Stick-ing with it...

Thur 10th Feb
2:30pm - 5:30pm
Ave Temp -  8c
Pressure - Steady, with slight fall  1009 hPa
Cloudy - Light Drizzle


I managed another short session down on the River Anker again. Fishing till about 5:30pm, I managed a nice little net of roach, gudgeon and a solitary chub.

Trotting  a 5BB stick in about 10ft of water down the same run as last time, I was soon getting bites and started catching fish straight away. They were only small roach in the 2 - 3 ounce bracket so nothing to trouble the scoreboard,  but is was nice to just be out catching a fish a chuck for once.

As the session progressed I put a sleeper rod out with cheesepaste on for the chub, then later after no interest and as the light started to fade, changed to worm in the hope of anything really, but a good sized Perch was the target.
As dusk drew more towards darkness, I tried a piece of flake and caught this 3.4lb chub first run through. It had a face that reminded me of the parrot fish you see in warm coral seas.  Unfortunately that was the last of the fish and it was soon too dark to see the float well enough.



A face only a mother could love   (oi  the chub not me ! )


On the last few run through I looked up to see the tip on the sleeper rod tap forward a little, but I was too busy on the trotting rod to react. When the rod was brought in the worm had lost a good 80% of its length ! Damn.

An enjoyable few hours really.  I don't do this kind of fishing nearly enough and playing that chub on light tackle reminded me of how I started off years ago fishing all day on small commercials for anything that came along, catching all kinds of species from roach, chub, crucians, tench and carp. There's a special feeling to be had when you get a good fish on just 2lb bottom, knowing you've had to work to coax it to the net.

Finally back in business....



A beautifully marked double

 After a shaky start to my Sunday afternoon session which had me changing plans at the last minute, I finally got off the mark for 2011. These last four weeks have been some of  the toughest I've known since I got back into my fishing a few years ago.  You know the drought will end eventually, but the wait can be excruciating at times.

Since Saturday lunch time and after checking the forecasts for the next 48 hours again,  I decided to head to the Trent to fish for roach and dace,  also with a Pike rod out until it got dark. Then because its been so mild for a number of days, I would switch over to  barbel on one rod and leave a paternostered roach on a starlight float out for zander.
When I arrived at the river however, I found it running like chocolate and surging through with at least a foot or so on, plus the wind was still at gale force level in the Derby area. I didn't fancy my chances apart from maybe the barbel and then only if I could keep a lead down on the deck. What with the way my luck's been recently, I decided it was better to cut and run and head back to the River Anker, which I had noticed looked in fine form on my way up the A42 travelling towards the Trent.


At the Anker - I set up the centrepin on my float rod with a 5BB stick, the pike rod went out to a marginal bush on my right up stream. The centrepin was again a challenge especially in the gusty wind but I still managed to get a bite almost straight away.  Soon enough I'd caught my first roach, so small I thought it was a minnow at first.  This was followed by more micro roach and then the odd ' bigger' sample up to 2oz, that amazingly I  managed to weigh for the 'bloggers' percentage record weight challenge.  I had to smile when I 'hauled' this ruffe in, and on the pin too. (Keith - I don't know what it is mate, I just attract em ? )

"Taking the ruffe with the smooth "

Darkness fell all too quickly, but I wasn't ready to go home yet.  So, with a few fresh baits in the keepnet that I could use, I headed for the nearby Cov Canal to try for some zeds. 
The swim I had planned to fish was occupied ! but it was one of the local  lads I met down here at the end of the summer ( funny how you don't mind when it's someone you know, but you feel peeved if it's a stranger). We caught up on each others fishing news, then I headed to the next spot along the canal about 70 yards up.  First cast on the float produced a small zed that must have sat chewing the bait for a while as I hadn't even noticed a dip register on the float. The fish was weighed but only managed to scrape a mere 9 ounces on my scales. I hoped I wouldn't have to put that score on the board !


The other rod was set up ledger style with a bobbin to alert me to any takes, unfortunately there was nothing for the bobbin to do all evening ! Back on the float rod however, I was getting some movement from the float as it danced the telltale bobbing along dance, I wound down to strike but pulled out of the fish. This happened about 2 more times within only a few minutes between bites, until on strike three I felt the rod hoop over nicely. The fish came in towards me but hugged the bottom, the way only a large weighty fish can do.   I thought if this is a zed it could be the magic double? but at the same time I realised that the familiar head shaking that zeds usually give was not there.  From the feel of the fight I decided it would most likely be the other candidate  - a pike.  Sure enough a spotty green flank glided up through the water in the light from my head torch. The fish took off on another powerful run before finally being subdued and brought over the net cord. The duel single hook rig did the business, hooking the fish nicely in the edge of the upper mouth near the scissor on the bottom hook, I didn't even need forceps to remove it.



11lb 10oz canal pike


It seems I have lost my weigh sling so had to weigh it in the net. The total was 13lb 4 oz with the net weighing 1lb 10oz,  so by the power of my vast mathematical acumen, I calculated it was 11lb 10oz and a new PB for me - by just 10 oz (OK, OK I did check it on a calculator too - just to be sure I'd converted the ounces correctly and wasn't diddling myself). This is the second pike I've caught at night and from virtually the same spot (it's not the same fish). It's also ironic that I always catch  my pike PB's when I'm zedding ! (I suppose I could try catching zander whilst piking and see if that will bring a bigger stamp of zed !)

I landed another zander again on the float rod, this weighed in at exactly a pound. (weighed in the blue plastic bag)  My scales have been checked against several avery scale brass bell weights in 4oz, 8oz , 1lb  and 4lb and are pretty much bob on !

So I'm finally on the score board with a  few species, the roach and zed are pretty pathetic percentages I know but it's a start at least, and a damn sight better than I had on the board this time last week.

Chuffed with the pike though - thanks go to Sean who was on hand to take the photos once again !




Session 3:30pm - 10pm
Ave temp 11c
Pressure steady 1015 hPa
Wind dir SSW 20km/h
Cloudy
Moon - made of cheese !

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 !