How many of you will know the film 'Ice cold in Alex' starring John Mills, will depend on your age I guess? It's about a army crew in the second world war working a Red Cross truck across a desert, hiding from the Germans, while having one spy, in their group. Anyway right at the end of the movie they walk in a bar and each have a cold beer, you can almost taste it, the acting is so good.
The other day I had a desire to walk and fish on my local river. Not on the trout beats but further down where chub, roach and bream are most likely to be caught. I fished light and did a lot of walking, but really didn't realise just how hot it was. I was wearing waders just to give me better access, but could easy have waded wet, the water was that warm.
After a few hours the heat got to me, and I started feeling odd, I knew it was dehydration, and made it back to the car just in time. My long sleeve cotton shirt I wear for sun protection was so wet, I could wring it out. My trousers, pants and socks were just the same. I drank two liters of water right away, and once home another two, by then I was feeling better. But it made me think just how as you get older you have to take better care of yourself. So to all my fellow bloggers, take care and take plenty of liquid with you.
The actual fishing was a bit of a damp squid, with recent rain was bringing down weed and crap. I did manage one chub about 3 lb on rolled meat (left over from the Trent trip) I did find a few barbel too, a fish that was much more common ten years ago on this little river, but it seems a few are just hanging on in the lower beats as well as in the town beat.
Out again on the Trent next week, meeting up with another fellow blogger and friend.
One of the daytime TV channels throws up Angling old programs from time, to time. Last week it was Dean Macey fishing with Ray Wilton on the Avon, rolling meat for Barbel.
It really appealed to me coming from fly fishing where upstream nymph fishing is practiced on my local rivers. Clearly there are differences, but also many similarities. Like casting upstream and feeling the weighted nymph (replace with weighted hook and meat) bounce along the bottom, until you hook up.
Amazing video, full of fun, and information. Really like these two lads style. Quality video too.
So in the week I got the fly tying gear out and tied a few long shank size 6s hooks, with various amounts of lead wire I felt should, cover a few running water situations. I took them along with some Spam to the Trent to experiment.
I said earlier this method really appeals, because I can roam with just one rod, rather than sit in one swim with two rods faced skyward waiting for the fish to cooperate?
Rod choice had me thinking. I could use my normal barbel rods, the Daiwa infinities, but fancied something with a softer tip, to watch the taps, and knocks better. The Drennan Specialist feeder with the 4 oz carbon top looked ideal. Rated up to 8lb line was maybe light, but I did not have to cast any weight, and thought I could still use 10lb line right through.
On the river the rod proved perfect, even though I only caught a few modest chub. If in flood, or heavy winter water, it my be different, I'll have to see!
I found the best way, was also the simplest. Cast upstream, but not too far out, maybe 3 meters from the bank, no GROUND-BAIT. Allow the meat to come past you, then release line, and bump it downstream. Due to the lack of flow in many swims, this only worked 50% of the time. A cast further out in those swims did not give the proper presentation, as the meat swung around into the slack water in an arc. Had I wanted to be less mobile, then I could have sat 10 minutes and maybe a fish would have found the bait. Or I could have baited a few swims before fishing, something a may try some time I'm feeling a touch lazy.
Above one of the best Trent chub taken in recent years 8lb+. The mighty river itself.
The Trent is currently low and really needs a good flush through, but I doubt it will get one until winter proper. Low water and excessive hot weather in the 30s plus have put the barbel off feeding since the season start. Lots of anglers and people on forums have all concluded the same, things are really difficult, and few fish being caught. Anglers are still fishing and pilling in bait, so maybe the fish are feeding at the coolest time of day, very early morning, I'm just guessing, it's all we can do!
I had a day on the local river yesterday, trying the rolling meat again. But recent rain had brought a lot of weed and debris down, making it almost impossible. I did manged one three pound chub, and got soaked to the skin with sweat, bank walking looking for fish. It will be much easier in the winter, the river will be clean, and the fish more obliging, I hope.
My first trip to the river coincided with rain, and plenty of it. To be honest we need rain, it's been a very dry summer. The river was low, as I dropped into a nice piece of slack water I feel should hold some good chub. It runs for about 150 meters on a gradual bend, in high water it's full of fish I'd imagine, but today it was just little perch that pounced on my worms every cast. I really hate umbrellas as can never set them up in a way they keep me dry, but allow free movement to fish. Today the brolly remained at home, so the new two piece Daiwa suit was donned, and I remained dry. But everything else got drenched.
The Trent is a big river, and needs care and attention.
I discover the newly made cheese paste was too soft, flying off the hook each cast. Once home I'll have to thicken it up with some liquidized bread, that should do the trick. Cheese paste is something that appeals to big roach, as well as chub. In fact my first 'Two' came on paste one night in the early 70s when I fished the little river Eye in Leicestershire. The bridge swim was known to throw up the odd two pound fish when the river was in flood, so I was not surprised with the 2lb 8oz fish I weighed that dark December night. In those days before digital pictures, you had to deal with a flash, and pray the shot would come out, it did thankfully.
Over 4lb the current UK roach record. Caught in Northern Ireland.
That fish turned me into a Roach fanatic, moving me to Norfolk in a time big roach were common on the Wensum. One night on the upper river at Bintree I took two big fish 2lb 15oz and 2lb 12oz along with a 2lb 6oz fish and a 2lb 2oz. That season and for several after, bags of such fish were not uncommon. Now I think your more likely to catch such fish from Norfolk still-waters, than its once famous roach river. Being noted now for its barbel, and chub the Wensum is private in many places I told and access more difficult than it once was!
As the day came to a close I headed for home, for dinner and a hot drink. I thought at the time it may pay to pack the umbrella and flask for coming trips?
Its been a glorious few weeks fishing the commercial carp circuit, but how many easy carp do you want to catch? I'm sated and have had enough of this type of fishing. Carp to over 19lb with back up fish of 18lb common, 18lb mirror, 16lb and a dozen other doubles have been an enjoyable summer break. But now I fancy another kind of challenge, a big mid-summer tench, and an Autumn big chub.
Best of the bunch 19lb mirror 2016 Hallcroft..
The water in question for the tench is a very difficult one, noted for its big carp most of the better tench are caught by the carp guys, 9lb in spawn being the best I've heard of. But they are thin on the ground, so your more likely to catch a rouge carp than a big tench. Also the tench weights are down on June as they have obviously all spawned. On the plus side the lake is near home, very quite and scenic.
At this time of year, a little and often baiting approach is what I'll go for and see how it goes, fishing for just one bite at a time. If I'm lucky enough to catch a tench on each trip, I'll feel very satisfied. So from now on until it get cold, that's what I'll be doing.
I'm several trips into the tench fishing, and nothing. I feel I may have bitten off more than I can chew. The margins are very clear, and mostly deep, and apart from spawning time, I'm yet to see a big fish in the margins. Maybe they are about very early morning, but with a night fishing ban, and me not so good at getting up before 7am, I'm missing them perhaps? I guess as the weather turns colder, I may see some up close, but it also means times running out to.
My local river Trent is producing some very nice chub thank you. It seems 6lb fish are fairly common, and sevens are a possibility for those setting out their stalls for them. Most are being caught on very heavy gear designed to land double figure barbel, so I'm wondering what a very scaled down approach would produce. So if the tench don't provide sport, I'll be fishing the Trent with chub in mind. Lighter quiver rods, six pound line, bread, worms, maggots and 10mm boilies. I've not had a six for many years, in fact the last one was on a mayfly fly-fishing. That would be a great start!
