River Gade Cassiobury Park

 This little river seems to get smaller and smaller each year but still holds so many memories, with kids screaming in the park and dogs barking everywhere It seems crazy that some places here can feel away from it all in summer, overgrown and narrow and requiring a bit of wading through both water and undergrowth it is classic small stream fishing.

I started in a spot where it was hard enough bringing in the few dace and roach I hooked to kick things off so imagine the craziness of having a decent fish on. I was soon to find out as a nice chub was soon bending the rod as much as the overhanging trees would allow, with submerged branches to the left and right plus trees either side and above I played it with the rod almost pointing at the fish, waded back upstream to my poorly placed net and slipped it under a beautiful chub that somehow didn't snag me, any chub over 2lb is a monster in such confines. It was a perfect looking chub and the perfect start but I was very lucky there.

I moved downstream with a spring in my step as any good chub is a victory here now. In the next spot my peace and quiet was aided by the flooded meadow fresh with muddy waterlogged paths from recent rains, this meant a few walkers were thwarted from encroaching into my little oasis of calm, where I caught dace after dace, at times under the poncho again as the rains fell to quieten the noise from the main bit of park.

After having lunch here I braved the park which had loads of teenagers in high vis bibs being shouted at by their teacher to get under a tree as it was raining, I walked by in a t-shirt as it was hardly raining much right then, the world has changed I thought.

I always like a dabble in the weirs although I got some right weird looks fishing by this sign, it's a big no fishing sign but the small print is for the close season and it's made by the Angling Trust, I also saw one on the Avon, a good idea but maybe best if they take them down when the season starts to avoid confusion especially if joe public are too far away to read the small print.

I had visions of someone having a go at me for fishing even though I was perfectly legal so I made do with a few fish before moving on once more, weirpool fish always have great colours and this small chub was no exception.

On once more to another favourite glide of mine which looked devoid of fish until I threw some maggots in, seemingly out of nowhere came quite a few chub, snaffled them up so I jumped in upstream and waded down. I didn't catch any chub instead it was all roach and dace, I did wonder where those chub went and marvelled at their disappearing act, I was actually pleased not to catch any but to know they were there and were too wise as the sun lit up everything. It made the river look like the chalk stream it actually is, there wasn't many boats going down the canal today to colour things up that's for sure.

Finishing after a few hours with over 50 fish not counting those bleak and of course minnows, 36 dace, 6 roach, 6 chub, 4 gudgeon and a lone perch made for a decent bit of small stream fishing.