Pastures New
After my exploits at Grafham I fancied a new challenge. Although it was a bit of a trek, after doing some digging the venue in question seemed worth the hour or so drive. I would be going after the resident Perch while Benidorm Dave would target the Pike. Being a canal we had miles and miles of water to go at so we headed for an area somewhere in the middle reaches where we could have a bit of a roam about.
Dave and I got there fairly early and had a walk around to find some likely looking spots before heading back to the car for our gear. My main attack was going to be legered worms but I fancied a few casts with the lure rod to start off with. On just my second cast I had a positive take and had a good fish on. I was fairly confident it was a Perch but couldn't be sure until I saw it. Sure enough moments later a big spiky dorsal broke the flat-calm early morning surface, one of those great moments we all hope for. It turned out to be an absolute beauty of 3lb 1oz..........
Sadly the rest of the day was relatively uneventful. Dave had six small Pike while I had a few on lures. I also took six or seven small Perch on worms during the session. As the light faded I had a good two pounder which rounded off a slightly anticlimactic day.........
With several big Perch already this winter and no real hope of locating that elusive four pounder I so crave it was time to turn my attentions to another long-term goal, a twenty pound River Pike. It would be easy I thought to myself, simply turn up to the place I lost a certain twenty last year and it would surely just be a matter of minutes before I hooked it again, half hour at most. Three hours and several different spots later and this seven pounder was all I had to show for my efforts......
I put a selection of deadbaits in and vowed to return the next day, sure that the pre-bait would draw some fish despite the river being painfully low (thanks Environment Agency, you clowns). I arrived the following day expectantly. It was even less productive than the day before. Not a sniff on either deads or lures.
A day shared
I'd let Martin down twice this year with cancelled trips. With the local Pike not playing ball I fancied my first go at some Chub this winter which would surely be more obliging? I invited Martin along and he accepted. To fill the day out we actually tried for a few Perch first at another one of my usual haunts but they were strangely absent. Off to the Chub river we went although at the first venue we saw two other anglers walking the stretch we intended to fish. No matter we'd go further upstream I suggested where we couldn't possibly fail........
On arrival I sent Martin downstream on a stretch of river that while not easy has been kind to me in the past. There were also plenty of pegs to go at while upstream there were only really two, which was where I headed. After a short walk I settled in one of my favourite swims. A sure banker if ever there was one. An hour later with not a single tap and was pulling my hair out. I moved slightly further down the run and luckily had a bite straight away. It did feel a bit strange though, most un-Chub-like...............
While a fantastic fish it wasn't quite my intended quarry. I moved again and with a couple of hours passed I was sure Martin would have caught. The sight of him trudging upstream said otherwise though and sure enough he too had struggled.
This was all a bit embarrassing now. It was well past midday and the two venues we'd fished on my advice had provided a paltry one fish between us. Martin was still quite buoyant (not literally, although he maybe, I'll check next time) though and was happy to try the area we had seen the other two anglers on earlier. Hopefully they would have departed........
It's a length of river I know well and we were both relived to see the stretch vacant. We started of on two pegs that have produced Chub for me before. Martin was first to get a bite.........from a Perch. The crafty devil was fishing worms on one rod with Cheesepaste on the other. It was a good fish too maybe a pound and a half. Then it was my turn. Something had taken an interest in my bread, a big bit too, on a size six. Got to be a Chub I thought as I struck........into thin air. Bugger.
Meanwhile Martin was catching more Perch. He had about eight in total the biggest just over two pounds. Great fishing but still not what I had promised him. I missed another unmissable bite and decided to move, again. Martin also got on his toes and we both ventured upstream. My fishing buddy disappeared around a corner while I settled at the bottom off a long run, casting to some overhanging trees. After around half an hour I began willing us to catch a Chub. I didn't say a prayer or anything like that but I just really hoped one of us, it didn't matter who, would get one. Sure enough moments later I heard Martin calling from above (not vertically, like the dove). I quietly wound my rods in and went to see what all the fuss was about. He had a Chub! A good one too at a fine five pounds seven ounces.............
He had actually caught it from a spot I had never seen a Chub let alone caught one. It really brought home to me how we can get set our ways and often a fresh set of eyes on a place can really bring dividends. Besides that it was really nice to share my venues with a fellow enthusiast and a really fine angler. Thanks Martin. Not a great day fish wise but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Round Two
Over the next few days I was niggled. I'd not caught a Chub and that bothered me. I couldn't have lost my touch could I? There was only one thing for it, a return to the river to hopefully lay the demon to rest. I felt with my two missed bites that bread wasn't quite the right bait so I stopped off at the local supermarket to get a big chunk of Blue Stilton. I really cant be bothered with making pastes and the like and besides I don't really see the point, it's easily moldable as it is. It gets quite soft with the warmth from your hands though so I like to harden it off in the margins for a few seconds before casting.
Anyway, stop rambling Phil, Did you catch any? Well, yes. It was almost easy. I baited several swims up with a few pieces of cheese and started at the top of the field and worked my way down. My second chosen spot yielded a fish almost straight away........
It was four pounds on the dot. After a move I had another, slightly larger at four pounds nine ounces.......
