River Chess Rickmansworth

 The River Chess is a small stream usually associated with fly fishing but further down it's short course it gets a bit more urban and dare I say it more coarse and it was here I was to wet a line for a few hours last week. After the recent heavy rains I made my way through a waterlogged car park and along a slightly overflowing canal which was looking the perfect colour so I hoped for the same from The Chess as it fishes much better when so, it is however a chalk stream and reminded me that on arrival as I could see down a good three feet.

The river did have a slight tinge of colour and the three feet I could see down was in the only spot it goes that deep, so I set up here as usual deciding to sit on the bank on my net bag to keep a low profile. However there was a steady run of leaves down the middle which was owning my little stick float, so much so that I found it unfishable, my line catching on the endless run of  rusty sycamore leaves as they seemed to be having a conference, going round in the eddy and then back again to greet my float each time. I decided to move but just as I was about to get up something large swam right under my feet heading upstream, sitting low to the water has it's merits so I carefully got up and tried the spot above.

Chasing big fish up a little river isn't a guarantee of success so I was happy to run a float through for anything, so a nice roach was the first fish of the day. Leaves weren't a problem in the new swim but it was oh so shallow, my float was on the hooklength and I felt many of the bites were bottom, it was a lot faster here but I am used to shallow rivers so having learnt to fish on the nearby Gade so I was enjoying this little tree lined run, I picked up a small chub and another roach before losing sight of my float and an instinctive strike indicated something solid.

There can't be a better feeling in fishing than hitting the bottom only to feel the bottom shake it's head and then slowly move upstream and so it dawned on me that I could be aquainted with the fish that I saw a few minutes earlier. Whatever It was now headed downstream and spun on the surface, a flash of bronze in the dark shade of the trees showed It was a good bream and it used it's deep body to good effect in the current, something river bream do so well. I gradually battled it upstream through the flow and into the net where it snapped me just after I landed it, fighting till the end like an urban brawler.

Now I like bream, back in the day as kids they were the target fish, even on the little rivers, so I was happy with this one. As I returned it gently back to the water the sun came out and lit up the river in small spots like a torchlight through the autumn canopy. The bottom was suddenly revealed showing an array of snaggy branches, leaves and the odd bit rubbish and I wondered how the hell I caught anything there never mind a fish that was almost as deep as the swim.

With the sun now out I sat in the mottled woods having a coffee reflecting on a good start to the day as the first dog walker went past, I only saw three all day and it was so peaceful aside from the constant drone of the roads and the police helicopter in the distance reminding me of my urban surroundings. A kingfisher beeped as it zoomed by as if to let me know it is coming through and I too decided to carry on my journey as there were other swims to fish, I had this short stretch to myself so it would be rude not to fish all of them after all.

Trying spots here and there was fun as was getting some nice looking roach and dace in each one, throw in the odd perch and small chub made for a nice mix of fish. It was the usually small stream fare, catching a few fish before each spot went dead, mainly roach which looked a lot larger in the clear water but were a fun size to catch.

I packed up after only three hours fishing as that was more than enough and went round to chat to my mate Simon who was on the nearby Colne. What a contrast this was as it was coloured from the canal water running in, he was catching plenty too although it was a different world as a marathon had been going on to add to all the dog walkers, cyclists and pushchairs, a few runners were still coming by with numbers on their shirts and you know you are straggling when you get overtaken by a bloke in waders.

 The rumour mill was going full throttle with a body being found in the river downstream hence the police helicopter, although I hope not, there always seems to be something going on when I go fishing lately but that's a bit too much. I walked back to the busy car park reflecting on my little bit of quiet fishing in the woods around the corner away from all the hustle and bustle, sometimes it's just good to get away from it all.

A Couple of River Trips, One Lucky Escape and Two Lucky Fish

Beef With The Locals

I hadn't been down The Gade for a bit of fishing since the opening day with dad so I was eager to see how things looked following the recent rains. I wasn't disappointed, the river was running well yet still looked quite clear and there was some lush weed too, it looked perfect. Thoughts roamed to how it's trying so hard to be the little chalk stream it deserves to be and even how grayling could thrive in such rippling flows. However the harsh reality of knowing the river has been in and out of the canal countless times wasn't lost so I knew dace would be the main quarry, but after they went a bit scarce a decade ago it was something I'd settle for as I was up for some proper river roaming.

