Grayling - a change is as good as a rest

I've only recently renewed one of my club tickets so decided to head out to the Dove for a quick go on the float rod this morning.  On the journey over there there I had no real aim except to turn up, start fishing and see what came along. I only took a couple of baits with me as I wanted keep it simple and with only a few hours at my disposal I didn't want to waste time re rigging hooks for different baits.

The river was pretty low and gin clear so it might be difficult I thought to myself, "Oh well in for a penny in for a pound" I was here now and time was ticking.  Opening my bag I had two reels in there to choose from, a fixed spool and the trusty old pin.  Now I've hardly used my pin this year and with trotting being the style of fishing perfectly suited to the centre pin, it was time to slip her out of her black pouch and into the sunlight once again.

A 2 gram medium body stick float was selected from the float tube and slid up the line complimented with a size 16 barbless hook to 2lb bottom tied on to suit the baits in my bucket. First up I was going to trickle some maggots through the swim to get the fish moving out of the shadows and into the flow.  As I opened the tub I was a bit surprised to see the tub completely full of casters instead of the maggots that were only just over a week old.  My bait fridge has packed up so I am using the cool of the garage floor to keep my bait 'fresh' and obviously it's nowhere near as effective as a fridge, in which I can keep maggots useful for weeks on end ! Never mind casters will do.

 A short cast out and the float headed off down the run to the end of a nice pool before it shallowed up to some riffles. It only took a couple of runs through before the float bobbed under and a fish was on. I expected it to be a dace but as it darted around I suspected something a bit more ladylike.

First of the morning only a small one of about 7 oz

 

 

 

The scales I bought from Jeff were quick to dispel any exaggeration my eyes might imagine.  I would have given it at least 10 oz.

 

Next one was a bit better and had me believing it might be a chub as the rod was hooped round during the struggle in the flow back to the net. The fish using its sail like dorsal to full advantage although I don't think this was a male fish. ( I'm still to catch my first male grayling).

 

 

Best of the day at 12oz

After quite a  few more trots down I finished the morning off with this last fish, another female. Then just sat and watched her for about 5 minutes while she just hung around in the current, before finally sliding away downstream back to her shoal - magical.

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

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 !

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.

No Grayling, but haven't I seen you here before ?

I decided to fish the Dove again this afternoon even though it had started to snow before I had left the house.
I was after Grayling so it figured it would be worth the effort. I employed the same tactics as before, feeder fishing red maggot with brown crumb and dead maggots in the feeder. I tried a deeper peg on a bend in the river this time, but had not attracted a bite after a couple of hours fishing.



I eventually moved pegs to try for a Perch during the last hour of light. I never had a take on the worm, except for the last cast when I jigged the worm a bit to try and entice a bite. As I started to reel it in I realised there was something attached, in all honesty I thought I was snagged at first, but then the "snag" swam off at speed.
Judging from the power it was either a very good Perch, a Pike or maybe a Chub. A Pike then rose up to the surface and answered that question. I managed to get the net down to it, but struggled to get the fish in the rounded spoon net, and as it took off again on another run it decided to tail walk which added to the excitement.

Eventually the fish was in the net and another 5lb 8oz Pike hit the scales.
I wondered if it was the same fish as last time ? This was the same swim and the fish weighed exactly same as last time. When I studied the photo's, especially the markings on the wrist of the tail, I found that it was indeed the same fish I caught on the 30th Dec, having neither gained nor lost on ounce in weight.





















Another disappointment on the Grayling front but the Pike was a nice bonus and saved a blank. The weather had been freezing with the wind from the east blowing snow straight in my face, and sticking to my hat.

You can see how red my face had gone from the cold, in the photo's. (how cold ? - bloody freezing !!)


The water temp was a steady 5deg C and the air was around 3.5 down to 1.5 deg c by the time I packed up.












The Birdwatching section ......
I spotted another Grey wagtail that practically landed next to me, but again as soon as my camera was ready, it had disappeared. It was beautiful with really vivid yellow colours. I did take a snap of a pied wag tail on the opposite bank as a "consolation prize" however.

