Fishing Diary: February 2015

Pastures new

Benidorm Dave* started out as one of my e-mailers. Over the last few months we have become firm friends and we had arranged a trip a few days in advance to a syndicated stretch of the secret river. Our plans were disrupted somewhat by the weather and with so much heavy rain we needed a stillwater to fish. As we were all geared up for Piking we needed a water that held them and after a bit of research and some advice from local expert Gary we found ourselves heading to a venue that was new to both of us. We passed over the river on the way and it was as high as I had ever seen it, positively bulging at its capacious flood banks. It was still raining hard too. The stillwater was the right option but would it pay off?

On arrival we had a quick chat with the lake owner and Dave splashed out on a couple of fairly expensive day tickets (my reward for driving). Having both visited the fishery website we knew the specimen lake held 20lb+ fish and seemingly there were a few of them. You can imagine how keen we were to get to started and we headed down to the lake expectantly. After a quick look around we selected a couple of likely spots in some deep water. After about half an hour one of Daves' floats started bobbing before slowly slipping sideways and disappearing beneath the surface, jaws fashion. This is the greatest moment when Piking and Dave was on it in a flash. A short battle later and he landed himself a fine looking low double. You wouldn't necessarily tell from the photo but he is holding it so close to his body he makes it look smaller than it was.......

With a fish so early into the session we were confident of a good day. Four long, wet, dreary, inactive hours later and having moved several times we were having to reconsider. It was a small mercy that the rain subsided. I even attracted the attention of the resident one-footed Coot, that would have been easy to catch I thought as I fed it copious amounts of maggots. I even asked Dave if he thought it would go around in circles went it got it the water. It raised a smile but what we really needed was a fish. Eventually I connected after a missed take and even though it was probably one of smallest pike in the lake it was a welcome sight on a tough day. Ignore my miserable face, I was smiling inside.......

Despite our best efforts that was the end of the action for the day and we left with the lake keeping nearly all its secrets hidden from us. A return visit was needed, maybe when the weather was a little more settled.

Feeling drained

A few days later the rough weather hadn't abated and after our considerable journey to the new lake I fancied somewhere a little closer to home. Very close in fact. The level of the local drain never really fluctuates as it is controlled by a series of powerful pumps. It was heavily coloured though and here's something for all you additive/flavour fans to consider- I fished with bread which has no discernible smell and negligible flavour. I wasn't even sure it would work myself but work it did. Despite my very rusty stick float skills and selecting a quite restrictive peg I manged to catch fifteen Roach in a couple of hours. The majority were good fish too........

The rain and wind finally died down and a couple of days later I was back in a different peg. Having grown up on the flowing rivers of Leicestershire I used to be fairly handy with a stick float and I was slightly perturbed that my skills seemed to have diminished based on my previous visit. This time, however, I was much better. I fed two lines, one across and one close in. This kept the fish coming for a full three hours and I ended up with over fifty Roach, a few Rudd and a couple of small Bream. It was a real red letter day. Again, all the fish came to bread, fished on a size 12 hook under a small stick float. A lot of the fish were in the 12oz-1lb bracket with the best going 1lb 4oz.......

A cheeky bugger

With a 6lb Chub still firmly in my sights and the flood water finally gone the following week I had a trip to another river planned. The day before I received a call from my old match fishing buddy Scott and he decided to accompany me. I knew just the stretch to head for, a length usually teeming with fish. I still can't understand why but despite trying various pegs we both failed to get a bite. With some trepidation I took Scott further downstream and into a field that I have been asked to leave twice in the past by the local farmer. Now I don't make a habit of this and it isn't as bad as it sounds. The field has a public footpath running right by the river, there are no signs and he is a grumpy old sod that spun me a yarn about leasing it to a fictitious fishing club based over 30 miles away. I am always respectful to him though and try and keep our encounters good-natured.

Anyway, back to the fishing. it was tough but after an hour or so I manged to catch a decent Chub on bread. In the strong flow it gave a really good account of itself and I breathed a sigh of relief when I finally slipped it over the net........

The best was yet to come though. Scott had been fishing a short distance upstream but decided to move to a nearby weirpool. Shortly after he had left my tip rattled before taking an alarming curve. As soon as I struck I knew it was a good fish, it stayed deep and moved rapidly against the flow in a show of power. It was touch and go for a few minutes as it tried to snag me in the reeds on either bank but I finally subdued it. How big? 5lb 7oz............

Just as I slipped the Chub back I noticed my old friend the farmer pursuing Scott along the footpath. As soon as he saw me he barged past Scott and shouted 'You're a cheeky bugger you are'. I gave him a smile. 'It's £5 a day now,' he demanded. 'Super, that's a lot better,' I replied. 'What about the club?' I asked. 'They didn't pay me so now it's day ticket,' he lied. I handed him a five pound note and he shook his head, 'I still think you're a cheeky bugger, how would you like it if I came and sat in your garden?' he asked. I smiled again, 'You're welcome to come and sit in my garden anytime you like,' I said. He looked at me suspiciously. Was he warming to me? Not exactly as he berated me for not lending Scott the money for his ticket. After a bit more of my charm offensive we left on reasonable terms though. I think we are friends now.

Scott and I then moved to another section where I had another couple of Chub and my friend lost a couple. It just wasn't his day but I'd like to think he had a good time anyway. Being an angler he understands it doesn't always go to plan.........

Dogged determination

I know the whereabouts of big Pike. It could be approaching 30lbs. The problem is it resides in a lake with very few other Pike so usually visits are very unproductive. I hadn't visited for a while though and was keen to have another crack at it. Another bonus was the fact that I could take my trusty Labs, the chaos twins who enjoyed the afternoon sun.....

