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 

An evening on the Tees

I managed to squeeze in a couple of hours fishing tonight, arriving shortly before dark. The River Tees is really on its arse - desperately needs some extra water in.

As it was low, I opted to fish the chub rod with steak as bait, waiting until after dark before trying for the barbel . Letting it bounce around in the flow until it came to rest, it took a while before anything showed interest, but the rod flew round and I hit into a hard fighting tees chub - they really are fighting well at the moment. A nice start at 4lb 7oz.

I hooked another small chub which was snaffled by a decent pike - I played it for a minute or two before it let go of the now mangled fish. Noted for October onwards when i'll pop round with proper gear.

After this, I got the barbel rod out to see what boilies might bring - a slow and confident bite only meant one thing, bream! Not bad size though, and they do fight well in the flow. And that was that - happy enough!

A Tees 6lb chub is on the agenda for the coming months......

An update, including a brace of chub for 12lb

Well its been a week or so since my last update, and I've been out a few times....

02/01/17 - A quick couple of hours on the tees

I had intended to go Stillwater piking in the morning, but for various reasons couldn't get out in the end. I still wanted to have my first trip of 2017, and had a small window of time to get out.

The swim I wanted to fish was a good half hour walk, so It was a case of getting there, walking half an hour, fishing for half an hour, then walking back to the car fishing a couple of pegs on way back.

River was up, leaves coming down (although I was managing to avoid most by fishing the really slack water), and temps were dropping to close to 0C.

After 15 mins I had a knock, then nothing else. I twitched the bait back, which resulted in a quick bite, fish was played in the tight swim and landed. To be honest, I wasn't bothered about size, just wanted a fish as it was difficult conditions.

Nothing else but happy to catch

05/01/17 - A lovely night to be out on a frosty Tees

I managed an hour on a cold and frosty River Tees tonight. The sort of night where the net freezes and goes rock solid, and the stars are out, with temps hovering around 0 - Awesome.

Caught the one chub on steak, a low 4. I gave up after two otters swam past.....

06/01/17 - A couple of clonking chub, including my 2nd 6lber!

Had a few hours spare in the afternoon, and despite the weather was just too good an opportunity to miss (in trying to make sure I take every opportunity to fish in 2017, regardless of conditions).

I spent a couple of hours under a brolly, trying to catch a perch on lobworm, but without getting a touch. Eventually, I got bored and decided to target chub. First chuck out, and the rod tip barely had time to settle and I was into a fish (I'd been flicking pieces of steak out for a couple of hours, which had obviously done good for their confidence). After a short but spirited fight, I landed a nice chub, didn't bother weighing. Next cast, and after a short while I had a couple of touches which didn't result in anything. I twitched the feeder back, and quickly got a good bite which I hit and everything felt solid. I had to give this fish some welly to keep it away from a couple of snags, and netted a cracking fish. Weighed in at 5lb 15oz, I was over the moon (second ever biggest chub).

The light was failing now, but I had time for one last cast. The tip quickly plunged round, and I hit into what felt like something special. This one stripped line on a tight clutch, and managed to get under a tree. I had to plunge the rod, hold the spool and heave it out before it had time to think. Fortunately it came, and I netted this great fish of 6lb 1oz

08/01/17 - Not an easy morning!

Decided to get on the river this morning. Alarm went off at 6am, and I felt like I'd drunk ten pints and hit a brick wall. Coming down with a cold. The snooze button was being used, but eventually I dragged myself off the pillow, smashed a lemsip back, walked the dogs and went fishing.

Target was a Swale perch. Tactics were feeder fished lobworm, with red maggots, and moving from one swim to another. I also had some steak thawing out just in case the perch weren't having it. It was frosty when I got there, ice dropping off the branches.

Well - the perch weren't having it. Absolutely nothing - I'm a complete failure at perch fishing, never have had a good one! Anyhow, chub fished a few swims and only had the odd rattle. After a few hours, I decided to go back to the first swim where I'd thrown in a few samples, and see if there were any takers. Within minutes the rod hoofed round and I played a fish which felt much bigger than it was. Mind, it was well fed and fighting fit, weighing at 4lb 8oz. And that was that! Went home, straight to bed again after smashing back another lemsip

Night time chub fishing on the river tees

After noticing that people were getting missed or subtle bites during the day, I put it down to cold weather and low conditions. I decided that night time fishing might be the way to bag a couple. 

I dropped onto the river tees for a couple of hours. I didn't want to be roving the banks much, so I picked an area and settled down, it was really pitch black tonight. Tactics were usual - steak, link ledgered with swan shot, allowing the flow to bring it to a settled position. 

First cast, after 15 mins the rod wrapped round, and I was into a solid fish, but the fight didn't last and the fish shed the hook. Next cast same again, 15 mins whilst the chub tracked down the blood scent and the rod flew round again. This one was landed. 

