Had intended to head over the Derwent for my next trotanostering session, but a stiff north-easterly wind knocked that idea on the head. Switched my attention back to the Soar instead where I knew I could tuck myself away around the back of the island.
However, looking out of the window I was in two minds and nearly didn't go but when I checked the weather forecast and saw the rain at the weekend and the start of next week I thought it was now or never! Was therefore just after 4 o'clock that I crossed over the lock and made my way through the wood. As I got to the river I could that there was somebody in the first swim again. Wasn't my spliff smoking friend from last week, but another chap who had just arrived and put a rod out for the barbel.
Said hello and carried on upstream past the discarded drinks bottles, cans, sandwich wrappers and fag packets that some idiots had discarded in the undergrowth in the next swim. No doubt that whoever had was responsible had been fishing due to the presence of some empty deadbait packets. However, I certainly wouldn't call them anglers! They'd kindly left the Asda shopping bag that they'd obviously brought everything in so made a note to have a tidy up before I left later. When I got to my swim I saw that the river was a lot lower and clearer than last visit.
So much so that I could clearly see a decent pike sat in the lillies, just keeping station with an occasional lazy flick of a pectoral, but as soon as I lowered myself down the bank and into the river he slowly sidled off in the direction of the willow on the far bank. Got the paternoster rod set up ready next to me and then set about catching a suitable bait. Had three little bleak in successive casts before getting a slightly larger one, which was duly swung out onto the crease. Looked to be turning into a carbon copy of the last session as I quickly added several dace, roach and chub. After about thirty minutes I had my first interest on the paternoster. After a couple of bangs on the rod tip the line pulled out of the clip.
However, when I got to the rod and wound down there was no resistance. Wound in to find the bleak still on the hook, albeit a bit dazed and beaten up - scuffed rather than with any teeth marks, so probably a perch. Swung him out again and carried on happily trotting away, adding a gudgeon to the species tally. After a few minutes the paternoster rod bounced in the rest again, but then fell still. Twenty minutes later I wound the rod in to find that I'd been robbed and had been fishing with a bare hook, but soon had another suitable bait, dropping this one a bit closer to the willow. Had a flurry of perch on the float rod and it looked as if a shoal had moved in, so when the other rod suddenly ripped off I thought I might have caught my target.
I soon had that idea dispelled as a spotty torpedo started tearing around the swim instead. What was interesting was that he was accompanied by a much smaller pike that stayed so close to him during the fight that I thought I'd somehow wrapped him up. However, as I drew his companion over the net he turned on his tail and disappeared. Quickly removed the size 6 single from the corner of his mate's mouth, let him recover in the net for a bit, then slid him back a little way upstream. After that commotion the swim died off for a bit, but then the dace moved back in and it was back to a bite a chuck again. Popped the paternoster out near the willow again but this time I barely had time to pick up the float rod before the bite alarm burst into life.
Wound down not to feel the head banging of a decent perch, but the mad acceleration of jack again. Bullied him into the net - he was shorter but fatter than the first one - got him unhooked and popped him in upstream. When I turned to face my swim the bigger pike that I had first seen when I arrived was back. This time he just sat there and it took a poke with with landing net before he begrudgingly sidled off once more. Didn't bother putting the paternoster out again - there didn't seem much point with so many pike about - but carried on trotting away until it was too dark to see the float. Lost count of how many fish I had, but a single, greedy minnow took the species count to eight. Packed my own gear up and then went and filled the shopping bag left by the morons with the rest of their crap.
As I passed my fellow angler I could see he was down at the water's edge with his rod bent over. Duly responded to his shout of "can you pass me my net please!" and then watched him play out and land a decent fish. In the net the hoped for barbel transformed into a chub knocking on 5lb. My companion had also packed up and was literally going to reel in when he had the bite so rather than mess about getting scales out I took a few pictures for him instead before he popped it back.
Was pitch black by now but I managed to get back to the car unscathed this time. Purchased two fish suppers on the way home to placate the wife and round off the day nicely. We'll have to see what the weather does now, but as I write this we've had at least two hours of thunder and lightning and heavy rain. Bye bye summer!
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