I want one!!

Gear for the roving river angler is always a sore point. We want something lightweight, durable, versatile and comfortable. I've got by with a Korum accessory chair and ruckbag combination, which is a brilliant combination and allows you to have your hands free for rod and landing net - the chair is a cracking bit of kit. However, when your travelling for a mile, it's a heavy to say the least.

Anyway, i think i may have found what i'm looking for with this new product. Haven't got one yet, but you can be sure i'll be saving for one....

First barbel of the year...

I've been out a few times this season in the hunt for barbel, trying to get out when there's been some extra water in. This morning I woke up not knowing quite where to go, but with a bit of water in the river I knew I should give it a try.

Set up was my Wychwood Rogue Barbel 1.75lb (though yet to get a bend from a barbel on it!) and Korum KXi 50 reel, a suprisingly nice reel for the price. A glugged 14mm halibut was hair rigged to 10lb drennan sink link, with a 5oz running ledger and pva bag of 6mm pellets completing the set up. This was cast as close as I dared to the far bank where a few snags and overhanging bushes were present. The water was up but looked a bit like tea, which apparently is a bad sign (not talking from experience here!).

After an hour or so the rod plunged down and a fit-fighting barbel was hooked. I'd already lost 2 this year and wasn't planning on having the same happen again, so I put plenty of pressure on, and the rod showed it's tue colours (a lovely bit of kit!). After the initial few surges I played it under my feet for a minute or two before landing it, a lovely barbel of 6lb 1oz. Well happy!

No bass, but still some plugging action...

I've been thinking about trying a local mark called Kettleness recently and, having not fished the place before, thought i'd pop down early morning for a bit of a recce. I went with a mate called Rob. The climb down is no problem really, you just need your hands free so make sure everything is on your back....a few pics:



We fished off the ledge at high water mainly, and there were a couple of cut off points. The first we were able to wade past at high water, the second has had a rope there, which is now broke, but we clambered past it. Was fine today with the sea flat calm.

Though we saw plenty of sandeel about, we plugged away for a couple of hours with no luck. Rob caught a mackerel on a max rap, so a dexter wedge soon had another mackerel on for me before they dissapeared as soon as they had come.

Both had sprats stuffed in their belly. Highlight of the day for me was Rob trying to avoid midgie bites by cross dressing as a grannie..

A couple of terns were diving out of casting reach, but other than that no signs that bass may be about. I'll definitely be trying more now i know how to get there and get down...

And the mackerel.....well one of them is my lunch, the other is being kept for a spot of piking!

Early morning bass trip

I've been preoccupied with rivers recently, specifically trying to catch barbel. Anyway, with the rivers devoid of colour, i got a text off a mate who said conditions seemed right for bass. I've only had one trip this year, earlier in may, so within an hour of that text i was in my loft digging out maria's, saltiga's and rapala's and opening books about bass. Suddenly the bass bug had bitten again..

So at 3am this morning my alarm went off, suddenly it was 4am and i'd got a text saying he'd just got there. Damn, i'd fallen asleep again! A 15 min drive and half an hour walk had me there, and i decided to start off on a soft plastic, which was duly snagged on the first cast. Maybe i should have stayed in bed! I knew from previous trips that this mark tended to produce on a big tide. I changed to the shallow divers and plugged away with various bits of plastic for an hour or so with no response. I noticed my battered old storm thunderstick, the one which got me 3 in one session previously and thought, why not. So on it went, and this one dived that bit deeper and created an instant response. Out of knowhere i was playing a bass, only a small schoolie, but a bass all the same. I've gone a whole year before now without catching one, so i was a happy chappy.

I left my mate still fishing, so i could go home and make kids breakfast, take dog out etc. Just got a text - he's caught 3! Should have stayed out....

 

A Morning on the River

Decided to do some trotting this morning, mainly because i wasnt confident of catching much else at the moment, but also to get me drennan combo floatmaster out. Got there early and set up to trot maggot and caster. Size 18 to 3.2lb drennan float line and 1lb 10oz drennan team england hooklength. Roach sport from the off, nice fish as well...

Shallowing up brought some bonus dace as well, some of them decent sized. Hooked into something solid which was probably a chub or decent roach, but the hook sprung out.

(Dace on the left..)

Dropping some maggots close to my feet brought a few perch, mostly small

As the sun got up, i hooked into another roach which went solid and started hugging the bottom and plodding along, ignoring my pleas to get it to the surface. Clearly a pike had took it and it wasnt long till a bitten through hooklength was returned. I was expecting this at some point, and had the pike rod rigged up at the ready with a smelt deadbait. This was taken within 30 seconds of casting, and an athletic summer jack pike was eventually landed. All in all, an enjoyable morning. Time for a bacon sarnie and cup of tea.....