I set up at the top end as usual, there's always something about roaming downstream that seems right, going with the flow. I dug out the 3lb 2oz main line for the first time in ages knowing the chances of encountering something large were slim on this free stretch of river, this coupled with a lighter hooklength meant everything was so crisp and my little stick float was dotted down as far as my eyesight would allow. It felt like the old days as the first of many quick biting dace battled their way across the current to where I was standing in the bright sun. I cast a shadow but it was a lazy late summer one and I cared not as the fish didn't seem to mind, the dace were abundant and a few decent roach showed too so I decided to experiment with a few photos of some them on the clean sunlit gravel after I slipped them back.

.....or before I scooped this one out

It was soon time to ramble on, for downstream beckoned, trying holes here and there, more dace followed in almost every one, not a lot but enough to keep me busy with the odd roach too, eventually making my way to the bottom end where it was so peaceful. I sat eating my lunch watching a jay go back and forth across the meadow to the nearby woods. It was still sunny and it was almost eerie how quiet it was with no dog walkers getting down this far which I didn't mind one bit. I did get some company work their way towards me in the form of a herd of cows, as I worked my way down to the very bottom of the stretch they gradually munched their way closer and closer each time.

Now I'm a bit funny with cows here due to experiences in the past, below I've copied a paragraph from my other post about this stretch of river which may explain why, if you've already seen it skip it but if not be afraid, be very afraid....

(There was 175Cow, probably not the most imaginative name for a beast but it had that number in it's ear and was a cow so... But it's a cow I hear you mutter like I'm some sort of loon, well I kid you not that 175Cow was not just any cow but rather, in layman's terms was a complete and utter nutter with udders. Many a time I would wonder down the bank with my gear to hear footsteps behind me, gradually getting louder until forming a stampede, I would look around to see 175 standing there with her cronies, turning around with the net and rod raised hollering made them stop but as soon as your back was turned they were off after you lead by you know who. It was scary stuff and on quite a few occasions I used to say to dad "It's 175! maybe we'll give that swim a miss today". He always agreed.

I remember one time when the housing estate was being built on the old paper mill site a building worker would go across to the moor and smoke something iffy in the bushes on his break. The look on his face was something I'll never forget when I came running past being chased by a herd of mad cows, I made it through a barbed wire fence without thinking what could get caught up in it I was so scared, I turned and looked at this chap and he almost did that thing winos do in old comedies when they look at the bottle, he was stunned and I was close to needing a new pair of pants. The weird thing about 175Cow is she was one of those pretty Jersey types with the long eyelashes, the sort you would like if she was in cartoon form, well you know what I mean. Anyhow she didn't look menacing unless you were a person or dog, then you got chased. The last time I saw her she was chasing a guy who lived on one of the canal boats across the moor - he was on a motorbike at the time)

So I've now got to the end of the stretch and so have the cows, I cannot go any further, I've checked the ears of any to see what numbers they are there's no number 175 so i'm ok right? Nope, not really as they have decided to park up for the day and sit down on the ruddy, muddy footpath, the bit where it turns to bog. I'm waving my arms about and shouting to get them to shift but they are just sitting there nonchalantly. I'd almost fallen over walking through that bit of mud on the way down, it was surprisingly deep and covered in a foot of water. Of course this was the spot where they decided to sleep of their lunchtime excesses.

There's a saying farmers have about the cows sitting down and the weather but I can't remember how it goes and I wasn't worried about the night's weather forecast right then. Cows also have a saying "When idiot in stupid hat yells at you to move, don't !" Sure enough they weren't budging and who could blame them. I could say I had no beef with them but that would be milking it so I made my way around the herd through the sticky bog, under a pylon grateful that there wasn't any lightning, keeping my rod low, hoping all the time that it doesn't get too deep. I finally made it out the other side whilst they all just stared, I looked around to see if there was a 175 style chase imminent but there wasn't. "Yeah you wont mess with me again in a hurry" I told them straight, albeit out of earshot, back at the car, half a mile away.

Two Flukes on The Bank Is Better Than None

The following week I'm back in leafy Hertfordshire in a more Autumnal setting as the weather had turned and it was safe to say Summer was over. It was much colder and a northerly wind had made me add the thermal lining to my German army surplus coat for the first time. I was in the area where I caught a nice perch last month but wanted to fish the swim below which was in theory much better. So with the extra water coming down I really fancied going for it, I had the float bug and I was going to fish the stick like a demon and take this swim apart.

