The Tiny River Alne - Shirkers and Shuftiscopes

Thankfully I don't have to speak to the DWP that often, 'don't contact us, we will contact you' 'we have received your letter, you will get a response in 11 weeks' nice of them isn't it. Still none the wiser after 12 weeks, so I tried to ring, 5 times I was cut off after 10 minutes or so, then 97 minutes on hold, doing better this time, and then 'our service is temporarily unavailable please call again later' 😠😠😠 Beeeeeeeeeeeeppppppppppppp !!!!!! and it cuts off. 

I've had to renew my driving licence last week, it's anyone guess when that will turn up, at least the evening greeted us with a lovely sunset as I was losing the will. So hoping for better I tried again in the morning and after nearly another hour I finally get though 'No decision made yet!! 

Where they’re now advising 18 weeks for a response WTF !!!. Piss up in a brewery springs to mind, I don't know why I thought anything other than the contrary, good to see my hard earned tax money is being put to good use. Not just me moaning about the service though, see for yourself. 

Now talking of not turning up, the chub down the Alne, well when the heck are they going to arrive because the trout have been the only species that have fancied a grab of the lure, well apart from the odd rare perch. However the last session here from under the polarised sunglasses a decent size chub followed the lure in to the bank but sadly didn't decide to make a snatch for it. 

With a smidgen more water on, the lure rod was ditched and swapped for a link ledger rod where for this short after work session, I'd feed four or five swims with some bread slop and then fish a large piece of bread flake on the hook, to try and tempt one of them. 

Having fished this stretch for a good while now it is very random when the different species of fish turn up. Certain conditions where you would think the dace would be showing, you catch trout and then when you think trout would be up for a feed the chub turn up.

It's a lovely place to be in the summer months but the threat of a shower my lightweight waterproof jacket was donned just in-case it hammered it down.

The first primed swim I managed two small chub that were caught within 10 minutes of each other. With the bread flake suspended off the bottom within seconds I was getting plucks from small fish I presume, but there was no denying a chub bite.

Lovely fish in cracking condition that were caught in one of the deeper swims where up and till recently the swim has been static. Now with extra water on almost trottable.

Another couple of unmissable bites missed I moved downstream to the next swim where within 10 minutes I'd missed another bite, this time a drop back bite where my slow reactions the fish had felt the hook. After a massive bow wave that started close in I thought what the heck was that and decided to feed some bread where it was taken off the top just as it passed under an over hanging tree.

I was fully expecting and otter to appear but now I'm convinced it might have been a carp but despite drifting more bread down the fish never re-appeared, so I didn't get to see what it was.

The chub were still biting though and after missing another bite 🙈 I managed another two fish, the best going 2lb 8 ounces. I've caught fish approaching 4lb here in the past but they only usually show in winter when it's about the only fish that is biting.

After that swim went dead I went upstream and managed another 2 small chub from two different swims so 6 in total. I was very pleased indeed because apart from that one chub following the lure they have been suspicious in their absence.

As soon as the sun came out the river went dead, If I fished at dusk would the better fish have turned up ? A light and fragrant prawn Keralan coconut curry concocted when I got back, an enjoyable few hours indeed.