Back to the river..

A long time since my last post I know, but I have been out fishing  once or twice since November. It's been pretty tuff going though with missed fish and a few blank sessions along the way.
With the rivers being up and in flood for what seems like the whole winter I haven't made any effort to venture very far from home.

In the last week or so though the rivers have started to settle down a bit in between  the odd downpour that threatens to bring them back up again. ( as I write it's pouring down yet again !!)

I have caught a couple of jacks here and there on the local rivers recently and then finally made it to the Dove today, and caught this scraper double on bait, my biggest so far this year.

a dove double (just)

I also lost another fish later in the session that took the bait within seconds of me dropping it in the margin presumably smack on its nose. I felt the line pulling tight as the float dived under because I was still holding the rod as I struck and it proceeded to rip 20 yards off the reel before spitting the bait, I didn't get to see it but it felt a good one, you know, heavy, solid and powerful !

I should hopefully manage one or two more sessions on the river before the close session kicks in, the hopes I had this year for plenty of river sessions and lots of big river pike have been washed away with the floods, so I'll be back on the canals again for a while I think, which isn't a bad thing but I'll look forward to the new season in June even more this year I expect.


A couple of jacks from the local ....

 

 

Just a small one this time - Dove Barbel after a MOOOve

I've got my barbel head back on again at the moment so I headed over to the Dove again last night to try for another of its fine inhabitants. I must mention at this point that I did have an aborted session last week too, but that was a bit of a disaster as it started raining so heavily just as I arrived, I only stayed for about half an hour, then fearing the river would rise around me in the darkness.  I saw sense and decided to give it up as a bad idea, quickly heading home to safety and a hot shower!
So, back to the same swim again this week but in relatively calmer conditions.  I’ve only fished a few of the swims on this stretch for barbel so far.  I didn’t get there till nearly nine in the evening so I didn’t fancy looking for different swims to try at that time of the day. I suppose I could be accused of taking the easy option, which I'd put down as a symptom of fishing mainly short sessions.  (A change would be forced on me later in the session though.)

 The colour had dropped out of the river a bit since last time and the water level was definitely down since then, more of the gravelly bank was now available to stand on out of the flowing water. The flow was pushing through at about a steady jogs pace so it would require a five or six ounces of lead to hold bottom. I soon had two rods out, meat down stream and pellet up, in a bit of slacker water. There was the odd a bit of weed coming down snagging the lines and pulling the leads out of position a little, but it didn't stop the hook-baits holding for a good twenty minutes or so.

After a short while I missed a strong pull on the meat rod that might have been a chub, but then there was nothing further to trouble to rods for the first hour. Around 10:15pm I heard a snuffle sound behind me and looked around to see about 40 pairs of eyes watching me intently. Now cows are usually OK with me as long as they’re at least 20 yards away, but these were of the young feisty bullock ‘horns n all’ variety, so when they besiege the back of your peg leaving your only chance of escape if they were to “turn” a swim for it in the drink – I do tend to get a little bit twitchy.  It was obvious what they wanted as they made it quite clear I was in standing in their way. They had come for their evening drink before bedding down for the night and I was stopping them from getting to it. I thought about staying and holding my ground waiting for them to move on, but as they steadily closed in on me I finally bottled it, hastily gathering my gear and sidling my way carefully past the flat left hand edge of their semi circle, feet in the river treading in the shallow water running over the gravel as I went, hoping I didn’t spark off a panic stampede.

I headed down stream to look for another suitable swim in the last remnants of twilight. Safely nestled behind three strands of barbed wire was a smooth area of water on the near side bank with a crease flowing from near mid river diagonally across to the far side bank. It looked perfect for a cheeky bait down the edge, with the option of holding another bait out along the crease. The only problem was spotting somebody already sat there about 20 yards down that I hadn’t noticed in the dim light until he moved his head towards me, I thought he was a bush!  A quick apologetic wave and I stealthy moved on further downstream looking for another likely spot.  I soon found a similar area between perfectly straight banks that looked pretty un-exceptional apart from the flow on the surface. There was a crease further out, too far out to hold a bait on easily in the flow though, but the near bank had a channel of smoother water that fanned out 30 yards down spreading across the width of the river. I had a good feeling about this “glide” so cast a rod in with a boilie just a small chuck off the rod tip into the calmer water.  Soon there were a few small plucks that might have been fish but I suspected weed to be the culprit.  I wound in to find that the float stop positioned up the line had gathered a bit of weedy debris undoubtedly the cause of some of these indications.

