First Tench of The Year

 Ok maybe I'm a bit late with getting my first tench having paid the price for some early half hearted forays for the tincas late March and early April, add to that my penchant for getting easily distracted by the other species my excuses were in early. However a tench is a tench and any fish at any time would do even if I felt one was overdue.

So it was I arrived at the little tench pond which looked so different to last time in early spring, which was more late winter in comparison to today, all the lillies were now up, weed was touching the surface and little rudd were dancing among the greenery as two coots seemed to getting amorous just for the sake of it, working on a second brood perhaps and who could blame them.

I picked a spot by some yellow flags, fed some bread as it is working everywhere else for me and didn't wait long for the first rudd to drag my float across the surface, resulting in a nice 6oz fish. I knew they would keep me busy but rudd wouldn't do today

A few more rudd followed as expected as I could see my bread twitching below the surface in the clear water but I was picking out decent ones as the small nuisance rudd were unable to dip my undershotted float. I waited for that solid bite and it didn't take long as my quarry took the offering and ripped the float under. A fine tench strongly battled it's way to the net, one I should have weighed as it could have beaten my pb for this little pond but I slipped the beautifully coloured fish back delighted.

A few more rudd followed as well as a tiny bream, It's amazing what can take a piece of bread on a size 12, emphasized by the second tench of the day which was one for the future. Note the blurry photo where it's paddle tail must have splashed the lens, well I did need a close up with one this size.

No more tench followed but the rudd got a good feed, I actually think I fed them off which is quite an achievement as even their bites got a bit slow. The pond was now eerily calm on this still, cloudy day, as I left, It was pretty much perfect tench weather and whilst I only had a couple my goal was achieved with a good fish and a well proportioned 'bar of soap' tiddler.

I will look forward to returning to this little haven of tench delights, some time soon.

A Bread Letter Day on The Canal

I planned on giving bread a go on the canal again, this time taking lunch and a seat as the last rove in April was quite tiring on my out of shape body and mind, I was 'rove rusty' but this time I was equipped, or at least I thought I was.

Setting up in the usual area I fed a bit of bread and fished straight through on 4,4lb line to a size 12, under a small pole float that only took the weight of the bread. Expectation once again was realistic, a couple of decent chub or bream would do. First cast the latter obliged, this could be a good day I thought as a good bream rolled in the sun and it got even better when it was in the net.

I recognized this fish instantly as it was Scar (yup I've named it) caught in exactly the same spot in exactly the same way as last time, pretty much a month ago. If you go back to my April post on the canal you can see the difference in how the scar has healed a bit and it is no longer the raw open slice. I was delighted to catch it again and see the breeding tubercules on it's body, I'm seriously thinking about going for it a third time in a month from now for scientific research.

After releasing Scar I had it's smaller relative of around a pound or two so was off to a good start as I moved on, as the local bird life had cottoned on to my bread approach. Further up the small chub were already sunning themselves and to catch one of their larger relatives would make the day. However I made do with giving these youngsters a few freebies as I passed by.

The ever brightening morning saw the bream feed up in the water and I managed another couple on the drop from a new spot, stalking them behind some nettles, I sometimes think when I'm wearing shorts the fish can see the paleness of my early summer legs reflecting the sun, so staking bream behind the flora meant a few stings and bites but resulted in a few nice fish.

Cricket season of course is now in full swing but on walking past the nets I must confess I didn't think much of the slip cordon. You're not going to catch much swanning around like that I thought.

I picked up a couple of chub to 2lb in another swim I had never fished before as my walk continued, then a couple more good bream, pale due to the summer colour of the canal but glistening in the sun. With new swims found and with the weight of bream now approaching 20lb it had been an excellent morning.

The day was complete regarding my goal but I continued walking, it was a nice day and I ventured to a part of the canal previously unexplored hoping for a bigger chub, once again I got my wish when a demon cast under a tree saw a bend in the rod that could not be mistaken for a bream. I've said it before but these chub on the canal seem to go better than river fish, mind you this one was a good one and at bang on 5lb it really made the day.

Lunch was brilliant after a great morning, sitting on a gently sloping grass bank below a lock, my seat redundant, by now my walk had taken me into the middle of nowhere, into a sea of green peppered with the colours of buttercups and blossom, birds were everywhere, people were all in good spirits and sometimes you marvel at the canal on days like today. It was the perfect place to relax and munch my sarnies pausing only to say "This is the life".

I continued, refreshed after my break, my walk took me past abandoned boats, one that had been smashed up and normal ones where boaters were putting out sun shades on the bank, one even wanted to buy me drink from the nearby pub after I suggested she needed a glass of wine to complete her set up, but I was only interested in fishing, much like the 8 other anglers I saw today. I walked on and explored, perhaps too far and caught nothing on this ramble but it was still enjoyable.

So it was I returned to my new found swims on my way back for one last hurrah, I've found bread can sometimes work when you leave it and go back. I feel it can draw new fish in as the small stuff hammer away at any feed distributing particles and the scent, anyhow that's just a theory and whilst it didn't work in the first swim the second one yielded a decent chub first cast on my return

Then a bit of flow came as it does and this coincided with another demon cast (two in a day is pushing it right?) and all hell breaks loose as something big is on, it's steaming along the far bank, clutch screaming and I get it to the middle, I could instantly feel it was a really good fish.

However it was no chub as the most beautiful golden flanks could be seen when I eventually got it off the deck, rod bending double, several sets of walkers passed as I played the battling fish, which made a change from the usual audience you get at busy places like this. I didn't mind this one bit as I finally slid the net under a beautiful common. 

