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.