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.
  

19/01/2012 - River Soar

Set the alarm for six so I could judge the conditions before committing my hard-earned flexi-time. Wandered downstairs and outside onto the patio to find it wasn't a.) freezing, or b.) windy. Good enough for me! Loaded up and headed off for the same section of the River Soar I fished last week. Got there just as it was getting light and wandered up to my starting point, spotting a few fish topping around the boats as I did so. Hopefully a good sign? Dropped float-legered deadbaits down the side and in the middle as before. Fished "to the clock", leap-frogging the upstream rod downstream every 15-20 minutes. Was an hour into this when the float in the channel set off towards the boats on the far bank, resulting in a nicely marked, fat fish about 7lb (it's already looking as if there's quite a few of this size about!).

Fatty 2

Wind had started to gust by now and was blowing straight in my face. The sky had also cleared. The resulting bright and sunny conditions probably weren't the best for deadbaiting in a clear river. However, continued leap-frogging the rods downstream and had nearly reached the bottom of the section when a chap walked up with a lure rod. Exchanged pleasantries and then watched him disappear around the corner, thrashing the water to no avail as he went. About an hour later he walked past again with nothing to report. He'd been gone 5 minutes and I was just contemplating my final move when the float on the mackerel rod bobbed and trundled off. Hit the fish, got it into the margins and briefly saw a spotty flank before it "unhooked" itself. Bugger! Popped a fresh bait on and dropped it in the same spot in case he had some mates with him. Didn't have to wait long as a few minutes later off it went again. This time it stayed on, but was just a small jack. Unfortunately work was calling by now, so packed up and yomped back to the car where I caught sight of myself in the relection in the window. My face was even redder than last week. Thankfully, it had calmed down a bit by the time I got to the office!