Small Brook Fishing Pt.7 - Red Ribbin and Reconnoitre

A chance discovery of a tiny stream has got my interest ever since, this is my 7th trip now to this small waterway just down the road from ones abode. The first ‘field trip’ brought some encouraging signs and to this dace it is home to my dace PB. I've really only explored a few small areas of it as well and I'm sure there are dace to be caught to brobdingnagian proportions.

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 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.

The true angler, as distinct from the novice who merely baits a hook and casts it hopefully into the water, is the man who knows what he wants to catch, who understands fish, and angles for each species exclusively. 

One day he might angle for roach; the next for perch. On other occasions he will prefer to go for chub, pike, or rudd. But always he fishes selectively rather than indiscriminately.

Naturally, it is much easier to angle indiscriminately, and to catch any fish that might happen to take the bait. Selective angling is more difficult. The angler must first learn about the fish, their habits, the swims where they are most likely to be found, and the baits they are most likely to take. 

Only then can he begin to fish for each species with any confidence. If you follow my blog some of this is explained, in more detail, how this selectivity can be applied to the different species of fish, but the basic principles of selective fishing should perhaps be stated now, for they form the basis of what constitutes real angling, as distinct from mere fishing.

Now the first essential is to locate the fish. Nothing else the angler does is as important, nothing else he does will influence the end result so strongly. If his knowledge of the stream is full and complete, this will be the easiest part of the operation and will enormously increase his chances of catching the fish he has selected. If that knowledge is lacking, he will be handicapped right from the start. 

The next step is to choose a selective bait—one which the chosen species is most likely to take at any given time. If, for instance….

….a shoal of dace can be seen rising, an artificial fly, or a chrysalid, would be the most obvious choice of bait. If, on the other hand, pike were the quarry, a live fish would be preferable. These may seem obvious choices, but it is surprising how many anglers fail to give sufficient thought to this matter.

Choosing the most favourable time to seek each species is also important. Some are caught more readily when the water is coloured. For others, when the water is low, dawn and dusk are often the best times to seek them. 

Certain swims produce more fish when the water is high; others fish better when the water is running at normal, or low level. The angler who has acquired this knowledge, and puts it to use, will catch the species of fish he is after far more often than the angler who relies upon luck and chance to carry him through.

Anyway back to the fishing, not ideal conditions to be honest, but a night out for a mates 50th some fresh air was much needed and as the morning went on the wind would get worse and conclude the session early than I'd like. The stream had been well up a few days earlier but was now on the drop but you can tell from experience where the fish are likely to be holding up.

A dendrobaena tipped with a red maggot would be the bait of choice, a link ledger set-up and my little F1 wand rod complete with a 1oz tip. The first bite took a while to be honest, the usual holding spot more turbulent than I'd liked but eventually a millers thumb with eyes bigger than its belly decided he would like a bit of gluttony.

As I said before winter is the ideal time to explore the swims being more accessible and 100 or so yards down from the first swim there was a small pool, and to the sides a couple of nice slacks. Sure enough within seconds of the bait being out a telltale snappy bite turned in to a proper pull round.

It was fairly shallow and as soon as I saw it's flanks I knew it was a decent dace, wriggling around like they do, similar to a grayling flight I suppose.

Three or four were caught, I didn't weigh the biggest but you can see the scale compared to the balance scales, they are a good stamp certainly, maybe 7oz's the largest. Considering I've only fished in a few areas, very encouraging indeed. 

I'm sure there are some gems to be had among the humdrum there has to be. It's common knowledge that dace particularly are the lovers of small stream like this, they are happy here in areas where I doubt sees other anglers apart from Sam and I. 

Angling pressure basically nonexistent.... 

When the bloggers species challenge starts up again in June, I certainly know where my dace will be caught from. 

A small trout was caught as well but then the weather front drifted in and it was like someone flicked a switch, the wind bordering on the ridiculous, the tip moving around too much and bites hard to detect and it was time to head home. 

A heavy downpour of thick sleet later on in the day highlighted that we are still in winter despite the mild weather of late.

Back to basics fishing  I know, but for me, trips like this is why I love this pastime of ours, the unexpected.

Warwickshire Avon - Gap Stoppers and Gilflurts

A heavy fall of rain can transform the tiniest of stream in to a torrent of thick brown water. Swims that once contained only a few inches of water now contain several feet, and their character is altered overnight. The angler must adjust his tactics and methods to the new conditions.

