Little did I know

I’m taking you back to New years eve 2009 and the Christmas period when most of us get a little extra time off work and maybe a few angling plans set out. This particular year was another wet one, not only that we’d also had a bit of the white stuff, the gritters had been out and my local Great Ouse was up to its neck with a mass of chocolate salty water!

Probably like most of you, when I feel the need to go angling, I just have to go!

Luckily for me, on leaving work pre the Christmas break I had taken some maggot and Lobworms home with the mindset that if the inevitable happened then I could just go out angling for a bite from anything and not necessarily a specific species (maybe just drop on to my local Grand union canal if push came to shove). Anyway, with all the festivities done and dusted and work looming fast the urge to angle was upon me, my brother was also itching to get out so between us we hatched a plan to get out and grab a bit of fresh air.

The Ouse was a definite no go, so I decided to head to a local lake that’s just a short drive from my home where I used to angle for Carp/Catfish. General coarse fishing wise, not that many anglers tend to bother with it but it holds all the usual suspects from Tench, Bream, Perch and Silvers, silvers that I had caught all be it by mistake on 12mm pop ups whilst fishing for Carp during previous springs and summers!

Leading up to this particular day, I had readied a tip rod, an Avon type rod with a 1.5oz tip, 5lb mainline, black cap maggot feeder stopped with a quick change bead and the hook link was a self-tied 2lb 80z to a size 16 hook with the intention of fishing a chopped worm tipped with a red maggot.

On arrival at just after first light it soon become apparent that half the lake was frozen solid so with only 5 swims maximum to choose from I carefully selected one that would not only be comfortable but also that sat on the back of the chilling wind.

I knew the lake quite well in regards to depths and features etc and in this particular peg at about 20yds or so the depth changed from sixteen feet to ten (a hump, quite a large hump) and this was to be my chosen distance. An empty feeder was then cast and clipped up, I then cast still with no hook link on five or six times just to get a little bit of maggot in the swim.

Shortly after, a baited cast was made and I sat back and chilled out with a brew from the flask.

We had decided to fish until mid afternoon and apart from me striking at thin air to a tentative pluck at mid-morning all else was quiet.

At about 1.30pm just as I was tucking in to a cold turkey and pickle sandwich, I had a knock, a little attention as I like to call it, the tip pulled round at a steady pace, little did I know what was about to rise and be pulled over the net cord? On first glimpse I can remember saying to my brother “I’ve got a very large silver dollar here”

Safely netted and unhooked, we then set about putting a number on her and neither of us could quite believe it when the scales read out a very pleasing winter 3lbs 8oz!!

A quick couple of pictures were taken before slipping her back and toasting with a sloe gin from the hip flask. We angled on for another couple of hours but no more attention was forthcoming and we headed for home to see the New year in.

 The moral of the story is…. If you need to change tact or species then do it, you never know what that next bite might be!

Tight lines

Derren

  

It's Been A While.

It's been seven years come March since I last sat down and wrote on these pages, it wasn't that I didn't want to write anything, I was just out of the habit so to speak. You know what its like, I was moving house and changing my job slightly back then, and that took me off in a different direction for a while.

 I've very often thought over the last few months of getting the blog back up and running so here I am, I just hope that some of you are still about to peruse my mumblings? So where do I start?

I'll kick things off with a tale of an afternoons Perching trip to my local canal, pre winter while I was waiting for the Gt Ouse chub to hopefully fatten up.

It was a Thursday afternoon, the weather had been changeable to say the least, and I remember checking the forecast on my phone over the latter end of the previous week. low pressure was upon us, thick black clouds were being swept by with the increasing winds and intermittent heavy downpours but I had booked the afternoon off so was adamant that I was going regardless of the conditions, I'd just have to chance my arm and if need be, hang on to the brolly if things became to bad to angle without (I hate using umbrellas).