Same again next cast, rod wrapped round and another fish of a similar stamp. After another missed bite, I decided to call it an evening. My light was failing and phone battery low - I'm not a fan of stumbling about in the dark. Happy with that result in challenging conditions.

Smash and grab chub...

On my way back from work earlier in the week, I quickly popped to the river Tees for half an hour on the bank. Didn't have long so tackle was already set up. Tackle was a 1.5lb speciality Avon quiver, couple with link ledgered steak and 8lb line straight through (using a couple of grippa stops to link ledger the swan shot). 

To cut a short story even shorted, I fished two swims and caught two chub, back on the road as quick as I arrived and had a nice beer with my tea! Smaller was around 2.5lb, biggest was 4lb 1oz.

Happy days - ps, the chub are finally feeding and are very hungry, with a particular liking for steak 

Avoided the blank in difficult conditions

Just got back in from a mornings fishing in difficult conditions. There was a good few foot of water in, leaves thundering through and wind / rain. Decided to use some smelly paste to try and tempt a barbel or chub, roving about and fishing the slacks.

The first few swims produced nothing, other than big piles of leaves. On the next swim there was a tree in the river upstream, creating some slack water and a crease, ideal place to find a fish. First cast and the rod banged a...s the bait came round in the flow before settling. Next cast the same happened again so I assumed that something was sat in the crease picking off food as it flowed by. I took the weight off, cast out a big lump of paste, and touch ledgered as the bait swung round the crease. This got me a strikeable bite straight away, not massive but a chub all the same, and I was happy to avoid the blank.

Left shortly after as the rain got heavy....

Water Temp was 49.5f

Night time chub fishing

I had intended to go bass fishing this morning, however things changed and I ended up having a few spare night time hours by the river. With it being low, I decided to guarantee a couple of fish and target the chub (i'm after another 6lber this season).

Tactics involved using steak on the hook and mince in the feeder; a favourite tactic of mine and one that rarely fails me. A greys prodigy 1.5lb rod, 12lb line and shimano aero feeder reel finished the set up (there is no point in going light at night time).

It didn't take long to get the usual indications as a chub try to get the mince out, and not long after the the rod hooped over to a battling 4lber. This happened two more times in the next hour or so, and I ended up with three fish of 4lb 4oz, 4lb 7oz and 4lb 9oz. Happy with that.

I have just purchased a lone angler landing net pole. I have a drennan twistlock, which is good, but can be unreliable in muddy or freezing weather, as the locking mechanism can be temperamental. The lone angler one is a lot heavier, but built to last, with a much simpler locking mechanism. Tried it for the first time today and I was very impressed to say the least. Definitely not one to be holding often to land silverfish due to the weight, but as a pike / chub / barbel handle, it seems spot on.

Stick float & Caster for river chub

I fancied a change from pike fishing (I find this keeps my fishing fresh!). There's a long stretch of river that I keep going back to year on year as it offers a brilliant variety of fishing, some fantastic chub shoals and one or two very nice pike.

A bit of research with the locals told me where the chub were likely hiding, and I turned up with the 14ft drennan acolyte plus, stick float and casters. Turning up on the first swim, I was struggling to get a bite other than off a kamikaze trout, despite steady feeding. I was then rudely interrupted when i looked behind me to find a big herd of cows wondering why an intruder had come between them and the water hole. Time to move....

Next swim looked inviting, though was not the easiest to trot the float through, and required an accurate cast and careful float control to trot through, avoiding the bushes and weed growth underwater. I soon hooked the first chub, which took me straight in the bushes and I pulled only to open out the hook. Increasing the hook gauge and line strength, the next trot through and a chub was hooked, the fight lasted long this time, only for the hook to pull at the last minute - damn. A couple of trots later, and i hooked into another solid lump. This time I had to react quickly to lower the rod angle and pull away from the tree roots, the acolyte worked nicely to carefully prize the fish away and into the net. A few casts later, and same result, this time a bigger 4lb+ chub. Despite trying more, I must have spooked the swim, and no more bites were forthcoming. A wander downstream and I could see the shoal had dropped downstream near the bridge, however unfortunately I had to leave. A nice morning

Prior to this, I had an evening session into dark in search of barbel, without success. I did, however, take a couple of pics of the night sky, one showing the movement of a satellite....why not!

Five chub from a short evening session...

I've just managed 3 hours fishing on the river. Tactics were a medium feeder to the middle of the river, nothing complicated, night light on the tip, and sit and wait. It didn't take long to get the usual indications as a chub tries to knock the food out the feeder, and then the rod just swing round, first fish landed. This happened four more times in the next couple of hours, and they fought brilliantly, seem to be in fighting fit condition.

Fish of 4lb 1oz, 4lb 5oz, 4lb 8oz, 4lb 10oz and 5lb 2oz (a new pb by 1oz!)

Got to be happy with that!

The bottom fish is the big one.