Cold December Day on the Dove

Tuesday 30th December 2008

For this session I had decided to fish for Grayling due to the consistent cold weather we have been experiencing over the last few weeks.

The Dove being the venue, and on arrival to my swim I was quite surprised to find the air temperature up as much as 5 deg C, the water temp was 5.5 deg C, remaining at this all day until the around last hour of daylight when it had dropped by a degree to 4.5C





I saw a grey wagtail land next to me, but it had flown across to the opposite bank by the time my camera was ready for this shot.

For my rig I used the same tactics as my last Grayling session, a cage feeder filled with mixed breadcrumb and red maggots both dead and lives, to hopefully draw the fish in. This tactic was employed all day trying in two different pegs, but never produced any response (that I noticed any way), except for one of my last casts of the day when I had a definite pull on the tip, and on retrieval found a maggot was missing from the pair that had been placed on the hook.

Early on in the session I had walked the whole stretch to pick out any likely looking swims, this being my first visit to this part of the Dove. I checked a likely looking near bank swim, and when I cautiously peered down into the clear water as stealthily as I could, to my amazement I noticed 3 large Perch skulking in the near margin about 3 ft down, their bold black stripes clearly standing out in contrast to their surroundings as they hovered motionless. I would estimate the largest to be 2lb+ possibly even a 3lber ? The other two I could see were roughly two thirds the size, making them all worthy targets. Its difficult to really guess their size, but put it this way they were all big perch ! so rightly or wrongly I decided to wait for the onset of evening to have a go for them (this being about noon).

So at about 3:30 pm I had moved into position ready to try for one of the beauties that lay below! Within seconds of dropping the poor hapless worm into position the float had bobbed a couple of times, slid across the surface away from me and then stopped. My heart in my mouth, I waited, nothing happened for a moment or two, then finally the float twitched again, bobbed and started to slide away and under the surface again. This time I made no hesitation and struck.

The Rod arched over as the weight of a reasonable fish loaded up the test curve. The fish powered away to my right and out toward the middle of the river, at this point I was still thinking " yes a good perch at last" when I saw the length of the Pike I was attached to flash under the surface. Damn I thought, then realised It might be a good Pike. The fish fought quite well testing the clutch on my reel and putting the rod through its paces. When it was ready for the net I desperately tried to get the net over the barbed wire fence in front of me but instead managed to get the mesh stuck on some of the barbs. After a frantic few moments I had managed to free the net again and was ready to steer the fish into it. When I peered down into the water again to begin guiding my fish in again, I was surprised to see another Pike larger than the one I was already playing following it. My guess is it was sizing it up for a meal!

I managed to bundle the pike into the net and lifted it clear of the water. It weighed 5lb 8oz and is a new PB so I was quite chuffed with it in the end. The larger Pike I estimated to be a low double as it was nearly twice the length of the fish I landed. I think there might be quite a few pike (mainly jacks I suspect)in this stretch of river, as I had seen a Pike angler land one earlier in the day not far from this swim.
I had one more cast that produced nothing, so were the perch still there ? I don't know, somehow I doubt it once the Pike had moved in. An interesting session though all in all, with some good swims located for future reference.

Dove & Trent session

20th Novemeber 2008

I fished the Dove for Grayling using a cage feeder packed with bread crumb and maggot or sweetcorn on the hook. However despite good conditions I never received a single bite. Fishing an area that is noted for the sepcies, I then tried trotting a float down with single or double maggot but this failed to provoke any fish either !






Water temp was an adequate 9 deg C all day, so not sure what I did wrong ? Maybe it was just the location, or something wrong with my presentation.

For the second part of my session I visited a part of the Upper Trent and worm fished for Perch, but after having one missed bite, I failed to catch anything there too.
The swims were definatly screaming perch, with deep slack water of about 6ft+ and lots of heavy tree cover. I have read reports that indicate there are some big perch in this area and I can well believe it. So expect I will be back again for another go before the season is out, it looks that good.