Warwickshire Avon - Steeplejacks and Stemmatology

Now the US had the space programme, whereas the U.K. had Fred Dibnah and an infinite supply of ladders....

....that's a strange comment Mick, well there is a good reason for that !!!!

You see, having seen a carp angler recently wheeling his gear down to a local syndicate lake with not only a fancy motorized trolley but with a trailer attached too, I did wonder if I've been short-changing ones own angling however I seem to be travelling lighter and lighter these days though because I'm a roving angler at heart. 

I sit down on ones backside long enough during the working week so to plonk myself down again for any length of time without the watchful eye of the diary makers is just plain ridiculous. 

Thankfully a quick look around the garage with a rod for every eventuality, and every quarry, ones mind was at ease.

Anyway with 4 days of the river season left and 4 sessions available to me with my thumb and forefinger tickling my bottom lip I was wondering, where to go ? what to do ?

Now there are two club books I hold which I'm unlikely to renew, so for this short post work session I was trampling the banks of the Warwickshire Avon to try and catch a ruffe and also a Zander.

I wonder if those two species have ever entered a fellow anglers mind because lets be honest, they are in completely different ends of the length scale, but here on the Avon the only place where ruffe are known to frequent and the other area I could actively target them is on the Warwickshire Stour where they do seem to be in numbers. 

So a couple of float set-ups one for Zander and one for Ruffe. A chunk of roach for the Zander and a suspended half a worm from the thriving wormery for the Ruffe.  Anyway back to the short session and boy it was a tough'un, no bites at all on the zander deadbait rod in a few swims and the ruffe suspicious in their absence. They do frequent the same waters though so maybe they were off raving somewhere.

The perch were still biting though a few small'uns, a big one that told the size 16 hook where to go and a fish around a pound or so eventually put a bend in the rod. The banks were deserted with only a barbel angler under an umbrella sheltering from the rain where he had managed a few 3lb chub to his name having been there since early doors.  

I had to be back for 4.30pm for family duties but at least the perch were willing to bite. You can certainly rely on them when other fish are having an off day. I'm sure with the clearish water the Zander would be biting come dusk but sadly I never got the opportunity.

Warwickshire Avon - Slippery Slides and Solifidianisms

With the river season close firmly in its countdown I'd been twiddling my thumbs where the heck I was going to fish for this session.

Now I have been tasked in the new season to make good the 'steps' that George kindly cobbled together, after a fellow WBAS syndicate member Dave loaded up with everything but the kitchen sink 'nearly' went arse over tit whilst trying to negotiate the slippery slide of death. 

So a visit to the stretch for a once over bailiff reccy was worth doing prior to the season close as not only could I refresh my brain on the challenge I'd set myself, but also I could try for a chub or barbel in to dusk and beyond. I said before these short sessions suit me really as the thought of sitting behind a motionless rod put the heebie-jeebies in me. 

The barbel numbers here are few and far between but be bankside the right time when a transient barbus is on its travels you can be lucky for one to grace the net, where they will be near doubles or often over that magic figure.

To be honest I'd not caught one in ages from here but to the chub are decent size as well where I've caught quite a few 5lbers. I'm sure a 6lber is here to be caught I just need to put the time and the effort in, or chuck a piece of meat out in the right location like James did recently and catch myself a rare Warwickshire Avon 6lber of my own.

To be fair I know quite a few that have caught 6 lbers now, in-fact Nic from Avon Angling Uk caught a >7 lber a few year ago so you have to put the effort in, or be wearing those lucky pair of socks. The general statue chub of Warwickshire Avon chub do seem to be getting bigger though so I'm not complaining as I caught my PB of 5lb and 15 ounces a few sessions a go and 6'ber is now a realistic target.   

So anyway meat on the hook and some meat as freebies, I'd also to pep it up a bit as I would douse it in Korda spicy squid goo. They certainly sell enough of the stuff, so will this added attraction and 'pink smoke' draw any fish in to the area ? It better do as I could have bought a nice bottle of wine with the outlay. In these wallet squeezing times every penny counts these days. 

Luckily I got it for a song, because boy, not cheap is it. First impressions it clings well to the meat, has a nice pungency to it, as its sweet and spicy but one disappointment ones hands were stained when using it and it was out with the swarfega !!!!. 

Don't get it on your best attire, let's put it that way !!!!

Anyway to cut a long story short a chub pull (I think) within 10 minutes of getting the rod out I thought I'd be in to a fish at dusk. But best laid plans and all that, because 2 swims, one pre-baited and both fished well in to dark, there was nothing doing whatsoever. 

Usually here dusk and beyond is when the bites from bigger fish start but not this evening sadly. It was nice to be out though and there is definitely signs spring is here to stay. I've a few sessions I can fish till the season end so I'm hoping something decent will slip up, where, who knows might need to mull it over with a dram or two. 

Anyway on to the next one !!!

Warwickshire Avon - Meat Shacks and Metachronisms

A rare day out with the Wife started with a dirty burger from the Meat Shack, some loaded and halloumi fries and concluded with 'The Batman' in 4DX. Thankfully this sort of food I don't eat very often because boy, did I feel stuffed after it.

The 3 hour movie went far faster than I thought but being throwing around in a cinema seat I did think if I'd be reliving the burger all over again, but thankfully that didn't happen. 

So the following morning a short roving session was much needed, not only to walk the burger off but to also get some much needed fresh air. A bitter wind and only 3 degrees when I got bankside but the better option than just laying in bed twiddling my thumbs itching to get out. 

I agree with Brian, fishing for me is a tonic that many anglers have at their disposal. This was a short session, but a short session where my mind is clear and during the working week that is very rare let me tell you. In these troubled times anything that can have that effect needs to grasped with both hands. 

Chub were on my mind having caught a PB on this stretch, a near 6lber that engulfed a rather large piece of luncheon meat. The river was clearing though so despite being up I was hoping the visual bread, some bread mash and hungry chub they would be up for a feed.

The river seemed higher than last time so swims were limited but I fished 5 or  6 swims with only one bite. That one bite came from a game 3lber but the bigger fish didn't show sadly.

A lovely mint fish though and came from a static swim just off the main flow where I'd fed some bread mash and let it rest for a good half an hour or so.

I was surprised that was the only fish I caught but it just goes to show despite almost perfect colour that doesn't always guarantee success. With the river season ending in a weeks time hopefully a Pike is on the agenda because I'm sure now would be a good time to catch a big'un.