Warwickshire Avon – Blag-artists and Bletherskates

I’ve always been an advocate of back to basics fishing, the bare minimum of tackle, the simplest of baits, tactics of forgotten years, those minutes and hours of dispositional autonomy. You see deep interest in one’s own thoughts has always been a big part for fishing me, not only because of the solitariness it brings, the provider of the peace I must seek, but it’s the fact that it culminates in, well generally nothingness.

I don’t think about anything when I’m fishing that’s why, not one iota, nothing. It’s odd I suppose, but after a three hour session, rods packed away, engine fired up, not one of life’s ills has manage to enter one’s noggin and it’s only when I’m homeward bound, where the mind starts to get active again that just how therapeutic those hours have just been spent.

If it could only be made in to a drug to be taken, then please take my money !!!!

It’s difficult to explain to a non maggotdrowner or those anglers that would rather join the bankside circus and the noise and hullabaloo that goes with it. Swap acid for angling, maybe I’m on to something, it realigns the neurons, kiboshes the anxiety and suppresses the melancholy.

Dare I say it but maggots are a way to seek mindfulness, you see once they are gone it helps to maintain a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations and surrounding environment, through a gentle, nurturing lens.

Those quiet waters, meandering streams in open fields, bubbling brooks, turbulent tributaries that make up most of my fishing have now increased to an indescribable amount of much need bank trampling. As a fully paid up syndicate member of the WBAS the crossing of paths will be limited to the local likeminded, but not only that, waters so suited to my fishing, for next season I might have to exclusively fish the syndicate waters.

Basically I‘ve left myself to much to go at again !!!!

Want to join the Warwickshire Bloggers Angling Syndicate? Well apart from the strict voting system to get past, you’d have probably already been asked to join by now, it’s a small group and will remain that way.

How about large bulky brown envelopes Mick ?, don’t ask me, ask George Burton the patron, he keeps and maintains the exam papers. Oh and Sean from Off the oche down the river who had been putting lots of effort with little reward, he needs a mention too.

It’s the River Leam and a small section of the Warwickshire Stour I want to get my teeth in to as I’m sure there will be some surprises to be had. The problem is, both need some much needed water such their levels and that hopefully won’t be far off now we are in autumn and headed towards winter where some precipitation will be forthcoming, the colour changing.

So for this session it was down to a section of the Avon where even a smidgen of rain has an effect on the levels. This session would be a little different than of late as I’d have some lobworms with me this time in addition to the bread.

If there is ever a bait that often provides instant reactions it’s the humble lob. It’s natural looking after all which for a cagey Chub but here especially in one particular swim when the levels are up a bit and there is some colour, some decent Perch are usually laid up in their smoking chairs.

A wriggly worm though usually gets them shifted off’fa it and again bites are usually quick, very quick. I’d usually use a link ledger set-up for lobworms, but as I’d use some floating bread from time to time, the simplest way is have a hook straight through and a shot pinched on the line which you can be removed when you want to fish the bread.

The chub have been a little wary of late though down here so get the shotting right, not only would it sink the worm but you can get the bread flake to sink slowly to try and offer a different presentation to the cagey Chevin.

So this morning session this is what I love to do whenever I get he opportunity, no bankside vans, bivi's, books or trolleys to be seen here, back to what fishing is all about in my opinion, yeap the basics.

There was a little bit of frost when I got there at dawn and throughout the session I had the stretch to myself. Lots of roving required as always but the fishing was tough. The river had dropped considerably from the last time and it was very low indeed. Even the Chub in the usual floating bread swims were not playing ball. The swim I had earmarked for the Big Perch is only any good when it's up a little and a tinge of colour. With the clear skies too, it was proper tough, at least the first fish was a nice Roach.

It's nice being out though this time of the year, kingfisher activity, mist coming off the water and a warm rising sun. Eventually the perch started to bite and I had around 20 or so albeit the biggest only went half a pound or so. I decided to sit in one swim for half an hour and eventually a small Chub decided to take a double lobworm bait. The last  swim I headed to was the weir, which again looked out of sorts, after 15 minutes without even a nibble I headed back,

One thing I did notice this morning though, is the cormorants appear to be back, there were 7 in a group and then I spotted 2 others on their home.