What's it all about?
It was one of those crisp winter mornings where the air was unusually still and the river incredibly flat. The stillness soothed the senses and I sat in my chair bathing in a requiescence that you can only experience when fishing alone in a remote spot. This is usually punctuated by several false alarms, those glances where, for a moment, you can't see your float and then suddenly, disappointingly, it appears in the place you always knew it was. The expectation is almost burdensome. Mrs P asks incredulously why I am tired after a day fishing, if only she knew what we go through. Then it happens. The float dips, dragging the water under surface tension with it until it pops back up. Perfectly concentric ripples move outwards from your float like an aquatic bellow. The physical attributes of the water spike the senses. The mind starts to race- How long should I wait? Just how big will it be? In an instant you double-check everything, this is the moment, just the one moment where nothing else matters but replacing that vision of a float tip with a fish in the net. Our Prize for all that supposition.
Ruddy hell
My local lake is a fine fishery and holds some tremendous specimens of a variety of species. One day this month though it wasn't quite what I had hoped for. I was fishing primarily for Roach, some big ones hopefully but alas, it was not going to plan. Employing my little-used pole I only had a few small examples to show for for a couple of hours worth of careful feeding and delicately presented hook baits. In addition to this the lake was unusually busy. The Carp anglers to my right were no problem but the Carp anglers to my left were an irritant mainly because they were fishing for Roach, Carp style. Not only were they getting more bites than me (most of which resulted in nothing) they were also quite noisy. I looked at my watch, it was one o'clock. I could be at the river in an hour I thought. That would give me a couple of hours fishing time, more than enough to see if anything was about.......
I arrived to find the river in a reasonable condition, not too coloured and running at a steady pace. After searching a few swims with my lure rod I soon caught a couple of modest Perch.....
They took in quite an awkward place and I felt I could do better with normal baits presented under a float. Luckily I still had a float rod set up in the car from the lake. It was my margin float outfit, for Perch. A two swan Drennan Bobber with a size 12 hook. I dashed back to the car and hurried back with my chair, some red maggots, some worms and my keepnet. The flow pushed across the river to the far bank and I quickly rearranged the depth and shot to suit the flow. As floats go it wasn't ideal but you know me by now, lazy and take pride in making something work that all the magazines tell you wont.
After feeding a couple of pouches of reds to the far bank I followed up the next lot of feed with my float rig baited with a small worm. I eased it down the swim as best I could. To be honest as the Bobber was attached top and bottom it was fairly easy to control. Although I knew the spot well having not plumbed the depth I couldn't be sure the first time the float went under it wasn't just dragging bottom. It did seem like a proper bite though and I instinctively struck. What happened next was all a bit surreal. The rod took a healthy curve and my old DAM closed face reel started to creak under the not inconsiderable resistance. It then dawned on me I couldn't remember what line I was on. It was either 3lb 6oz Double Strength or 4lb. I prayed it was the latter as I carefully drew the fish upstream and saw it for the first time. I fully expected to see a spiky dorsal break the surface but it turned out to be a Rudd, the biggest I had ever seen. 2lb 11oz..........
Followed by another at 2lb 5oz........
It really was quite unbelievable. I had occasionally come across Rudd in the river before but nothing of this size. I fished on in a daze, still feeding, still expertly steering a Perch bobber down the far bank of a river you wouldn't give a second glance. About an hour later I had another of exactly 2lbs. That made it three river Rudd for 7lb, in January.......
At the next opportunity I was back at the river. Unfortunately the Rudd had gone. It was frustrating but typical of the river. Dynamic would be the kindest way to describe it. I've often sat in the summer and watched a particular spot for an hour or so, one minute there is nothing, the next a shoal of Bream or Roach will move through, maybe some Perch or a Pike or even those two Carp I keep seeing. In the winter these minutes turn into days. All I had to show for my efforts on this day were couple of small Bream and a reasonable Perch........
Pike time
When compiling my fishing year (http://everyday-angler.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/a-fishing-year-2015.html) I became aware that while I had achieved a lot there were a couple of targets left to conquer. A 20lb River Pike was firmly in my sights last winter and with a welcome cold snap I thought I really ought to try again. When the river became to swollen or coloured I could drop onto a local drain or two to get a bit of practise in. I had a good start on the river with a few small fish and a respectable one of 13lb 2oz..........
Unfortunately it went downhill from there, The condition of the river deteriorated and I was forced onto the drains. They did provide some decent sport but they didn't provide quite what I was after......
When the river was out of sorts and the drains didn't take my fancy I visited a local lake, again with little to show for my efforts. I even had a rare day with my mate and local Carp supremo Gary. I manged just one small fish of around 7lb and he took the honours that day with a slightly bigger example, tough going..................
The piece I wrote at the start of this blog is with Pike fishing in mind although when writing it I realised you can apply it to any sort of float fishing really. There is something about watching a Pike float vanish under the surface. I have to be honest they aren't my favourite fish but there is something about those moments that keep me going back for more. While I'd love a river twenty there is a slightly perverse part of me that doesn't really want to do it yet, half the fun is in chasing a target.
SHUK News
The end of the month saw me re-visit Grafham with the Specimen Hunting group (SHUK) and our old friend, Benidorm Dave for a friendly competition- the Speeding Fist Cup. We had six boats out that day and it was a very good turn out. I must break off for a moment to thank everyone for coming, we must have clocked up over a thousand miles between us to meet up. If you have places you want to go or people you haven't seen for a while then arrange it and soon. Back to the fishing and I went pretty much all out for Zander but with hindsight in the wrong place on the day. I had a great time though and had lots of Perch action, nothing big but Dave was pleased to get a Pb with this one of 2lb 5oz...........
Luckily some of the others fared a little better. Dave and Andy saw some Cormorants working an area while motoring out and this gave them an idea where to target. Very crafty. Andy had them to 9lb and Dave broke his PB twice with fish of 9lb 12oz and 10lb 2oz. Fantastic angling and two great chaps..........
Jamie also had a few Perch including this one of 2lb 6oz........
The winner on the day though was Zander supremo Ash with this fine fish of 10lb 6oz. It is primarily a specimen hunting group so the biggest fish won on the day. Deservedly so............
And although James struggled that day in the same area as Dave and I he did manage a few fish including this nice looking Pike the week before.........
If you want to know what Grafham is like I covered it in-depth a few months ago. You can read that here.....
The SHUK lads also had a day out down south on the rivers Itchen and Test. I sadly couldn't make it but by all accounts they had a great time. Big thanks to Mike for organising it and I'll be sure to make it next year. Dave with an Itchen Chub.......
Martin on the Test.......
Mike with a Sea Trout...........
Elsewhere our friend Nate Green has been doing the business again, first with a magnificent Crucian Carp and a few storming Pike.........
Neil Bradley has been plundering his local venues too. Lure fishing in floodwater is not an easy art to master, he has ultimate confidence though.......
Plaudits of the month go begrudgingly to Mike Lyddon for his amazing brace of winter Crucians, almost better than my Rudd, almost Mike, almost.........
Photography
Not having taken any pictures for a while I have been tempted by a couple of Lincolshire sunsets in the last couple of weeks, I just might be getting my mojo back..........
Till next time..................
