Cba turns into pb

Date fished 14/3/2025

9.15am until 2pm

I had booked the last day of the river season off work and thought I would go fishing. The weather was looking ropey and it was to be a solo trip, maybe that is why I just could not be arsed! Unusual really as I love going fishing and usually the cba phrase is most used at work!! 

The night before, I had not sorted any kit or decided where to go. Even in the morning, I said to the kids I was not feeling it and cba.

Thermals on (top and long johns), I made breakfast and three packed lunches and eventually I was feeling in the mood. I set off and headed for the Swale at Morton, a club water.

I fished a swim where I had caught many chub, including my pb of 5lb 8oz on 29th October 2019. The sun was bright and I was annoyed I didn't pack properly, no sun glasses, no hat. I had the dork hat and a snood on as the wind was cold.

Annoyed, I left that swim after an hour. I headed upstream, the next peg I wanted to fish had a huge branch in it. Annoyed, I headed further upstream to an area I have probably only fished  less than a handful of times in my (maybe) 10 years of membership.

Second cast towards a raft by a fallen tree and I sat down to stew things over. The rod give a tap, then a wiggle. I picked it up. The drag spinning as the fish dived towards the raft, this was a battle. The flow was strong too but I finally got the fish towards me. I saw it in the clear water and it looked huge. I started to tremble. A few attempts and it was safely in the net. 

Of course you know the weight now, but I was hoping for a six, I was sure it would break my pb. At 6lb on the nose, I was buzzing!! 

The photos don't do it justice and I was begging for a dog walker to walk past to take a picture. No such luck, so it was self takes. What I may lack in photography, I make up in smiles!! 

I fished a little bit longer but as the rain fell, I was more than happy to pack up and head home. I was unlikely to top that! 

Four cars in the car park when I left, must be the last day of the season!! 

As I sit here, my son just text me to ask how my day went. 

I feel we both learnt a lesson here that you might not want to do something, but sometimes the benefits are sooooo worth it!! (I will remind him of this when it's GCSE revision Vs PS4).

6lb chub target - completed!! 🎯 

Game changer

Date fished 15/02/2025

7.15am until 1.15pm

Very cold conditions as I prepared for todays trip. Hill snow, rain and freezing fog. Two tears in a bucket...... (If you know the ending, well done) I was committed, so off I went. 

Leaving early, I parked up at 7.15am and was cast in a few minutes later. Choosing a swim right by the bridge, I have caught in here before. It looked different today. I assume the landowner has removed the tree, doing some bank works, it was very different, but the water looked good.

One rod, hand warmers, waterproof trousers being the game changer today! 

I got my steps in today and walked a fair bit, trying 15/20 mins in every likely looking swim. The chub were not playing ball, or maybe they were. I had no interest on the cheesepaste.

The bridge swim

Finally changing to maggot feeder, it was constant knocks. The first fish was a grayling, the second an out of season Trout, no pics. I value my life. 

I made the effective decision to deliver at pace and collaborating with myself headed upstream. My usual banker, that had not served me or Rupe well in recent visits. I sat on the cold wet ground and watched the rod tip.

I need not bothered, it went no where. The last swim of the day is an old favourite. My mate Giles had a good pike from here many years ago, I was not allowed to say where. So here it is. 

I thought about this as I sat in the swim. I wish I brought the pike rods. Constant taps on the maggot feeder but nothing materialised into a proper bite! 

Heading back to the car, I met Ellis and Carole, they were out on a shopping trip. It was nice to catch up and admire their clean wellies. We must do a parmo soon! 

Heading home I was glad I went out, but now I have had a few beers and some hot food. I am even more glad that I came home!! That's a game changer. 

Splish, splash. I was taking a bath

2/2/2025

10am until 2.30pm 

I didn't find the fish today. 2 hours roaming the river and 2 hours in a bait and wait style swim. Neither produced a knock. 

Ledgered Cheesepaste on the Tees was the attempt, blank the result. It was fairly mild though and time on the bank was worth it. 

I did think whilst sitting there, time is ticking away fast for this river season. I have some commitments for a few up coming weekends, so not sure how many more trips I will get in. 

I was going to sit it out until dark, but after no interest, I decided an early bath might be a better use of my time. 

Wade, warm up, catch, repeat

18/1/2025

8.30am until 3pm

Flooded, freezing rivers since the start of the year. Finally a day off coincided with good conditions. Ellis and I hit the Tees. 

A very sharp frost, localised where we fished meant it was rather cold. I don't think my feet were warm for much of the day. 

We fished our usual spots, me on the float. Ellis had float rod and maggot feeder. The latter proving a good choice as it was a technique that worked well today. 

Ellis caught the first grayling on the feeder, after I had hooked, played and lost three! I had no luck. Ellis's fish was a beauty, at 1lb 4oz. 

A walk to warm up and we fished the upstream section. Again my luck was not here  I changed hooklink and first cast I was snagged and lost it. We worked our way back downstream and Ellis caught another good sized grayling, this time on the float. 

