Glorious 16th +3

Had another wander along the Nidd, this time with a a trotting rod. The intention was to spend 30-40 minutes in each swim trotting maggots under a stick float. Basically it went according to plan. Rigging up a size 16 to 2.9lb Matchline, under a 4 No. 4 alloy stemmed float, 14' match rod and a 'pin.

After plumbing each swim and having a couple of trots through with an unbaited rig, I chucked in a couple of hands full of maggots and stuck 2 on the hook. I normally got a fish with in a couple of runs through, nothing to shout about chub, dace, roach and bleak all put in an appearance. Remarkably, no matter which swim I caught them from the were all of a similar size like the same shoals were following me.

 








The only problems I had were with the barbel. I hooked and lost three of them. Nidd barbel tend to go mad when hooked and I never really felt in control of them. The rod didn't help, it's an 'old school' tip action device which locks up pretty quickly so you.  tend to run out of shock absorber. All of them though ended up in the tree roots. The other problem I had was getting bites on double maggot and ending up with one chewed maggot, but when I fished single maggot I didn't get a bite.

 








I was surprised not to get any gudgeon or perch, but I have a solution to the barbel problem. I'm taking my barbel trotter tomorrow, that should stop me hooking them.