Warwickshire Avon - Flambeaus and Flagelliforms

Consuming blue cheese before bedtime has always given me some very vivid dreams, from lucid one way beyond this atmosphere, like if I was an astronaut in the black sky, somewhere deep in to the nothingness, and then the next could be a full on debauched one where I didn't want it to end. 

It has sort of become a habit too, because, well I rather like it to be honest. I don't need much of the mouldy stuff either, just a small piece is enough to trigger them. Anyway somewhat related fishing, a well received by-product is that I literally don't think about anything, ones mind is clear which in these rather testing times that is most welcome. 

Why do you think my angling escapades has been increasing year on year ? well there is a good reason for that and it ain't rocket science....!!!!

Now talking of dark a recent purchase of a Nitecore NU25 has been one of those successful purchases, you see it offers literally everything I need out of a head torch, where after a few outings in, it's been money well spent (£45 quid). It's only 400 lumens for the main light however that is more than enough light when navigating in the dark, however it also has a bright red mode to offer less bankside disturbance, and also a spot light mode with various intensities which is perfect to illuminate a quiver in to dusk and beyond.  It's not a narrow focussing beam like I usually use but with rods elevated off the water idea for lighting two rods, oh and it's lightweight, which is a bonus. 

The purer the water the better the fishing ?. As a general rule there is no arguing with that statement (Don't worry Baz I'm not going to drink the water down here), but there are exceptions and one or two of them are quite astounding. Many years ago the old River Lea that runs from Hertfordshire down into north London and from there joins the Thames in the East End was once one of the best rivers in the country for big chub, barbel and other coarse fish. 

It was here that the great Izaak Walton fished, and many of the experiences described in The Compleat Angler took place on this once glorious waterway. But as the city expanded and industry flourished much of the river became too dirty to support much worth fishing for. 

By the early decades of the twentieth century the River Lea in London was little more than an open sewer.

Then rumours began to spread that in one or two places fish had been seen in the London reaches of the river. 

This was remarkable enough, but local fishermen simply shook their heads in disbelief when it was also reported that the fish that had been seen were actually seen in greatest numbers precisely at those places where sewer outfalls entered the river.

In Tottenham a journalist from a fishing magazine went along to see what all the fuss was about. 

He found a gin-clear, fast- flowing stream that ran between high, solid concrete banks. In fact it wasn't a stream at all. It was the sewage outfall, but the water running through it looked cleaner than the water that ran, at that time, through Hampshire's famous River Test. 

Even more exciting was the fact that great shoals of dace and chub could be seen in the fast water. They were difficult to catch, but each fish was enormous far bigger than the general run of these species in most rivers. In the two years that followed the discovery of the sewage outfall fishery the British records for gudgeon, bleak and dace were all broken by fish taken from that tiny water. 

When scientists investigated they discovered that the effluent was being so efficiently cleaned up that it was actually providing the fish with a protein-rich diet hence their enormous average size. Hardly surprising then that very few fish were knocked on the head and taken home for supper!

Anyway enough of that, I better get fishing !!!

Well this was one much of the same as the last session, groundhog day so I apologise but it's about all I could muster up with work getting in the way, as well as dusk coming ever closer, and a cold snap on the way. 

So it was back to the same stretch with the same method and probably the same outcome. This time though I decided to fish the swim where I caught a 12lber from which still has some cover, and then reduce the length of the hair to try and at least bank a chub.

For the first hour I actually chucked a lure around in a few swims to try and catch a perch or a chub but there was nothing doing whatsoever. Even under this bush where after casting upstream the lure on the retrieve went right under the cover where usually chub reside. Cast after cast with often perfect presentation nothing was either under there or wanted to grab it, so it was on to the 2nd half of the session.

I balled in some scalded pellets that I could see drift to the bottom and start to dissipate and then let the swim rest for half an hour before I dropped the bait in over the top. I received indications on the rod tip and there was fish in the swim minutes after the bait was out.

It's always shady here with the bordering trees and even half an hour before official dusk it was already pretty dark. The first proper foot pull happened about 15 minutes which was undeniably a chub. I also had some weird slow pulls where the tip would move a foot to the right but really slowly and a constant, where I had suspicions it could have been a crayfish because the wafter was removed from the hair at one point without any savage pulls that usually do that. 

I've had plenty of crayfish on the Avon over the years I can tell you so no reason why they wouldn't be here. Knocks and pulls on the rod eventually turned in to a 1lb chub that hooked itself but I saved its embarrassment but not taking a picture, well it was caught on a barbel rod after all.

Anyway curfew was an hour after dusk where after catching that chub bites dried up for 20 minutes and then thankfully started again. Sadly I don't there were any decent chub in the swim, let alone any barbel so a disappointing session. I'm hoping the rain will liven things up, the Alne is properly on the rise so I fancy trying for some big dace and then maybe some pike as well with a bit more colour in the water. 

