The intention was to spend an hour or so pulling the odds and sods of Balsam left on this stretch before having a bit of a fish. As it was there was more Balsam then I'd realised. Even when I thought I'd got most of it, having wandered up and down three or four times, I spotted a four foot tall plant in flower in among a stand of them. Quite how I'd missed this I don't know.
The Balsam bashing left me with about an hour for fishing. Slightly less after a cuppa. As I crossed the bridge to enter the water I spotted one of the escapee rainbows. A rather clumsy cast landed the Elk Hair Caddis just above it. It wasted no time grabbing the fly. After bit of a hectic dash about it came adrift just beyond the net.
I worked my way up the narrow little beck bow-and-arrow casting the fly into likely looking spots until I got two thirds the way up the short length. A fish was ring ahead in a very tight spot. I couldn't get a cast to it with out the fly creating drag. Dropping back and going around on the bank I was able to get a cast downstream. Second attempt and the fish took. Things were rather hectic in the confined space but I got it in the net. A nice little WBT around the 9" mark. I think the Eeyores approved as they came over to have a look.
I continued to the top of the stretch but nowt else was seen.
Time had run out. Especially as the traffic was building up and I had to be else where. So that was that, but i have more time tomorrow for a go elsewhere.
I had chance of a couple of hours fishing up the valley of cheese. As I got to the river in the glorious sunshine Swifts and Martins were grabbing insects from the surface. They were so quick I couldn't see what the birds were taking. They then moved away. With no sign of what had been hatching I put on a Elk Hair Caddis for want of a better idea.
I had few speculative casts here and there as I wandered along the river with out any luck. The Oyster catchers were up and down with their sirens going. Again I saw Swifts and Martins going after insects but by the time I got there they'd moved along. As I wandered back upstream I spotted a couple of fish rising in a shallow riffle by an island. First cast produced a nice little WBT.
I sat and waited to see if there would be any more rises. After a few minutes two or three fish appeared to be rising, but for what I couldn't tell. After a couple of casts a small chub of similar size to the trout took the fly. As I brought it in a couple of dozen other chub scattered. Some upstream and some past me. After dealing with the chub I waited again but no fish returned. I continued upstream. The occasional speculative cast again failed.
At the top of the stretch I spotted a couple fish rising in the fast riffle. After wandering back downstream and crossing the river I was able to get up to a position to cast at them. It took several casts to get a drag free drift. A very splashy rise resulted in something a bit bigger. A nice 10" Grayling. Time was running out but nothing else rose. A few more speculative casts produced nothing.
The couple of hours had flown past, but it had been quite enjoyable. Two more species caught add to the list.
Fifth day of the river season and the fourth river. Two days since I got a new brolly and I've been lucky enough not to have to us it. The venue has steps cut in the bank and platforms at the bottom. All very nice but the steps could be smaller and the platforms bigger. Even so It'll do. I had a cast round with the Deeper. I found just under four foot by the side of the weeds on the nearside and eleven and a half foot a third of the way across. One rod with a 4xNo6 wire stemmed stick float and the fifteen footer with a 4g bolo float.
I started on the inside line flicking some maggots in and trotting the float as close as possible to the weeds with out snagging. I got plenty of chewed maggots before bringing in a little bleak. While I like to see the return of bleak to the river they can be a damned nuisance. Especially when small. After two or three of them I got a small perch then some tiny dace and chublets. The problem was most of the time I just ended up with chewed maggots. While this was going on I'd been firing hemp and maggots out to the far swim.
I gave the far swim a try and after a few trots down managed a decent perch before a couple of boats came past from opposite directions. Both swims went quiet, so I had a cuppa. When I lifted the long rod out, having finished my cuppa, a little perch had taken a liking to the chewed maggots. The inside line was still full of tiny little bleak and like, so back out on the Far line. It was a fish a chuck for half a dozen casts. All reasonable sized roach, before I bumped one off and everything going quiet.
Over the next half hour or so I picked up a couple more roach on the far line and a couple of tiny ones on the inside. The last two fish of the session came right at the bottom of the far run. A couple of silver bream. I couldn't fish any further down as the tree to my right blocked my view. Twenty seven fish for 3lb 7oz. Not a great catch, but fun none the less on the float. It wouldn't have won the match on the Sunday as that was won with 30lb+ of bream. In fact I don't think it would have got me a section prize.