Two hours later and I had three small perch and a couple of even smaller chub to show for my efforts. There were tiny chublets and gudgeon everywhere and I couldn't get through them so the swim was taking me apart. Funny how expectation is never the same as reality so I sat there and had lunch reflecting on a pretty poor morning's fishing, the main bit of entertainment coming from working out the dull thuds I heard all morning were courtesy of a woodpecker which finally came into view, either lesser spotted or greater spotted I couldn't tell but it was one of the black and white jobbies with the red head, working it's way along the rotting fallen willows that were parallel to the far bank, I'm pretty sure that dude had more success than I did.

After lunch I wandered up to the swim where I had the big perch last time just to see it if was still around after all I was quite good at catching gudgeon today, maybe I could pick up a chub as there's usually a few there, mind you I could have said that about the first swim, the one where I would have caught loads had it not been for the gudgeon, or the chublets, or the noisy woodpecker putting me off or had the day not had a 'Y' in it. 

In the new swim I fed around six maggots, lowered in the float for the first time half depth not expecting much but it ripped under immediately, a stonking bite that took the float out of sight and went really solid signalling a good chub was on, snaffling my single red maggot midwater without hesitation, sometimes you just can't work fishing out. I was keen not to lose what could be the only big fish of the day although I knew my chances were slim as this swim was tight. 

Now the river here was only three or four foot wide but my clutch was set loose as I had already bent my size 18 Kamazan B510 back into shape from snagging bottom in the other spot, my rod tip was under the water as the rushes on the near side made It hard to apply any side strain, at times there was so little line out my float was almost touching the rod tip. This made the fight exciting but nervy, one I knew I could lose at any moment, even more so when I noticed it was in fact a barbel and not a chub, and this barbel was doing a good job of trying to get under the prickly bramble overhang. I took a chance on a bit of a risky landing, getting it in first time I got it to the surface so even this was fortunate. I had never had a barbel in this spot ever and now I get one first cast, it should have come off but it didn't. Sometimes you can only say the best laid plans are no match for sheer unadulterated luck.

Despite the hectic scrap the fish swam off so strong, it didn't even want to be rested in the net but I rested it nonetheless. I returned to the swim and all I caught for the next hour was more gudgeon and yet more chublets, the big perch obviously wasn't around and there wasn't a sniff of a roach or proper chub either. That flukey barbel had really turned a bad day into a good one.

Now I needed a rest as I had been balanced on a combination of mud and waterlogged rushes all day, I'm not sure there's many ways of fishing that's more tiring than that so I went downstream looking for somewhere comfortable to sit and fish for an hour or two before going home. I stopped to chat to another angler on the way and twenty minutes later I'm still there chatting, a nice chap but I couldn't get away, it won't be the last time that happens but I'll always find time especially if they are older, I could be the only person he sees all day, now that's a sobering thought* My legs were now killing me so I got my goodbyes in wished him luck as I had used my quota of that already, or so I thought.

* I like to think he actually went home to his missus telling of how he couldn't get rid of a chatty angler rabbiting on about gudgeon for some reason before going out with his mates to the pub to watch the football, getting drunk and having a great time before getting the rods ready for the next trip.

I soon get to a spot that I almost passed by as it was so overgrown, however there was just enough room to flick my float out above a tree that was overhanging so much it was almost touching the near bank, running it right under along a nice crease. It was almost the textbook swim as I was sat on the inside of the bend, wind on my back, the water deepening against the tree and the clear water going black in the shade. The current was so perfect it was almost impossible not to have the float going through like a dream and starting shallow I picked off a few nice roach all around 8oz. I was hoping for a chub and whilst bites weren't hectic to start with there was enough action from the roach to keep me busy. Finally a chub showed and once again it was a fluke as my line was caught round the back of the reel, for some reason the chub didn't head for the roots, my repaired hook held firm and my luck held once more for a nice fish that was around 4lb

Varying depths and continuous feeding bought more roach, most of which were around the 8oz bracket plus a few more chub, then the gudgeon started to show as I must have been drawing them in from downstream. There was enough roach plus the odd chub amongst the gudgeon to keep me wanting just one more cast as the rain started to hit my back quite hard, it was now a fish a chuck and I was tired as the planned couple of hours soon turned into three or four, but yeah just one more cast... I don't mind the rain as long as it doesn't get in my bait pouch and there was something about it pinging off the hood of my German army coat as it seemed like the only noise and that was just wunderbar*. 