Warwickshire Avon - Yabbies and Yarnwindles

I didn't really have long for this session, in-fact by the time I got out only 2.5 hours bankside which isn't a fat lot, but enough to winkle out a fish. I'd have only regretted it, that fishing fix is needed more than ever these days !!!

Now the Avon was on the rise and would continue to do so for a while, so not exactly brilliant conditions but with the driving stretch of convenience chosen, once the rods are made they can be strapped to the car and, I could move from swim to swim and drop in to a swim with relative ease. 

Chub with the initial target but I also packed a barbel rod because the temperature was no well over 7 degrees and with the colour the way it is, they may well venture out for a munch.

Dynamite bait Hot Fish and GLM with a matching paste wrap has proven a decent bait for me, so with a feeder full of the shrimp and krill groundbait that should be pungent enough to try and get any barbel feeding in the area to home in on the bait.   

What I didn't expect with bread fished on a light link ledger in the swim in the video produced the only bite of the day, when after the 3 SSG's settled and the flake was wafting about around 5 minutes later as line bite turned in to a few plucks and then a full on decent bite.

I don't think the fish knew what was going on at first but once it realised it was hooked it went off on a mad one and I was trying to get in and amongst the bush to my right. 

It felt a decent fish and once the fight was over it looked a 5lber all day long and sure enough after putting it on the scaled it went 5lb and 5 ounces. 

Another cracking Warwickshire Avon chub bare in mind I've been struggling to catch anything over 4lb for ages so a 6lber and then this 5lber a cracking 24 hours. With the fish retained in the deep landing net no more bites, so I moved to the next swim up and nothing in there so I decided to up the gear and try for a barbel, giving the swim more time than I usually do.

The river was motoring through and despite it being up to similar levels not long ago the amount of debris coming down was frustrating at times. 

The feeder hit a lovely hard bottom so any fish could find the bait easily but sometimes the rod was only out for 5 minutes before the amount of debris wrapped round the line, meant a recast. At one point the bait was out for a good half an hour before repeating the aforementioned, but the fish were having other ideas.

Curfew came round too quick but taking the afternoon shift was fellow syndicate member Dave who had barbel on the mind, but he was suffering with the same issues as me.

He was on for a blank, but thankfully a crayfish came along to 😀 save the day. I've caught quite a few crayfish on the Avon over the years and it was on this stretch when something had not only taken a boilie bait on a previous session but had also taken the hair with it !!!

Eric was on a WBAS syndicate water not a million of miles away and he blanked too. Considering I've fished over 10 swims over the past couple of days only 2 produced bites and I think I was lucky with those.

Conditions are not getting any easier but there are still some fish to caught, you just need to be on the fish and that can often be by chance. 

Just look at the 6lb chub I caught that wouldn't have happen if it wasn't for the decision I made and also the fact I had a quiver rod and lobworms left in the car., spooky !!! but that's fishing for you and why we love it !!! 

RIP Terry Hall, I'd seen the specials a few times, the last time they were warming up for the Levellers. What he went through as a kid must have been horrendous, there really are evil people in this world. 

Warwickshire Avon – Colder of Fortune

I could see its silhouette crawling along the dimly lit wood floor, it looked huge, easily the biggest spider I’ve seen this year, and it was headed towards me.

I’d caught and released countless ‘daddy longlegs’ up to now, but this brute needed to be tackled in a different manner.

Luckily the Wife was upstairs because she has an irrational fear of anything eight legged and this really would have kicked in her arachnophobia, big time.

She would have jumped out of her skin and woken up the kids in the process.

Now I don’t particularly like handling spider and I was in no mood to chase it round the living room so, quickly over to the lights, and with the space now illuminated it’s stuck in its tracks.

Rick Stein’s Mediterranean Escapes book comes to hand and with a swift underarm throw, its spider bound.

This thing is ginormous, I see its fear, but not for long…..

Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnngggggggggggggggggg !!!!!!!!!!!

This air-breathing arthropod is no more, it’s deaded, I’m already feeling the quilt.

The resulting splat got me thinking, maybe it’s worth trying an all out deadbait assault for these large Warwickshire Avon Zander, I’d had a run last time you see but didn’t connect but then I’d fished the last half hour without a bleeding bait on for Gods sake, that won’t help now will it.

6lb 2oz being the biggest from this stretch up till now…..

Anyone else noticed how quickly dusk is creeping up on us, gone are the evenings where I could finish work, see the kids, eat ones dinner and then still have reasonable bankside time to catch a fish. My twice weekly fishing fix is headed towards one session only, and I’m not looking forward to it. I’ve a night session planned on a guest ticket soon mind you so depending on how I do, I may well in the future anyway broaden my horizons and fish another area of the Avon.

I seem to be fishing more than ever, maybe because up to now my results have been very mediocre and I need to bank something half decent.

For this stupidly quick session of an hour and a half I didn’t have time to mess about, the rods were set-up with matching running set-ups, the deadbaits defrosted, so it was out with the baits and wait for any interest.

