13/04/2012 - Kegworth Cut

I'm lucky enough to live within spitting distance of several canals, but have never really paid them any attention in the close season. However, this year my intention is to have a good go at them with my light lure outfit. All of them, with the possible exception of the Erewash Canal, now give a good chance of a zander along with the usual suspects of perch, pike and chub. In fact I've entered into a bit of a competition with my mate Tim to see who can achieve a predator "grand slam" in a single session. We'll have to see how we get on with that! Today I had a couple of hours free after work, so stopped off at Kegworth Cut. To call it a canal seems a bit grand as it's basically a very short section of navigable channel that by-passes Kegworth Weir and is only separated from the River Soar by a long thin island. Anyway, the club book says it's open all year 'round, so that's good enough for me!

The Cut

Started at the downstream end where there's a wider section where boats moor up before going through Kegworth Deep Lock. Was using the "Big Hammer" shads I got from AGM Products. Second cast up into the lock itself with a 3" shad in pearl resulted in a thump on the rod tip and a fish that briefly thrashed on the surface before coming off.  A few casts later I had a take under the rod tip from a little jack.

First blood to the "Big Hammer"!

Had another one of a similar size from the basin, then winkled his brother out from underneath the only boat moored on the section. Upstream of this point the canal was pretty featureless, so after a few half-hearted casts, I was soon back down near the lock. Had a little perch follow a minnow pattern, so cut the shad back by an inch and mounted it on a smaller jig head as recommended on the AGM Products website. Unfortunately that seemed to be that as I couldn't buy another take. Nice to be out though, even if it was just a couple of snatched hours.

13/03/2012 - River Dove

Met Tim in the carpark at Tutbury after work for what would be a final fling on the rivers. Perch were the quarry and we headed to a stretch that had been kind to us in the past. Whilst I would be floatfishing lobworms over maggots, Tim had brought his lure rod to see if he could put his newly-found dropshotting skills to good use. River was low and clear and it soon became apparent that it was absolutely snided out with minnows. Right from the off, the float was constantly on the move, pulling right under as the little beggars tried to pinch the worm off the hook. Tim had a follow early on from a pike of about 8 lb, but failed to tempt it into taking the lure, so headed off upstream. I carried on trotting the loborm down the crease and letting it swing into and hold next to the bank at the bottom of the swim. After a few trots down, the float disappeared for what seemed to be the hundreth time and stayed under. This time, rather than fresh air, the strike met with firm resistance. The head banging indicated that I had a decent perch on and I soon got sight of it in the clear water. A couple of minutes later I had a nice, fat Dove perch in the net that went a pleasing 2lb 6oz on the scales.

Fatty

Took a quick snap of it on the weigh sling, popped him back and got a fresh bait out in case he had any of his mates with him. Unfortunately, it was back to the attentions of the minnows instead. Tim reappeared a bit later with a dry net and the news that none other than the great Bob Roberts was fishing just upstream. He then returned to his original swim, where he eventually wangled a little jack. I carried on for a bit longer, before snagging up and losing my end rig. Took that as a sign that my river season was over and packed up!

08/03/2012 - River Soar

Paperwork, meetings and the unpredictable British weather conspired against me last week. I managed to grab a couple of hours to go after some chub on the Trent on Friday afternoon, but just got freezing cold for one bream! After another busy start to this week, I decided that I just wanted to go and catch some fish, so threw my remaining deadbaits in the bag and headed to the Soar again.

Waiting for a big girl...

Again, the response in the first swim was pretty quick, with three fish of the usual stamp in the net within an hour - all on the same rod and all on smelt.

...but all I got were these.

Had a lucky escape in the middle of all that. Was sat watching the floats when I happened to glance downstream to see a low flying Canada Goose coming straight up the river towards me. Jumped up in time to see it pass straight under the first line, but then give the second line a hefty clip with its wing, causing the rod to cartwheel over the front rest and disappear into the river! I was standing there completely stunned when the top six inches of the rod rose gracefully like Excaliber from the water. Luckily it was within reach of the landing net, so I was able to snag it and get it back in. Couldn't help laughing out loud  - my face must have been a picture when the rod went in. My only thought was that it must have been a "stealth goose", because you can usually hear the noisy buggers coming from a mile off!

Went quiet after the intial flurry, so started fishing to the clock and leapfrogging downstream. Picked up another fish, again on smelt, that decided to thank me for unhooking it by doing a good impression of a crocodile, leaving me with nicely gashed knuckles. 

Ouch!

Had a couple more runs after this, but the hooks failed to stick for some reason. Stomach was growling by 12 o'clock so when an old boy decided to reverse his longboat through my swim at full throttle (happily waving at me while he did so!), I called it a day and headed home. 

