River rising and temps on the up....

I felt there was a chance of a barbel at the weekend. I couldn't get out until Sunday after so decided a session into dark might offer me a chance. With the Swale carrying a few foot, I opted for a the Martin bowler Drennan big river rod, couple with a daiwa ss2600 and 15lb line. Bait was a big, smelly paste wrapped lone angler ocean pride boilie, that I'd made at home, adding a good dollop more flavouring than is recommended! 

Travelling light, I covered a few swims in 5 hours of fishing, but failed to connect with anything. The river was rising slowly, increase in temp from 42F to 43F. I wasn't the only one - others blanked as well (incidentally it sounds like I was a day early as people started catching on Monday....with temps at 45F). 

It looks like more of the same in the coming days (although sudden drops in temps overnight won't help), so I may be out again in search for a barbel. Keep my options open though until I know for sure what the levels are like. 

A River Tees chub in freezing conditions on the new Acolyte Feeder rod

It's been a while since I update the blog, mainly because the rivers have been very difficult to fish the last 6 weeks or so. The river was finally fishable today, so I needed to get out, despite the temps. I didn't get to the banks of the Tees until early afternoon.

I was fishing with a drennan acolyte feeder rod, new daiwa feeder reel and 5lb drennan method and feeder line straight through to a size 8 hook. A small cage feeder was stopped by two float stops, so there was no swivel or additional weakness in the line. To counter the finicky bites, I used a very soft tip (1.5oz) and paid out a bow in the line. This way, the chub would feel very little resistance and bite more confidently - or that was the idea. 

After a couple of taps, the tip pulled round and I was into a nice Tees chub - the gear performed well, and a nice chub was soon landed. 



I couldn't buy another bite. I would have liked more but happy with this in freezing conditions.

The drennan acolyte feeder rod makes a good chub rod as well....I'd used it once before on a Stillwater and managed a small chub, but needed to try it with something bigger!

Some snow in the hills at the moment which I imagine will come down once the temps rise next week. Probably a grayling session next weekend on the upper reaches of the Ure....that's the plan at the moment anyway!