Time to start updating again!

Six months since I last looked on this blog, with available time and fishing motivation failing me somewhat. I have been fishing, but often seemed to be finding excuses not to on the few occasions I could get out. Not sure why, I’m sure it happens to most at some point. 

More recently, however, the flame has returned, and suddenly I’m back dreaming of tees monsters and getting out again. As I write this, I have maps out and marked up, traces ties, gear set up and I’ve even managed a few trips in search of something special. 

To bring the blog more up to date and start afresh, however, here’s a few highlights of the last six months......


15/06/19

Suffering from a bout of insomnia, I decided I might as well struggle to sleep sat next to a gravel pit, and I duly arrived at 4am wearing t shirt. The worm tactics used on my previous trip were deployed again, however this time there was a long wait until finally in late morning the alarm started purring to the joy of a 6lb 5oz fish. For you southern boys, that’s a very good tench up here in the north and I was over the moon! Packing up, I got home and slept the afternoon away! 

20/06/19 

An after dark trip to the tees ended up with a decent bend in the rod, even if it wasn’t the intended barbel. A 4lb 3oz chub being the culprit. I think I’m future seasons I’ll try to leave the rivers alone until August onwards as the post spawn fish really don’t compare to a solid fish in its annual prime. With the tench still yet to spawn. I should have continued in that vein but one to remember for 2020

23/06/19

A chance of tactics, this time an attempt to try get a shoal of tees chub feeding on casters. The issue here is that the tees, unlike the swale, is solid with other species such as perch and dace, and try as I might I couldn’t feed them off. I did end up with a nice mixed bag however 

30/06/19

With the above in mind, a trip to the swale seemed in order. Whilst still trotting a float, I had the idea of using feed pellets with a small pellet banded to a size 16 hook. After regular and consistent feeding, I initially found it difficult to trot the swim effectively due to wind and tight space. A change of float however and suddenly it buried into a solid chub, this being a float caught pb of 5lb 8oz. It was quickly followed by a few chublets before the swim died a death and I left home happy with the chunk. 

14/08/19

Failing to catch a tees barbel so far, I decided a quick trip to the swale was in order to scratch the itch. Conditions were ideal, so I was confident of a fish and it didn’t take long for the rod to buckle with a small barbel. Happy with the result...

September / October

With the north winds blowing, a few relatively unsuccessful cod trips were in order. There’s something about sea fishing on the north east coast, wild, untamed and you never know what’s going to happen. I did manage a small cod, released back as undersized. Will get back out soon once conditions prove fruitful...

22/12/19

With the rivers seemingly in constant flood for weeks on end, I decided to travel further afield and hit a Yorkshire canal. First time fishing one, a few casts with the quiver tip quickly had me half a dozen roach, and I’d noticed that pike were striking fish near the surface so decided to trot livebaits shallow near the far bank boats. It took a while, but eventually the float bobbed a few times and disappeared. I hit it straight away and after a dogged fight slid the net under this low double, a solid fish and pleasing for first from the canal. Something I’ll be trying again....

27-28/12/19

A couple of short morning trips to the river tees with pike and chub in mind. I didn’t connect with the former but did the latter on critically balanced cheese paste and bread crust. Fun, but really my mind is on pike and moving forward I think the chub rod will be staying at home so I can focus my attentions....

And this brings me on to now! I’m really keen again, wanting to go fishing and with targets and plans afoot. Can’t wait 

Dawn Tench raid

Up early this morning in search for tench, arriving at the syndicate, not long past dawn I had a wander over to a nice bay with a number of features to fish to. Tactics were fishing hair rigged worm fished heli style, and a mix of groundbait and chopped worm in the feeder, using two rods on alarms. 

Weather was spot on, and with the sun warming up my bald head it was nice to just sit there and soak it in, especially with the wildlife on show including great crested grebes, buzzards and dragonflies. The water is gin clear as well and occasionally fish like to wander close, in this instance a pike of 5lb or so slowly swam past before bolting when it saw me. 

The right hand rod then purred into action out of the blue and I was soon netting a nice tench of 5lb 1oz. 

I didn’t get any action after that, but really enjoyed the few hours just chilling. The river season is nearly here, but I’m intending to split my time between an evening trip to the tees during the week and a weekend trip doing something else, be it fly fishing upper tees, lure fishing for bass or gravel pit tenching. 

Back to tiling the kitchen now!! 

A couple of trips to the River Tees, including a pb!

Starting off earlier in the week, I managed to get out for a couple of hours one night in search of chub. The river is very low at present, but presenting a chunk of raw steak saw me hook two chub, unfortunately landing just one, but a decent 4lber which is always good.

Despite the freezing conditions and snow blizzards, I also managed a few hours today during daytime, and decided I would try and break my perch issue (that being that I always struggle to get decent perch). Fishing the lower tees using feeder and worm, it wasn't long until the rod was pulling round to a perch of over a pound. A very good start. Bites were slow and finicky, and I think the fish were taking in the bait and not really moving. I ended up striking at what I suspected was a fish, and the rod bent over to the plod of something pretty decent. Shortly after, I had a wonderful fish in the net, resulting in an excellent start to 2019 as I bagged a pb of 2lb 4oz. 

Shortly after, another fish fell, similar size to the first, and then that was it. I walked home a happy man though, thinking about the fact that, despite the tees being a rock hard venue, it has done me some very special fish over the years and people do really underestimate its potential. 

  

Season catch up!

Its been a while! I haven't kept up to date with my blogging, but new year, new start I guess. I suppose the best way to catch up would be to list out the highlights of the year. In terms of fishing, 2018 was a very busy year for me and my fishing time was restricted. I'm determined to change that for the coming year....

Once the rivers opened, I was quickly onto the river tees, planning out my route to catching the elusive Tees barbel. I don't quite understand what I love about targeting them, as there's hardly any there, but the challenge is immense and very occasionally it throws out something special. Some of my early trips threw up the usual chub, and some of them were of an impressive size, including a 5lb fish and the very special 6lb Tees chub that i'd caught twice before, this time at the lowest weight of 6lb 1oz.

5lb on the nose

6lb 1oz tees chub

After circa ten trips without a tees barbel, I decided to switch my attentions to the more famous barbel river, the Swale, with the aim of achieving another target, that being to catch one on the stick float. Fishing the middle reaches with caster, it was exciting stuff watching a small shoal of barbel feed on them. The first trip saw success when, after losing one mid-battle, I finally landed a 6lber on the stick; a lovely way to catch them. I was back before work two days later, knowing they were in the area, and after an epic fight netted a 9lb 1oz fish, again stick float and caster.

First float caught barbel

A much better stamp at 9lb 1oz

With the barbel itch scratched, I was back at the tees trying trip after trip for a barbel. Eventually, late in September, fishing a single boilie my rod went through an alarming bend and I hit into what was obviously a tees torpedo. It's a privilege to land one of these fish, and despite the challenge I will keep trying. They have a slender build compare with other rivers, and are magnificent fish

And that essentially rounds up my year, as I haven't had much opportunity to fish since. It's now winter, I have chub and pike on the brain, and i'm trying a few rigs up in preparation for a night trip on the tees....