Warwickshire Avon – Sharks, Sponges and Spondulicks

As an occasional pork pie consumer, sausage roll muncher, and savoury pie eater I’m not usually a fan of cakes and things sweet, but whack a Victoria Sponge in front of one’s eyes the visual treat is so overpowering my waist line maintaining willpower goes out the window and I’m looking for the cake knife to cut myself a sizeable wedge.

The combination of raspberry jam, the light golden sponge and copious amount of butter cream, oh the butter cream, I just cannot resist I really can’t.

Maybe I have a sweet tooth after all, as I like Baklava with its filo layered honey, nuts and syrup concoction, and Tiramisu with its coffee flavoured ladyfingers, mascarpone cheese, custard and booze.

Everything in moderation, as there is nothing wrong with a nibble on something bad now and then.

Not a lot of dosh is required to make either of them, heck even The Wife can make them, yes really.

So for this morning session Sam was joining me for a predator session, there are a couple of swims here that are full of them, which is odd really as it's one that is frequently poached by the unwashed and book decliners.

Despite their friends being eaten they keep on coming back....

I'm not a frequent Pike fisherman but I'be found as it's still mild a live bait would out fish a deadbait, something visual rather than something on a plate so better get some.

The plan was to catch a few baits by Sam on his maggot rod, store them in an aerator and use them under a small pike float as and when required, and then the luckily remaining would be returned once it was end time.

A worm didn’t tempt anything of significance before, maybe a visual treat would get a Big Billy’s head turning.

Out with the Victoria Sponge, with that extra thick layer of butter cream.

As we were catching a few baits a larger fish took the maggot rather than the bleak humdrum and upon retrieval a pike came up and grabbed it. The water is gin clear again and the whole drama was a nice visual treat.

Sam jumping with excitement....

With some baits caught ( I had to put the gudgeon back as they are special fish, Dad) someone was already sat in the weir so we try a couple of swims without success so it was onwards to the weir.

Sure enough with Sam manning the rod, a bleak was taken within seconds and a Pike was on.

"Dad, I've got a shark on, a SHARK, a SHARK !!!"

With the shark Pike landed (6lb or so) with Sam doing all but the netting, I showed him the way to handle them and the fact they need care when unhooking.

You want to return it safely to catch it when it's bigger after all.

One more run in the weir resulted in a Pike let going of the bait, maybe a premature strike on my behalf but I like to lean in to the fish early to set the large single hook. (Same I used for Zander)

So back to where we caught the live baits, 3 more jacks but no Perch oddly (Sun came out)

An enjoyable session and were left before the King of the Tangles got in to his full stride.

I had planned a Barbel session Sunday morning but sinuses about to exploded and my temperature, up and down like fishing sessions.

Mediocrity continues at pace....

A little like my post count which has now reached 500 !!!

Warwickshire Avon – Margins and Mullocks

I haven't had a good week, butter fingers you see, well not just butter fingers, outright stupidity.

I’m not talking Ben Stokes levels of stupidity, but unusual behaviour for me.

You see, I broke the top section of the fishing rod I’d just got repaired AGAIN without even using it, broke some crockery in a holiday let we were staying in, had a candle wax accident that ruined my favourite t-shirt and then to top it off, me and Sam were playing football IN THE HOUSE !!! with a soft ball and somehow managed to knock an ornament off the mantel that was a wedding present from my sister which proceeded to take out a couple of tiles off of the hearth.

Takes a breath…

I’d don’t usually do sitting it out but it was necessary for this session.

Much needed damage limitation….

The area of can really throw up some surprises, it can throw up the unexpected. So many different species seem to like here so when a bite is received, there is added intrigue to what will eventually surface.

Now carp are known to frequent its margins and that’s what I was here, you see with my mediocrity in the bloggers challenge I needed to start crossing off the species I’ve yet to catch.

I’m on 10 crossed at the minute with maybe 6 or 7 further species that can be caught on flowing water that I need to get stuck in to.

Once I’ve made more of a species dent, then as the fish get fatter in winter that’s when I can properly target specific species to try an increase the weight of each and every one and boost the points tally.

I don’t do lakes that often, canals yes but generally only in the closed season and as someone who balances his work, fatherly duties and available fishing time very carefully trying to climb up the river leader board is about my only option.

There has been a nice nip in the air this week, so my attention from time to time will switch to the predators that swim within these Bard’s waters.

So yeap, a bit of double dipping for this quick afterwork session.

A bolt rig equipped margin rod with a big bait over some freebies and then a dead out in an area of cover where things with teeth will likely be laying up.

The session was a pretty non event to be fair, a couple of small Zander and a 6lb 8oz Pike.

The margin rod remained motionless....

Dave a friend who was elsewhere faired a little better and also had a surprise hook up with a species that you wouldn't expect where it was hooked, he lost it mind you, but very interesting indeed.

At least the sunset was decent....

Back out in the morning with the King of the Tangles.

Martin's Roach and the Mutt's Nutz

So looks like the bloggers challenge is hotting up, whilst I was on a weekend away watching the annual Brockweir soapbox derby James was sharing some pictures of something monstrous he caught down the river, then Martin phones me to share a capture of this clonking 2lb 13oz Roach.

The weather held for the soapbox derby, the local ales were lovely as were the food stalls. The Roach deserved a thread of it's own rather than hidden in his wall, a cracker.

Break for the Border - The Mutt's Nutz

Now as someone who struggles to get bankside as much as I’d like, got to up my game and get some decent river species banked. Autumn and in to Winter my favourite time though, so plans are in places to get bagging some points again.