Warwickshire Avon - Christbaums and Chronosynchronicity

16ish feet or a nadger under 5 metres long, the Wife's XC90 T8 barge was ideal to transport the Christmas tree from the local farm to the Newey household. Sam in the 3rd row seats, Ben on the 2nd row in the same side the 10ft tree fitted in a treat with only a small adjustment needed on the passenger side.

Christmas Trees as they came to be now started around the late 1400s into the 1500s. In what's now Germany (was the Holy Roman Empire then), the Paradise Tree had more decorations on it (sometimes communion wafers, cherries and later pastry decorations of stars, bells, angels, etc. were added) and it even got a new nickname the 'Christbaum' or 'Christ Tree'.

Some early Christmas Trees, across many parts of northern Europe, were cherry or hawthorn plants (or a branch of the plant) that were put into pots and brought inside so they would hopefully flower at Christmas time. 

Now if you couldn't afford a real plant, people made pyramids of woods and they were decorated to look like a tree with paper, apples and candles. 

It's possible that the wooden pyramid trees were meant to be like Paradise Trees. Sometimes they were carried around from house to house, rather than being displayed in a home.

Anyway enough of the Google history lesson, the problem was, ok we picked a nice tree but it was probably about 30% bigger (the base) than last years tree and the one before that and not only would the lights barely cover it, but the tinsel would be lacking too.

Luckily with a fishing session planned in the morning the Wife volunteered to go to the shops once I got back and she restock the decoration box with baubles, lights and tinsel more befitting. Talking of baubles when I arrived bankside a tree next to my swim had a bauble of its own.

A nice and chilled session this so I actually had a chair with me !!!!

I had some maggots that I needed to use up so simple float tactics to try and winkle out some roach and then I'd have a deadbait out on a pike float and also from time to time I'd give the lure a go. 

The pike here can be very aggressive because I've had them attack the landing net when I've retained them in the net and I don't lure fish enough.

Anyway it didn't take long to get the first bite and it was a bite a chuck for the 3 and a half hour session. The roach initially were up for a feed in the 7ft deep swim and then smatterings of dace and bleak in-between.

The bleak at one stage must have been in huge numbers because even trying to get the bait as fast as I could through the water column as soon as the maggot hit the water they were on it.

Now I did expect that the pike or perch to start getting in on the act but no, they were suspicious in their absence. The smelt was untouched and even a bleak livebait went about its business without a care in the world.

But fishing in one of those pastimes where the unexpected can happen and the fortunes can change with the flick of a switch. You see I was starting to pack up when out the corner of my eye the pike float with the smelt under it started to move and a run developed.

As soon as I tightened up to the circle hook I knew it wasn't a big fish but give it its due a couple of drag activating runs it was taking line. Still it didn't take long to get in to the net and it called an end to the session. 

Bugger its on the wonk !!!