There's a particular section that draws me back, a section that I grew up on as a young lad, spending most of my school holidays and weekends there during my early angling years, in to my teens and beyond. Anyway, the section of canal is a rather long pound, probably from lock to lock I'd guess at around 3 miles as the crow flies so all that swims could potentially be anywhere along its length. In the weeks leading up to this trip I had been trying my luck a little further up the towpath but had started to get the odd repeat capture so the decision was made to move a good half  mile or so and this is where I'll begin.
  

If possible I'll nearly always try to find a swim that gives me at least a couple of options as sometimes a quick change of tact can bring that one bite that turns your trip in to a successful one.
Marinas, far margin trees, bushes and brambles, but  more often than not I'll always try and find a marginal boat that has been moored up for at least a few days and if no one is present even better!

Minimal kit in the form of a lightweight chair in which I slip my pan net, a rod bag, small tackle bag and a small brew kit type bag that carries my bait.
Speaking of bait, the majority of my Perch trips are very often with light tip type rods 9-11ft so I tend to keep things simple with an old school worm and maggot approach. I'm bullish to a degree, a five pound mainline directly through to either a size 10 or 8 hook, a small running feeder bead with two rubber grip type stops determine  my hook link  length (that'll be the match lads squirming).
Two full Lobworms (just nipped off) are held in place with a red rubber maggot "simple"
Angling is all about the enjoyment, and I absolutely love fishing behind tip rods no matter the species I'm chasing, Perch, Chub, Barbel etc......

Anyway, back to the day in question.... If I can, I try and give myself a couple of hours continuous baiting before the witching hour (the last hour before dusk) very often the tips have not moved but as soon as that last 45 minutes to an hour arrives then things potentially start to come to life and this day was exactly that.

I remember sitting there spraying maggots, a pouch full down the side of the boat to my right margin, and a pouch full to the far bank bramble, right up on the far shelf, and it was at this point as the maggots were still in mid flight that rod on the boat took on a jig jagged, tell tale pull round.

The little 9ft wand is magical when playing a decent sized Perch, and from the off I could tell that I was connected to a good un. A typical feisty battle pursued but all went well and I soon had my first 3lb plus canal Stripe in the back of the net.

I unhooked and weighed her quickly, she was in perfect condition and at 3lb 2oz I was content, I then placed her back in the net and laid her down the margin to rest up.

3lb 2oz of pristine pizza slice.

It was now a little after 4pm, and I knew that my eldest was finishing work so I dropped him a text to say that I'd had a good fish and he kindly diverted to the towpath to come and find me.

Whilst Carl was on route, I rebaited the hook and placed the rod back down the margin  along side the barge and once again sprayed more maggot over the top, the far margin also received a pouch full plus a little lift n lower trick, I do this if the spot has been quiet and then give it another five to ten minutes and if it still doesn't move, I then wind in, check the worm and hook for debris before recasting.

Shortly after resetting the far side rod,  I had literally just screwed the lid back down on the brew flask when a quick sharp bite registered once again down the near edge, then it settled again and went quiet!

Three or four minutes later and there was no mistaking that something had taken off once again with my free worm offering?

The fight was short lived and soon my second chunky Sarge was being bundled in to the net, this turned out to being a little tricky as its sister was still in there. All went to plan though, I then unhooked, weighed and gave her a number of 2lb 12oz " fantastic" 

My tea was near cold by now, but before sitting and taking the moment in, I once again rebaited both rods and shortly after that Carl arrived. " I've had another mate" he smiled and replied "Go on boy"

Back to the flask and we sat there chatting, catching up whilst having a cigarette when you've guessed it..... but this time it was the far margin rod that had been quiet since my arrival that sharply pulled round before falling slacker and slacker. On picking up the rod and feeling that initial head shaking I knew once again that a Perch was doing its very best to rid the hook. Carl looked at me, shook his head and said " You're a jammy git" I just laughed and said " get the net, but be careful"

On picking up the pan net to prepare for landing I could tell that he was a little like " what am I supposed to do here then? 

Thankfully all went ok and a third was slipped in to the folds, high fives made and Sarge was unhooked.

The scales revealed 2lb 3oz and I muttered to boyo "that will do me for today"

With that the photo studio was set up, I quickly did my hair,  put my hat on and was soon smiling for the clicker before returning three glamorous stripes back to their watery home.  

