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