We moved back to the island swim and finally I kept a fish on. In the net and my first fish of 2025. 

Ellis had the final fish of the day, again on the maggot feeder. A lovely fish with a split dorsal, that looked exactly like the first fish he caught six hours earlier!! Repeat. 

2024 Review

My year

January

Grayling was going to be my first catch of 2024, but no one told the trout! A short session on the Tees. Seven grayling, all of a good size 12oz to a pound and four trout, obviously some beasts amongst them. Great to be out, wading with my thoughts.

The following day it was a trip to a new river. The Derwent at Blaydon. First 2 fish were the target species, grayling. Over shadowed by a good size trout that gave me the run around on light float gear, still out if season though. Someone needs to tell them!! 

February 

My first blank. Back on the Derwent, one hour fished in very different conditions. Nice to try, but try was all I managed. 

Blanks are like buses..... another followed closely behind. A short session for chub on the Tees. Minus three in the morning, and glorious sunshine by the time we packed up. It was a good social session, with Tom and I fishing the same peg and chatting all session. The river looked perfect whilst the guage said 97cm, so definitely something to remember. Jack sh£t to remember apart from that! 

March

A last trip to the Tees this season with Ellis. Cheesepaste for chub was what we were hoping for. Ellis managed two threes, cracking fish. Another blank for me! 

Nearly a total blank as Ellis thought he forgot his reel, I brought and had to ledger with a waggler rod and Ellis nearly drove away leaving his chair behind. 

Not a calamitous trip though, great to catch up, chat and plan future trips. Roll on June 16th. 

For most of last year, I was going to try and fish the Tone at Taunton. I never managed it. A week in Dorset, so I decided to fish the last day of the season. Day ticket bought, I headed off. A nice river quite near to an industrial park including Ronald, so all was great. Cheese paste ledgered in likely spots. Plenty of bites, quite a few pulls and two chub landed at 2lb 8oz and 2lb 9oz. I was happy it had all worked out. It was kind of bittersweet though as deep down I wished I had found this sooner and gone there with Davey. 

That ended the river season for this year. Hopefully some still water action between now and June. 

April

A solitary ide for my first Tilcon session, but it was a nice morning. Plenty of wildlife around the lake and signs the fish were active. The lake was in flood, and I enjoyed fishing from the walkway several feet away from where I usually would sit. Very different to the time in September 2022 with Davey when I was sat a few feet in front of the platform! The lake does fluctuate during the seasons. Hopefully I will catch it dropping and with it some fish will grace my net. 

A cold morning greeted Tom and I at Tilcon. Some chatting, laughing and banter warmed us up. No fish and still a flooded lake. Come on spring, hurry up!! 

May

I started by fishing the Bank Holiday. A mixed bag was on the cards and didn't disappoint. Bream, golden orfe and ide (only 1 of each) but better than a blank and a great few hours with cornflakes as ground bait. 

By mid May, the lake was alive. A bite a chuck coming to corn and pellets. One session produced four bream, two tench and nine ide. A nice morning before the sun got too warm. The downside being the carp that smashed me up. Am reluctant to fish too heavy and risk not catching the ide. Some of them are really piling on the pounds, they must muscle other species out the way. 

The end of May and still the lake fished great. Me and the kids went for a morning session. Bream, ide and tench all being caught again. Rupe doing the business with his new whip. Delicate presentation against the bush whilst feeding accurately and Rupe was soon unhooking all three species. A first for him being a 3lb 3oz bream. 

June

An early morning trip to Wydon sounded perfect. The kids joined me for a bit. I lost a tench due to 'ducking' about and had plenty of knocks. No fish caught though. No dramas, 6 hash browns and chocolate milkshakes with the kids at 9am, enough to turn any frown upside down! 

It was not until the 19th that I was able to fish the rivers again. Ellis and I hit the Tees and it was great to be on running water again. Trotting maggots whilst feeding hemp and soon the fish were coming. Dace and roach first and then a trio of 1lb 6oz perch. All equalled my pb, just one more ounce would of been good! Ellis thought we would have pike trouble and he was right. A pike took his roach and for 10 mins, I thought we were going to land it. Alas, no and away it went. Further walking through vegetation taller than us and some enjoyable sun made for a great first river session. Oh, and I fell in the river too!

July

A few hours early morning on the Swale. My usual feeder tactics with meat. I also tried seafood sticks, but no action on them. Maybe another time!? 

The meat seemed to work. First cast and a target beaten! A "proper" Swale barbel. 6lb 7oz and to say I was happy is an understatement. Lost a fish later but still drove home grinning like an idiot. 

Before a busy few weeks, I thought I would go local and try for tench at Wydon. A 5am start and I was soon catching. Sloppy sweetcorn mix making the tench go mad. Three angry 3lb'ers and I left happy. Or did I? Two lost fish, one was a big one, I didn't stop thinking about it for the 90 second drive home! 

The end of the month and a trip to the Wye with Ellis. A great few days fishing in some very hot weather. It was too good to put into a few words, so go read the three blog entries again. I will!! 

