Warwickshire Avon – Bushy-tails and Beechmasts

In Celtic mythology, Fagus was the god of beech trees. It was thought to have medicinal properties, beech leaves were used to relieve swellings, and boiling the leaves could make a poultice. Forked beech twigs are also traditionally used for divining.

Due to its dense canopy, rarer plant species are associated with beech woodland, such as box, coralroot bitter-cress, and a variety of orchids including red helleborine. Beech woodland makes an important habitat for many butterflies, particularly in open glades and along woodland rides, and the foliage is eaten by the caterpillars of a number of moths and the seeds are eaten by mice, voles, squirrels and birds.

The masts of the Beech tree offer an alternative to hazelnuts, albeit small in size. Containing a high fat content, oil extracted from the masts was used for cooking and lighting in the past, and once it had matured was claimed to be no inferior to olive oil. Beechmasts are very fiddly to shell and nut quality can be hit and miss.

The kernels can be nibbled on raw while lightly toasting them really brings out a pungent nutty flavour. There is an eighteenth century reference to the kernels being put in soups. Another old source comments that suitably treated they could be turned into bread, it is also claimed that roasted beechnuts have been used as a coffee substitute

Yeah tell me about it….!!!! I've got a shed load in my garden to get shot of.

So why then for such a revered tree the pods or beechmasts are like something Lucifer dreamt up, the triangular beech nuts form in prickly four lobed seed cases and open out visually like something from the Day of Triffids step on them with bare feet, you know about it, they hurt, proper hurt.

The overly large tree in the neighbour’s property which boarders mine has a canopy that covers some of my decking and the resident squirrel has been taking the pee recently.

Like a boisterous baby chimp, jumping up and down whilst clinging on the tree with such vigour, the pods have been littering where I and the kids put their feet.

As quickly as the sharp droppings are removed, they return. Weirdly the strong wind we had the weekend didn’t really have the same effect as the hyperactive nut grabbing tree rats.

Now a couple or three years ago now I trapped and ‘rehomed’ another offender and branded it with some bright pink spray paint !! I had in the garage and yet despite being ‘relocated’ a mile away in a local wildlife reserve, the little git returned and proceeded to take the proverbial Mick out of Mick.

He was after the peanuts in the bird feeder and I got through three or four before I found one proper squirrel proof, such their gnawing ability. 

That rascal reveled in his ridicule however it eventually got bored with the lack of nut success he was having and luckily went to annoy someone else. So let’s hope this one gets bored quickly too as I may have to resort to some more underhand tactics, that or shell out another load of dough to get the tree lopped back again.

Unlike this brazen squirrel the Chub of late have seemingly gotten even more cagey and suspicious from when I first started catching them, maybe the fish learn quick and the floating bread spells danger to them like it might not have done before. The last session was much tougher with fish only caught when the bait either went properly tight to cover or right under it and the usually productive swims had gone dead. Previously despite it being gin clear they were happily feeding in open water, that had now gone out of the water.

For this session the floating bread was ditched for a surface lure, this means no freebies but having witnessed the Chub from above in one of the swims ignoring the bread completely and happily let it drift past, maybe something they’d not been used to seeing but looked tempting might be worth a try. They are inquisitive indeed and often rise for a butchers before quickly deciding to take it or not, something out of the ordinary may well be the answer.

I’d tried a static bread bait recently which didn’t really have much effect but headed in to dusk I'd have a medusa rig baited with some worms I had to use up.

Enough of the preamble, so the session….

Well with the swim occupied I wanted to fish at the end of the session with the occupier who was targeting barbel already having a couple of big Chub on pellet I had to make do. I managed a 3lb 8oz chub quite quick from one of the secluded swims where the stealth approach is necessary but despite roving around and trying a few swims that was the only fish that decided it liked the lure.

It came out from its sanctuary just as the lure went under some cover and properly nailed it too. It gave a proper good scrap as well and nearly did me over in a reed bed but I managed to land after I let it some slack.

The last swim which is a bit deeper the medusa rig went out and initially there were some small fish attacking it, most likely minnows but a tell-tale pull on the rod a chub decided that it would like a mouthful of the wrigglers. I didn't weigh this one but it was around 2.5lb I'd say, the swim then went dead so it was time to head back home for a glass of vino with the Wife.

Warwickshire Avon – Nomads and Numbnuts

The keema pizza turned out better than I expected it to, if you look past the base which didn't turn out the best, you see I rarely eat pizza, not really my thing, but a recipe turned up out the blue was tickled ones taste buds. Minced spiced lamb, mozzarella, green chilies, garlic, plum tomatoes, and sprinkled with coriander what's not to like.

Well to be honest the first batch of dough I tried to make was a sticky disaster and ended up straight in the bin, so the second batch, this time I stuck to the mix James, a colleague and expert pizza maker gave me to use to the letter. This was used in preference to the one from the recipe which was indian naan based.