*This is a reference to a previous trip where I forgot said coat and got cold and wet thus making a big boob, wunderbar of course is German for wonderful, not to be confused with wonderbra which is the English for making two big boobs

Every now and then some of the gudgeon were bigger, good deep ones with big heads which made the fishing interesting and if they fill out a bit more a new rival to Sherman The Gudgeon could be a possibility come winter, oh yes, rabbiting on about gudgeon is cool when they are this size.

Evening was now drawing in and I was really tired by now, I could hear the rush hour building on the wet roads in the distance, my hands were wet and gritty from the dust in my bait pouch, offloading my maggots in large handfuls to finish off as they weren't worth keeping, not befitting a cold wet day but the fish were still having it (I was really trying to get those gudgeon fatter) The float was now disappearing each trot under the tree without fail although my bait was now almost gone, it's funny how long it takes when you are trying to get rid of it though.

I set out to run a float through in style yet got brought back to earth like only fishing seems to do, managed to fluke the two biggest fish of the day and finally got into the groove as the weather turned wetter, it was hard work, a bit streaky at times but fun and rewarding and at least there was no cows. 

Now where was I? Oh yeah - Just one more cast.

Trotting Pellet For Big Roach

This is a fun way of fishing and on it's day can be really quite effective, I could argue that on it's day cannot be beaten, but that's objective, however it is a technique that can be applied by anyone who can run a float through with other baits. Here's a simple lighthearted guide to what I've learned over a decade or so of trotting those little brown pellets. 

Location

First thing to point out is that you have to be on the right bit of river, some rivers have big roach in good numbers whereas some just have the odd fish here and there but that's the beauty of roach, you can get them across the land in a variety of waters. They seem to grow big in lakes, small streams, large rivers, canals, lochs, drains, tidal estuaries, you name it, also from Scotland and Northern Ireland down to the South East and West they are not geographically restricted like most other species. 

To get them on pellet you need a river that doesn't just have big redfins but one that sees a lot of pellets going in as feed as well, usually for other fish like barbel - The 'B' word is going to be mentioned a lot I think and whilst sometimes they can disrupt things I think any bycatch that puts a right bend in the rod is welcome, it would be boring if it was all roach and it's nice to get a good mix. It's also not good to curse barbel like some roach anglers do as it won't endear yourself to most of the other anglers on the river nowadays, nor is it a good idea to mention to other anglers how you have been bothered by barbel whilst after your intended quarry - The Roach.

There are many rivers where I wouldn't touch pellet with a bargepole instead preferring traditional baits but where pellet goes in the roach will be on them and how much they will be on them will depend on competition, but more of that later.. Also keep things relative, if you hear people say they have caught xx amount of 2lb roach it's because they have access to waters that hold them in good numbers, or have good imagination.  I'm not going to mention figures like that as I honestly don't keep count, although I can say that those caught on trotted pellet have only been on a handful of rivers so that shows how selective the method can be.

Try to keep things relative and in perspective to the water you are fishing, after all a 1lb roach is a wonderful specimen on some rivers and a scale perfect 1lb 14oz is every bit as good as a tatty 2lb'er even if you are chasing that magical barrier, always tell yourself this as you triple check them scales after returning a 1lb,15oz fish.

Swim selection can be an issue with big roach as in summer they sure do get around, I've had them in under a foot of water, or behind trees in deep slacks, in water almost too fast to stand in and of course those traditional roachy looking glides that may as well have a sign post on them. The fun of it all is to know they could be absolutely anywhere. 

When I was a lad I remember looking over a footbridge at a guy running a float wonderfully through a beautiful glide between two banks of ranunculus, whilst a shoal of huge roach sat in the slack ignoring his every move, he was oblivious to their presence but I doubt somehow if the roach were oblivious to his, that's roach for you.