A very enjoyable four hours in pleasant sunshine . The only downside was the very vocal lambs on the other side of the river They really were very loud and persistent.
I was surprised to arrive at an empty parking spot so early in the season. It would mean I had the choice of swims over the three miles of river. After careful consideration I picked the first swim I came to. mainly because I couldn't be arsed going much further. Besides this swim had a nice three foot run a rod length out. This river is exceedingly variable in depth ans speed over a very short length. Further out it was a bit slower and five foot deep but the run came to an abrupt halt so far down at a cliff face.
The water was about six inches up and peaty coloured as expected. A 6xNo.4 wire stemmed stick float was set up with the centrepin and a 13' 6" rod. Bait was to be maggots over hemp. It was a lovely sunny afternoon with Kites noisily fly about. I did spend some time trying to get photos of the by listen to their squawking and hoping to judge when they'd glide over the trees into view. This was easier said than done. They seemed to be more inclined to come close when I'd put the phone down and started fishing.
Feeding hemp down stream and maggots in front on alternative casts. It took a little while and some adjustment to the depth before I got my first bite. Several more followed which I couldn't hit before I took two bleak in quick succession. A small dace followed soon after. Then the beasties I'd managed to avoid so far turned up. A pike took the next fish I hooked then one attacked the keepnet.
It took nearly na hour before I started to get bites again. A couple of chublets and a couple of roach before a small perch was engulfed by a good double pike. Time for tea. I kept feeding the swim while I had something to eat and drink.
The next few trots down just produced chewed maggots. A bit of twiddling of the shot and a couple more bleak turned up. I then snagged up, or so I thought. The snag slowly moved upstream and across the river. Whatever it was moved slowly and relentlessly upstream for some thirty yards. I began to think I'd foul hooked whatever it was. A look at the phone showed it to be 19:41. I gained some line but the fish just drifted towards the near bank before setting off upstream and towards the far bank again. It did this a few more times but each time I gained line until I had it just upstream of me. I tested the 3lb hook length to it's limits as I heaved it up to the surface. A barbel around the 7-8lb mark clearly hooked in the mouth. On it's side and a yard from the net it woke up again in typical barbel fashion. Three more times I had it on it's side and close to the net. The third time it shot off very quickly. The first time it had moved faster than walking pace. Somewhere it became lodge in a snag. I put the rod in the rest and waited. A couple of minutes latter the tip dragged over then went slack. The float popped up and I wound in dejected. The hook length had parted in the snag. It was now 20:09.
A cuppa and a replacement hook length and I was back in action. Another small perch then a few chub, roach, and dice followed. I then hooked into what I assume was another barbel. This time though it shot off downstream at great speed before becoming lodged in some tree roots downstream. The hook length quickly parted. Although sunset was still awhile away I decided that was that. I'd struggled for twenty one little fish. I didn't care though. Despite losing a couple of barbel and the annoying pike it had been enjoyable.
The weather forecast for the second day of the season wasn't good. Heavy downpours were predicted. Looking at the rain radar it looked like a trip northwards should miss them. So northwards I went. I arrived in lovely sunshine. The river was nearly a foot up, as expected, and rather peat stained. One problem I'd not thought about was the bankside vegetation which was some way into the river. The 15' rod reached over it though.
I'd brought my Deeper Sonar with me to do the depth finding rather than faffing with a plummet. A cast about with it showed there to be around eight and half foot on the near near third of the river before it slowly increased in depth to ten and a half foot three quarters of the way across. I set up a 7 No.4 alloy stemmed stick float shotted shirt-button style. I then proceeded to catapult out some hemp and maggots onto two lines when disaster struck. The catapult broke at the pouch. Throwing the hemp was OK but I could only just throw the hemp onto the far line I intended to fish.
Another angler came wandering down with the intention of fishing. He just wanted to see what the levels were like. He thought they were OK, but we may struggle to get more than a few fish. He also reckoned we wouldn't see more than a bit of drizzle. By the time he'd got back to his car the heavens had opened. I never saw him again. I think he'd sat in his car then given up. I should probably have done the same at this point. My rather elderly brolly was anything but waterproof. Me and everything else was getting soaked. As trotting was near on impossible I just layed the rig next to the vegetation and sat the rod in the rested and waited for the better weather that was on the horizon. I did try to keep feeding the two swims but really had no idea where the bait was landing.
