Warwickshire Avon – From another World

The amount of air traffic is staggering even over leafy Warwickshire, in days gone by the hands under ones backside anticipation waiting for a Barbel to wrench over the rod to send it river bound the flashing lights and background drum of the jet engine provides a nice distraction from the glowing isotope. That’s why I like the audible ratchet on the centrepin, you can be distracted as when there is a bite, you know about it.

All very groundhog day though, flashing lights, a little noise, lots of bats and the odd owl.

I was out the other night however (not fishing), clear sky, moon full, stars shining and something caught my eye….

A stationary stupidly bright light mid sky that appeared over what looked like Black Hill, about 2 or 3 miles as the crow flies.

Doesn’t look like a plane

It’s not a star, the wrong colour, varying intensity

A Chinese lantern? hmmm maybe

A drone? possibly

Now I watched this light for a good few minutes and it hadn’t moved from its position until all of a sudden it moved up vertically (In Z for the engineers) at a ridiculous speed over what looked like a considerable distance and then the light was no more, like a LED being switched off, it was instant.

What the f**k was that, a UFO?, well I cannot explain it.

Now the first time I caught a Zander on the Grand Union it looked like no other coarse species I’d caught….

seemingly from another world….

With their tapetum lucidum equipped glowing eyes, fang like teeth, angry and unapproachable, they are alien invaders to UK’s waters.

But I love to catch them, I’m literally (ultimate bass) hooked.

Now Sunday morning session at Lucy’s Mill with my mate Simon in tow wasn’t entirely dedicated to targeting Zander as the first half was a maggot feeder approach with a lobworm rod to see what came along (a silver bream would be nice or a Babrel ) and then a change of tactics for the last couple or three hours where I'd swop the hooklink on the Barbel rod and fish a section of Roach.

I wasn't feeling 100% as the night evening and night before was Rugby, drink and eventually bladderisation, usually though fresh clean air is the ideal tonic so to be fair an hour in I was feeling much better. I'd managed a 3lb Chub and a couple of chublets to Simons small dace and roach in this time, it was hard going though and the day seemed to go worse not better. The kayaks not helping maters.

When you do fish here, make sure your bait it covered up, the amount of dog walkers boarders on the obscene, the majority are off the leash too. Now a black Lab took a liking to Simon's halibut paste, :) God knows what it's owner was doing as it took him a good couple of minutes to recover it from its jaws, leaving the tub looking worse for wear and half the bait in dogs belly. Simon wasn't best pleased....

A small Pike grabbed hold of a small dace I was retrieving but eventually it let go if it. Weirdly not a touch on the lobworm rod and then bait dropped chopped worm didn't seem to help attract the fish. I switched to a chunk of Roach and with 1/2 an hour I was getting twitches on the rod tip. I haven't done much river fishing for Zander but after a few taps I stuck in to the fish and felt some nice resistance and called Simon over. Sadly a little like my initial fishing sessions for Zander on the local canals, the fish and hook parted company. I doubt the hook had a hold, maybe the fish just released the section of Roach from its jaws.

Bugger....

Simon left at 11.00 I stopped till 12.00 and left the two Pikers with four rods out biteless.