Small Brook Fishing Pt.17 - Luminosities and Lumpenintelligentsia

After some initial disappointment Oliver Johnson from Clearwater Angling quickly sorted ones missing order and posted out some freebie floats so the three that I initially purchased, which were two off mini Avon's and a single domed stick, I've ended up with a nice little selection as you can see here.

All very much appreciated I just need to try and find a river in suitable fettle to be able to try them out. They seem very well made indeed and the tips are ridiculously bright, probably brighter than any other floats I own, they almost have a glow to them such their super intense luminosity.   

The problem is the local rivers are in no fit state for trotting, the Alne is like a raging torrent and the Avon in similar spate. 

I really don't trot nearly enough because when I do there is nothing like seeing the float submerge especially when there is a fish attached to it. I'm hoping when storm Darcy had passed we are in for some more settled weather (crosses fingers and toes) so not only will the rivers drop, but the colour will drop out too. 

After two blanks down at the Avon it was back to what I do best and that's brook bashing where I was hoping I'd at least manage to get a bite or two.

Now when winter proper arrives, and most of the fallen leaves have been swept away by successive spates, the fishing in many streams gradually improves again. The fish, by now accustomed to the change in the temperature of the water, often feed more freely than they did during the low-water period of autumn. 

 

The deeper pools, and the slower-moving swims edged by decaying masses of reeds, are often the best places to fish. 

The shallow, fast-moving water will contain very few coarse fish during the daylight hours. 

From Christmas on until the end of the coarse-fishing season in March, the angler can usually expect to reap his richest re-wards from the small streams. 

The weather generally is milder, and the bed of the stream will have been swept clean of debris by many roaring spates. 

The fish, too, are often at their best: fat-bodied, strong, and brilliant of fin and eye. Some of the best catches, and some of the largest individual fish I have ever caught from streams, have been taken during this period.

Ok they are not fish you'd employee the services of the expensive taxidermist, but so what, if specimen fish is the only way you get your fishing fix, these waters are not for you. 

Now you can see from the colour of the water it was proper turbid but unlike the Alne for example these little brooks the fish don't seem to mind a jot. Find the slack and generally fish can be found.

The problem was upon finding a nice small pocket of roach I had a bitterly cold wind blowing right in my face and my hands particularly, really were like ice blocks and one fingers were turning a rather fetching grog-blossom purple.  

After catching a few fish it was time for a rove because I was finding it tough just sitting there, like a newly bought Gnome shown his new outdoor home for the foreseeable future.  

Once out of the wind it was rather pleasant though because the fish really were up for a feed. No trout succumbed to the maggots and it ended up being a red fin morning. 

The odd dace showed but not the bigger stamp that reside here. What I love about fishing these forgotten diminutive waterways is that how quickly the fish home in 

on the bait.

It means that roving is the key which suits me because if you're not getting the fish biting they are just not there. So why are these local brooks not fished much I wonder ? they provided some sport where other options no doubt I'd have been on a blanking hat-trick. 

Three cheers for the brooks, hip hip hooray !!!!

Back for a steaming hot cup of tea before the family had discovered I'd gone.  Lashfords finest with black pudding with a rather large helping of HP my hands back in the land of the living.