The 3 hours proofing didn't get the yeast working as I thought it would, so rather than leaven the dough it merely expanded a little under fermentation. I'm sure chucking the yeast in with the dry mix didn't help as I'm sure I should have dissolved it in warm water first. Did I even put it in in the second mix that I made, hmmm, let me thing (hears cogs turning) that could explain it numbnuts.

Something to work on then !!!!

Nothing like experimenting though so I need to get back it, I see cooking like fishing, it needs some variety to keep ones pecker up. 

Oh and I might invest in a pizza stone for the oven that's got to help....

So the chub were off target for this session and my mind switches to predators. Perch everywhere are nomads wandering in search of food and staying only as long as the supply lasts. Traditionally, they are associated with lock cuttings and lily pads but in my experience, these much praised venues are the haunts of small and medium sized perch.

There appears to be no rhyme or reason for the smaller shoals of big fish. Sometimes they patrol a beat in a given area of a stream or river for several days and then apparently disappear. Other times they turn up in a swim one day and disappear on the next. You never know where you are with perch in running water and that’s the main problem.

In normal conditions, once you find perch you can generally find a way to catch them, but you do have to find them first. Location is the essential issue, as with all fish, but the perch it is accentuated. The perch comes and goes as it will, one day holding beneath rafts of floating debris, but when found there and you have returned to take advantage, it has moved on to reed-stems or dark water beneath the trees. There is no set pattern that we know.

Most of the good perch fishing comes about by luck and it is no freak of chance that prompts the specimen-hunting groups to ignore perch.

When fishing for chub the other day I saw some decent sized perch in the clear water chasing fry who were launching themselves out the water to try to escape from the rumbustious redfins. Sam and I had an encounter down this neck of the woods recently as well, you see after retrieving yet another half decent gonk a decent perch had followed it almost breaking the surface as it realised I could see it, and it could see me.

So for this stupidly quick afternoon session, perch were the target. There are a couple or three swims where they would feel comfortable in, so the plan was to do a bit of roving to try and track them down. Sam would be entertaining himself catching small stuff and I’d be trying to entice a sergeant out with a couple of big lobworms on a big hook or if a fat minnow turned up, heck, they are part of their diet after all.

When we got to the river I couldn't believe the change from when I was here last time. Up at least half a metre I'd say, a tinge of colour and a decent pace. In-fact the pace was a bit of a hindrance as I wanted to fish tight to some cover. Every time I managed to cast in the right area the flow brought the worm back to where it wanted it to stop.

A few perch were caught though, although nothing of size, however Sam was having a great time with a bite a chuck. Dace, gudgeon, roach were entertaining his quiver rod and all mint condition fish, certainly the river looked in fine fettle and I'm sure the bigger fish were enjoying more oxygen in the water.

We only stopped a couple of hours but it seems Sam has turned that corner now, not only does he know a stupid amount about coarse fishing, but he pestered me to go once I got back off work, but he also sacrificed his hour on fortnite a game he plays to go fishing instead. Encouraging signs I must admit for a kid that seemed to be falling out of favour with it all not long back.

He even wanted to do a bit of 'netting; before we left to see what small fry he could catch. A lovely sunset when we drove back, it turned out to be a nice evening. What next well I'm eager to get back down here for the Chub. Next time though, I might put out a static bsit for Chub, they might have worked me out, lets hope not, as there are some bigger fish to be had here than the 5lber I caught recently.

Hopefully with Sam, and the signs are there, he will be a chip off the old block !!!!

Warwickshire Avon – Gribbles and Growleries

As someone who has a Sunday roast without fail this hot spell has sadly put them on the back burner for a while, so the next one cannot come soon enough as I’m having withdrawal symptoms. We might as well make use of this ridiculous long period of hot weather we are having, but be honest I’m looking forward to a little normality in the temperature again, a temperature where the kids can sleep without a fan in their bedrooms and I feel like I need to cool off and wind down by sitting in the garden, chilling with some music, and sipping a large G&T every evening.

The Webber Kettle has wondered what’s happened recently, as it’s been used, like it’s never been used before, from slow roasted whisky smoked beef brisket to pulled pork and lamb shoulder, to chicken with a beer can shoved up its backside, whole mackerel, sardines, tiger prawns and lots of different kebabs and we’ve been enjoying the alfresco dining like I’m sure many of you have.

Despite what some may believe about fish becoming lethargic in extreme heat and feeding only at dead of night, this is the time when, with a little knowledge, you can make some of your best catches of the season. What often happens is that on the heels of a reported big catch you make your way to the water only to find that every fish has apparently gone.

The problem is probably not just the temperature of the water, but the actual variation in temperature. Ask any pet shop owner and he will tell you that taking a goldfish from a room-temperature tank of water and putting it in to cold water straight from the tap will probably kill it.

That wide variation doesn’t occur on our lakes or in our rivers or canals, but it shows that fish are badly affected by the tractions in temperature.I did it myself once when refilling a drained fishtank and put too cold water in, they fish quickly reacted to change in temperature in not a good way.

