The Close Season Zander Quest Pt.*** - Codicology and Columbariums

Head down, work out, music consumed in even greater quantities, with the Skullcandy Crushers yet again doing the business. The working week from home seemingly going faster than the previous week, that can only be a good thing.

Now amongst the usual repetitive beats of Psybient, Goa and Progressive, something very different an hourlong tapestry of electronic & live music, as told by Islandman & his friends from around the world. A chilled out sound of nature with an electronic vibe with instruments accompany the 0's and 1's.



Now talking about chilled out sounds of nature, we ventured a few miles away for a long walk along the towpath. I've not fished this area for a while but I know from having been there before moored boats are a rarity.

Also it gets much less footfall, in-fact during these lockdown walks of ours, it was spookily quiet. The sun was out for much of the hour and a half and over that time we spotted some cracking shoals of roach, one small group, the biggest easily a 1lb and 8 ounces.



A worrying sign though, in one area the water very low indeed, in-fact I'd be surprised if a boat could actually navigate through it at the moment. Lack of rain and the lack of cut traffic taken its toll.

Now us anglers are the eyes and ears of the countryside, we get to police waterways like no other group, without question. We get sight of issues and problems earlier on, and can often be a Godsend to keeping animals and birds alive, the waters pollution free and the poachers and fish nickers as bay.

Over the years I've done my bit for sure. The last a sorrowful rescue of an injured kingfisher that I found in much distress at the banks of the Warwickshire Avon.


This kingfisher and others have kept me visually entertained on this particular stretch over the years and it was horrible to see.


It was calm and chilled in the box we used to transport him to the wildlife hospital

Still I tried to do my bit, sadly it didn't work out as we all wanted, but at least it was given pain relief before the X-Ray and was put to rest soon afterwards after the extent of its injuries were discovered.


I bet for non anglers this unsung byproduct of our pastime has never entered their thoughts. Still keep doing what we do, keep nature as intended and bugger wanting recognition.


It's just what we do as anglers. I can only hope that we all can get back to fishing as waterways need us to police them, they really do.



Now back to the fishing, I've gone all OCD with the tackle shed to get my fishing fix, rods and reels giving a good servicing. The quivers, towels and bags all whacked in the washing machine behind Mr's Newey back when she popped to the supermarket run for her bit of 'me time'.

"This washing machine smells really funny, hey one of your fishing weights is in here for some reason"

"Really, ta, I was looking for that"



The tackle shed (garage )a bit of a sanctuary away from the minatory this has all become, when I move house next it might be first on the tick list. Still I've managed a few water fixes, the Zander swim has been fed every couple of three days so I dread to think how big it is now, if there is one laying up mind you.

They again if my own fish tank is to go by, these fish can be lazy for sure. So if there is a fish I'm feeding fattening up, I may well be making myself a double by design, and let's be honest, it's what carp anglers have been doing for years.



In my book collection I've quite a few relating to Zander now, all but one from recent times though. Those books sharing the good times with Zander fishing over the years, dare I say it the glory years.

Now I've certainly seen a decline in numbers in many of the canal stretches I fish, the food still there for sure, because I've seen the food they have to eat with my own eyes.

Still they are here to stay, and at the moment I will still loving catching and returning them.



A previous capture shown below, not a huge fish, a couple of pound off my PB, but the smile on my face says it all. These are wonderful creatures they really are, they don't deserve the castigation.

A swim that I called the 'deep bit' (sadly cover all hacked back now) that I discovered on the local cut with the use of the deeper sonar.

Fishing withdrawal symptoms ?

"yeah, what a stupid question"

It's nice to relive captures sometimes, a memorable session is good for the mind.

Now this was a swim after catching a couple or three five pounders this one turned up and give me a right good run around.

Those that say they don't fight well, what a load of bull !!