Transient Towpath Trudging - Pt.62

With garlic emanating from every pore, orifice and leakage it was time to give the Wife some rest bite. She'd put up with it overnight bless her where the impromptu four different curries eaten the evening before were garlicky and then some, they were off the charts, as was the audible aroma. 

The couple of pints of Old Peculier added to the fumigation requester, and the huge naan breads didn't dumb down the emissions. Thankfully the Bailiff of Warwick who joined us for a pint beforehand was unware what the consequences would be to the town a few hours later as he might have had me in the stocks. 

Now I am quite sure that anyone who wishes to become a first class angler should begin by acquiring the art of fishing with the float. Floats are wonderful little things, once you understand them - and the fish. That little float sitting on the surface shows you the unseen. There you are, sitting well back from the water when, suddenly, it bobs and twitches. 

One second you are sitting easily, relaxed - and the next, you are tense, your hand drops to your rod butt, you hold the slack line and you are faced with the problem of judging the right second to make the strike. You must not make a mistake. A split second too soon, a split second too late-and no fish!

Of course, when you go home you can tell everyone the story of the fish that got away, but this is not very satisfactory and no one will believe you. We anglers have a lot to put up with, one way and another, for, apart from the weather, we come in for a lot of Micky taking. I had a birthday card sent to me last year and on it were the words from 'The Angler's Prayer'

'Lord give to me
to catch a fish 

so big that even

I, in telling of 

it to my friends,
shall have no need
to lie'

I wonder if we are inclined to stretch only a little the size of that fish we almost landed? But no matter. We can take a bit of leg-pulling for we have something a non-angler can never enjoy. We know that strange and wonderful magic of the unseen life in smooth waters running through green fields, the peaceful hours interspersed with keen excitement. Let me set the scene. 

We sit back, watching and waiting, on a warm summer day. Above us the sky is blue, around us cattle graze in daisy-dotted grass or seek the shade of spreading trees in full leaf, and bees hum about the pink dog-roses. 

Perhaps a kingfisher, russet gold and dazzling blue, skims upstream. There goes breath-taking beauty. The king- fisher, the honest fishing bird, has his own stretch of water. He never poaches his neighbour's territory. And quite likely, standing in shallow water, will be that long, spindle-shanked wader, the heron. He is a fine looking chap, but I am not sure that I like him too well. He is rather too wholesale in his fishing.

Greedy that's what he is, and crafty, too. If we watch carefully we shall see that he always faces the sun so that his shadow falls behind him. If his shadow fell in front of him no unsuspecting fish would swim within the range of his shattering beak. Shadows spell danger to any fish. Let them see a shadow, and they are off and away. 

Around our float, shimmering like jewels, dragonflies dart and hover. There are the big copper-gold ones, and the blue ones like living sapphire. Everything is peaceful until suddenly we have our first bite. There are many pleasures to be gained from fishing, but it is important for the beginner to have the right attitude. Angling is the 'gentle art', to be practised by the gentle person, doing nothing, at any time, that could cause a fellow angler the slightest bother or embarrassment. 

Now I was back with the heavy gear this time with a windbeater float fitted because the canals of late even the channel boats crossers would think twice. A smaller float just didn't cut it and to be honest fishing the bigger baits I do a larger float just seems to more suitable. 

A rather gloomy morning, literally no wind and no ripples on the surface, errrr and I had the windbeater float fitted. Oh well I couldn't be bothered to change it and got fishing.

Some bream groundbait and some mashed bread went it around 3/4's the way across and as per usual a large piece of flake on the hook. I even had the chair with me today to try and put me off moving swims as you know me, when nothing much is happening it's time for a rove.

I also had the sleeper rod next to the reeds to the right which is area I've been feeding to try and incept the carp. A yellow / white pop-up over a bed of 5 mm pellets and that rod would be left for the whole duration of the set-up rigged up to an alarm.

There was signs of fish in the swim as soon as I got there and after something grabbed the bread on the fourth cast on the drop I knew it wouldn't take long to get the first bite. Obviously I missed it me being me, but soon after I struck in to a solid slab.

It surfaced almost straight away so I knew it was a bream and after some plodding around it was soon in the net. Clear signs of bukkake, sorry spawning going on and it's nice to see bream in this area again as they have been rather absent of late.

Around three hours of fishing in total with 6 bread caught and 2 small hybrids. The bream as pictured below going 3.5lb's on the scales and gave me a proper scrap. So much so I was disappointed when I finally had it in the net.

I thought it was another big hybrid the way it fought so was amazed it was a bream when it surfaced. My heart was going ten to the dozen as I thought I had something special on the end. How wrong was I , but then that's why fishing is such a wonderful hobby.

As soon as the sun broke through the clouds the bites dried up and I decided to end the session an hour early before the towpath got busy. The water temperature is over 11 degrees now so warming up nicely. I fancy trying some other areas now having got my fix but 2 PB's amongst those many sessions I cannot complain.  

A canal tench is certainly on the radar and also a few trips to the 'hallowed' for some predators but yet again we are mercy to the weather.

It's still pretty mixed at the moment and we haven't really had much settled weather, plenty of rain which doesn't help especially when trudging the towpaths. They have been ridiculously muddy and they haven't exactly been a joy to walk down. On to the next one !!! 

Warwickshire Trout - River Alne Pt.4

Now this week  SpaceX has launched the biggest and most powerful rocket ever made in a landmark test but it exploded just minutes later.

Three days after an inaugural flight was scrapped due to a last-minute glitch, Starship took off from Boca Chica in southern Texas as thousands of spectators watched nearby.

