Old fishing history - Ed loses a pike

Bristol Avon blues

I fished the Bristol Avon for pike on Sunday, probably for the last time this season.  Rain in the morning had put colour in the water and lots of debris was floating downstream. Not ideal pike fishing conditions and so it proved.  I fished in several spots for 3 hours without a nibble. 

That was my longest pike fishing session of the winter and boy do my records reflect it.  I think just one fish over 10lb came to the net, which is very poor.  Next year, I’ll find more time to get to the river.

I did see a lovely rare bird for the first time in over 30- years – a water rail.  This member of the coot family sulks in reed beds and is very shy. The bird has a very distinctive body shape and beak and I was delighted as one crept under the rod tips. However, what I don’t understand is how come I haven’t seen them more often?  After all, I have spent a lot of the last 30 years also sulking around in reed beds.

Oh happy days, a plump fish from January this year.

Catching up on sleep at the Kennet

Richard and I enjoyed decent naps on the river Kennet.  Not together of course and always with a hand on the fishing rod, in case one of the river’s big barbel took our bait.  That didn’t happen. In fact, neither of us had a decent bite or sign of fish despite fishing with maggots and devious attractants.  I even took extra care with a camouflaged net across the swim, in case I turned  in my sleep and startled the fish.

When sleeping, I rest my head on my pack, take the rod out of the back rest and snooze with reel in hand and a finger on the line. I would hate to lose that old reel.  The camo' net is there to catch me if I get dragged in.

So, a very odd blank but not unexpected,  We have fished and failed on this stretch of river before and the fish get alot attention from many anglers.  But we have also succeeded with the barbel last year and hopefully, now the fish know that they have nothing to fear from us, we'll trick them next time. 

As ever, the red kites were a joy to watch, patrolling the fields behind us and I had many small birds twittering in th ewillows beside me - long tailed tits, goldcrest, wrens and so on.  But I wish I could go back in time when there was a big head of small friendly ish barbel on the river, instead of the few hook shy whoppers that live in the river now.

After perch

Yesterday morning I got up very early to fish the river before work.  I slipped out of the house without waking the family and got to Keynsham just as the sun was rising.  My heart sank when I saw that the river was rather brown.  The rubber lures I had with me were unlikely to be effective.  Still you can only try.   Whilst it was yet another fishless trip, I did enjoy the freezing temperature, the frost on the ground, the birds and deer and exploring a new stretch of river.  No points for guessing the venue in the photo.

Meanwhile at home, the girls presumed that I was in the office, working early.  The eldest ran upstairs but couldn’t find me – she thought I must be on the office loo, reading the latest Wye and Usk fisheries guide (an excellent read).  Obviously, you do not disturb dad when he is such a delicate place.  Fifteen minutes later, my wife ran upstairs, thinking that I must have had a heart attack or passed out in action.  On discovering toilet empty, the penny dropped and they guessed where I was.  

All this before 8.30am, when I actually started work.  What a full life we lead.  It would improve with a perch or two in the net, but I guess one can't have everything.

Bristol Avon Pike

I haunted my usual spots on Saturday morning, up before dawn - it is always good to be out. 

The river looked so different from the calm frosty conditions of last week. A very strong wind blew waves upstream and the clear water looked grey under the clouds. It was also milder. If I were gravel pit fishing, I’d have put money on catching a big fish.
But rivers are different and after two hours I had managed just two bites and one small fish banked (not the one in the photo from a few years ago- that ain't small for me). Then nothing despite trying several swims, moving baits, static baits and lures.  I then had a mile long sprint back to the car, fully laden, as a may-day call came in to get home asap. 
So, a really big pike continues to evade me but there is still eight weeks left of river fishing and with hard work I might get lucky.

Perch at Hunstrete

Perch

With perch currently growing to unprecedented sizes and in many waters, now is the time to go for a specimen, before the natural cycle of changes and the whoppers disappear.

My plan for the rest of the winter is to try for one, from either Hunstrete Lakes, Lydes Farm, The Bristol Avon at Claverton, the Kennet and Avon Canal and possibly the Kennet.
My first effort was on 7th January at Withy Pool at Hunstrete, near to the aerator.

I took along a couple of points of red maggots, some worms and light spinners.  The maggots and worms were fished on a feeder paternoster, one rig in the margins and one near an island.  There is something pleasing about a pair of matched rods, bobbins and Optonic bite alarms - I think it goes back to tench fishing in my youth.

All was slow for a while, then the margin rod with a little size 14 sedge hook baited with red maggots screamed off and I hooked the desired whopper.  Except it was a carp. Still on 5lb lin the fight was long and exciting.

Later, I tried spinning, using a classic Ondex spinner.  These spinners are quite light, even in a large size, which is ideal for this fairly shallow water.  The large blade catches water easily and revolves even in still water.  The blade also flashes well, which is good for coloured water.

Soon after starting to spin, I hooked a fish.  Another whopper, but much too big to be a perch (the little 7ft rod was bent double) and I though it might be the Withy Pool Pike (a youth caught a ‘20’ on a boilie), but no, it was a lunatic carp, hooked in the mouth.  Luckily, it fell off.
In the end, I had no perch and no more carp in the morning.  I am going to try again, but with soft baits and jig heads.