Two solid afternoons fishing resulted in nothing. I did have three takes though and as you can probably understand with such a big fish in residence that gets the old heart racing. I'm still not sure what the culprits were, maybe Pike, maybe Eels. I did actually hook a Pike on a lure. It was hunting a short distance out and even leaped clear of the water several times in its pursuit of prey. Anyway that came off after playing it for a short time so all in all, a bit of a disaster.

Another Pike tale

Scott told me he hooked into a small Chub of around two pounds in the weirpool and just as he was about to net it a massive Pike shot out from the near bank and devoured it, snapping him off in the process. It was my intention to go back and try and catch it on a lure. Unfortunately when I got there the water was too heavily coloured to give me any confidence in that particular method. As ever I had a plan b and decided to try for the Chub in the weirpool. Now this is the spot that I caught my PB of 5lb 14oz from but you rarely get bites. Imagine my surprise then when I had a bite soon after casting my cheese offering in. A fine fish that of just over 5lbs...........

After another Chub of just under 4lbs the swim went dead so I moved further upstream. I had one from there too. Agonisingly close at 4lbs 15oz..........

After a quick look at some photos it turned out to be the fish I had at 4lb 14oz last month. It's disappointing to catch the same fish so soon again but can only be expected in such a small river. Maybe it was time to head elsewhere........

With a rare weekend day off Dave and I arranged to go again. This time the river would be in perfect order but would we catch? Pike were on the menu again and although we didn't get there till mid morning we were both pretty confident. We had the small matter of getting my car unstuck from the floodbank first though. It dug into the soft ground as I tried to point it downstream and became firmly wedged. No amount off pushing by either Dave or me made any difference. A couple of unhooking mats under the wheels did though and we both breathed a sigh of relief as it unstuck itself from its muddy trap.

With the car freed we set up and tried a few spots. Dave was first off the mark with a sprightly fish of around 8lbs. Boy it was windy though. A real biting wind that cut through our clothing and reddened our faces. After a couple of hours we decided to go down to a spot where the wind would be off our backs. Typically just as we set off it began to rain. Should we call him Benidorm Dave or rainman? It certainly seems to follow him around. Anyway in the new spot and while I sheltered under a tree I was soon into a fish. A very modest example.......

I had another dropped take before all went quiet. The rain was persistent and we were both getting wet, the only consolation being the flood bank protecting us from the worst of the wind. After about 45 minutes Dave was just considering another move went his float furthest downstream disappeared. I followed with the net while he lifted into a fish. The water boiled as a seemingly big fish tried to make good its escape. The amount of water it disturbed hinted at something significantly bigger than we had seen so far. The battle was uneventful if dogged and we soon had her in the net. As I lifted it clear of the water it was obvious Dave had a new PB but would it be over the magical 20lb mark? I stayed quiet as he unhooked the Pike and put her in the sling. So close........19lb 10oz.........

Remarkably he had another two fish from the same spot in quick succession. An 8lber and this one (which I got him to hold out a bit) at 11lb 14oz.......

After the third fish all went quiet again and we decided to have one final move. We didn't last long though as the weather was truly terrible. I looked downstream at Dave huddled behind a tree while the rain lashed in almost horizontally. Get two blokes together and neither will want to admit defeat by a bit of rain but it was madness. We were both soaked to the skin despite suitable clothing so I called time and we packed up hurriedly. With all of our sodden gear and two very wet anglers it took my car nearly a week to recover and stop misting up, that's how wet we were. Worth it? Of course it was.

A week later I went back for a short session and finished up with four small Pike to deadbaits and a few Perch on small lures. this was the best fish of the day and now I look at it, I'm kicking myself for not weighing her.............

*I do dislike reading blogs with nicknames especially if you don't know how they came about, it's a bit exclusive for my liking and we can't have that here. Dave had been in touch after reading my blog via e-mail. about a year ago. Nothing strange in that, I have a few guys that get in touch. Fast forward to the summer and it's the early hours of the morning down a backstreet in Benidorm. I was there for one night on a stag do. All of a sudden a chap approaches me to say hello. I had never seen him before in my life. It was Dave.

Tackle Talk

As ever I've had a few reels come and go this month. The Cardinal 57's have gone. They were simply fetching too much money for me to keep hold of them. With a bit of credit in my eBay account I decided to treat myself to some more modestly priced winches. The first to hit the mat was this rather strange looking DAM CTE..........

Now as a child and even into my teens I'd pour over tackle catalogues. The CTE was one of the reels I couldn't afford at the time but I'd always wanted to try one. I buy most reels simply because of this, some have been a big disappointment, fortunately the CTE isn't one of those. It's a great reel, really quirky and a pleasure to use. I can thoroughly recommend them. Look to pay around £15.

Another reel to strike off the wanted list was the Abu C5. Expensive back in the day but now you can pick them up for around £25. They are quite small, certainly smaller than I imagined but fairly robust. So far it has proved to be a good little workhorse and so it should be, they were marketed as examples of precision engineering with a super-tough brass pinion gear. The handle is tiny though, it's the only thing about it I don't like..........

The ever understanding Mrs P has been getting a bit annoyed of late with the frequency of my trips so I hatched a cunning plan. Tackle 4 You in Skegness has these fine sets on offer at the minute. A decent carbon rod and a cracking little reel for a barely believable £7. At launch they were nearer £40. Mrs P is now the proud owner of one, I'll let you know how she gets on with it. Good little angler she is even though she doesn't go much...........

Is two months a long term test? Not really is it? Well some bad (and good) news I'm afraid on the Chub boots Mrs P kindly bought me for Christmas. One of them developed a rupture where the leather joins the rubber. The ever superb Spilsby Angling Centre got in touch with the rep on my behalf and I have new pair on the way. Testament to the service you just can't get anywhere else but your local tackle shop. Let's hope the new pair last a bit longer than these.......