 

Back on the rivers

Frustratingly, I've had very limited fishing time since the rivers open due to work. I've really only had one session, a short evening session last week. Barbel was the target, and the river was fining down nicely after some floods. I was using a new Wychwood Rogue Barbel rod, coupled with 12lb Daiwa sensor line. Deciding that it was too early in the season for pellet or boilies (they haven't had any for a while), I chose meat and worms for bait.

It was a smashing evening, but unfortunately I only managed the one knock. As the evening wore on, bats started hitting my line and keeping me interested, and I had a nice surprise from a rat that was intrigued with my luncheon meat. No fish was the end result; i'm told these barbel are difficult to catch, but rewarding when you get one!

Small Spring tinca tinca

I went back to my favourite tench pond on thursday, as spring is here - though it felt like the middle of winter with the wind chill. I was float fishing near an artificial island, i think this acts as a fish refuge against any cormorants (not that i've seen any on this pond), however it seems to attract tench and my best tinca to date came from the very spot. Anyway, I float fished maggot tight to the island using 2lb 8oz drennan double strength and a size 18 super spade, shotted right down to a pin prick on the surface. Rod was a drennan float master in 13ft (great tool) and drennan series 7 float reel finished the tackle. The action was slow going, I only managed a small roach (which showed evidence of black spot?) and a gudgeon. However, the tell tale lift of the float showed a potential tench and i struck into solid resistance, but it was short lived. A small tench of under 2lb graced the net, the first tench of the year - it's always good to catch a spring tench, and hopefully the first of many.

Fly fishing Upper River

I spent a glorious morning on the upper river today, . I'm still a complete novice at fly fishing, but really enjoying learning the art of casting, tying flies, techniques etc. The closest a got to any fish today was seeing some shadows as they bolted off. The water is painfully clear, and i'm told they are notoriously difficult to catch around here when the river is so low. However, a nice 5mile walk, amongst lovely surroundings...

Until next time

I'm going to miss the rivers. Their untame, natural beauty cannot be beaten by any lake and the ever changing character can offer a different challenge everytime. Today I tried a stretch of the River not tried by me before, in the upper reaches. Plenty of shallow stuff, with intermittent pools, some to depths of 10ft. A very interesting place.

It took a while for the fish to bite, but bite they did and after a few minnows had gulped down any baits I could offer, I caught this trout of 1lb 7oz

Ledgered worm resulted in this chub of 4lb 2oz, followed by an 8oz grayling and a decent chub for the old fella.

Goodbye rivers, until next time

A pb chub

I fished the River today with the intention of trying for chub and pike. Conditions were mild, and the river was fining down after a recent spate. Ideal really. I set up my drennan avon quiver with it's 3oz tip (owing to the flow) and using 8lb line straight through to a size 10 drennan wide gape, fished with cheesepaste. The fish were there, and indications were forthcoming, but they clearly knew all about cheesepaste and i didnt receive very confident takes. A switch to luncheon meat brought an immediate response, and the tip wrapped round connecting with a chub, which put up a dogged and determined fight. Eventually landed, i felt it was easy a pb, and probably a 5lber. At 4lb 13oz, though slightly dissapointed at not getting a 5, I was still please to be my pb by 5oz.

I also managed a fish of 4lb 3 oz to cheesepaste / bread crust balanced rig, and went home with a smile on my face. There's only a couple of weeks to go until the close season, and i'm going to miss the rivers.

Chub on steak

Despite there still being snow underfoot, the conditions felt milder today. However, the river was still low, cold and clear and I knew it wouldn't be easy. I decided to fish steak on the hook, with mince in the feeder, using a drennan avon rod with 2oz tip, complete with the new drennan FD 4000 reel (cracking piece of kit!) and 5lb line straight through, with the feeder stopped by a couple of grippa stops. This was cast into the flow and allowed to be pushed back in to the nearside bank, underneath some overhanging willows.

FIrst cast and I was soon into a fish of 3lb ish, which gave a good account of itself.

Next cast produced a couple of plucks, followed by a good wrap round and i connected with something substantially heavier than the first. Unfortunately, despite my attempts to keep it out the willow, I couldnt and that was that! Despite getting a couple more pulls, i didnt connect with any more and went home with just the one fish.

Winter is here!

I knew, after last nights snow, that I just had to get out fishing this morning. I also knew i was unlikely to catch, but I just needed to be there! Bizzarre yes, but we anglers are a bit odd at times.

I got to a very cold, low and clear river, and tried a balanced crust / cheesepaste approach, with a light ledger link, with just the one slight pull offered. I tried pike fishing with some lamprey (hoping the blood would leak in the clear water). This provided me with no success either. Suddenly a flotilla of 25-30 cormorants surfaced - they covered the wolewidth of the river and were just making there way downstream, presumably gobbling all the small, cold, docile fish in their wake. One glance at me and they all flew off - they must have been there as the lakes were frozen. This is a problem with rivers up and down the country.