But the rocket system failed to separate as planned, and exploded less than four minutes into its flight.SpaceX said Starship experienced a "rapid, unscheduled disassembly before stage separation".

So it blew up then !!!

A total of $900,000 per orbital launch just for the propellant apparently 👀

Talking about an expensive mistake, the other day down the Alne I couldn't fine my cocoon polarised sunglasses that I swear I put in my pocket.

It turned out I did because a couple of days later when getting out the car to unlock the gate I spotted them on the ground. So I had brought them after all, but obviously dropped them and then run over them with the car when I headed home.

The small corner pieces had dropped out  as did one of the lenses, but despite 1000kg of the Jimny running over it surprisingly they were still useable. A quick spit and polish and both big lenses re-seated all was good again and I could see any trout that decided to grab at the lure.

I upped the lure size for this session as I wanted to try and tempt one of the bigger trout that have eluded me this far. I've hooked and lost 2 that were easily >3lb but both lost the hooks leaving me without the needs to get out the scales.

The Alne where I'm fishing really is the perfect trout habit especially the upper reaches where I decided to fish for most of the session.

Fast running, shallow, weed, gravel and so many swims to go at it's a roving anglers delight. I bumped two fish off within the first 2 casts I did wonder if I should change the lure, but I stuck with it because it obviously was attracting them.

The water has a tinge of colour and it was clear after those first casts the trout were on it. Only small ones admittedly but this is a tiny river after all that after a persistent amount of rain can go from a trickle to a torrent.

These trout are predated upon as well, not just the resident otter but it sees herons and cormorants as well bizarrely but then they wouldn't be here if there wasn't any food for them. Most swims produced hits I was really enjoying myself.

None of the bigger fish showed today even when I decided to get back in the car and head down to the weir swim and a few before.

This the biggest that nailed the lure literally a foot from the bank its acrobatics failing to lose the hooks. Considering I've been using a lure I thought I might have a chub or two, but no, in these clear conditions its been trout all the way thankfully. Only two hours but plenty of bites and it was that warm I had to remove one of my layers, happy days !! 

Warwickshire Trout - River Alne Pt.3

No need to forage those magic mushrooms, you see of late these towpaths have become a visual treat recently where the footpaths sometime have been visually moving, distorted and have taken on a life of their own. It's odd because spending so much time on the rivers over the years I've never experienced the same visual treat. Snake like observables, it's cool 😎, you just need to spend time sat in one spot cut side with a rod in hand if possible.

Or is it just me ?

Psychedelics have been used since ancient times by various cultures throughout the world for their mystical and spiritual associations. LSD, magic mushrooms, Mescaline and DMT are usually swallowed, smoked or inhaled. Mushrooms are usually eaten fresh, cooked or brewed into a ‘tea’.

Now the environment in which someone consumes psychedelic drugs whether it’s known and familiar, who they’re with, if they’re indoors or outdoors, the type of music and light. For example, using psychedelics in a calm, quiet and relaxed environment can lead to, or contribute to, a pleasant experience.

However being in a noisy, crowded place may result in a negative experience. Being in a good state of mind, with trusted friends and a safe environment before taking psychedelics reduces the risk of having a bad trip. The closed season has its benefits after all, see there is one !!!!

Now trout spawn in the Autumn, after eighty days the eggs become queer little creatures called trout alevin. Three week later the avelin is a little trout called trout-fry and 20mm long and has many many enemies. Herons, kingfishers, dippers, cormorants (yes I'm seen them on the Alne) and other fish, too, are only a few of the enemies of the tiny trout, and casualties are heavy, but this is the balance of nature for if too many trout were left there would not be enough food in the rivers for them all. 

Trout also have an enemy amongst their own kind. He is the cannibal trout. He cannot be mistaken cannibalism provides little nourishment. His body will be a dark for he has a great head and a thin body, which proves that colour. 

There is only one way to deal with the cannibal must be killed for he is a menace! I have never known of a female cannibal trout, but that doesn't mean that there aren't any. You will be able to tell the difference between the male and the female trout or the cock and the hen, as they are called. The cock has a longer head with a prominent lower jaw, and his gill covers are pointed. The hen's head is smaller and neater, and her gill covers are round.

The trout grow rather slowly, taking two years to reach 8 inches. Of course, the eventual weight and size of the trout is dependent the feed the river can provide. The chalk streams of Hampshire Avon hold enormous trout because in those streams there is food galore. 

Whereas in the wild streams of the hills and moorlands a pound trout is a fish to talk about. But, oh my, a pound trout even in the small rivers and streams I fish knows how to fight! He'll give you some sport.

Not only does the river, or stream, govern the growth of its fish, it also governs their colouring. You see a fish's colouring is also its protection designed by nature and it makes them difficult to spot in the water.

Trout in murky streams are darker than those in clearer water and it is even possible to find trout of different colouring in the same river within a few yards of each other if the water varies in depth, the trout in a deep dark pool being darker than those in a shallower run a few yards farther downstream. 

Anyway with the Alne rising with the rain and more on the way I had a small window of opportunity to try and winkle out a trout or two. The weather was all over the shop from heavy rain to blue skies and bright sunshine but I got about fishing as soon as I could.

The water was still pretty clear however the bites were harder to come by this time. In-fact it was only the weir swim that produced a couple of bites and they came after cast after cast.

The previous session 48 hours earlier they were on it straight away and you couldn't fail to get a bite but not this time. Still a couple of fish, one a small'un the other a desperate mans dinner, and that was that. I could have stayed a little longer and fished a couple more swims but I had my quota and I knew any other bites would be hard to come by.