on light gear, I had this nice perch. For some reason I rarely catch perch so I was happy with the fish. Not much else to report, apart from the dace. As always, an enjoyable morning though...

 

 

 

PS, Notice the new Abu 706 which i'll do a post on sometime, suffice to say i love it

Fishing for the ladies

I've had a couple of sessions for grayling recently, with relative success. The first was on the river, grayling were obliging on the stick float...

 

The second trip was on another local river

Got there as dawn was breaking, there had been quite a hard frost after walking through a bit of a jungle, got to my first swim.







Centre pin came out, 4aa avon float, 3.2lb drennan float fish to a size 18 kamasan B911 and maggots, and the trusted drennan floatmaster (i'm no floatmaster so i need a rod that will help me!). Took me a short while to get used to it, but shortly after i was doing a nice flick out of the float and getting it 3 rod lengths out or so. By letting it come round and into the deep pool, i was hoping for a chub and it didnt take long to get an unmissable take. Loved playing the fish on the pin, definitely adictive, but it turned out to be a trout of 1lb or so which was quickly released.


I tried for a while longer, but with no success so i up shot and changed venue..



The flow was more steady here, so i decided to fish a drennan big stick with the old abu 506, same rod, and 2.6lb drennan float fish, size 18 kamasan B911 and maggot. By feeding constantly, i quickly hit into a shoal of grayling. By holding back the float, bites came just as it was let to trot again, and they were great fun on light gear in the flow, really hard to get them upstream. I had 6 or 7 overall and lost a couple (including a really big one which i think was 1.5lb+), the biggest was 1lb 3oz which is a new pb for me, but they all averaged a good 12oz. Also had a small trout which was quickly realeased. Loved fishing here, first time i've been and i'll definitely be going back.




The biggest





Overall, an enjoyable morning and though i had to scale down because of the temps, it was great fun.

Big river dace

I went for an enjoyable day trotting a float down a nice glide of the river today. It was a thoroughly enjoyable day, not something i've done for a while (i've been preoccupied with pike!). I was using a Drennan floatmaster, the perfect tool for trotting double maggot to a size 16 kamasan. Steady feeding soon brought the dace on the feed, and one or two of these were clonkers, including this one of 8oz.

Occassionally, i would hit into a grayling, and i ended up catching 3 on the day up to 12oz, and bumped off another 2 more.

Overall, a good day, if a bit cold.!

A pb pike of 24lb 15oz - stunning river fish!

I've been exploring more of the river this autumn, marking up OS maps for stretches i can fish etc. After chatting with a mate last night, i decided on a stretch that i'd not fished before for this morning. The initial aim was to do some trotting for anything that came along, but i was also going to try this new stretch for pike as well. Although pacey, i was reliably informed that there were some deeper holes that may hold a pike or two.

I got there and the river was near normal level but very coloured still, shame. After flogging away at the float for two hours or so, all i'd caught was a dace, so i changed my plan of attack. In came the float rod, and I set a pike rod up cast to an undercut bank. First bait was float fished Pollan, a bait i've not tried much. After 5 mins or so, the float moved to one side, bobbed and then dissapeared. I hit into it, and realised it was nothing special....a 3 1/2lb chub that had spent a while chewing the head of the pollan before getting hooked (not the first time this has happened to me!).

Next cast to the same place i put out a small smelt, my favourite bait. After 30 mins or so, the float bobbed, and disappeared again. This time, my strike was met by absolutely solid resistance. You know the difference straight away between a jack and a big girl with practice and this just didnt move. After 30 seconds or so it decided enough was enough and absolutely tore off, completely unstoppable, straight into the flow. It took me 5 mins to recover this run, but it tore off again. The fight lasted a good 10 mins before i got it into a netting position, and thats when i realised i was struggling with my 42 inch landing net. I thought i had it, but the pike had other ideas and went for another run. Eventually i was able to get the pike upstream of my net, and the let it sail down into the waiting net. I lifted it out and knew she was a 20. The scales were wavering around 26lb, and the sling was wavering about 1lb. I could have called it 25lb, but i'll be honest and say 24lb 15oz, a river dream come true.

Sorry about the dodgy self takes...

 

A couple of recent piking sessions

I've started my piking season off now, beginning with a morning session on the river. Despite trying a couple of different stretches, and doing about a mile of walking looking for the pike, none were forthcoming, but it was a lovely morning to be out, and the river was in fine fettle....

 

 

The next week, the river had fined down after some heavy floods, and when i got there, the river, though back to normal autumn level, was coloured like chocolate. Not the best conditions, but I tried my best. After a few hours and a few different swims, a pike took my sardine hookbait. The float bobbed and disappeared (love it when that happens!) and i hit into resistance, but shortly after it went slack. I noticed the belly had been torn, so I imagined it wasnt a big fish. A quick change to a small smelt, and within seconds of dropping it in, the float disappeared again to yield a 6lb 2oz pike. Not big, but a bend in the rod with a determined attempt to get in a snag. Here's hoping for some double shortly...

 



A go at making my own pike floats

I've decided to make my own pike floats recently, i'm just a little tired of forking out £3 a float! This was my first attempt....

I started off by purchasing a length of 13mm balsa dowel, cost me £3 from Hobbycroft and was enough to make 5no.  7 inch floats.

Following this, I sanded off one end ready for the wire loop (being careful not to let the dog eat it). I could have used a swivel, but these are quite costly so I decided to spend £1.50 on 4m of 1mm brass wire. This was twisted around a thin screwdriver to make the eye.

 

A hole is then made into the dowel using a nail, and the eye is glued into place using araldyte.

The balsa is cut to make a float 7 inches long, and sanded off at the other end. I then applied a coat of normal household matt white, followed by some white gloss. The end is the painted either orange or black (both will be needed to suit conditions), and ta da!!

I'll be giving it a go this weekend...

I want one!!

Gear for the roving river angler is always a sore point. We want something lightweight, durable, versatile and comfortable. I've got by with a Korum accessory chair and ruckbag combination, which is a brilliant combination and allows you to have your hands free for rod and landing net - the chair is a cracking bit of kit. However, when your travelling for a mile, it's a heavy to say the least.

Anyway, i think i may have found what i'm looking for with this new product. Haven't got one yet, but you can be sure i'll be saving for one....

First barbel of the year...

I've been out a few times this season in the hunt for barbel, trying to get out when there's been some extra water in. This morning I woke up not knowing quite where to go, but with a bit of water in the river I knew I should give it a try.

Set up was my Wychwood Rogue Barbel 1.75lb (though yet to get a bend from a barbel on it!) and Korum KXi 50 reel, a suprisingly nice reel for the price. A glugged 14mm halibut was hair rigged to 10lb drennan sink link, with a 5oz running ledger and pva bag of 6mm pellets completing the set up. This was cast as close as I dared to the far bank where a few snags and overhanging bushes were present. The water was up but looked a bit like tea, which apparently is a bad sign (not talking from experience here!).

After an hour or so the rod plunged down and a fit-fighting barbel was hooked. I'd already lost 2 this year and wasn't planning on having the same happen again, so I put plenty of pressure on, and the rod showed it's tue colours (a lovely bit of kit!). After the initial few surges I played it under my feet for a minute or two before landing it, a lovely barbel of 6lb 1oz. Well happy!