I swapped the hook-bait over to a pellet as I’d been continually trickling in a few micro pellets up stream at the head of the run so they could trundle along the bottom hopefully drawing fish up to my neatly positioned larger hook-bait. Time was now pressing on, it was getting on for 11pm (and on a school night!) so I was thinking about packing up soon, “I’ll just give it five more minutes”. As I was practically counting down to wind in, the rod tip ripped round and the bait runner fizzed as line was stripped off. The fish was soon turned and slowly eased back upstream towards me, after a short but steady fight the fish staying low all the way it was time to net it. This fish hadn’t given up yet though and with a few head shakes dived down again using the flow to its advantage to gain back a bit of line from me. Next attempt and it was netted but had put up an impressive fight for only a small fish. I had guessed it might be bigger during the fight so was a little surprised to see just a five pounder in the bottom of the net. Still it beats a blank any day of the week and I’ve found a new successful swim into the bargain. The move proved to be a good one thanks to the cows.  However it's time to try another river for barbel next I think as I get a bit stagnated doing the same thing too often, besides there’s some rivers more local to me that I’ve not really targeted barbel on in the past. It could be time to rectify that next time….

Back on the Dove with a bang...

I visited the dove for only my second visit to a river this season. It's been pretty difficult to get out recently, what with family life seeming to block every attempt I made to plan a trip.  Family must always come first of course, so I am left to bide my time just waiting for the opportunity to arrive.

My plan for this short evening session was to fish hemp and caster in the hope of getting a few barbel  feeding confidently early on well before dark, then maybe switch to pellet later on.  I got to the areas I wanted to fish and baited up a couple of swims with a few droppers in three locations quite close to each other, so I could rotate easily without having to move my kit around too much. 

I had to rescue my kit from a herd of young bullocks at one stage, just as I finished baiting the final area a bit further downstream. I started fishing here while I waited for them to move on. Now I'm not generally scared of cows too much, growing up in countryside and working on a dairy farm one summer as a teenager, I am well used to them, but I'm not an idiot either so I treat them with the caution the deserve. One angler against 20 + cows getting a bit lively, there's only one place your going to escape and that's in the river ! not a scenario I wish to experience thanks.   A chap I met in the car park wandered up checking out swims, we chatted about the weather the river conditions and the cows and I pointed out where I had baited just to test his response. Luckily for me he was a respectful sort and wandered off back down stream to leave me to it.

I made my first cast near to the tree on the far bank that I'd just baited up, but my rig fell a little short of the baited area, I left it anyway to see what would happen.  Shortly though, I looked up to see the cows had moved on so I quickly made way back there where I hoped the other two baited swims would be drawing in the fish by now. Predominantly though If anyone did come up to fish this length of the river I wanted to be here rather than the second swim.

 A small feeder was filled with more hemp and caster and then positioned into a nice crease upstream in the mid river.  It didn't take too long before the tip dropped back, I struck and hit a fish.  It headed downstream but was stopped and turned quickly.  I was convinced it was a chub, but rather than a big wide, white lipped gob, a pointed snout surfaced with barbels on it instead. The fish flopped into the net and I'd caught this little chap ..

A small Dove scamp at 2lb

There's been a few small barbel showing in the dove so far this season which is a good sign, and I was really pleased to have landed it despite its small size.  It saved me from the expected blank anyway.

I continued with the caster rod for a while, alternating between the two baited areas. I eventually put out my pellet rod into the upstream swim as well. The mini pellets leaking from the feeder obviously attracted attention quickly as the tip started pulling round a little, eventually making me air strike a good strong pluck.  As darkness enveloped around me I pulled in the caster rod that had been dormant since landing the small one. 

I wondered if the pellets would work for me this time and was thinking about moving the rod to the second baited area when I noticed the tip pull round a few inches in a steady manner, it stopped then carried on again. By now the rod was in my hand and hooping over, and this was result !

