Its been a busy month and not without various fishing trips, but alas all have been blanks for chub, pike etc) so not much to report apart from getting wet!
So with the new year on the horizon another trip out was in order, but it was forecast to rain heavily during New Years Eve.
I've been longing to fish the river again, but with all this rain, it has been difficult to find a day when it wasn't on the rise.
New Years Eve came and went and it did rain, but quite late in the day, so I knew that whilst the river would be rising, it would during the latter part of the day.
New Years Day came and I was out on the bank for first light only to be greeted by chocolate brown water and a frost.
Undeterred I setup a couple of rods and armed with oily sea baits, I found a spot where I had access to some slack water.
Mackerel in the margins on one rod and a sardine was cast out over the far side on the second rod.
Unusually for me, the porridge had been eaten at home, time for a brew then. The kettle boiled and with mug of tea in hand I scoured the landscape taking in the sights and sounds of the great outdoors.
It amazing just how much wildlife we have and we take for granted. With Long Tail Tits in the willows and pheasants in the field, there was plenty to keep the eyes on.
The alarm on the margin rod sounded as the drop off was pulled to the spool, but didn't drop. Rod was soon in hand and the float was bopping at the edge for a second before it started off into the flow.
Bail arm closed and I tightened into a moving fish and a the rod took a health bend.
After a nice scrap with the fish using the flood flow to its advance whilst taking line on a couple of spirited runs, the first fish of 2016 was safely in the net.
She was hooked well in the scissors and the mackerel was gone, but was soon unhooked, snap on the mat and away with a flick of the tail. See you again when you've added 6lb's.
Rod was rebaited and dropped in the slack water but slightly down stream from where the pike had snaffled the last bait. The sardine rod was catching debris floating down with the extra flow and pulling the float under. This was reeled in, recast and positioned higher to try to eliminate the problem.
11:00 came and a move was in order even though I quite fancied this swim later in the day. I upped sticks and went for a mooch down stream and settle into a double bend swim which felt ever so pikey. Alas after a coupe of hours this feeling left and for the second time of the day I upped sticks and when for a mooch back upstream to the boathouse swim.
Was nicely settled into the boathouse by 14:00 and brewed the last of the water whilst snacking on a bar. I had a feeling that this swim would produce and at 14:30 the margin rod alarm sounded and line was peeling from the spool.
I wound down and tightened up. Nothing.
Floating debris or dropped run, I wasn't sure but I fished into the dark whilst watching a Barn Owl hunt in the low light over the field and meadows. Kingfishers flow up the river to their roosts and a lone fox trotted along the track before spotting or smelling the odour of a piker on the wind before heading off in the opposite direction.
With darkness upon me I backed up and headed for home.
2015
The year gone by wasn't as spectacular as the year before and I didn't manage to catch the target fish from some of the venues. But I did manage to fish some new places over the year. Here are the highlights.
11:00 came and a move was in order even though I quite fancied this swim later in the day. I upped sticks and went for a mooch down stream and settle into a double bend swim which felt ever so pikey. Alas after a coupe of hours this feeling left and for the second time of the day I upped sticks and when for a mooch back upstream to the boathouse swim.
Was nicely settled into the boathouse by 14:00 and brewed the last of the water whilst snacking on a bar. I had a feeling that this swim would produce and at 14:30 the margin rod alarm sounded and line was peeling from the spool.
I wound down and tightened up. Nothing.
Floating debris or dropped run, I wasn't sure but I fished into the dark whilst watching a Barn Owl hunt in the low light over the field and meadows. Kingfishers flow up the river to their roosts and a lone fox trotted along the track before spotting or smelling the odour of a piker on the wind before heading off in the opposite direction.
With darkness upon me I backed up and headed for home.
2015
The year gone by wasn't as spectacular as the year before and I didn't manage to catch the target fish from some of the venues. But I did manage to fish some new places over the year. Here are the highlights.
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| Jurassic Pike |
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| Return of the Roach |
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| C**p! |
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| Chub on Lures |
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| More Snotties |
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| Early Tinca |
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| Low level |
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| Commercial Success |
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