On The Navigation Ⅵ : Wasps, Jacks And Snails

I had intended to try again at this fly fishing lark, but the recent thunderstorms had lifted the rivers a tad and didn't fancy trailing out there to find the unfishable. Instead I made the sort trip to the navigation. This too had been effected by the rain, and the boats, causing it to be a bit more coloured than usual. With it a bit coloured I thought a bit of noise may be a good idea so started with a Salmo Ratlin Hornet and was in straight away. A fairly average water snail had managed to hook itself.

A few more casts later and a fair old thump heralded a fish in shape of a perch. A couple more casts and what felt like weed turned out to be another perch. Things then went quiet for the next fifteen minutes or so.

Some small bait fish scattered close to the bank so I changed to a small bluish shad that had been working reasonably well in previous weeks. I was hit almost immediately by a lively little perch. A few more casts just resulted in a few rattles and tail nips before a little killer cucumber followed the bait in. It did this a couple more times before I changed to a Salmo Minnow fished quite aggressively and nailed it first cast.

 

Another half hour's fishing produced nothing despite several changes of lure, so I retired for a cuppa. A robin quickly turned up as I opened my packet of crisp but didn't seem to like salt & vinegar. I did spend some time pointing my camera at a puddle where martins were occasionally collecting mud but they never turned up while the camera was pointing at it. As I finished my cuppa a largish bat fluttered along the edge of the little copse. Given it was nine o'clock and bright sunshine this was a bit odd. I had a look in the copse to see if there were any more but didn't see any.

 

I spent a while chucking lure about under the bridge to no avail, but a Z-MAN TRD TicklerZ in some sort of green colour produced half a dozen perch from the middle of the canal a bit further down before bites dried up. I worked my way back with the Salmo Rattlin Hornet again with out any signs of fish.

A change to a Fox Spikey Shad produced several tail nips before a rather scruffy little jack grabbed hold. Despite it's tatty appearance it put up a fair old struggle. This was followed by another equally energetic little jack a few casts later.

I fished on for another forty minutes with a sign of another fish despite several changes of lure. By now it was rather warm and very bright, and I had thirty minutes to get forty minutes away. As it was an accident on the main road gave me an excuse for my tardiness.

Not Long Now

 'Tis nearly the end of the coarse fish season on rivers and the snow melt is heading towards me. With this in mind and my lack of success with pike on lures, not that I'd tried much, I headed out with a lure rod and a selection of lures. I was heading for a spot I'd not fished for years. According to the gauges it had risen a foot but had levelled out so shouldn't be too bad. The most disturbing thing was the lack of vehicles in the parking spot. Last weekend of the season and no anglers. At least I'd have the place to my self. 

For the best part of two hours I flung baits about. Along the bottom, in the slacks, under the bridge, in the whirlpool, around the lock gates. Nothing. Natural colours, lurid colours, baits with rattles, baits with out. A cuppa and a ponder were called for. The only bait I'd not tried was a spinner bait, but I'd forgot to put them in the bag. After the cuppa I decided to give it another go, but concentrate on the most likely looking spots and run different baits through them. After half an hour a little jack followed a glide bait in a couple of times but didn't attack. I tried a shad  but the failed to elicit a response. In the next swim I got a very savage thump on the glade bait but failed to contact with anything. Next cast the same. Clearly a fish hitting it. I tried nearly all the baits I had but couldn't elicit another take.

Just as I was thinking of calling it a day the shad I was using came to a sudden halt. It was the first really solid snag of the day so it was out with the bit of broom handle and a really good heave to free it. Having got it free I was unwinding the line from the bit of broom handle when it suddenly tightened up. If I'd had my wits about me I'd of struck then, but I got the line of the broom handle and grabbed the rod and started winding. I did feel the fish but a shake of the head and it was off. I probably wouldn't have stayed on given two points on the treble had been bent out. That rig will need a new hook even though I could bend it back to shape the points had been folded over. I only had a half an hour before I had to go and apart from braking a hook point on another snag that was it. Oh well, too more days to go.