Back to the fishing, and simplistically I blanked, but I left with plenty of cold, snowy memories...

3 Chub for 12lb

I've just got back from a great morning's fishing. I got to the river at 7am, and the weather was wild with heavy gusts and the odd shower. Walking to my favourite peg, I fed with liquidised bread whilst setting up. Casting out a feeder of liquidised bread, and some smelly cheese paste on the hook, it didn't take long to start getting some indications (i find if the chub are there, they will soon be on your bait). The first proper pull was missed, but second time round I hooked into a nice chub of 3lb 3oz

I could have stayed in the swim and hope for another, but decided to move on. My second choice of swim involved casting out into the middle of the river, and allowing it to swing the bait in to the near bank under some overhanging trees. I the balled the bad in by hand. Again, it wasn't long until I hooked into something, and this time it felt bigger. I had to put a serious curve on the rod to keep the fish out the near bank, but eventually it grudgingly came over the net, and at 4lb 8oz was a new pb for me.

My last swim was a real birdcage, but by squeezing through some branches, I was able to cast out and let the bait swing in again underneath some overhanging trees. Same tactics as before, and this gave me my final chub of the day at 4lb 3oz - the end to a brilliant session.

A Cold winters day on the river

Today was one of those tough days where I knew it would be difficult to catch, but I also knew it would be an achievement just to be out there on a cold crisp morning. I was trying a new stretch of water, one I intend to fish a fair amount this year. With the river cold and clear, I decided (after reading a recent magazine article on the river) to use steak on the hook, with mince in a feeder. It certainly provoked some interest from what was presumably chub but, try as I might, I failed to convert the many knocks and small pulls into a fish. Not suprising really, given the temps. Here are a few photo highlights from a cracking morning...

chub

After last weeks success, and with the mild temperatures and the river dropping off following midweek floods, I decided to go for some River chub again. Tactics were similar to before, with smelly cheese paste (blue stilton of course) and liquidised bread in the feeder, to a size 6 barbless super specialist hook and 8lb Drennan double strength. The cage feeder was stopped with two float stops up the line, so that the line wasnt weakened by any knots (you really have to hit and hold with these chub!). My first peg provided an instant response and i hit into what was obviously a big chub. No matter how hard i pulled, i just couldn't get him out of his snaggy lair, with the inevitable result of the hook springing back. Despite some further touches, i had no more action and decided to move to a new swim..

Using the same tactics, i had to cast out into the middle chanel and allow the bait to be pushed under the tree, which meant hand feedeing liquidised bread. A couple of nudges on the rod indicated some interest, and it wasn't long before the tip pulled right round. I hit into this one and, similar to before, it tried it's best to get to some nice tree roots. Fortunately i managed to hold this one off and despite a little argument with a tree to my left, it eventually came in. The result, a fin perfect 3lb 1oz chub.

First cast of 2012....

Feeling a little despondent with the local, my first cast of 2012 saw me changing venues, with a trip to another river. This is a smashing river, and one i wish i fished more. I've decided to set myself a chub target of 5lb for this year, and decided that cheese paste (the smelliest, garlic flavoured blue cheese paste you can imagine) balanced with crust and feeder fished with liquidised bread would be the tactic. 8lb drennan double strength and a size 8 drennan super specialist hook finished the rig off. First cast in to a likely looking raft of weed underneath a fallen tree showed the odd indication, and i struck at a quick jag of a bite but missed. I decided to let the bite develop, and within 5 mins the rod pulled round confidently, which was met with a strike and solid resistance. I stopped the initial surge for the tree, before playing the fish in open water. This resulted in a satisfing start to 2012, with a 4lb chub the result.

A mention about another recent fishing trip of mine. Between Xmas 2011 and the end of 2011, I had 3 fishing trips that all ended in blanks. The first was a boxing day trip to a small local river. Try as I might, nothing was interested in my float trotted maggots, and the pike did not find my well presented smelt deadbait of interest. Conversely, my brother Jono decided on an interesting little swim with a sunken tree and, using swimfeeder tactics managed to tempt 5 chublets to half a pound topped off by this smashing 2lb brown trout. If it wasn't out of season, i'm sure it would have made a lovely lunch.

Trip no. 2 saw me roving the banks of the middle river  and dropping a smelt into every likely looking spot. Despite being confident, once again i could't buy a bite. Finally, a move to the lower stretches saw me casting a deadbait to the base of the shelf in 25ft of water, a spot which the Pike usually like to roam. However, once more i failed. Prior to these blanks, a night trip to the coast in temps of -3C had me trying for that elusive shore cod. It was a stunning night at, with little wind, clear starry sky and freezing temps. Despite a promosing looking sea, my ragworm / lugworm / razorclam cocktail tempted the one fish only, a whiting, and I left for the comfort of my warm car at 1am.