When the rain eventually stopped I went to lift the float out of the water but it snagged on the vegetation. I gave it a bit of a annoyed tug and the whole lot wrapped itself around the rod tip. Time for something to eat. Re rigged I set about fishing in earnest. The sun had come back, making it quite a nice evening. It was the best part of an hour before I got my first bite which I promptly missed. Half an hour later a second bite which I managed to hit despite a large amount of slack in the line. Something gave a decent bend to the rod. I managed to keep it out of the nearside vegetation and get it in the net. I rather welcome hand sized perch. An other half hour passed before the next bite and in came a very welcome little tommy ruffe.
Two hours two fish. Not the best of going but two more species to the roster. I fished on for another hour for one chewed maggot before the arrival of drizzle suggested I pack up. The rain radar showed heavier rain due. Which arrived as I got in the car.
A rather frustrating days fishing but not a blank so I'll take it.
Today I made my way to the tackle shop for a new brolly and ended up with this rather fetching number that also doubles as an advertising hoarding. So if it doesn't rain again you know who to thank. Along with some bait and a few bits and pieces I also managed to leave with a shiny new feeder rod.
The weather for the start of the river season didn't look great. Heavy rain and strong winds sweeping though, making a nuisance of it's self. The height of the the rivers would be effected and as I'd rather start the season trotting for what ever this isn't great. However a video by River Foss Fishing, who'd been out at midnight, showed my intended destination looking reasonable. When I got there mid-afternoon the level had dropped an inch or two but the water was coloured. It was suitable for a spot of stick n' pin.
After the showers on the way there the sun came and the gusty wind got stronger. Thankfully the high banks and trees protected me form the worst of the gusts until they dropped. Tactics were simple. I'd be trotting maggots over hemp for what ever. There were three distinct currents though the swim. A nice slower glide at 5' 6" deep on the inside. A fast 6' deep section a third they way across. After that it was a lot quicker and around 7' deep. Hemp was tossed into all three. The first fish of the season was a bit of a fluke. I'd dropped the baited rig into the edge while I adjusted the seat. When I lifted it out a little roach had hooked itself.
I tied dropping the bait back in the edge for a while but nothing else grabbed hold. I started to feed the three swims while alternating between them. It was quite while before my next fish, a small dace, turned up from the middle of the three swims. This was quickly followed by a small chublet. It then went rather quiet.
As the sun moved behind the trees the bites started to increase. Not that I could hit a lot of them. As the bites where coming from the middle swim I concentrated on that one. I did still keep feeding the other two swims but not as much and not as often. A bit of twiddling of the shot and depth produced a couple of stamp roach. Then a few bleak before going quiet again. As it was now tea time I increased the depth and put the rod on the rest fishing the inside line.
My hope of adding a gudgeon to the species tally while I had something to eat had failed. I fished the three different swims but only the middle one was producing the odd small roach, bleak and dace. By now the temperature had dropped. Like a twit I'd left my fleece in the car. The bites stated to tail off. As did my enthusiasm until a decent dace was taken right at the bottom of the swim. Due to the trees on my side I couldn't fish further than this as I could no longer see the float despite leaning precariously out over the water. This was to be the last fish of the day.
I ended the session with two dozen fish for around 3½lb. One fish every ten minutes. pleasant enough start given how coloured the rivers was. Ledgering for barbel may have been a better idea but I like to start the season float fishing and that's what I did. The weather for the rest of the week is best described as variable and no doubt the rivers will be a bit all over the place but I shall persist.
We'd spent the morning removing fallen trees from over the beck opening it up to fishing and wading. A couple of us decided on a spot of fishing but only had a short time available so we decided to fish the beat closest to the cars after a spot of lunch.
I followed the other chap as we made our way upstream. We'd seen the odd mayfly and olive fluttering about but not much was rising. I opted for a Elk Hair Caddis again. The basic tactic was to wade along the edge and cast the fly into the middle of the beck as this seemed to be where we'd had most luck in the past. Having left the water due to a deep hole and re-entered. I flicked the fly out near the edge and started to pull some line from the reel when a trout took the fly. I had so much slack in the system that I didn't get a proper strike and the fish came adrift. Further up the was a nice riffle over a little weir. I cast the fly right to the weir and on the second cast the fly was snatched. A little 6" WBT was quickly in the net.
That was my lot for the session. The other chap had had nothing until we got to the top of the beat where he took three fish in quick succession. A little 'un and a couple around the 10" mark all on a small paradun.
