The longest of winters

One of the few recent captures

Another river season has come and gone and the lack of activity on these pages tell its own story. Since Christmas there have been few opportunities to capture some large winter fish. Since my previous post where I enjoyed some nice chub fishing in January, it has been a tale of woe. The changeable weather conditions have been most unhelpful. We have had to endure long periods of freezing weather which saw the Warks Avon dip to below 2°C at one point then we've had to contend with the inevitable snow melts that saw the river rage and spill its banks. A couple of small pike managed to put a bend in the rod but a string of blanks appeared to be the norm for me.

Mother nature flexes her muscles

Despite the lack of fish, the countryside can be at its most striking at this time of year. From the beautiful snow covered landscape to witnessing the power of mother nature when a river is in full flood. I had the pleasure of witnessing a starling murmuration for several weeks through the colder months. Quite why starlings do this prior to roosting is a mystery but it certainly makes for an interesting spectacle on a cold, winter's afternoon.

The final weekend saw the river rise dramatically. Had it not been the last chance to fish the river then I'd have probably given it a miss since I have found the Avon rarely produces when on a rapid rise. Despite reasonable water temperatures, a winter barbel could not be tempted. I even gave the river a final chance on the 12th but again she was on another quick rise following a day of heavy rain. I struggled to place a bait even in the slacker swims and was forced to retire early.

There are few better sights than the countryside shrouded in a blanket of snow

The PB chub

As I write this, I have awoken to find we are once again greeted by snow. It's certainly been an interesting start to what is supposed to be spring. Looking back, it's been a reasonable season full of highs and lows. The barbel fishing through the summer and autumn was some of the best I've enjoyed on the Avon in recent years and my first Wye double was a stand out memory. A personal best chub brightened up my winter before the weather took its grip. With March upon us it affords time to regroup and explore new challenges and I for one hope that the close season remains although that's a debate for another day. The next few weeks will see me switch to big perch and hopefully some better times to come.

Roll on June

I never really enjoy this time of year as far as fishing is concerned. A dirth of tench options near me and the closure of the river season means that I spend more time plotting for the 16th June rather than actually chasing fish.

That said, I have managed a few trips since mid-March. These have resulted in my one and only

tench so far, an enjoyable couple of hours one evening catching some hard fighting carp to 8lbs or so and a dreaded blank.

I'm sure I will manage a few more sessions in the coming weeks but I am already starting to plan for the opening of the rivers when I can get underway doing what I enjoy most.

Perch: Two personal bests

There's never been a better time to catch big perch, After years of neglect, autumn saw me have my first real go culminating in Severn 2 pounder. My PB has crept up slowly but I was still awaiting a big 2 pounder or landing that magical 3lb fish.

A friend of mine arranged for us to make a trip to a new stillwater. With live baiting banned the approach was going to be worm and prawn based. A simple running ledger rig was baited with prawn while a small bobber float and centrepin were employed for the worm. The plan was to feed maggots regularly to attract the small fish and hopefully see the perch follow. 

Personal best number one - 2lb 11oz

Arriving at 10am the next few hours were slow. My friend then managed a a great looking perch of exactly 3lb. The fish came completely out of the blue as did the sunshine. This killed the fishing and the next few hours were a non-event. I did change the hook to a size 16 to get a few bites. A few roach and the first perch of the day arrived.  It was a 3, about 3 inch but it was beautifully marked. By 5pm the cloud arrived and with it much better prospects. I chopped some worms and threw them around the float. Within seconds the float buried and the tell tale jagging of the rod tip told me a perch was on. It was safely netted and I was confident that a new PB had been landed and so it proved at 2lb 11oz. The float went back out and within 30 minutes I had another perch on. It felt a better fish. It then surfaced to reveal a huge stomach and also a very precarious hook hold. The fish was landed and it was no surprise to see my PB beaten for a second time and with it my first 3lb perch. Like my friend's fish earlier, it was 3lb on the nose. I did manage to hook another fish soon after but instead of another perch a beautifully coloured linear carp of around 6lb came to the bank. Following this spree the only other thing to report was a dropped run on the prawn rig before the light faded. 

