Was hoping to fit another session in this week but was nearly thwarted by the changeable weather with more rain causing the local river levels to spike yet again.
Checking the levels on .GOV.UK it looked as if the River Soar had fined down sufficiently to be fishable, so at 3 o'clock prompt I'd logged off and was out the door and off down to Kegworth. Parked up on the bridge, got togged up in the chest waders and made my way upstream. The club had strimmed out half a dozen pegs for the start of the season, but further on the bankside vegetation became progressively more and more overgrown. Even the gates at Kegworth deep lock looked more like the hanging gardens of Babylon. Crossing over onto the island I made my way through the shoulder high nettles and had to clamber over a big fallen willow to get to my favourite spot downstream of the weir.
Lesson learned on the Derwent I had brought my spike and rope with me this time and I needed it to lower myself down the bank and into position amongst the lily pads. Also had a new rod and reel combo to try this time - a TFG centrepin bought for a snip off ebay and a 12 ft Abu Titan. The latter I'd found sorting out my late father's fishing tackle - never used and still with the shrink wrap on the handle, so thought I'd christen it in his memory. The river itself was still a bit higher than I would usually fish it, still carrying a tinge of colour and with rafts of foam coming down from the weir. A previous session under similar conditions had turned out to be a complete bleak fest, so I wasn't surprised when the first few casts resulted in several of the silvery little chaps.
However, once a bit of loose feed went in the dace and chub started to show as well, including a couple that put a proper bend in the Titan. My new pin was also performing well, my light stick float easily pulling line off the pin without the need to dab the spool with my thumb to get it going, although I found that the line guard was right where I would normally bat the edge of the spool with my palm to retrieve the float. I also decided that I'd probably swap the smooth, machined aluminium handles for something more tactile, especially if I was using it in the winter, but on the whole I was really pleased with it. Got into a rythmn of loose feeding, trotting, unhooking and re-baiting.
The latter was necessary on every cast irrespective of whether I hooked a fish or not as the maggot was inevitably crushed and reduced to a husk by the time the float reached the end of the swim. Added a few roach and a solitary gonk to the species tally. After three hours I'd had well over a hundred fish, fifty percent of those being bleak, and had emptied my bait apron of maggots. Twice during the session the lilies immediately in front of me had been parted by an unseen, big fish, presumably a pike. Not surprising given the number of prey fish about but which, like on the Derwent a couple of nights ago, made the lack of any perch a bit puzzling. Successfuly extricated myself from the river using the rope and headed home, an hour earlier than planned and well in time for the footie. Game on!
Good way to use your father's rod.
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