Warwickshire Avon - Tiers and Titanomachy

Great isn't it, the Stratford-Upon-Avon district pre lockdown 2 was within Tier 1 and yet despite some of the lower percentages of infection throughout the UK, 100 in 100,0000 once lockdown 2 has ended it will move to the highest tier, Tier 3, yes you heard me TIER3 !!!! Matt Hancock seemingly enjoying delivering his bad news. 

How does that work ? much of the area is semi rural or rural and infection rates like much of the country is starting to drop. Already a pub down the road has had closed its door recently. 

I fear many local establishments, restaurants and watering holes will be robbing Peter to pay Paul just to try and keep things afloat till they know the outcome of the next chuck of the dice. 

The hospitality sector after doing what has been asked of them, right back to square one. I honestly thought it was a mistake at first because it makes no sense whatsoever.

 I'm sure that's not the last we've heard of it, the jungle drums ( can I still say that in 2020) seemed to be more active than ever the quick dip in to social media confirmed, what is behind it all ? there has to be a bigger picture ? I'm sure the elderly demographic of the area won't help, duffers delight. 

So local businesses need us more than ever these days so you need to do whatever you can to keep the coffers topped up. This week we've had a new bird guard fitted to the chimney and a visit to Calcutt & Son in Henley in Arden ones open fire reserves have been given a boost.

Henley High Street as expected deserted and the pubs and restaurants looking sorry for themselves.

It's been a cold week hasn't it, some hard frosts and the mercury not rising above 10 degrees during the day. Now Martyn from Stratford-Upon-Avon Fish and Outdoors is often going out of his way to service his customers and had been providing not only a click and collect service in lockdown 2, but also free delivery for a minimum spend of ten quid.

Businesses like Martyn's need our support in these difficult times, now more than ever, use them or lose them.

 He has just got on with it, no moaning, no sitting back, he's tackle the issues first hand and worked within the restrictions to still try and provide a service to his customers.

So with a couple of pints of reds sorted I fancied having another go for the dace. This time though I'd ditch the feeder for a float set-up as I'm sure I'd have banked more fish. 

It was good sport mind you and once I got the sliver darts feeding it really was a bite a chuck. This time I had a pike rod as back-up as well because the pike were troublesome in the last session and I fancied a proper bend in the rod from hopefully something half decent.

There are decent Chub here too although I've not managed to catch one yet, I'm talking PB beaters as well. Maybe fishing maggot for the dace they may well turn up to Gatecrash the party and muscle in on the feeding frenzy. 

Because that's exactly what happened the last time, a huge bait ball of dace, the maggots hoovered up well before they go to the bottom. I wasn't going to stay that long but hopefully the fish were feeding. It was raining when I got up in the morning ready to go so I held off for a bit and enjoyed a cup of coffee before heading out.

I've noticed that it can take a good while for the fish to turn up but feed maggots little an often they will soon turn up. And turn up they did, for a good hour and half there were a decent amount of fish in the swim. Dace again which was nice and some decent size ones too. 

I retained the bigger ones in the landing net and the float performing better than the feeder for this session.

I had a smelt out but the float remained motionless however with half an hour to go I packed everything up bar the landing net and pike rod and went to the very start of the stretch. There is some nice cover here and it has some depth too and. It didn't take long for a bite either, the float bobbing like a good'un before going under. 

t felt a decent fish however as I was getting control of it, it launched out of the water and I could see the smelt was grabbed side.

Sadly the first shake of its head the bait was ejected and its grasp was gone, damn !!!!

Still on a more positive note, among the dace I managed a small roach, always a welcome sight from the dace humdrum. The bleak turned up as well, the two pints of maggots not lasting that long with so many fish in the swim. Not the biggest of fish, but another enjoyable session again.

Warwickshire Avon - Depeculation and Depixelization

The Prime Minister today took his weekly Wednesday questions over video feed for the first time in Commons history. However God knows who at number 10 has been tasked to sort BOJO's camera and audio set-up during the PMQ's as it looked like it had been cobbled together in five minutes. 

The picture looked like it was streaming by 48k dialup and in some parts it looked more pixelated than a well watched Japanese adult video covertly picked from the hidden bottom draw with that suspicious look to the left, and then to the right, before the goods are handed over. 

Anyway it's 2020 for God sake, I bet even using his smartphone would have a done a better job and for nothing like the cost to the taxpayer. Why it was so bad, is beyond me because the Government are good at spending ones hard earned money of late. For an address by the Leader of the country, it was all a bit woefully half arsed. 

Even the backdrop was ill thought out, which made Boris look colder than a cold thing. Has there been an improvement since the first one, eeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrr No !!!! The only saving grace for Boris it was Keir Starmer asking most of the questions and the novice batten was handed over and was never returned. 

Still it meant that's ones own cobbled together short session didn't seem to bad after all. You see it literally took 2 minutes to get a few bits and pieces together and I was sorted for a couple or three hours fishing in to dark down at a convenient section of the Warwickshire Avon where I can fish without the worry that at any minute I could receive a tap on the shoulder from a bankside bailiff. 

So one rod only with a chunk of spam on the hook, and a few freebies via a dropper. Would something be up for a bite I wonder. A barbel would be nice or even a half decent Chub. This working from home malarkey isn't all it's all cracked up to be for me, in-fact I've never been so inactive during the working week judging by my step count. 