A new PB 13lb 8oz

The fight was pretty slow and steady, the fish only pulling line off the clutch for a few seconds at one point, but I gained the upper hand quite quickly and soon with a bit of grunt from the rod it was safely over the rim.  I wasn't sure how big it was until I tried to lift the net !   Wow, I knew it was a double at least, but then carrying it to the mat I thought my PB had might even have fallen.  The scales pulled round and revealed their result, a seasons ambition was achieved in my first dove session of the summer.  This is my biggest ever fish, one that weighs more than both of my children's birth weights put together.  If I don't manage to catch anymore barbel from the dove this season I will still class it as a good one (it can be hard on the dove you know !).  However despite this daunting prospect, this result just goes to prove that it only takes one good cast and one bite from one good fish and your fortunes can change in a second.

Back she goes

Perch and Pike bonanza

After the session on Wednesday last week, I couldn't resist  the chance to try for another Dove perch.

On Sunday morning 6:45 am sharp I arrived on the bank ready to fish,  the float rod set up with my pin.  I quickly droppered plenty of chopped worm in the spot before I did anything else, then set the floats depth and got myself into position.  First cast, and after a few minutes the float had disappeared.  I hit a solid weight that slowly and surely plowed its way around the swim and out into the middle of the river.  I knew a pike was the likely suspect and so it proved when  this 6lb jack hit the net. The mono had held firm, the hook nicely in the top lip towards the scissors. 


First cast 6lb 4oz

After dealing with the pike I was soon back in position, but had no expectations of any more fish.  Before long though, the float bobbed again moving purposefully across the water and sank away, my strike met with another solid weight that did a jag, jag dance under the surface - perch !  It wasn't long before a stripey football of a fish rolled on the top then sank back down again. After an uneventful fight I had the fish under control and quickly in the net.  When I lifted the net up the thought crossed my mind that it might even be a three !  Sure enough the scales confirmed it, and in the space of five days another PB was bettered.  I'd only been fishing for half an hour.

Second cast 3lb 3oz - new PB

The wind had now picked up making casting a problem with the float and centrepin (I need more practice).  I knew a light ledger would make things easier so changed the rig over for a simple two swan shot link and a braid hooklink.
Next cast and this double figure pike picked up the juicy lob worm, my biggest pike from the river.  The braid was completely intact despite the the fish being hooked fairly deep. (Of course I don't recommend it for pike fishing though)  With the hook safely removed the fish was photographed and returned. 

3rd fish 10lb 4oz

I then proceeded to catch the remaining perch, one of which I thought would make it a brace of threes, but this second largest of the fish fell a bit short at 2lb 8oz.

 I noticed an unusual thing when playing one of the smaller fish in the way it's colours were extremely bold and vivid during the fight, but less so after landing.  It was as if it was flashing a warning at me, in the way a marlin glows bright, almost neon colours when ripping through shoals of fish. (unless I imagined it of course)

Final perch tally - 3.3lb,  2.8lb,  1.8lb  & 1.5lb 

Soon enough it was time to go, but if I could have stayed I think the fish would have fed all day long.
Just an unbelievable experience really, I don't get many opportunities like this - a red letter day indeed.

The brace !




 - all the fish taken on worms, hand picked out the garden.

A long time coming ....

With the River season drawing to a close in less than two weeks, I've been trying to make the best decision on the day as to where to fish. The draw of other venues is strong but I am trying to remain focused on the rivers till they close. With this in mind it was a toss up between the Avon for another go at the roach and maybe a barbel, or head to the Dove to have another go at landing a nice winter grayling, and maybe a perch if I could find them ?

I mixed up some sweetcorn and ground bait mash to feed the swim then trotted through it to see if the grayling would oblige.  I know where they can be found so I wasn't worried about the location. Finding them is one thing but would they play ball.

The short answer is no they didn't, I tried a few swims, ran maggots and corn through at different depths - tripping the bottom, holding back but nothing showed any interest.  I decided that at 4:30pm I would call it a day and head to a perch swim I know of.  But before I did, I tried dropping a worm into a small slack/eddie that I'd just discovered. This didn't produce any signs and after only a few minutes I abandoned it but made a mental note for future.  I was too eager to get to the spot up stream where there would be a better chance, I hoped.

