Full Tank, Empty Net

Friday I decided to do a spot of feeder fishing on the Derwent using sweetcorn as bait to see what I could pick up in the way of fish. As I had my lunch I looked at Google maps to see what state the roads were in before I set off. For no obvious reason the journey along the main road was going to take 45 minutes instead of the the normal 25. A thirty five minute drive along the back roads saw me at the river with out the frustration of sitting in a traffic queue. Talking to an angler that arrived after me it transpired people were driving 6-8 miles out of the city to sit in a queue to buy petrol at one of the most expensive garages around. Glad I filled up Thursday while at the supermarket.

Talking to anglers as I wandered down the fishery only the odd chub was coming out. I stuck with my plan of feeder fished sweetcorn.  First cast was a tad too close to the snag/feature, but I pulled free intact. I alternated between the middle of the river and the nearside. After an hour I managed to foul hook a minnow. A change to a 6mm pellet didn't seem to do anything either. Eventually I had a good rattling bite on the inside line, but failed to contact with anything. Continuing in to dark failed to make any difference. My first blank of the season.

I was really surprised at the lack of bites. Maggots, meat, pellets, paste used by other anglers had similar results. Not the best start to Autumn. Looking at a oaks Quercus robur around me there were very few acorns on them this year, probably due to the rather dry weather.