On many occasions I've taken the time to do some fish watching. On some rivers in the evenings you can see big roach swirling on the surface, perhaps for flies but in all probability it's to say "look we're here all along yet you still can't catch us". Shallow streams are good for observing the fish and their behaviour or looking over bridges into the water below, as anglers we know this is compulsory and many a tip has been gained from staring into those waters whilst passing over brook or stream, there's also trees if you are into climbing, personally I prefer the former but there is no substitute for watching how fish act and learning from it, it can really negate any gaping flaws in your technique, trust me I know.

Why Trot Pellet ?

There's pros and cons like any other bait or method, the main drawback I suppose is it's a summer bait, as soon as the frosts come I loose confidence in it, maybe it would work on a warm day in early March who knows, however I have yet to try this out. Another problem is those barbel, I know that sounds strange but big roach and barbel seem to go hand in hand, or maybe fin in fin, whether it's a natural thing or the roach have learned to get in there early on the barbel feed and have grown big as a result, either way barbel present problems in regards set up for finicky roach. Another drawback is water clarity, in a fast swim in coloured water those big roach are not likely to see such a fast sinking bait in time and as a result I know my catch rates suffer in such conditions using pellet, it seems to work better the clearer the water is, but this leads me to the positives.

The pros of this method are that it can work when all others seem to have blown, the fish have got used to static baits on the bottom and are in intercept mode, clear water is great much like with hemp fishing and sunny days are too. I once talked to a famous roach angler who didn't start fishing for them until Autumn adamant that sunny summer days were a non starter, I actually prefer them now and I'm not going to grumble if I've had a  2lb roach before the frosts come that's for sure. I now catch more big roach in summer than I do in Autumn and Winter combined because of this method although I still look forward to those traditional cold winter roach days on maggot.

Another bonus is how the fish compete for the feed, I am lucky to fish some small clear rivers where you can see the fish coming up for the feed. Even on larger rivers like the Severn (when it's clear) after feeding a little and often for a while you sometimes see flashes of roach and can even have them boiling on the surface, you do see barbel flashing too on the feed (not to be confused with the scratching or rolling on the surface) especially on cloudy days. I'm not sure many static anglers know how well all fish including barbel feed up in the water but I've had them two feet deep in six foot deep swims, it really is a sight and it can be a case of buckle up and prepare for some explosive action when they hijack your roach fishing.  

Never underestimate how shallow big roach can feed and also be ready for a bite first run through. I've had a few like this and whilst It doesn't occur often it's happened too many times to be a coincidence if that makes sense.

Another pro (they are definitely out weighing the cons now) is that the bait is selective for larger fish so you can fish it in swims where there's hordes of small dace and bleak, you will get the odd tonker dace and plenty of little chub with their big ol' mouths but they are a welcome indicator that the method is working well, when you get the bigger chub and barbel thrown in with the roach it can be a full on red letter day. 

Sometimes it can take a while for roach to show but I think they can be drawn up from downstream by the scent and commotion whereas many a time they are on it from the off and it's the other species that get drawn in. Of course on some days like with any bait you find it hard but that's fishing. On it's day you can get dozens of roach and you will struggle to recall many under a pound and often put fish well over a pound back without a photo or weighing, it can be that good but I suppose you can say that about any bait 'On it's day'. 

Pellets also sink quickly which is great in those swims where maggots or hemp end up in the next postcode although I know deep down that is a drawback on slow rivers or when water visibililty is down slightly so there you go, can't win 'em all.

Did I mention the pellet stays on the hook well and is less fiddly than hemp? Also it doesn't need any prep or a refridgeration like some baits. I would err on the side of safety regarding it's shelf life and renew each season but I am confident that fresh pellets don't do any harm to the fish long term, river fish do have a three month detox after all plus plenty of natural foods on offer, plus everything else seems to eat them too.

Set Up

As mentioned before my set up is a bit of a compromise due to barbel getting in on the action, so purists should look away now, also It's really basic regarding shotting and the float, I often go with quite a light float with basic shirt button shotting on it and run it through the best I can. I once spent a whole season stringing out no8s but I found I did just as well with a dirty great no1 ten inches from the hook. My gear is also cheap and cheerful much like my ability, on a good day it's competent on a bad day quite comical, It's all just a bit of fun. A decent power match type rod that can handle those barbel, plus the pull of big roach and not bump smaller fish like dace and chub, a cheap old open face reel and a decent sized landing net are all you need to get going*

*There is of course other stuff you need like a discourger, food, drink, vehicle (unless you live on a great river) and fast women, but these are the basics.