Carp are as rare as hens teeth on this stretch now which is why I had no mat, but some long grass meant the fish went back in the condition it was caught which was pretty much pristine. Ok it wasn't big as carp go but it trumps any pool carp I'll get this year, a canal special. Along with the good chub and all the bream it made the day pretty memorable.

I packed up soon after as I was out of water not realizing I was also down to my last few slices of bread as I would take out a slice at a time keeping the rest fresh in the shade of my bag. The last of the bread went in to feed what I didn't catch, what a job that cheap loaf has done today. Whilst my bag was now light of bread and water I was also dehydrated but still found time to talk to a retired couple on a boat during the long walk home. I'm glad I did as the nice lady kindly refilled my water bottle and I polished most of that off chatting before I bade them farewell thanking their generosity.

By now it was pretty warm, I made it back home around half two all hot and sweaty, sipping the last of my much needed water top-up, after covering five different lock cuts and quite a few miles but it was worth it.

The free water, much like the cheap old bread and the basic gear summed up a day, when the simplistic approach worked wonderfully. It was a great day on the canal.

Christmas in May

 Everything seemed perfect as I arrived at the pond, it was warm but not too hot and a few were already on the sunny side fishing but it was so quiet and peaceful. I had the choice of swims on my favourite side of the pond, this being the first time I have fished there this year as the tree lined bank can be quite cool, today was a perfect day to sit in the shade and watch the world go by so slowly.

My first choice of swim looked like it had roach breeding in the margins as small plops and swirls in the water indicated a smaller species at play so I left that spot well alone, I then walked past a tree that had been pollarded offering the ideal perch for the heron to take flight from, squawking at me for interrupting it's lofty rest. It wasn't long before a decent spot was found (they are all decent on days like this) and my float was in the margins under the rod tip.

I can't recall a year when maggot has worked so well on my club ponds and sure enough I was into carp straight away, fantastic fun on .12 bottom and a size 18, the first of a series of carp broke the mottled shade of the tree, a mix of commons and mirrors with varying colours.

They were really ripping the float under although on a couple of occasions my rod tip being pulled through the rushes was due to my attention being drawn elsewhere, firstly by something jumping into the tree and back down behind me. Of all things I least expected it to be a moorhen, perhaps the arboreal variety, totally on it's own and going up there just because it could I suppose.

Next up were the robins which were a feature for the day, taking my offerings back to their young, one managed to get around 8 maggots in it's beak but the other was entering a Hercule Poirot lookalike contest.

Getting your rod pulled round whilst watching the birds was a laugh, good job I was holding the rod and had the anti reverse off.

I then tried a deeper line in an attempt to get some perch, when I say deeper it was a foot further out and a foot deeper, well two float lengths. I either measure the depth difference between my rod rings or do it in float lengths, that way it's easy to swap depths. I alternated between depths for an hour or so, my deeper line providing some small perch but most fun was had there with the crucians and goldfish.

This one had a fancy tail but it used it to good effect and despite being small tore around like a good 'un.

Meanwhile the robin was tapping out a beat on the tub I use for mixing bread, whacking the maggots on it with a thud thud thud, almost as if it was telling the other Robin to try bread for the last hour for some carp or failing that some greedy gudgeon, so I did.

Whilst changing to a size 12 straight through. I fed a bit of bread on the surface knowing the bird life would feed the swim, too lazy to mix anything up in the tub which was now my namesake's drum. I wondered where the moorhen was (probably up a pear tree somewhere) so had to wait for a lone mallard to break up my slice. I watched as it fed the swim perfectly by the rushes without drawing the other birds in.

With a few freebies fed elsewhere the swim was 'primed' with bread and sure enough lowering the float in.... Whallop!  The rod tip was banging round as a carp ripped the float under, straightened my foot of line and tore through the swim before I had time to say" Ooh that's no gudg..." then finding the net after a barnstorming battle, a really nice mirror.

Next cast was to the 'Mallard Zone' which was now without any bird life but had (I imagined) a lovely bed of bread particles in the margins below, sure enough the float is straight under again and the largest carp of the day is in the net, a parrot nosed brute of a common that barely fitted in the net the club provides.

A chap came round for a chat and politely asked why I took photos of the smaller fish yet put the 'lump' straight back. (It was a lump for this pond I suppose) Realizing that my initial response of "I only take pictures of the pretty ones" sounded mighty pretentious I went on to explain my drawings are the ones on the clubhouse wall.

A good looking fish makes a good drawing and besides they sure look good anyway in the landing net, the last fished summed this up as it was a right looker, one to draw in the future and to catch again too hopefully.

It was mostly carp today save for a smattering of cru's, goldfish, perch and gudgeon including one on bread. The roach must have been the ones getting jiggy as their absence was notable. I walked off for some reason singing the Twelve Days of Christmas song in my head but with the partridge gone and that moorhen up the pear tree instead. 

As I got to the gate a new angler was starting his day as I ended mine. I was glad I wasn't in that corner of the pond as the blossom there was coming down thick and fast, falling on the car which was now covered in a good dusting.

"I'm surprised how quiet it is down here" he said no doubt eager to get started. "Yeah maybe it's because of all this snow coming down" I joked in response pointing to the blossom as we both laughed. When fishing is so relaxed yet eventful every day is like Christmas when you go fishing I thought to myself, we are a lucky bunch indeed.

Now how does that song go again? 🎵....and a moorhen in a pear tree 🎵