A short after work session like this is ideal really as not only I'm getting some much needed fresh air, but also ones legs are woken up from their slumber and the blood starts to circulate again in the seemingly forgotten parts of my body. Many prefer working from home, not for me though, I cannot wait to get back to the normal routine again.

It was already starting to feel cold when I got there just as the sun was starting to set. The skies remained clear throughout the session and the moon was high in the sky and illuminated the whole area. After a huge bite came within 10 minutes of the rod being out and a chunk of spam had been nicked from the hook I thought I'd at least bank something of note.

But no, a few more similar tugs but that was it, there was nothing really doing at all. The wasn't even any fish topping either, all very dead indeed. It was 2 degrees when I left 3 hours later though, so certainly cold so maybe next time I'll fish with some smaller more pungent baits. 

Maybe spam was a little overkill, I might put a sleeper deadbait out as well, maybe I'm missing a trick as could there be Zander here too ? Only one way to find out. Still on a positive note, the trapper hat is as warm as ever. 

Warwickshire Avon - Flogillating and Floccinaucinihilipilification

Tell me honestly, are you, as an angler, satisfied with your lot at Christmas time ? Will you, on that festive morn, open the usual parcels of socks, boxers, horrible scented shaving soap, and embroidered handkerchiefs in garish colours ? 

Will you, with a set smile on your face, thank all and sundry, while mentally reproaching yourself for uncharitably assessing the value in terms of hooks, lures, and fishing lines ? 

It is time that non-angling relatives got their sense of values sorted out. Fair enough, I wear a tie, the same black one, like a strip of damp seaweed, at least twice times a year. 

I like to put a sock on each foot whenever possible, and for special occasions I try to see that they match. I don't like shaving soap, nor do the fish, and a handkerchief makes a rotten hand-towel. It's all a question of priorities. I can go fishing without my socks, but I am stuck unless I have a spool of line.

I have come to the conclusion that I have been a martyr for too long. I am prepared to believe in Santa Claus, but I am certain the old boy never went fishing. 

As far as tackle is concerned, he just hasn't a clue. So this year I am not leaving anything to chance, and I am starting straight away on my personal campaign. 

By now, most of my friends and relatives must have guessed that I do a spot of fishing. You can't keep that sort of thing a secret. It is not difficult, therefore, for me to introduce the subject of fishing tackle casually into everyday conversation. Since I have learned the warning signs that my family make when about to buy presents, I can rely on receiving my cue. 

Thus, when Sam earns five a quid for a chore or two , and asks rye, in the same breath. what sort of rum I'd like for Christmas cus "mummy asked me to ask you", I remark casually that I am giving up drink in order to put that rod on hold I wanted at the corner of the tackle shop. 

When I hear the unmistakeable sound of my Wife rubbing a couple of two pound coins together, I shall ask her if she would mind mending the holes in my landing-net. 

Now For the bigger game, I shall enlist the help of the local tackle-dealer Martyn . When I am out with my wife, I shall suddenly remember that I have to pop in for a pint of maggots. While we are there, he will ask me my opinion on the latest in fixed-spool reels. I shall rate it excellent value at twice the cost, and wish that I could but it, but I shall regret that my old reel will have to last another season. 

He will then sternly remind me that when he last overhauled it it showed serious signs of wear on the anti-flogillating sprocket, which, if it shattered, could have serious consequences. Whereupon I shall shrug, and leave the shop, confident that the reel is in the bag. 

Anyway, enough of that, need to get New Barbel Rod in the equation somewhere, anyway before all that, for this short morning session I was after Chub at one of the most convenient places I fish. I can be there is less than 10 minutes you see, that's actually leaving the house to being bankside so it's ideal.

I had the paste bombs I knocked up  and cheesepaste and that was it. To be honest having not been to the Avon for a while I didn't realise how clear it was till I got there. Lobworm might have been a better bet but with a roving approach and a link-ledger set-up the visible chunk of paste might have looked out of place if it were static but a moving bait hopefully would fair better.

Now this cheespaste I've knocked up appears to be the best I've ever managed to concoct, proper stinky stuff and the constancy is neigh on perfect. 

It took a while for the first bite, well after the sun and risen properly and the sky was blue. It was from a rather turbulent swim with a nice slack close in. The bait was moving around the swim nicely, it was moving slowly 360 degrees under the rod tip and went on repeat a few times till eventually there was an indication there was a chub in the swim.

An initial pluck and then a pull resulted in a confident bite on the rod and a fish was on. It carted off to the left to try and get to some snags but after getting it steered away from there it was trying to bury itself literally under my feet.

It was soon under control though and a nice Chub was in the net. I guessed at 4lb and it was, 4lb 2 ounces on the scales, showing some lovely bronze markings in the bright sun.

 I had the banks to myself so I fished as many swims as I could in the time I had but it was far tougher than I thought because judging by the lack of footprints it's been quiet here for a while.

A much smaller fish around 3.5lb came from a raft but maybe 8 or 9 swims fished it showed there was no point staying in the same spot.

Great to be back though, amazing what fresh air and a bit of sun can do for the soul, it's great to be back, it really is !!!!