16/09/2011 - River Derwent

Headed back to Borrowash for another short perch session. Arrived at about 4.30 pm to find conditions a bit more difficult than last week, with a strong upstream wind making trotting in the low flow slightly tricky. However, didn't take long for the bleak to arrive again and a perch paternoster was duly dropped in the side to await proceedings. Carried on trotting and was soon catching the usual variety of species, including bleak, roach, gudgeon, chub and dace, with the latter being a nice "hand-sized" stamp of fish.

I'd be happy catching these all day

After about half an hour the perch rod bent over as something took the bait. Other than feeling half-decent, I wasn't sure what I had on as the fish decided to swim towards me. As it drew level with me I leaned backwards for the landing net. Unfortunately, the BIG pike attached to the other end of my line chose this moment to set off for the other side of the river like a torpedo, taking me by suprise and smashing my 8lb wire hooklink in the process. "Oh dear", I said quietly to myself! Carried on catching bits, but didn't have anything else on the perch rod until there was a change in the weather. Wind started blowing downsteam and it suddenly got very gloomy. That seemed to be the trigger for a stuttering take, resulting in a perch of just under a pound. He must have had his mates in tow because I caught three more of similar size in the following three casts, the piscatorial equivalent of being mugged by a bunch of hoodies! Was disappointed following this brief and hectic spell that I didn't have any further action on the perch rod, although I enjoyed trotting and catching bits for as long as I could see the float. Left the swim to the slugs at around 8 pm.

You're lucky I'm not chub fishing!