Warwickshire Avon - Disembogue and Discombobulated

For the first session of 2018 it was back down to familiar waters to try and winkle something out in testing conditions. I'd never seen the river so high here and looking at the boarding fields it had been over it's banks. The local rivers have been very much out of sorts over the Christmas period confused and disorganised springs to mind.The river was on the drop though so the fish having being used to the environment for a while should be up for feeding.

Well if you can find them that is, because most swims were boiling away like a pot of Christmas sprouts. Find the slacks though where the fish can find a little respite drop a bait on their head you might well be lucky. You see at this time of year, particularly the Chub they will bulging at the seams like Kelly Brook after her Christmas pudding.

Here particularly when it's very cold but the river less coloured and more normal levels you can often have multiple captures of Chub, one memorable session all the ones I caught were over 4 lb but then you can see why they like it here, because the Chevin loves a good snag.

Simple roving tactics are the way here, how I like to fish these days, as light as I can manage. Small bag, net, rod and rod rest and that's it. Baits for the morning session well pungent cheese paste and also lobworms. Lobs you see, especially when the water is turbid can out fish many other modern baits because if you think about it when the river is nearly bursting it's banks it means much more of them will be washed in to the river, so it's a bait the fish will be confident feeding on.

Best laid plans and all that though because despite finding a few fishable swims no bites came.All very odd really as the conditions looked ideal. As soon as the cold rain started I decided to call the session to a close and trench back to the car in my heavy winter wellies.

Plans for the this year, well I need a few more species to try and catch for the bloggers challenge, so river eel, carp, tench and the elusive silver bream are targets up to the close season at the middle of March. A winter Barbel and then I might re-look at the club books I have, bin off the ones I don't use as much and maybe add a more intimate water again as I do enjoy fishing small rivers and streams despite the fish likely being smaller in statue.

Oh and I'm looking forward to getting stuck in to the quest for a canal double figure Zander again where I'm stuck on 9lb.

Canal Zander – Bights and Buddha-Bellies

Picture the scene, pre kids, money to burn, post big meal, fancy marina abroad full of luxury cruisers and yachts , elevated outdoor bar with comfy sofa’s, Wife next to me sipping a cocktail, I’ve a big Hennessey XO, enjoying the remaining vitamin D, watching the world go by....

Big fat Cuban in hand trying to look cool, eye-candy aplenty, most dressed to impress….

“Mick, Mick, MICK !!!!”

“What’s up”

“Errrr you might want to button your shirt up, I can see your Buddha-Belly”

“You What !!!”

“Your shirt buttons are undone !!!!

Looks down, she’s right, unbeknown to me the fitted shirt has finally succumbed to the overindulgence by exponentially expanding ones waistline to a point of no return, the button holes have done a runner.

My hairy belly and naval lint out there for all to see, the Wife in hysterics.

No wonder I’d be getting funny looks,heck so what, I’m no like I’d see these people again, one needs room to expand, to feel comfortable.

I was here to chill out God damn it, if I cannot do it here, where can I do….?

Holds empty glass up, “another one please”

I’d been waiting for this newly created waterway to open up, you see it was another big sofa for the Zander to be comfortable in, for the big’uns to put their feet up. You see, imagine a tiny two up two with barely enough room to swing a cat then overnight finding oneself sat in the drawing room in Windsor Castle, smoking jacket donned, all the space you would ever need.

The view large enough to intercept the butler on the way past for another nibble off his tray.

It’s where my PB Zander came from, well a similar abode, and that was a rotund 9’lber and a little like me at the minute, with it's winter belly proudly on show.

So for this session it was out with the roach deadbaits, the food of choice for a Zander wanting to expand his winter waistline to see if there was method in my madness and Sam would be manning the lure rod.

I've caught Zander in the area before so on the way back we'd fish another holding area to avoid a blank. The footpath was ridiculously muddy and in hindsight should have donned our wellies but eventually we got the potential hotspot.

So 2 deadbait rods out and Sam doing his best to tempt one on the lure, as well as trying out his new seat which which came with his 'BIG tackle box" and "Rucksack" we gave it a good go. Not a jot for a couple and a half it was time to try and at least catch something, so back from where we came it was back out with the deadbaits and this time swapped to a crayfish lure.

With ten minutes or so the left had float rod goes from right to left against the surface tow which was the left to right, sadly leant in to the bite without any resistance.

2 more similar bites without hook-ups this was getting like the old days where I was doubting my rig and hooks. So I cut the whole small Roach in half and not long after another bite.

This time it was more confident and it actually went under such was the speed of the bite which in my experience can only mean one thing.

Yeah a tiny schoolie....time to call an end to the session.

Warwickshire Avon - Slacks and Sunrises

The short morning session was uneventful, the river well up and on the rise and with it being chocolate brown and a load of debris bombing down I knew it would be tough. True to form despite fishing the few available slacks with cheese paste to try and christen my new rod sadly no Chub were obliging.

The weather is on the turn also with possibly snow overnight, if that doesn't materialise then the rain will, and there looks like we well have a proper good amount too.

So looks like Canal Zander might be on the cards towards the end of the week, we'll see. There is an area I'd like to try that has become recently available that I reckon would make a nice sanctuary for a Big Zander.

Sometimes it's just nice being out though, the sunrise was cracking....