So when the young lady below asked if I would join her on the river how could I refuse.
Actually it was my fellow team mates, Spanners, PG and Chris Rushton who asked; but you can but dream. Nice waders!
So it was a beautiful morning that greeted me as I jumped into the newly fixed flyer and headed north. The music pumped as the young people say and I was getting jiggy with it. I think that's the terminology. Still get excited to go fishing just like I did as a boy; and the thought of rod in hand on a river was especially exciting.
Met the lads and whizzed to the parking area; and the rush was on to pick a good looking peg. Chris got everyone chatting and then sneakily said "later losers" as he rushed headlong to get there first. So much for team effort. We arrived and everyone chose a peg. I left my choice til last, and amazingly nobody had taken my choice. To me it looked great a bush in the river causing a crease with a slack inside and flow outside.
Although I was determined not to get pole - itis and fish the wag and mag, or the bolo or even a stick. I started at 10 meters on the pole. The crease was also above a good drop off from 4 to 6 feet. In went the first of three bait droppers of hemp and caster plus three cupped balls of Sensas River Black ground-bait with a little Leam for the depth.
The pole rig settled and slid away to a bumble bee of a perch. Not the Roach I had hoped for but I was back and catching .............yes.
In again and one after another some 20 odd Gudgeon some real crackers. The river still had its summer coat on and was looking a little tired and dirty. Well coloured it was in need of some rain and a bloody good flush through. Still while it was this steady might as well fish the pole. After a couple of boats had come through and St Johns lock had been up and down a few times the river did start to pull a little.
So down went the top kit and I picked up a 7 BB "Drake" stick. Fishing my 14 foot drennan acolyte Abu close faced 709 with two pound line straight through to a 20 with single bronze maggot. I was loving it. In truth I was the wrong side of the river for the stick and with a difficult wind it was all I could do to keep the line mended and straight off the water behind the float. Coupled with the slow flow a waggler across would have been a better option.
Still I persevered and the Roach and tiny chubletts started to come one a chuck. I upped the feed rate and changed to caster to try and pick of some bigger fish. First net-able fish was a nice Perch and then a couple of hand sized skimmers. Bit more hemp and another bait dropper of caster; and through again.
No bite, so again through and nothing. Adjust the rig to come of the bottom by around 8 inches and wallop under she goes a little-un. No wait its off up stream and under the bush to my left. The water boiled with silt and through the gloom rolled the silvery green side of a near double pike. What is it with pike and me lately, it seems like one every week. The hook length couldn't stand up against the razor teeth and the drake stick flew past my ear without warning.
Sit down take a breath and think what to do. In my heart of hearts I knew the stick was not the way in these conditions, but I tied a new hook link. I cupped in another ball of ground-bait on the stick line and left it to settle. Out come the waggler rod now. Pinging a mix of bronze and caster two thirds of the way across I prepared to fish. After several no bite runs on the thick top, I unclasped and replaced with an insert wag and came to half depth.
Bulk around the float and strung out no 8 shot to an 18 with double caster, brought no fish. So changed hook bait to single bronze. Bang under she goes and a reasonable stamp of Roach between 2 and 4 ounces start to flow toward me.
Feeding regularly now and fish are near the surface. So I shallow off and immediately hit bleak after bleak. Back down to 4 feet and the float flies away as a "brown trout" makes the clutch slip as it rips down stream. I get it back to the net before a flip and a twist razors the hook length and we part company. All the bleak on the surface and the constant flow of maggots have turned the resident Pike orgasmic. So much so that hitting the bites has become difficult, as the pike strike upwards at the surface fish.
Time to back off. The wind has changed again to a slight up stream; and the ever busy lock sees the water flowing again. So back on the stick, bulk shot down to bait dropper level and start fishing over depth and holding back. 20 Gudgeon and one Ruffe later, I decide that, I am not really learning anything here. Need to find the bonus fish.
Chris is getting demoralised and decides to call it a day after struggling in his chosen snaggy swim. To be honest mine has gone quite too, I think the Pike has forced the fish out. The bailiff takes my ticket money and I stroll up to see PG and Spanners. PG is doing well on his chosen method and Spanners is faring better than Chris but not lighting up the world.
I decide to fish down stream away in the hope of drawing the fish back up to me, but no real joy. Same tiny fish. After another hour PG and Spanners have had enough, and I have to agree Gudgeon bashing is not blowing my skirt up.
Spanners throws back, as does PG saying he had around 5 pound of nice Perch and bigger Roach. Me I had around 4 lb +. Loads and loads of Gudgeon and small fish so a busy day but no weight.
Glad to be back, shame I cant join the boys again next week ahead of the end of month North Wessex winter league starting.
I am afraid my lake match organiser duties will see me back on Pewseys Lake. Hey ho two weeks might give the river time to freshen up.
See you next week, off home to see the girl of my dreams, no not the one at the top of this blog! My ever enduring / suffering beautiful wife Wendy.
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