Stick N Pin On A Falling River

 I had a careful look at the river levels Friday morning after the heavy rain on Thursday. Te little river  intended to fish had risen a foot overnight but had since dropped about six inches and was still falling so should be OK. Looking from the bridge when i arrived an colour there had been seemed to have dropped out of it. This time I headed downstream instead of up like last time. I soon found a nice looking swim, but the descent into it was a bit dodgy on the wet grass. I set up the float rod with a quick depth finding rig and made my way down. I didn't want to get all the tackle down there and find some sort of snag filled hell hole. Luckily there seemed to be a nice smooth run, so the rest of the tackle was brought down. As I sorted myself out  noticed a bit of mono on the bank a bit down from me. It turned out to be three log lengths of heavy (barbel?) stuff. This wasn't a snap off it was clearly dumped. Why?

After the tidy up I set up a feeder rod and a float rod with a 4x4 stick float. The plumbing had shown the swim to be a bit over eight foot deep. The float was shotted shirt button style. I was going to be fishing maggot over hemp for what ever turned up.

First cast and the float failed to settle. In came a tiny little bleak. Not wishing to contend with them I bulked the shot a couple of foot above the hook. Next cast I avoided the bleak but ended up with a equally tiny roach. Third cast The float got half way down the swim before disappearing. Another tiny fish that I thought was a leaf at first. A gudgeon this time.

Just after I swung the gudgeon in fish scattered throughout the swim. Damned pike. I continued to feed hemp and maggot but didn't get a bit for a good forty minutes. When I did it was from a good fish. Just as I got it to the surface a huge mouth grabbed what looked like a chub of around two pound. What looked to be a good double figure pike shot at great speed into the tree roots downstream. I chucked the feeder rod out as I rerigged. The tip went over not long after I tightened up. A perch that imagined it was a lot bigger was swung out so as to avoid the pike following it. That turned out to be the last pike I saw. The next fish was a hand sized roach.

I had very few bites on the feeder, which I'd left out while I had lunch. After lunch I resumed with the float. With constant feeding. I started to get a decent run of fish. Not quite one every cast but steady none the less. I've no idea how many I caught or what they weighed but it wasn't a bad afternoon at all considering how hot and bright it was.

The only reason I stopped was that i had to be elsewhere. The bites, typically, were getting better and more frequent. One problem, of my own making, was I but my phone on the side tray causing it to over heat again. Placing it in the shade under the seat cooled it enough for the final photo. The heat had, however, corrupted the memory card and It took me several hours to sort things out and get the photos off the phone. Several were corrupt and couldn't be rescued though. I think I should take an ice pack to place it on.

Stick N Pin N Pike

 It was quite a cool morning as I arrived at the river. Very pleasant indeed, but I know it was going to get hotter. I intended to do a spot of stick n pin fishing so wandered along the flood  bank looking for a suitable swim. It wasn't long before I found one that looked good. A bit of a steep descent into it though. Once on the bank I quickly set up a small chubber float with a couple of SSG shot. I'd not fished here for a long time so didn't know much about the state of the swims. I trotted the rig through a few times until I'd found the depth, just under five foot. I'd not found any snags or weed either. The chubber was then replaced with a 3 No6 wire stemmed stick float. A few trots through with out any bait just to check the depth etc. again and I was under way. Two maggots on the hook and a few tossed into the swim and the float disappeared. and the first fish appeared. A tiny roach.

The next fish was a small gudgeon taken a bit further down the swim. Feeding a few maggots each cast I either got a small roach half down or a gudgeon the the end of the swim. After a few of these a dace was little dace was taken on the drop. This is how it continued for a bout half an hour before a pike grabbed a roach i was bringing in. Ripping it from the hook.

Next cast the float shot upstream. Another larger pike had grabbed the maggots on the drop. While I was playing it three jacks came downstream close to the bank. This was not looking good. Eventually a 30" 6lb 15oz was in the net. After a bit of a lull the same pattern as previous returned. All small fish though. Again a fish was grabbed by a pike as I was reeling it in but this time I was bitten off. Again things went quiet for a while before some larger roach showed up. Which were more than welcome. Then another pike showed up grabbing a roach as I brought it in. A tiny little jack that decide to put on a display of tail walking before both came adrift.