I’d noticed when fishing the local cut that Zander feeder much better when it’s cold, there was a notable difference in catch rate, not only that but the bigger fish seem to be more interested too.

So with the Autumnal temperatures gradually kicking in would a larger Zander be biting?

What an odd session, it was surprisingly mild compared to the start of the week, so maybe the session was a little premature. The first fish came within half an hour or so and at first I thought it might be a half decent Zander as it was giving a good pull on the string but when it surfaced it was a greedy Chub that took a liking to the headless Roach. I'd caught one on deadbait before but considering the amount of time I've used deadbait it was still a rare occurrence.

It had a distinctive tail, so should be able to recognise it if I catch it again. Still plenty of filling out to do but it still weighed 4lb 8oz's.

The next fish came on the other rod and it was a small Zander complete with someones end tackle. I removed it the best I could but the little fella had properly swallowed the rig and taken the bait right down. It gave a reasonable scrap so hopefully it will survive the ordeal.

After putting out a bait after catching the Chub I noticed the odd little tap on the rod tip, but not enough to sound the Delkim, I didn't think much of it but when retrieving the rods at dusk I thought initially on the last rod I'd snagged up some weed but on closer inspection a crayfish was hanging on to the bait like its (short) life depended on it.

That could explain the end tackle found, maybe a suspended bait is needed.

Brook Perch

It was dark and gloomy when I got to the Brook at 7.00am, an angry sky but a lovely scene all the same. I bait dropped some chopped worm, caster and red maggots in to my Perch banker swim and then made myself some breakfast.

Within an hour the sun came out and I had to take my jacket off, nearly the end of October and I was in my t-shirt.

I've had some decent Perch out the weir pool so that was my first port of call but the only think that took a liking to my lobworms was a crayfish. It's the first crayfish that I've caught in the Avon brook section so I certainly don't think the Warwickshire Avon has the problem some of the other local rivers have.

I was only fishing for a few hours so the last couple of hours I spent in the banker swim, again the Perch were here and had 6 or 7 over a pound with the biggest 1lb 10oz.

I trotted today as I missed using the centepin last time when I ledgered.  I'm hoping come winter time some of the Perch have put on a bit of timber because the fish were long and lean, an encouraging sign though and another enjoyable morning.

Blythe, Barston and the Brook...

Friday afternoon was the Shanghai AC match at Barston lakes. Only 10 fishing the match and I drew peg 10. With my method feeder rod already set-up and 45 minutes before the match was going to start I went for a look at the river Blythe which is a stones throw away from the main lake.

It's a lovely little river and the first time I've fished it. Apparently it has some nice Chub, Perch, Pike and even some trout. With only my Eel rod spare I baited with a couple of lobworms to see if I could tempt anything. After a few minutes I was getting some sharp knocks on the rod tip, a small Chub maybe, or a greedy Perch. Err No, a dreaded Blythe crayfish.

A friend of mine Breezy is the bailiff for a stretch of the Blythe in Coleshill and he has promised to take me for a bit of a roving session. Some good Chub to be had if you know where to go.

Anyway back to match, peg ten is right opposite the 18th hole. I fished peg 13 before and came second with 40 off pound of carp and I intended to fish the same tactics. Method feeder with dead maggot, groundbait and pellets with a red boilie pop-up.  There was a charity carp match on the opposite side of the lake and the reports were not many fish were being caught.

I should have bought a float rod as for 3 hours didn't even have a bite and Dave Bennett and Rich either side of me were catching steadily on the pole.

An hour and a half left of the match I managed to hook in to a carp, sadly after trying to prevent it from making a mess of Rich's swim it bumped the hook. My 1.75TC Barbel rod was needed to get the feeder near the island, where the carp seemed to be.

The carp seemed to be on the feed and I had the decent F1 of around 3lb and then straight after a big fat ghostie of 11lb. I lost another carp in the last 5 minutes of the match, not a good day at all.

Steve Breeze won with a bag full of bream, F1's for 46lb, Dave Roberts 3rd with 20 odd and Dave Bennett finished 3rd with 16lb. I was 5th. The last two hours it properly chucked it down so the fish were weighed in record time.

Sunday morning I popped to the Brook for a few hours, the river was up but much clearer than I thought. I tried a number of swims with meat, lobworms and fakey from the hookbait company. I've bought some of their bread looking fakey that looks ideal for winter Chub but this was some of their 3-B. It's something a bit different that the norm, anything for an edge and all that.

The only fish to take a liking to the 3-B was a small Chub, certainly no signs of any Barbel despite using a bait dropper in a few swims.

Switching to lobworms, again brought more small Chub and some even smaller Perch.

For the last half an hour I tried a bit lump of garlic spam, lots of small knocks on the tip but after striking at one of the knocks it was an even smaller fish that was foul hooked. A decent size gudgeon though considering the meat is 30mm wide.

Autumn is on the way, leaves are appearing in my garden and the car was showing 5.5 degrees when I left. Perch time me thinks.