At the perch swim it was still as I remembered from two years ago when I first spotted some big perch here and I soon had a dropper load of chopped worm in position, hopefully drawing the fish from under the small snag downstream.  My simple rig consisted if a link ledger with two swan shot and a juicy fat worm hooked through the head, cast into the slack.  I positioned the rod on the rest and waited for an indication.  First the tip trembled a bit, then small bites started to come but were short, sharp taps and pretty un-hittable.  I wondered if these were from small fish pecking at the worm?
Soon one tap became a stronger pull and I hit it, but the rig just flew toward me minus the worm.  This happened a couple more times, but I was still encouraged that at least the fish were not being spooked by the activity.  After missing about four of these bites, the worm deftly robbed each time, I started to wish I had set up a float instead, thinking this would have given me a better chance of connecting up with them.

I decided to try just half a worm instead, hooked through the cut end. I cast it into the spot and waited. A couple walking their dog caught my attention on the far bank, the woman was wearing a bright red coat that contrasted drastically against the green background of the fields, which must have broken my intense concentration and my attention, ( it's funny what makes you look away from the tip !).  Snapping my mind back to the task at hand, I looked back to the tip just in time to see it pull down enough for a strike, again I hit the take and the rod hooped round.

I assumed it would be a jack pike from the resistance I felt, and then a fish surfaced. In that split second I didn't see it clearly enough to confirm, but then I started to feel a familiar jag, jag, jag sensation. "This ain't no pike" I thought. The fish pulled hard for the bottom but I drew it up to the surface again.  The perch was big, I could see that, but I wasn't allowing any panic to set in yet. 
Meanwhile the dog walkers had stopped to watch... great an audience,  no pressure then !!  The fish came up again and the net was ready, I drew it closer  "don't come off, please "   I repeated in my head,  gradually she neared the edge then flopped over the rim into the net, and was mine.

I showed it to the spectators across the river, to get rid of them really so I could concentrate on sorting it out and allow myself a small whoop of joy !

The fish was weighed and managed to go 2lb 12 oz on the scales, despite me willing them round to the magic three, it just wouldn't quite reach that far.  Of course I am still over the moon, and a new PB was finally realised displayed in vivid colours in my hands.


Here's a few indulgent pictures  (well it is a new PB after all, and one I've been trying to break for a good while)

New pin - but same result

Well another week and the blanking continues -  I only managed to get about four hours over 2 sessions so you could say that's part of the reason although it could also be argued that you only need a minute in the right spot to catch a fish !

I received delivery of my first centre pin reel this week so just couldn't wait till the weekend to try it. With some time this afternoon free I managed to squeeze in a couple of hours on the dove to try it out trotting for a nice winter grayling. 



After about an hour of frustrating casts, I'd just about managed to stop the terminal tackle tangling into patterns only explained by chaos theory ! I found the best method for me was to cast by grabbing line from between the first three eyes then side cast and release the line as normal.  This was enough to get the float half way across the river to run along a nice crease down to where the fish could be seen occasionally showing on the surface.

After about ten minutes I even connected with a fish, only for it to shed the hook shortly after, as grayling are prone to do.  That was to be the only take of the session, but I certainly didn't feel down, blank or not, I'd got to grips with the new pin and found it to be a joy to use.  The casting still needs work but it's surprising how quickly you can adjust to a new style.

 I also fished on the previous Sunday morning for a very quick session from dawn, before rushing home for 10:30am to take the kids swimming. I fished a small pool in the hope of one of the pike that inhabit it. There are a number of jacks but also some better fish to double figures in here, not that any were willing to put in an appearance.

waiting ... in vain

 It's February now and the first signs of spring are appearing in the form of buds on the trees and bulbs like daffodil are sprouting, well on their way to flowering.  The fish will be packing on some weight now in preparation for their spawning season, I just hope I can shake off my current run of blanks and quick so I can capitalise before the river season ends !

In the snow ...

I've had two short little sessions in the snow so far this winter, both have been blanks but it hasn't put me off trying again while the severe conditions persist.

Today's little trip out to the River Anker was with the intention of trotting for a few roach, but with a sleeper rod out in the deep margin for any pike that might be stirred from the bottom by an hors d'oeuvre of sardine or roach.
Most of the margin was covered in ice to more than a rods length out in places.  Luckily I found a swim where there was good depth and cover to my left where it would be safe to land any decent fish hooked.

