Roach Slime Hybrids

Thursday I was trotting pellets again on the River Ouse. The swim I was in was a bit deeper than last time at nearly ten feet. Again I baited two lines, one a rod length or so and one nearly halfway across or seven sixteenths as my mate would say. The going was a bit slow to say the least. Four bites and three fish in the first two hours. All good hand sized roach from the inside line.

I was visited by the local expert at this point. When I told him I was fishing pellet he informed me I wouldn't catch anything but barbel or carp on them. Apparently only captive bred fish take them and as barbel and carp don't breed in this country they have to stock them. Three or four tankers a year come down to the Ouse and put thousands of them in the river. Thankfully he wandered away before I could explain to him what a barking idiot he was.

 








As then sun appeared from behind the clouds the bites started to get rather silly. The float would sail away in unmissable fashion or or bob about like I was live-baiting. No matter how I adjusted the shot I couldn't get them to convert to hittable bites. Eventually I changed to a heavier float, a 4g Avon and started to hit bites again. A similar stamp to previous, all from the far line. Thy were, however, noticeably slimy not unlike bream for leaving snot on the line. The wind then decided to strengthen and play silly beggars. What had been a light, downstream, breeze strengthened and start to blow diagonally towards me. With no real control of the float I changed to a 4AA waggler. Waggler fishing with a pin is not something I'm entirely happy with and with the wind in the direction it was making matters worse, especially as the bites were only coming from the far line and not the inside one. By allowing a large loop of line to form and keeping the strike low I was able to winkle a few more fish out before the bites dried up. I should get my self one of the clicker things so I'd know how many fish I've caught as I always lose count. 

 








When I got back to the car and got everything packed away I realised my phone was missing. Rifling through my pockets, looking under the car, no sign of it. I wandered back along the track to my fishing spot, still no sign. Emptying the car, fishing bags, etc. still no sign. As I wandered back along the track staring intently at the ground a dog walker asked if I'd lost some't. When I explained he kindly offered to ring my number. We could hear it ringing but could not, for the life of us see it. His dog, bored with barking at the squirrels, started barking at a spot on the ground between us. Although we could hear the phone we couldn't see it. Folding the long grass back relieved a rabbit hole, with a phone in it! Thanks to Ken and Ollie, as I would never have found it with out them.