The pellet is banded on the shank of the hook leaving the point exposed, usually 6mm or sometimes 4mm. I haven't tried a hair rig much when trotting so maybe that would work too or perhaps pick up too many barbel. I prefer making my own bands using silicon tubing rather than ready made ones as these are more flush. I use barbless hooks not just as a preference but also as I tried micro barbed once and found them quite hard to unhook due to the banded pellet impeding the discourger getting to the hook, I've never found I've lost more on barbless than those using micro barbed seem to do so will stick with the tried and tested.

An advantage of banded pellet is that it stays on the hook well, hook choice is usually a Drennan Specialist if there's bigger fish likely to show, but if I can get away with it a finer a Kamasan B510 will do the job and is also ideal for using 4mm pellets. Keepnets aren't for me either, I like to rove anyway and sometimes it takes a good wander to find the roach on some rivers. I had his roach with the distinctive orange mark on it's chin in two different areas the same season, the second time a good half a mile from the first. Which shows they move about as much as we do.

The floats I use are usually wire stemmed sticks for those fast runs and are surprisingly light as I know the fish come will up in the water, maybe I would catch more with a heavier float but in really shallow swims I find there's less bump offs with a light float and it is also so direct and sensitive. What you lose in casting distance can easily be made up for by wading out into the shallows where possible. As an aside I do think a well presented lead set up would fool more roach and no doubt there's anglers out there who are doing this whilst after barbel. In some swims you just can't trot a float as easy as you can fish a lead so maybe I'll fish a static bait in the future sometime, I may have to change the blog name though.

Line wise I've found Drennan Floatfish 4,4lb is pretty good as it gives you more than a decent chance with the barbel yet is surprisingly fine enough for roach in summer, maybe it's the colour as I like green line and floats. Pike and perch are green so maybe roach have trouble picking out that colour, just a thought.

You can give fish much more stick on light line when float fishing than you can on a lead as everything is much more direct. If you really get barbelled out you can go heavier and if things are hard go lighter, or just go with what you are comfortable with given the swim you are in. If barbel do show and you catch them on any gear, rest them before and after unhooking and as long as it takes when they are back in the water before releasing them when they look sturdy. 

Resting any fish in the water in the net also gives a good chance to look at their beauty and maybe take some nice photos, this 2lb roach had a scar on its back and it's tatty scales were all over the place yet I only noticed it was fin perfect when I looked at the photo I took in the net. I didn't take any other photos of it as it looked so ragged out of the water but in the water even the scales look good.

Techinque

Technique, me? Do me a favour, just try to run your float out amongst some feed and try to get them trotting down in tandem and looking natural under the water. I know I'm supposed to say something all clever and educational on this bit but it really is about feeding regularly and how the hookbait is behaving. Just fish as though you were using casters or hemp. Some people argue whether the feed should go in first or the float but it really depends on the swim. Try to be metronomic - feed, cast, repeat or cast, feed, repeat, trust me you will not overfeed the fish as even dace and gudgeon will be in on the action, besides the more you do it the better you'll get at it, that's the theory anyway. 

Don't try repeat, repeat, repeat as that is all the TV companies schedule for this year, nor do cast,cast,cast as that would mean you are using a stupidly light float like me on a windy day.

When you get a bite strike at anything, often there can be faint dips whereas with the barbel you'll get what I call a Slam Dunk, the equivalent of the three foot twitch where the float has gone down a good metre and is bending the rod round before you even have had a chance to react, when this is under your rod tip it really is something special, mind you a big roach can really rip the float under too.

The roach of course can be more subtle but a good one in fast water can really run, maybe just once or twice but there's some power there and an impressive turn of speed. Be prepared for that roll on the surface as I have found nearly all big roach do this, it's their way of saying "Here I am, I'm huge, about time your legs start wobbling" By word of consolation if and when you do lose a big one on the surface (and you will) they always look massive so take off a good 8oz of any estimate. Not only will it be more accurate it will make you feel slightly better and may just stop you throwing your rod in the bushes.

So that's about it I think although I may add more content in the future after all it is still a learning process, one that's been a lot of fun so far. All of the photos are roach caught on trotting pellet, which I hope to be adding to soon, nearly all from the last five seasons. All of them were caught in daytime in office hours so to speak and who wouldn't want an office like we have when we go fishing. Many were caught on long day trips to rivers far away that I knew held good roach and others on my local river I know well. As mentioned pretty much all of them were caught on warm bright sunny days when the rivers were low and clear and things are supposed to be hard so there you go, it shows it works, and works well.

