Mashed Bread for Roach - 09/07/11

I decided on an evening trip to the River Tees, and with a bit if extra water in, mashed bread was to be the target. I dont know why, but with a foot or two extra in, it seems to do the business for me. To make it, i get a cheap loaf of white, and blend half of the slices (crusts and all so you have some floating bits in your feed). Throw in a few balls of bread lightly compressed in your hand over a 20 minute period to get the fish in a confident mood, and you can get a few fish in quick succession - at least thats the plan.

Using a feeder full of mashed bread and a piece of flake the same as a 10p coins on the hook is the tactic...

As usual, with this tactic, i got lots of slight pulls, knocks etc. I always find the best thing to do is to simply ignore this, literally sit on your hands until the rod pulls round. I was hoping for some quality roach, with a chub or two to add to the mix (oh, and i had my barbel rod out to the far bank - you never know!). It wasnt long until the first fish was hooked, a nice plump roach

After this, i missed a succession of bites and finicky knocks. They were losing confidence and i knew why - my feeder kept getting attacked by a pike on the retrieve. I hooked i at one point (and it felt big as well!) but it came off. The only time i dont take my pike gear as well!! A few more small roach followed...

I fished on into dark, hoping for that elusive barbel but again it wasn't to be. It's proving a decent challenge this (a Tees barbel), i know it will come good for me soon though...

More river Pike, but still not Barbel! 03/07/11

Got up at 4.30am for a dawn start today on the middle river. A beautiful morning, and i hoped to pull a fish or two out before the sun got too much.

I had a barbel rod out, with cage feeder tactics and sweetcorn as bait cast to the far bank near some tree cover and a raft of weed. On the near bank, i used a smelt deadbait cast downstream to some dead water under a tree in the hope for a pike.

I quickly started getting indications that fish were about on the barbel rod, but decided to ignore the twitches in the hope for a good pull. Suddenly out of nowhere the rod slammed down and i struck expectantly, but with no response. It was either a chub or barbel, and i was annoyed at missing it! I was just getting ready to cast, when the nearside rod started flying away to a pike run. I lifted into it quickly, so as not to deep hook the pike, and was met with a solid response. After some fun and games for 5 minutes or so, i netted my second double of the year at 10lb 2oz.

I'd guessed that this might have ruined the swim, so a change was required and a quater of a mile later reached my next swim. By now the sun was high, and despite efforts, i struggled to get anymore bites. I brought my deadbait in, unclipped the lead and cast the deadbait out again to try a bit of sink and draw. Third cast, and the bait was hit by this small pike.

By now, it was sweltering and i called it a day. A nice morning out, and now i'm off for a pint. Going to be trying for some bass again soon, so here's hoping.