Now while the spate is at its height the big lobworm is undoubtedly the finest bait, and will remain so while the water retains its colour. Chub are more active in the open water, and this can be a great time to catch them, especially when the water begins to fall and clear.

Now like this morning session when the water begins to fall, ledgering methods are particularly deadly. I use a link ledger set-up with just sufficient weight to sink the bait and to hold it in to position once it's found, so the slightest nudge from a Chevin will dislodge it and therefore register it as a bite on the rod-tip.

Once the rig has settled in position, a little slack line should be allowed to form between rod-tip and water. This is important because the first indication of a bite is given when the line begins to tighten. If this indication is missed the bite will be registered on the rod-tip, but it is best to watch the line sometimes and to strike as soon as it begins to tighten.

Fewer Chub will then be missed....

Ledgering is normally done in a downstream  direction, but the upstream style should not be neglected as it if often better to fish upstream than down, especially for registering the bite. Chub usually don't mess around though, a pull is usually confident affair and transitions in to a proper wrap round.

It is wise to study each swim, and then decide which method is best suited to it, always remembering that success is more likely if the angler remains undetected. During a period of high water it is sometime possible to take a large catch of chub from one swim, but the secret to my catch rate is the opposite, I rove however and move from swim to swim talking a chub or two from each swim like I did for this morning session.

Nearly 10,000 steps covered which for a short session just goes to show how much I rove and I often return to the same swim where I've caught fish from before. Once the spate has swept all the leaves and debris away and brought more colour to the water the fishing like it was for this morning session fantastic.

Ok nearly four hours but the conditions for many are tough judging by the catch report from others. So 7 or 8 fish caught, one lost and the two biggest fish registering 4lb. And the bait, well cheesepaste was the order of the day, all confident bites and why I love fishing for Chub.

The wind called the end to the session in the end as I'd had a much needed stay of execution I was enjoying it so much.

Chub got to love them !!!!

Warwickshire Avon – Smelt and Snot Rockets Pt.13

A big billy, bold as brass, a thick body of dark teal with contrasting black stripes, ejected the roach deadbait like a baby spitting out a dummy. A sizeable dead for a Pike, but this sergeant engulfed it like it was a palate cleanser.

Certainly over 2lb, a proper chunk….

Sadly the more selective bait of a load of lobworms ready to chop is on the way via a courier so it would have to wait till next week, where I might try and fish in to dusk and a little beyond in an area I’ve not done so yet. Hopefully to try and winkle out something more what the venue appears to hold, as there appears to be a good stamp of fish in these seemingly forgotten waters.

Obviously a nice perch would be nice, but the session will be a bit of double dipping, as it would be a last gasp Pike session to conclude which has been a pretty good season to be fair…

….a chub and barbel PB and I seem to be enjoying my fishing more than ever.

Then it’s back to continue with the Canal Zander Challenge where I’m determined to catch a double figure fish.

Now talking of Zander albeit of the river kind, this short after work session was down at an area of the Warwickshire Avon where I’ve caught plenty of Zander in the past but they appear harder and harder to track down over the last couple of seasons. The Pike and especially the jacks certainly dominate and make up the predatory biomass but I’m sure they are still some good zeds to be had.

A session here not long ago I had bites galore on deads and landed a pike and a Zander and missed runs and had dropped takes, so I was back again for an in to dusk session this time though, with Zander in the back of my mind, rather than pike.

So baits would be smaller and this time smelt only….

Now the smelt is a bit of an oddball, you wouldn’t think the Zander would be attracted by it but they certainly are. They have a distinctive cucumber smell but with a background pungency that is unquestionably a fishy sea bait, however….

….for targeting canal Zander it was a revelation to be honest, and when bought in bulk is very cost effective as well. Being a soft bait, apart from allowing the hook to pass through without hindrance the bait give allowing a decent sized bait to be used without becoming a gobstopper if a similar sized roach was used for example.

So anyway, back on track, anything doing ?

Well to be fair, it wasn't a bad short session, the weather was cold, damp and the river up and coloured as expected, but it looked perfect for Zander rather than Pike, and sure enough the first bite a Zander of around 5lb and maybe a little over as it was quite rotund took a liking to the smelt offering.

Another fish came quite quickly after but then despite fishing in to dusk, the action was slow indeed and not even a bite at sundown. The Pike a no show as I expected.