As I have been writing this up I haven't had any big roach at all this season which goes to show how much I know and how fishing can come back and bite you so maybe I was on a lucky roll, even so I've still had many fish to around 1lb so perhaps I'm being blasé regarding what's big or taking the method for granted. I put this seasons failings down to the lack of weed and water being too coloured when I have gone to places like the Severn plus my local rivers struggling with abstraction and water flows so hopefully things will be different next year but you never know, either way It's been one hell of a ride so far and who's to say there won't be red letter days in the future, here's hoping. I'll try to update this post in the future when I learn more and hopefully add a few more pictures.

I also hope this has inspired you in someway and thanks for reading

Rob

Ok this is the first 'two' for what seems an age on pellet, not quite trotted but freelined as the water was so low.

Blennies & Barbel - From Rock Pool To River

Rock Pool Fishing

Last week I had a late summer holiday down in Devon for a few days and of course I took some coarse gear and of course I went sea fishing like you do and of course I blanked on my first trip. This was a few hours at Teignmouth, either side of visiting the town and doing the usual holiday stuff as I was with dad and the missus. Sea fishing for me is as much miss as it is hit as I just 'wing it' on coarse gear and coarse baits and to be fair the coast is not a bad place to top up your quota of blanks.

The next day was a new month as we had rolled into October overnight and oh how the year has flown by (some Covid lockdown irony there) I just wanted to catch something and I also wanted to fish a rock pool for the first time so we all walked down to the beach where we were staying at Devon Cliffs, I found some rocks and we set up the deck chairs. We were quite happy collecting seashells on the sea shore (bit of a tongue twister that one, who knew) Although I wasn't sold on the fishing and even doubted whether I should set up as there was so many other people about, I knew I would look a bit strange but it went quiet people wise and I couldn't resist, so I set up and made my way across the rocks looking for fish.

I didn't see anything, not even a crab, however the pools were beautiful and clear with sandy spots and different types of weed in them adding colour. Maybe there was no fish in these pools and as the tide turned some of them lost water so I tried the main channel or The Sea as the locals call it. There had been a storm the night before and I tried for an hour off the rocks for a wrasse but the sea was very coloured which resulted in a biteless hour fishing in the churned up water. I couldn't see rock from weed due to the water having the same red hue as the nearby cliffs so I settled for not losing any gear which as we all know adds a sour taste to any blank.

I stopped to have lunch with the others who were closer to shore although I swear I saw movement in the very last rockpool in the form of a lightning quick puff of sand, in the pool closest to shore and one of the shallowest but it held water. I threw in some broken pieces of prawn and tucked into my sandwiches not expecting much, in the pool that is, the lunch was great. With dogs now allowed on the beaches I joked that the closest I'd get to seeing a fish would be a poor beagle, a shark based pun that was lost on the missus, my dad got it and were he fifty years younger I'm sure he would have thrown me in for that one. I got up stretched my legs as I ate my crisps and looked back at where I threw the prawns in - they were all gone!

Now this rockpool was a decent size but was really shallow, most of it around 6 inches and a little deep corner where it was a good 8 inches, it was kind of oval in shape and reminded me of a mini Ruislip Lido where I used to fish as a kid. I towered over this little lido like a giant, my shadow from the low sun covering half of it and much of the rocks the other side. I was careful not to shade the baited area and in went some more freebies right in the 'deep' corner which had a slight overhang. What happened next was magical as dozens of fish darted out and feasted on the prawn buffet I had laid on, how there could be that many fish there yet I hadn't spotted them showed more my lack of knowledge and poor watercraft than anything else but hey It's all fun learning.

Most of the fish were tiny perhaps small gobies which are hard to hook on a size 12 but every now and then something bigger darted out. I lowered my float just below the overhang ledge with most of the split shot dangling in the air it was so shallow, a twitch of the bait brought an instant response and a blenny was on, at least I think it was a blenny as the thing came off onto the wet rocks and made it's way back to the pool before I could nab it. They are amazing little fish as they can walk on land and often travel from one rock pool to another if their one dries out, they can also attach themselves to the underside of wet rocks or weeds and wait for the tide to return, the one I lost did it old school flipping back to the water whilst I said flippin' heck or words to that effect. I hovered my float above the hole once more thinking my chance was gone but there was more than one fish under the ledge and I soon was in again this time a really small blenny, the smallest I'd ever caught but it was a fish and the blank was avoided this time.