 

The morning was now getting warmer and judging by the fish scattering near the weed on the far bank the pike were just as active as ever. It was back to the little dace and gudgeon came back but he bites were harder to hit. I tied feeding  twice per trot but this didn't seem to help matters. As I was winding in after a trot down with out a bite another fair sized pike grabbed the spinning maggots. After a brief battle I was bitten off again. That was it. Time to go. So I did. Besides I'd nearly run out of bait. One thing I noticed on my way back was the number of grasshoppers in the field. None of them would stop still long enough for a photo though. Nice to see as they are another inverabrate that seems to be in short supply in many places.

Fourth Day Of The River Season 2024

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.

Second Day Of The River Season 2024

 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.

First Day Of The River Season 2024

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.

 

Putting On Weight

 My cunning plan for Thursday was to spend an hour or so in each swim and work my way round the gravel pit. Providing no other anglers got in the way there was enough daylight to fish every swim.  I started in he first swim with the usual sort of setup. A small smelt was dropped near the tree roots and a lamprey tossed out next to the dying weed bed in the middle. After moving the baits a couple of times I moved on to the next swim. A cup of tea and lunch had been consumed as I got ready to move to the far side of the pit.

 With everything ready to move a few fish scattered over to my right. It looked like the only swim I could reach the spot from was the first one I was in. As I stood there more fish scattered. A quick move back to the first swim and out with the bait. Because of the height of the water, it had gone down a couple of inches since last week, you are a lot closer to the tree branches above. This can make casting to certain spots a tad awkward, but kneeling down I managed to get the bait within a couple of yards of the spot. The smelt which was now a bit raggedly was replaced with a small roach and swung out to the tree roots. A robin had a wander along one of the rods, no doubt hoping to be fed. Three quarters of an hour later some fish scattered just to my right in a small bay. I quickly moved the roach there and a few minutes later the float slid away. After a rather hectic fight a decent pike was in the net. 93cm and 12lb 4oz it looked somewhat familiar. A scan through the phone showed it to last week's fish which had gained 9oz.

 

Just after I released the pike there was quite a splash to my left but all I could see was a twig in the middle of the ripples. I then what I at first thought was a rat swimming to the bank as It shot up a tree I realised it was a rather soggy squirrel that clearly picked the wrong branch to wander about on. There was then another scattering of fish to the right of the float out in the middle, so I decided to stop put. I put a pop up ball on the lamprey, which was still oozing blood, and recast it. Another small roach was dropped back in the bay. After this there was no more fish scattering or anything. As usual I waited into dark before packing up.

 

Tail End Of Jocelyn

 With the rivers still at ridiculous levels on Friday I headed to the gravel pit despite the fact we still seemed to have the tail end of storm Jocelyn around. This last storm was named after Dame Susan Jocelyn Bell Burnell DBE FRS FRSE FRAS FInstP. A physicist who was educated nearby. I'm not sure if I'd want a storm named after me. The previous few days wind had brought a fair few branches down, but luckily the corner I wanted to fish was reasonably clear of debris. The water level was well up, though, the highest I've seen it for three or four years.

Tactics were the usual. A small roach was float fished to the left in the little bay and float fished headless joey mackerel to my right under the overhanging tree. The wind, despite being a south westerly was rather chilly. As I poured hot water into my cup the float above the roach bobbed and moved slowly out of the bay. A strike produced a vicious tug then nothing. The little roach bait was still on the hook and showed no signs of damage. Strange. The joey was then sent out to the middle of the pit. Despite moving the baits about. Injecting the with oil. Doing a bit of dead bait wobbling. Nothing else happened until I started to make my afternoon cuppa. Again it was the small roach something had taken a fancy to. I struck into something powerful that headed straight towards the sunken branches. Leaning heavily into it there was a big swirl then I was hit in the face by the float.

I checked the hook which definitely still sharp, so I pinned on another small roach and popped it back in the bay. The mackerel got another shot of oil and a pop up ball was added. An hour later interest was shown in the roach again. Again contact was made with something powerful that head straight for the sunken branches, but this time the fish stayed pinned to the hook and after a bit of a hectic battle around the tree roots a rather chubby pike was on the unhooking mat. A nice big beastie of 93cm and 11lb 11oz.

 

I fished on until dark but nowt else happened.  What surprised me was that I was the only angler there all day. I'd have thought with the rivers so high I would have seen more. Maybe the threat of the strong winds put them off. The wind though cold wasn't really a problem as it was filtered out by the trees that nearly surround the pit.