The most obvious example is the River Severn when cold water is let out from Welsh reservoirs at the head of the river. The fish stop feeding and catches plummet.

But given a few days to adjust, the fish start feeding again….

Unfortunately, variations in summer are much greater than they are in winter. The hottest days with no cloud, are often followed by cool nights because there’s no cover to trap the heat. The key to fishing in the heat is to watch the previous night’s weather forecast. Two or three days when the night temperature doesn’t drop too much and when the wind is warm is the pointer to success on stillwaters.

Carp over the years have become more and more popular with fishery owners and anglers alike. Hard-fighting, they are not as difficult to catch as many other species. This is partly because the active fish needs to feed continually to replace lost energy. They also seem able to adjust more quickly to temperature changes than say, bream, a much more sedate fish. And it’s just as well that the carp has this ability because his British home is in shallow water.

The reason is that carp need a higher temperature in which to spawn than most other fish (20 degrees C for 48 hours), and here only shallow waters normally reach this temperature.

How can you work out the effect of a cold snap on a water?

On shallow waters only two or three feet deep a few minutes cold blow will cool the surface layer and mix it in with the bottom layers. The stronger the wind, the faster the temperature will drop. Sudden rainstorms can have the same effect.

The water temperature is quickly lowered and the fish stop feeding. The change may be quite small perhaps only a single degree or less, but the fish respond. Luckily, things work the other way as well, and there are times when a slight upping of the water temperature will bring fish like carp or chub on the feed.

Other species, particularly bream and barbel, need longer to adjust, but once in their preferred temperature range, will go on feeding, perhaps for days.

On deeper waters, the temperature variation is most marked in the upper layers, with little change at the bottom. And there are many occasions when the fish will feed in the layer which is holding steady,perhaps moving up and down in the water as the temperature changes slightly. Bream will often feed in mid-water, and even towards the surface, while carp and rudd in particular will take food from the surface. So in hot weather it’s worth fishing off the bottom to find where the fish are feeding.

Wind is another important factor governing feeding habits. In blistering heat, the trout fisherman will always make for the ripple, and generally the same rule applies to the coarse angler. So, while fish may show themselves by blimping on the surface, or even crashing about in flat calm water, they’ll normally feed better where the wind ripples the surface.

Now the hard fighting Barbel never seems to give up during a flight and with reduced oxygen levels in low and in periods of drought once caught they can take a lot of time to recover so to be on the safe side they are best not fished for specifically in these conditions. Accidental captures are inevitable so after allowing them to rest for a good while only release them once their strength is back and you’re confident they’ll happily swim off without going belly up which is a sight no angler wants to see.

Us anglers are the eyes and ears of the rivers and waterways so if you have any concerns about fish stocks or water quality ring the Environment Agencies Hotline on 0800 807060.

Hmmm, so what am I doing for this session then, yeap fishing for Chub again, they don’t seem to mind these conditions at all, feeding heavily, fighting fit and recover very quickly indeed. Last time in to dusk I felt the Chub were up for feeding as they did in the early morning session where they fed in almost reckless fashion which is not like Chub at all.

The bread going over their heads meant their shyness quickly went out the window, they were bold as brass.

This session I’d have the surface lure with me as well as one of the swims was better suited to a bit of weight to hit the right area of flow rather than hit and miss if you’d hit the target or the bread would fly off. I lost a decent fish here last week which looked another big Chub, size of which I’d not seen before, you see I wanted to try for one again before they potentially could vacate the area for pastures new.

So the session, hmmm well it was a tough one, I'm sure the Chub are wising up to my tactics because they were much harder to catch today. They were proper cagey today as well and tight to cover. Even the ones that I could see ignored the bait going over their heads. As soon as the soon came up that put the kibosh on it though as they were just not interested at all. I still managed to catch some fish though, maybe 4 or 5.

Not the biggest stamp though with the biggest going 4lb on the noggin and one with some overly large scales from a past war wound most likely. Easily the shallowest I've seen it down here mind you but at least the small fish were enjoying themselves on gravel and I enjoyed watching them.

There was a bit of rain this session as well, hence me borrowing the Wife's waterproof jacket and that seemed to put the fish off as well. With a little more rain on the way, maybe they will be reinvigorated, me, well might try for them at dusk again, this time with a proper bottom bait set-up.

Any recommendations on a lightweight waterproof jacket, please let me know !!!!

Sam well he wanted to sit this one out, 'too much walking" "You can go on your own if you want, if you promise to play football and go on the trampoline with us".

"Suits Me !!!"

That was kind of him, although after getting back after the session we had to come back inside after an hour, the heavens opened and it's still raining as I type this. Hopefully we can get out soon as we've a session planned Monday evening, I'm praying for the levels to increase at the River Alne a little, as I do love that place.

Barbel, well despite the low and clear conditions, none were spotted !!!!