I then caught two more a bit bigger, the usual blenny size, not huge but in such a tiny corner of my own little rock pool they seemed like giants, although I swear I saw a bigger one fleetingly. Now I'm in the zone and oblivious to all the walkers going by, fishing with a float in the air with an eleven foot John Wilson Avon, complete with bait bib around my waist full of prawns, I must have looked a right sight but I cared not for I was a rock pool angler now.

By now the wind had picked up so the others sought shelter closer to the cliffs where they could look for fossils as it was the Jurassic Coast after all. I could joke that the only fossil there was dad but he made it down and back up the steep slope to the beach and I didn't see many other 80 year old's doing that, if I'm as mobile at his age I'll be happy. Meanwhile I had to have a couple more dips in the pool, I could hardly call them casts after all.

I'd never explored rock pools when I was a kid as we couldn't afford to go on holidays much (things were just as hard back then folks) so was really enjoying it. Just as the others made their way to the cliffs a dark shape dashed out catching me unawares as it aggressively yanked my hookbait back into it's den, it looked massive so there's me doing a sideways strike in inches of water like it was a chub on the river back home. "I've got the big one" I yelled out like a child and it must be many decades since I've shouted that out to my dad. It's all relative now like it was back then and whilst it wasn't huge it just seemed massive for this little pool. The missus ran back to take a photo of the fish which looked like It had enjoyed quite a few prawns already, weight wise it could even be a blenny pb for me as this dude was fat. I returned the chunky blenny to the pool gently allowing it to walk across my hand and it disappeared under that ledge somewhere, somehow. The pool now seemed empty but it did before so I chucked in some more prawns for the little ones to feast on, although knowing them feisty blennies I wouldn't be surprised it they were back on them soon after we left.

Surprisingly we had those rocks to ourselves most the day which made a change for how this year has gone, maybe it was because I looked like a weirdo, but then there's nothing new there. I will look forward to messing about in rock pools again although the six hour journey back from the holiday was one from hell, with gales and sideways rain, surface water and aquaplaning, not to mention several tailbacks for accidents where people weren't as fortunate. The only highlight was convincing dad that one of the stones at Stonehenge was put on top in the 80's by Blue Peter, it does look newer than the other stones but even so as a wind up that's got to be a classic. I'll remember that every time I get stuck on the obligatory Stonehenge traffic jam on the A303 maybe next time when we're heading to the coast to do more rock pool fishing.

Back on The River

Following a weekend of further rain I'm back on my local river looking forward to running a float through, it was a bit blowy but it seemed nothing compared to the coast. The river wasn't the highest I had seen it but the water tables certainly were as I had to wade through a flooded field which I had never seen before. With the clear rain water covering the grass and nettles in places it reminded me of those weedy rockpools I left behind a few days ago, mind you it was a lot deeper and it actually had more depth than the river usually does so I sloshed my way round the edges grateful I was wearing waders, joking with the anglers already there that it's the new backwater, I jested that it could be stocked with bream and they jokingly asked if I could swim.

There was not many down there perhaps due to the weather and I wanted to do some trotting down the river (someone should do a blog about that) It felt good to be running that stick through with a bit of pace on the river and despite it bombing through it had surprising clarity to around four feet, so I was confident any barbel would see my moving pellet. They didn't disappoint and after a few good roach I had some nice fish which were going some in the extra current. They seemed a better stamp of fish which the colder weather always seems to bring out, and are jolly good fun on the float any time of year.

I packed up after only a few hours getting my fill of float fishing and getting back into the coarse fishing groove, also getting home just as the rains came again which was a bonus. The river had dropped a touch whilst I was there and would soon be back in it's confines although there should be enough ground water to keep it up through the Autumn, unlike other years where you often find yourself running a float through a slow clear swim getting a bend in the rod from huge sycamore leaves. Barbel do put a bigger bend in the rod than even the largest sycamore leaf blowing in the wind and a bigger pull than those windswept rockpool blennies after all.