The ice froze in my rod rings and without any glycerin I was forced to try the grease from my face and nose to fend off the ice. Surprisingly it worked a little but soon the ice returned and the process had to be repeated again.

On the way home I stopped by at my parents where I managed to get a bottle of glycerin from mom, bless her, she said she'd had it years and couldn't think of when she would ever use it anyway. It was probably past its best for icing but would still be ideal a rod de-icer.

Just needs a 2lb Roach and this picture's complete !



As dusk started to draw in,  I called it a day and headed back into the warm 

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Victims of the ice...

Just a little mention in honour of my two koi that sadly died over the last week. The garden pond has been frozen over for a number of weeks now and this has coincided with my pump packing up just before the cold weather kicked in.  Interestingly it's only the Koi that have been affected, the two commons and an orange ghostie are fine at the moment, as are the tench and all the goldfish.  I have stepped up my efforts to aerate the water though by maintaining several holes at intervals throughout the day.

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A cold and sobering morning on the Dove




Waiting in vein

I fished the Dove on the morning after our bloggers night out.  After arriving about 8am I soon discovered I had forgotten my reel that I'd taken the trouble of reloading with new 3lb line,  ready for trotting a float after grayling.  Thankfully I'd bought  a feeder set up which was cast out with maggots in earnest.

A pike rod was also cast out after a while into the slack opposite me and also down the margins, but neither rods produced any sign in the two hours I spent fishing. 

So near but so far...

I headed to the Dove for my final foray of the 2009/2010 river season, trotting for Grayling.   The river looked good on arrival despite the showers throughout the day, a nice tinge of green but a little low for my liking.   I headed for the swim that I had caught my previous and only Grayling in and fished red maggots on a size 16 barbless to 3lb line.    I tried for an hour or so but was unsuccessfull, so eventually decided to move to another area where I could trot a nice pool with a slow back eddie.

On arrival I spotted a Pike in residence below my feet,  I guessed it to be a low double ?   The fish looked like it was resting up after spawning and had some damage to its mouth possibly caused by the proceedings ?   I managed to get some pics of it, as it was very docile and wasn't bothered by me standing above it at all.   I even spooked it away at one stage by waving my arms at it but within minutes it was back again !   She didn't even flinch when I took pics of it using the flash later as the light fell.   If I'd had some pike tackle I'd of had a try for her but then in retrospect, judging her mood, she may not have been temptable anyway ?

Back to the trotting and the only fish I managed to hook in the pool escaped as it twisted and turned in the current, wriggling free just before I got it in.  My haste to get it past the Pike probably didn't help either.   It was only a small one but it would have been nice to finish the river season off with another Grayling, no matter what the size.  Oh well there's always next season, for now its back to the canals and lakes after Zander, Perch and Tench - (when it get a bit warmer).   Hopefully my next post will have a fish/es actually on the bank to show you.   I hope this new season will be more productive than 2009 /10 which has been a bit of a grueller for me, a few others too, from what I read on the forums.   I have caught a couple of nice fish along the way but it certainly hasn't felt as successsful as previous seasons.

The temperature was a constant 7c during the session a rise up from 4.5c on my last trip, so hopefuly we'll be into double figure temps by next month.    Tight lines for the new season !

It's finding them that's the hard part

             Winter closes it's grip..       

The weather forecast for Tue didn't look good but I had a session sorted for the morning and I couldn't get out again for probably another week. So there was no option but to brave the cold and hope for the best. The weather wasn't too bad on arrival; it was frosty and cold but not as bad as Monday’s -6 C. The cars thermometer only read -1c on the way there. There was snow throughout the session in the air but not enough to make me worry, and the few flurries were over in minutes so I wasn't too concerned. (only -1 C  ...  what like its a spring day or something !)