It was very much better than the previous session but now I was left wondered why the bigger fish hadn't made an appearance. After a bit of a barren spell in a couple of spots I made my way down to an area I didn't really fancy. Although I had baited it so I might aswell give it a go I thought to myself as I wandered along. On my first cast I had a bite. My tip pulled around maybe four inches and stayed there. I struck. Nothing, no resistance at all. The second and third casts produced exactly the same bites and also resulted in nothing. On the forth cast I sat on my hands. Sure enough the tip pulled around again and held there. A few seconds later it sprang back. A minute later the same thing happened again. Even in the half light I was sure it was a fish and not debris hitting the line. When it went around again I struck..........nothing again. The light was fading fast and I was running out of time. Whatever was down there had just had four free meals and was making an absolute mug out of me.
On the fifth cast I had a plan. The tip went around and I lifted the rod off the rest, giving the fish some slack. Sure enough I could feel it through the line. When I was certain it had taken it properly I lifted into it and sure enough it was on. The fight was unspectacular but dogged. It didn't make for any of the numerous snags, it just held deep in the middle as I gradually brought it upstream. It was only when I netted it and tried to pull it over the nearside reeds did I realise I had something something rather special. Would it be my first six pounder? A fish I never thought was possible from the river? You bet it was. Six pounds four ounces....................
Even with all my stealth and cunning I had only just lip hooked it. I am still sure it was the same fish that gave me every bite. I was using my 9ft wand with a 3/4 ounce tip so the resistance was minimal. A very, very cautious fish and one I'll never forget catching.
Rumbled
After finally conquering my Chub target I switched my attentions to Roach. I returned to the place where I had caught my two pounder in the summer. I didn't get there till about half past one in the afternoon though so it was going to be short session. I tried a couple of spots with little joy and then settled into a shallow swim where I had seen the odd small fish topping. I got bites straight away be they were very tentative.
A frustrating half an hour later and I stripped off my link leger and put a float on. It goes without saying that the old wand isn't the most ideal float rod in the world but I thought I could make it work. The first run through with the float resulted in a Roach, a good one too.........
The next run down I had a Dace. It was also a decent size going 9oz on the scales. Then I had another Roach, I couldn't believe it, it was a bite every cast. "Caught owt mate?". I turned around to see a chap directly behind me. I was sat low down on a reedbed and had just netted the second Roach. I don't know why he asked, he could see the fish between my legs in the net. It too was a good one and I weighed it with my spectator looking on. It went one pound eight ounces.
I was kicking myself that I hadn't brought my keepnet and that my onlooker turned out to be a keen angler from the village. He didn't realise the stamp of fish on offer on his doorstep. This spot will be getting plenty of attention in the near future I though to myself as I chatted away. He stayed a while, mainly because what was happening was quite remarkable. I had eight roach in total, the smallest was one pound four, the biggest one pound ten.........
The stamp of Roach was amazing and in the end the light faded too much to fish the float. I did get one after dark on the tip having found a starlight in my bag. The best fish fish of the day though had to be another Dace I had among the Roach. It was massive. The picture doesn't do it justice, it was really thick set with a big chest (oo-er). It went fourteen ounces and another new pb............
The very next day I had arranged to go Piking with Benidorm Dave. To be honest I had been blown away by the size of the Dace from the previous day and would rather have returned to the river. After spending the morning Piking though Dave very kindly agreed to venture back there with me in the afternoon. I was good job too, he beat me five - nil on the Pike front. None very big but it kept him busy..........
Sure enough, my spectator from the day before was in my spot when we finally arrived at the river. He hadn't had a bite though. The water had cleared somewhat but I was still fairly confident. Dave wandered off upstream and had a small Chub straight away while I struggled for a bite. Dave then had a good Roach about a pound and a quarter before his swim died. Barring a few small Perch and Roach it was a terrible day for me. Just shows how two days can be totally different, part of the reason we keep getting drawn back I suppose.
On the subject of getting drawn back, I couldn't resist trying again a week later. I still didn't find any Dace though..........
Group News
The lads arranged a get together and unfortunately I couldn't make it. They met somewhere in the midlands for a lure match. They caught plenty of Perch and a few Zander. Barry even had a Chub. Apparently everyone had a cracking day. Big thanks to Nate and Carl for organising it and providing the prizes. The winner on the day was Jamie, seen here with Nate..........
Tackle Talk
Trabucco Airblade update. Typical of the Italians, both of my Airblades developed the same fault after just two outings. The bail trip consists of a steel trigger that trips on the aluminium body. Of course with steel being harder the aluminium, it has worn a grove in the trip rendering it useless. I've modified them both but still, why go to all that trouble of designing a genuinely innovative product and forget the most basic of things?
My Pike fishing hasn't quite kicked off yet but after selling my old Baitrunners it was time to get some new ones. The Aero-X models look brilliant and I was tempted but at £130 each they are a slight overkill for the amount of times I'll use them. In the end I bought a couple of bog standard ST's and was that happy with them I bought a third. All for less than just one Aero-X...........
I usually just carry my rods around loose or in my Korum all rounder holdall for longer sessions. I recently bought a quiver type one for keeping my Pike rods set up. Once again I was so impressed I bought another for roving about with my tip rods. Mine are Korum but plenty of firms sell them and they start from around £20........
Photography
I seem to have lost my mojo regarding photos recently. Luckily Andy and the gang are always willing to provide a few shots.........
Till next time...............
