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.

Fifth Day Of The River Season 2024

 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.

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.

Seventh Day Fifth Session Of The 2023 River Season

 As I climbed over the stile-of-doom for the final session of the opening week I pondered whether it was a good idea to only have light trotting gear with me on a renowned barbel water. I also knew I may have a bit of a problem finding a swim suited to light float gear as most people fish for barbel. The first accessible swim I found was about two and a half foot deep and in the bright sunshine was seemingly devoid of anything but minnows. I chucked a few handfuls of hemp in with the intention of fishing it on my way back.

After negotiating a couple more stiles I found a nice looking swim on the end of a bend. With seven foot of water at the end of the fifteen foot rod it seemed an ideal place for a bit of not trying very hard to catch fish on the float. A 4 № 4 stick float shotted down with № 6 shot a trotted through nicely. Loose feeding hemp and maggots. I was soon getting chewed maggots. Moving the tell-tail shot closer to the hook and the first out was a small bleak. The pattern for the day was soon set as small bleak, dace, roach, and chublets were occasionally caught. I managed top get a steady rate by gradually shallowing the rig until it was about three from the bottom. This also vastly reduced the problem of chewed maggots. I didn't bother with photos of the fish as I, and you, don't really need any more photos of little tiddlers. I'd not brought the keepnet with me for some reason, either.

Occasionally I'd increase the depth to fish along the bottom but this just resulted in unmissable bites that I could hit and chewed maggots. I did try hemp on the hook a few times but nothing was interested. Some seventy one fish  landed and none needing the landing net. No pike bothering me. It had been a pleasant afternoon/evening. But I did fancy a go in the shallow swim. There seemed to be a few larger fish in it when I got there. They looked like chub around the pound mark. A few maggots tossed in seemed to attract their attention. A change of rig to a one swan loafer shotted with  five BB shot and a size fourteen hook with three maggots on was soon trotting down the run. One thing that was noticeable was how cold the water was. Stood in the shallows my feet could feel the cold through my wellies. Just before the float reached the weed where the chub were it dipped under and out came a little gudgeon. My first of the season. I could no longer see the occasional flash of the chub, so tossed a few more maggots in and climbed up the bank for a better view. No sign of them. I sat and waited, cup of tea in hand. Catapulting more maggots into the swim, but they failed to return.

I didn't want to be too late setting back home as there was going to be several road closures on my route and I didn't fancy spending time traipsing round the diversions. Also there is a nasty steep little climb back to the car. It had been I nice way to spend the opening week, trotting for whatever. No real complications. No rush to catch, just take it as it comes along. For the rest of the season I'll be trying to catch a barbel from all the Yorkshire rivers to which they are endemic. I'd also like a double on float.

Fifth Day Third Session Of The 2023 River Season

 Tuesday morning it rained from breakfast to the middle of the afternoon. Although not particularly heavy the drains didn't cope with it well especially in the countryside where huge puddles had developed. This combined with multiple road closures, inaccurate council information and a myriad of diversion signs, meant it was nearly four before I got to the river. Nobody else had been down to this stretch as there was no sign of any of the swims, just shoulder high herbage. It was at this point I realised the thing that had been nagging me since the start of the season was that I'd forgotten to put the machete in the rod bag. Luckily a trample and a good thrashing with a storm pole created a bijou little swim.

Plumbing around it soon became apparent that  there was a good bit of weed and other snags on the inside. The centre seemed to give a good run, a seven foot or so, so I upped the float from a 6 № 4 to a 4BB alloy stick. That's what Drennan call it, but to me it's a slim bodied avon. Shotted with size six shot.The lighter float was OK but in the gusty downstream breeze I'd have better control. The rest of the setup was the same as Tuesday. Fortuitously a couple of reflections on the water were ideal targets for the loose feed. The downstream one for hemp and the one opposite for maggots.

The first half consisted of unmissable bites and chewed maggots. A lot of fiddling with the shotting pattern ensued before the bites became hittable. Basically I ended up with a bulk at half depth and the rest strung out below with a № 9  Stotz on the hook length. I also found the bites were better fishing six inches off bottom rather than on the bottom. For the next hour or so I caught small bleak, minnows, roach, and dace. It then went quite for a while, but increasing the depth so the bait was tripping bottom resulted in three hand size roach in among some large bleak.

Bites had generally slowed down by this point. I'd been feeding hemp every other cast and maggots every cast so up the hemp to every cast. This seemed to do the trick as the little dace turned up again. Then some large 6-8oz chub turned up. Unfortunately I lost several when they bolted in to the snags. I got the rig back each time, normally with a twig and not the fish attached to the hook. A perch then attached it's self to the hook only to be snatched inches from the landing net by a pike. I played it for a while before the pike let go. There was barely any damage to the perch due to it's really tough skin and scales.

I continued on but there seemed to be quite a few pike active as bait fish were scattering at various points in the river. I did manage a couple more chub before one was grabbed by a pike. Again I played it for a while before the pike let go. Chub aren't as tough as perch and this one had a nasty scar. My shiny new keepnet then suffered a couple of pike attacks. I was then bitten off by a little cucumber of a thing that grabbed the double maggots as I wound in. 

That was enough of a hint for me to pack up. I'd fished for four and half hours for fifty seven fish. Don't know what the weight was as I'd misplaced my scales. I found them on top of the car when I got back! Bait fish were still scattering as I packed up, so I think continuing would have been futile. I released the fish further upstream, the only other point I could easily reach the river. Up to that point it had been a nice session with out trying to hard. Just trotting a float and waiting for it to go under really is rather enjoyable.

Inspecting the new keepnet this morning it showed no sign of any damage. How long it will survive before  a pike rips a hole in it I don't know. One can live in hope as these things, like everything else, are not cheap. The machete has been loaded into the rod bag, although I probably won't need it again. 

Today's trip is still in the planning stages. I can't make my mind up where to go basically.