Me? Well I quit while I was ahead, myself and Carl said our farewells, I threw the kit back in its respective bags and made the short journey back home delighted with the outcome of the afternoons Autumnal events.

Until next time.

Mr Chubbly Warmer

I nearly wimped out going this week, the forecast was saying there was a chance of wintry showers, the temperature was +2 but feeling like -4 due to the wind factor and it wasn't until the better half said "if your staying local then just go and if its not happening come home" those wise words were taken on board, the flask was made and off I went on the ten minute or so drive.

Earlier in the week my new pin arrived so I was gagging to get out and give it a go on the float and maggot. But as a back up the tip rod ventured out with me just in case the conditions were not suitable for the float attack. 

The river itself is a tributary of the Gt Ouse and looked cock on with a little extra water and slight tinge of colour, but would the fish be up for it? 

The first swim I chose was a straight that would offer me the chance to work the 8BB avon float that was paired up with a size 16 hook and a couple of white maggots. After what was probably fifteen runs through the swim and with continuous feeding suddenly the float buried away and soon I was playing my first pin caught chevin of around the two and a half pound mark.

 

I kept on feeding and feeding but no other bites were forth coming and  to be honest my hands were bloody freezing so it was time for a move and I would try the peg again for a few trots on my way back past later in the day. The move would also play a part in getting the old blood circulating again as I strolled on down the meadow in to the next field.

The next swim was a sharp bend with a big tree that leaned right across the river from the far bank and debris had built up over time and presented the angler with a big raft with quite deep water below.

The tip rod coupled with my std link ledger set up and a couple of big lobworms was the plan for this peg as I could let the end tackle bounce round and hopefully settle next to the raft.

 

After casting in with a gentle flick I then settled back, poured a brew and took in the surroundings.

Its funny how our minds wander, as I sat there thinking back to the times when I was still in my teens and used to get dropped off to this little river most Sundays to fish the junior matches for my local club, I even used to bike here with my little trailer in tow during the school holidays (and on bunk off days!!). The river itself does not seemed to have changed too much from how I remember it all those years ago and it certainly is a little gem.

 Back to the fishing, I had just placed my cup back on the flask when a small tap indicated that something was sniffing around my hookbait, then another before it gently pulled round with what I would call "a bit of grace". On pulling into the culprit, from the off I could tell it was a better fish as it just held deeper as it tried to plod its way towards the raft, but the gear held out and there was soon a big pair of white lips gliding towards the waiting net. Left to rest for a few moments while I sorted the necessary gear out to make it a star.

  

A weight of 5.04 was recorded and soon I was smiling at myself through the camera lens for a quick couple of shots.  You can just make out the damaged tail on her, cute and cuddly otters?? maybe, but I'd like to hope not! I then placed the fish back in the net, dipped her in the water for a refresh before taking her a short walk downstream for release.

I angled on in the same swim for another half hour or so but apart from a crayfish type annoyance, nothing else occurred so once again it was time to move on and into my final swim for the morning but first I had to stop as planned and have a dozen runs through with the float in the earlier swim but all was to no avail so I quickly passed through and made my way back to the weir pool end of the stretch.

It was now late in the morning, the cold wind had increased making it feel even colder, it was also an upstream wind that was causing large ripples on the surface, again I decided to go with the tip rod and position it as low to the waters surface as possible. Two gigantic worms were taken from the tub and cast out right into the main flow and turbulent frothy water.

As I sat there, listening to the drone that was being made from the weirs the rod tip suddenly took on an arc that could only mean one thing "fish on".

To begin with it felt perchy, head shaking and dogged, fighting for all it was worth against the six pound line, but after my first sighting of the scaly culprit it was soon to be recognised as another reasonable sized chub that was scale perfect and plump as a pudding. A quick weigh that registered 4lb 8oz was made before again resting her in the margin while I sorted myself out. I was feeling quite pleased at this point and decided to call it a day while I was ahead.

Two methods, three swims, three bites and three fish all in a cold mornings work. Was I happy? 

Of course I was.