My first 3 pounder and new PB

The artistic shot

It's not everyday that you catch a personal best fish. To do it twice in less than an hour is some session and makes up for all those tricky days that we all encounter throughout the year. Thanks must go out to my ghillie for giving me the opportunity to fish a new water. It looks like I'm going to have to find a venue in the summer to pay him back.

A trip to the canal

My location for a few hours

With a week off work, I was determined to fit in a fishing trip. Apart from a failed tench mission a few weeks ago, it's been a quiet on the angling front. A new job, a pregnant wife and a host of other things have pushed fishing way down the pecking order. With all this mind, I decided that I would rather catch and stay busy than sit it out for one larger specimen and this mindset took me to the Birmingham-Worcester canal near Droitwich.

 It's been a few years since I last fished the canal in this style. Armed with some brown crumb and a £1 worth of maggots, I then took my pole out of its bag for the first time in years. I plumbed up to fish the bottom of the far shelf and then started fishing just after 4pm. Bites were slow to begin with and I lost a few fish due to being a bit rusty. However after about an hour the fishing became

Roach and what, I wonder?

incredibly easy with a fish every minute or so.This lasted for about 40 mins before sport tailed off again. Majority of the catch was made up of perch although roach, a couple of hybrids and gudgeon including a 2oz specimen also made an appearance. On the subject of the hybrids - they certainly contained some roach but their upturned lip made me question their true make up. They weren't bream-like in their appearance so any suggestions would be welcomed in the comments box.

I called an end to the session at 7.30 having lost count at 50-odd fish. Although none of the fish were big, it was an enjoyable way to spend a few hours on a deserted and peaceful stretch of the canal. As June approaches then my attention will begin to turn towards the opening of the river season. Meanwhile I cannot let a spring pass without a tench or two so my next trip will have them as my quarry.

A cracking 2oz gudgeon

The final catch

Carp: So near yet so far

Another sunny spell saw me again seeking surface feeding carp. I attempted to set myself a challenge. After four fish around 6-7lb last week, I attempted to search out a larger specimen.

Upon arrival, I was greeted with the sight of about two dozen carp basking in the warm evening sunshine. I didn't arrive until 5.45pm so I was aware I had to get fish feeding quickly to see a return. The basking fish had no real interest in feeding and were almost statuesque. A few chased each other, maybe suggesting spawning may not be too far away if this weather persists. Rather than flog a dead horse, I stationed myself in a quiet corner of the lake where my loose fed dog biscuits were noticed almost immediately. Furthermore, some of the fish looked significantly bigger than the ones I caught last week. A slight breeze had blown the baits to the next swim and it was here a decent fish was lying in wait. I moved positions and put my bait in just the right place. Minutes later, a carp surfaced engulfing the bait. The line snaked away at speed as the fish raced off towards the middle of the lake. It was a very good fish but it found its freedom all too easily when my line snapped. I have to say I was surprised this happened as my drag had been set correctly and I was using 10lb line. It was pretty disappointing as it was definitely the stamp of fish I had targetted from the outset. It was only when setting back up that I realised the problem. A twist in the reel line had caused a knot on the spool. It was obvious that the fish had run until it hit the twist and under the pressure it had snapped. It was enormously frustrating yet it was such a freakish event, the type that only seem to happen when you least need it. The loss was also compounded by the fact the fish were spooked. I did manage to land two carp, both commons with one around 7lb and the other going a bit bigger. Perhaps I'll be rewarded next time?

The session opener after the disappointing loss

This fish was tempted close in

Carp: Off the top

Warm weather equals surface baits

After the river season closed a few weeks ago, I decided to take a break from fishing. I think I needed it and they say absence makes the heart grow fonder. On the back of a beautifully sunny week, I decided to visit a local stillwater in the hope that the venue's carp would have been tempted towards the surface to sunbathe.

On my 4pm arrival, I walked around looking for any sign of cruising fish. Despite the sun still being quite strong, there was a distinct lack of action. A couple of fish were seen but it was hardly convincing stuff.