College Pool - Wasperton - 25.11.12

With my usual haunts, the Warwickshire Stour and the Avon at serious flood levels I didn't have many options, Snitterfield Reservoir is just down the road from me but I've never done any good there when it's been cold, College pool on the other hand, the fish always seem to bite. It's a small pool that's was excavated for Gravel so it's deep, proper deep in places so don't even attempt to plumb the depth. The pool contains some of the pound for pound some of the hardest fighting carp you have ever come across, some reported Perch of well over 3lb, Barbel and some sizeable Bream.

I had some worms I had to use up so I decided to target the Perch, a ledger rod set high in the air with a light bobbin and a Perch bobber fished in the margin, chopped worm and small prawns were used as feed. The wind was gusting over 20mph but I managed to find a sheltered spot at the far side of the lake where the surface was surprisingly calm. There is nothing better than seeing a float bob around and then sail under, probably the nicest way of fishing as there is not denying what's happening under the water.

Bites were hard to come by but eventually the float went under and I was in to a fish, I thought it was a decent Perch as first however College Pool it could can be anything so and when the fish came to the surface I was suprised to see a Chub. It was blind in one eye but a nice looking fish all then same, you can always rely on a Chub to save the Day, one of my favorite species of fish.

I caught some small Perch but nothing of size, a couple of other Anglers near the car park end were sat behind their rod pods and bit alarms targeting the carp but never had a touch when I left 3 hours after I arrived. I've said before this place is a credit to Leamington Anglers association, probably my favorite still water. I'm sure I spotted Keith Jobling ? when leaving the village, certainly looked like him.

It's raining...

Hmmm so with a friend currently cut-off in his Village of Honington, looks like my plan of fishing the Stour the weekend is out of the question :) levels still a long way to go too I'd suggest. This is where Honington bridge used to be, lots of flooding near me, Henley in Arden, Wootton Wawen etc.

Click Me For Environment Agency Website

Warwickshire Stour - 18.11.12

I'm known for having a good moan and today was no exception, I think I've been spoilt in the past with Leamington Spa AA, great website, regular newsletter and quick responses to emails, Stratford-Upon-Avon AA on the other hand is complete contrast, no website and to date I've had few emails not answered and phone calls not returned, it is 2012 isn't it ?.

I got to Wimpstone at 7.00am, a lovely white blanket over the fields and a dry fresh morning, I planned to walk the full stretch to Preston and had some bread discs ( Jeff Hatt Style ) and my homemade smelly cheese paste to target the Chub. Within half an hour after feeding some swims with some liquidised bread I had a long lean Chub on the bank which took a liking to a folded 30mm disc. 3.5 / 4lb or so.



Before moving to another swim I noticed some other anglers walking across the meadow, hmmm obviously a match on. Twice now I've fished the Stour where there was meant to be a match on but was cancelled  on the day as it didn't suit the match anglers, I'm not a fair weather fisherman and fish all weathers and conditions.  This morning there was a  decent frost and the match anglers would be sat on their backsides nailed to one spot for 5 hours I was suprised to see them, anyway I got speaking to the Chairman's Son and was given the option of fishing further downstream, oh well at least I had the option, from what I could see though, only 5 anglers, a match  ?  >200  yards apart ?.  Problem for me is Sunday is about the best day I can go fishing and it kinda limits my options somewhat. I was also told it was a bit of a clique, I've not really experienced that, and those members that I have met have been nice enough.

One of my moans was reference to Hampton Lucy Brook, I fear they may lose that stretch, I know from speaking to the farmer as I was leaving once he isn't happy, I remove litter when I see it and it seems that it's becoming a problem, not something the club can do, that's understandable but the 'official' car park is now no longer usable for members, apparently to deter poachers they have replaced the combination lock on the gate with a key lock, all very well but many members will be put off as they haven't a secure parking option.

The more members they have there the better as it sort of self Polices itself, I've got the Chairman's mobile number now,  I might give him a ring to see if I can help out in any way. Apparently they do manage the banks and swims but in the Summer I had to battle the way through 6ft stingers to get to a few swims so maybe I can get permission to take my strimmer down. I live 10 minutes away, some of the committee live in Birmingham, not ideal.

Some nice pics taken on the Iphone but sadly no more fish landed, I managed to miss two belting bites on big lumps of Cheese paste and a jack pike broke me off when he took a liking to a lobworm. Meant to be some good Roach here up to 2lb so might scale my tackle down a tad and try and target them. A lovely stretch of water and I'll be back, well on a Saturday from now on. I've also been given some excellent tips about some of the pegs and the fish that reside there so with my new found knowledge I'll be putting that in to action.

River Blythe Reccy

I went to the classic car show today at the NEC and upon returning to the train station car park at Hampton in Arden I went for a nose at a free stretch of the Blythe from information I received from a fellow blogger Bazal.

A nice wild look to it but still quite industrial looking, a worm will be dangled here in the near future, I like trying new venues and this looks like it has potential. A wide variety of fish apparently, even Trout, oh and the dreaded American crayfish.

Its cold overnight so I'm off to the Warwickshire Stour to target the Chub.

The Brook - 11.11.12

-1 when I left the house at 6.45am, I've got a handy carport so no need to scrape ice of the car but the Wife still thinks I'm mad. I'm geared up for it though, Beany hat, Korum undersuit, ESP Hoody and neck warmer, I've also got some thick Sealskinz socks which work well in my wellies or walking boots, oh and some Craghoppers lined waterproof trousers. Even when static I'm warm enough, when your cold, fishing starts to become unpleasant and I'm always toasty.

Another glorious sunrise over Warwickshire and I'm in my Perch banker swim, I've my centrepin set-up with a small float and a quiver rod set-up with a link ledger. The plan was to alternate between rods. Now this snaggy swim has been brilliant in the past, and as soon as a lobworm entered the water within a few seconds it has always been evident that the Perch were there. Not today though, a biteless hour, the Perch had vanished.

The river was up,  flowing at a fair pace, the water was freezing and coloured. I tried trotting with the centrepin but the float I had already set-up and the floats I had with me were too small really, the line was peeling off the reel brilliantly but the float was being dragged under far too easily. I took to the new reel really well I thought, even found the casting to be ok, it's slow on the retrieve but then there isn't a gear system which makes the difference.

With rod, a landing net and some worms I decided to try some of the slack areas of the river, areas of security and piece away from the main flow. Glad I decided to change my tactics as within a few minutes of dropping the lobworm into the first swim the float went under and I was into a small Chublet. The centrepin was no longer a fish virgin.

I noticed the reel didn't feel right on the rod and closer inspection the screws that attached the main body of the reel to the rod seat attachment were starting to work themselves loose, an easy fix with some threadlock, but not something I expected on a new reel. A simple fix so I wasn't too bothered about it but it meant as I didn't want to lose the screws I removed the reel for safe keeping so I could fix it as home. I still caught quite a few small Chublets though, the biggest around a 1lb. I went back to the Perch banker swim to see if I could get anything on the quivver set-up but apart from a few knocks, no takers. I enjoyed using the centrepin, shame no decent fish but I could get in to this style of fishing.

It's here...........

And will have it's first outing Sunday morning. Thanks to Roger from Peregrine Rods, I'm very pleased indeed.