23/02/2012 - River Soar

Was a no-brainer that I would go fishing today given the rise in temperature and drop in the wind. Decided on another pike session in the hope that the "big girls" had started to stir, so headed for the River Soar again to the site of my recent "jack-fest". Got there for first light and was suprised to see a van at the end of the lane. Luckily the two occupants had taken the easy option and had dropped into the first swim downstream. Had a quick chat. One of them had fished there a few times, but had not had anything decent. However, he did say that his "mate" had caught a twenty last season "that he didn't weigh" - okaaay! Left them to it and walked upstream to my usual starting point. Put both baits out in the channel and sat watching the fish topping between the boats. Didn't have to wait long as the downstream rod soon trundled off, resulting in a little 'un of about 5lb. The fish came regularly after that, taking everything I threw at them - roach, mackerel, smelt and lamprey. The biggest of the day, a short, fat fish possibly scraping 9lb, gave a good account of itself and provided some entertainment for an old boy at the marina on the opposite bank. When I got it in the net he gave me the thumbs up and then asked me what kind of fish it was. It just suprised me that somebody who obviously spent a lot of time next to the water didn't know what a pike looked like!

Know your fish #1 - The Pike

Finished at mid-day having had ten runs and landing 8 fish. That's 19 in four sessions, but still no double! Can't help feeling that if I want a biggie before the end of the season I'll have to think about going somewhere else.

13/02/2012 - Somewhere in Derbyshire!

As title suggests, the venue for this trip shall remain nameless. Not a case of being secret squirrel, but rather a condition of me being allowed to fish the location in question. The trip had been arranged for a while, so had watched the weather rather nervously over the weekend, hoping that we didn't get a rapid thaw and consequently a rising river. Needn't have worried as the snow was still visible on the hills as I made my way out of Derby. Got to the venue to meet my guide for the day and was soon at the first swim. Second trot down the float disappeared. Not the hoped for grayling, but a nice, wild brownie. Two more of these followed before we moved down to the bottom of the section. Another brownie followed before I hooked into something that felt completely different, a solid, heavy lump that swam slowly upstream, then just hung in the current in mid-river. Unfortunately, after persuading it into the side into netting range, the hooked pulled out without us seeing the fish. Whilst I said "probably another brownie", we were both thinking otherwise. A couple of trots down later there was an action replay. This time the fish flashed under the surface and my companion said "grayling"! Didn't do much for my nerves, but this time the hook held and I was soon looking in the net at a fat, pigeon-chested hen fish. Scales went round to a sliver under two and a half pounds - a new PB.

Mint!

The fish was incredibly broad, possibly already starting to fill up with spawn, and in mint condtion. After a coffee to calm the nerves, we moved back upstream to a pool in the middle of the section. A few trots later, the float went again and I was once more into a war of attrition with a big grayling. Again, the hook held and the fish was expertly netted by my companion. This one was a male and looked even bigger, certainly longer, so it was a suprise when the scales registered an ounce lighter than the first fish.

Beauty!

Again, the fish was in absolutely mint condition, but it looked even better back in the water with the big dorsal up at its fullest extent. Tried a few more spots, but the river had started to colour up quite markedly, the result no doubt of snow melt. Decided to quit whilst ahead and headed home, leaving the now green hills of Derbyshire behind me.

08/02/2012 - Bits and Bobs

Two weeks without fishing and I'm getting jumpy at the prospect of losing any more time to work and to the weather. At least the flexi is building up nicely! Fingers crossed and weather permitting, have got a grayling trip in the offing next week, so was knocked sideways when I was sent the picture below by a friend this week.  

Blimey!

Photograph shows a 3lb 10oz grayling taken from the River Clyde recently. That's nearly twice as big as my PB. It was caught (and clonked unfortunately!) by the little lad holding it. Even taking into account the fact he's only eight, the fish still looks huge. Oh well, gives us all something to aspire to!

26/01/2012 - River Soar

Had another half-day's worth of flexi in the bag, so went through the 0600 hrs patio routine again. Conditions looked good. It had just stopped raining, the sky was beginning to clear and there was just a light wind. With the weather forecast to turn cold again in the afternoon, it was now or never. Made the wife a cup of tea, jumped in the car and was in the first swim at first light. The river didn't appear to have been touched by the recent rain, although there may have been just a hint of colour. Put both rods out in the channel given the lack of action in the margins last week. Seemed to be a good decision as by 0930 hrs I'd had four runs, resulting in two fish, both around 7lb (there seems to be so many of this size about that I think I'm going to have to use the old kidnapper's trip of including a copy of the daily paper in my photos just to show they've been caught on different days!).

It's a different one....honest!

Had the river to myself again, so was able to leapfrog downstream as usual. Sun had come out by now and the wind had dropped to virtually nothing. Didn't seem to put the fish off as I continued to pick up a couple at a time as I moved downstream. River was almost glassy at times, with the slightest interest in the bait down below being magnified by rings spreading 'round the float.

Mirror

Unfortunately, it didn't last as the wind picked up towards the end of the morning, blowing straight downstream and dragging the floats under, so when it started spitting with rain at about 1215 hrs I called it a day. Just as well. As I drove away it absolutely chucked it down with hailstones! Ended the session with 7 pike between 5 and 8lb (one even came complete with a spare trace!). Whilst it was good fun, I may now have to decide whether to persevere here in the hope that a "biggie" turns up, or go elsewhere.