                                                                                                                                                                                           Success at last

I started off trotting a couple of reds along a nice long run on my side of the river, with steady-ish water running parallel along a crease to a more pacy turbulent flow from the middle to far side. I figured that there might be a Grayling or two along this

stretch lurking in the dying weed, and after a few casts I was sure I had a chewed maggot come back. It was difficult to tell if all the dips of the float were bites or not as the bait was set to drag along the bottom. This logically causes the tip of the float to bob under along the course of the trotted run. Soon though I had itchy feet so decided to try further upstream. I tried several swims and runs finding some good areas for future Barbel and Perch sessions along the way (always a bonus). That’s the advantage with winter fishing; you get to see the river stripped down to the bare bones in terms of vegetation and cover.

After a while I started to work my way back down stream towards the car, as I wanted to try a few swims near the start of the stretch before I left for home. I'd had a few broken hook links due to snagging overhanging branches or tangles caused by line twist. This was a major problem for me today for some reason. I found some small swivels and tied the hook link to one, which did help for a while but I still got a twisted knotted mess after a few lengthy trots down. I think the speed of the retrieval was to blame, too fast and the maggot/s spin like a propeller. The other factor was the shot used, 2 SSG which although convenient in weight for my Drennan 2 Swann Loafer, were not very stream lined causing additional drag and twist to the line. A longer string of AAA's or BB might have been better.

I eventually got down to the last swim of the day and cast in to a nice looking run of water, smooth with a gentler pace, and no sooner had the float settled into it's run than it was dragged under by something. I naturally assumed the bait was caught on the bottom as had happened numerous times during the session, but when I struck I felt a pulsing sensation, followed by the flash of a flank. My first thoughts were of a nice Dace, or maybe a smallish Chub, then when I realised this fish was fighting quite hard it dawned on me that this could actually be a Grayling!

First Lady ...

Shortly, the fish neared the net, I had to concentrate and not let it slip the hook, that would just be devastating. It rose up and I scooped it into the waiting net.  I still couldn't make it out for sure until I had the net head over the bank and there she was my first Grayling, getting on for a pound I would say. I had forgotten my scales so I can only guess,  not a bad start whatever she weighed.


I did the photos and quickly nursed the fish back into the river. As I let her go she hovered momentarily in the flow, slowly sank down, turned and swam away.  

I had a few more casts even though it was past my time to be leaving, we'll you can't resist can you, and had one more fish on that felt solid but slipped the hook a second later.


By then I think I had spooked the shoal as the bites soon dried up. I left the fish to their river and went on my way happy, just in time before the snow really started to fall.

Tales from the Freezer !

I had planned to go Perch / Grayling fishing on the Dove and despite the recent snowstorms hitting the country I headed out anyway in the sub zero temperatures. I had planned to arrive just before light, which is about 7:30am at the moment, but due to the icy conditions on the roads it was nearly 8 before I had parked and walked to the chosen stretch. Negotiating the ruts and cows hoof holes on the solid frozen ground reminded me of hopping over slippery rocks when rock pooling in the summer.

The depth changes frequently along the margin

The plan was to fish for Perch for the first hour or so, and then trot a float for Grayling until lunchtime. I set up both rods and began the session fishing a new softbait shad I had just bought.

Nov Sessions

I've not kept the blog up to date much lately, mainly because of a lack of anything to report, so when I have a lull like this I will just summarise the month.

11/11/09 River Dove.
I caught a small Chub on the barbel rod and a decent Dace on the float rod trotting maggots down a nice run. I thought it might be my first Grayling as it fought quite

Bank high blank

Thur 30th July
Another visit to the Dove and this time the water had been over the banks and was receeding back down again.

The level was back to the rim when I arrived, but the swim I had planned to fish was inaccessable, well safely anyway due to a run off ditch that, normally dry, was now coursing with about 2ft plus of water draining off the fields back into the river.

After testing the depth with a stick I decided that I would get a welly full and didn't fancy sitting there with wet legs all night or trying to get back across in the dark. So after a bit of consideration I headed for another stretch over at Marston.
On arriving I didnt have much time to set up before dark. I checked out a few swims near the bridge and decided on one in the lee of a tree on the near bank out of the main flow would be fine. I had one rod out with pellets or M C boilies and the other on meat. The only interest all night was when the meat rod sprang forward momentarily but waiting for any development resulted in nothing. The temperature dropped after dark and by 11:30 I'd had enough so packed up defeated again.
There are fish reported on the forums coming out all over the river now though so it's just a matter of time I'm sure.