1, 2, 3

August 

Down in Dorset for a week, so it was carp fishing with the kids. This time just Rupe and I took the youngest cousin, Eddie. He had not fished before, so hopefully we could get him some silvers.....

He got the gold. A 9lb 1oz carp (after a few roach). I am sure he won't forget this in a hurry, well until he gets hungry!!

Back home and it was back to the Swale. Ellis took me on a Leeds stretch. After finding the correct location, we soon got action.  A good few chub each and another chap for Ellis!! (5 in just over a month!) Awesome angling!

A few hours at Tilcon with the kids. I hooked Martha in the finger, none of the other bites were connected with. I am just getting rusty or old! 

The final day of August could be called the last day of summer. I fished it and it was cold! 6 degrees on arrival but 19 when I left! The sun was out but the wind really took the edge off. Four fish on a slow Tees. Feeder fishing with maggots, worms and groundbait the tactics. Nice to be out, who knows what the colder months will bring......

Not shorts!

September

Two chub and a grayling. Not bad for a session on the Swale. Was nice to walk a bit of the stretch I had not fished in a while and see the changes. The chub both coming to ledgered meat whilst the grayling was on the float. Would of been a good day, had I not lost my favourite bolo float. Rough with the smooth, and all that.....

All my fishing pal's are out fishing me at the moment, and I love it!! So glad to see them catching, hopefully some of their skills rub off on me. A few hours on  the Tees with Tom. I caught 12 perch up to 3/4lb, he had two fish, 1lb 5oz and a new pb of 1lb 8oz. Great work on the lures! The weather has definitely turned. The leaves were changing and will be soon time for the big coat. Wading today was nice in the shallow water, soon be grayling time!! 

September ended with a trip to a new North East river. I fished the Wear with Jason. There was promises of barbel. The day was dominated by small trout. Lots caught, some grayling, chublets and salmon parr too. Always great to fish somewhere new and I really enjoyed the day. Hopefully will go back in the summer! 

October

It was definitely getting colder. The car did the '4 degrees warning thing' on the drive to the river. Cheesepaste and ledger tactics were used. Free lined baits won the day, accounting for a chub on one club water and then a bigger one on the other club water. Nice to catch a couple and sit in the sun.  

The month ended with a visit to a new river, and what a swim!! It was perfect in so many ways. No one told the fish though! Ellis and I fished a swim on the Ouse where he had caught three barbel to just under 9lb a few weeks ago. I wonder if the change of weather had an impact. 13 degrees when I set off but 8 degrees and foggy on arrival. A great session and food for thought about clubs to join next year. 

November 

A session with the kids on the Swale started the month. We tried for pike and chub although Martha secretly wanted a carp!? Yeah, really. 

It was pike that won the day. Rupe catching his first ever one when it grabbed his deadbait as he slowly retrieved it right by the bank. 8lb 7oz of Swale predator putting a smile on his face. Me remembering my first pike at 15lb quickly wiping that smile!

December 

I fished the mighty Tyne at Hexham. a £10.19 day ticket from the council and I was good to go. All the action was in the first 90 mins and I think all 8 bites were from the same greedy fish. It weighed 2lb 11oz when I finally caught it. My first Tyne fish and I was over the moon. Vicky and the kids came down to see what was happening, well they came for a winter picnic. It was lovely to be on the bank on such a warm day, oh and my first ever Tyne fish was AMAZING! 

A couple of weeks later I was back on the Tees. A solo trip for grayling and what a short burst it was. Eight grayling caught, five were easily a pound in less than an hour. A great stamp of fish on what turned into a short 4 hour session. Flat calm at 8am, by 10 the downstream wind was bitter. My fishing fix completed, I headed back up the A68 for a (warm) early bath. What a great grayling session. 

Post Christmas, Ellis and I went to the Tees to catch a chub. Cheesepaste and ledger tactics, the float rods and maggots just being a carrying burden; we still carried them though! 

A quiet day on the fishing front but a good chance to catch up with 'van man'. It was good to chat and laugh about all things. Many swims covered with not a touch. The last swim and it all happened. Bites, really savage pulls for both of us, constantly. None connected with. Maybe the freezing fog was something to do with it, it certainly hurt our fingers. Enough action to make us stay nearly into dark. Home to presents with the kids, my feet finally warm about 8pm. 

The year sadly ended with a blank, but it was a trip for me and my son. So really, it was a perfect trip. 

A cold wind meant we left early, our ledgered Cheesepaste not tempting any swale chub. Some good casting from Rupe though, he will need that for the summer hopefully. 

A great year, finally caught a proper Swale barbel, amazing for my 300th blog. Trips on different rivers and a 3 day session on the Wye.  

My targets for 2025 are as follows:

2lb perch

5lb bream

6lb chub

Zander

A new river barbel 

Look forward to keeping you updated on this and many other trips. Tight Lines. 

Catching salad

Date fished 29/12/2024

8.30am until 2pm

After his pike success a few weeks ago, Rupe was keen to add a chub to his 'caught list'. We headed to the Swale, to try. 

20 minutes waiting for our McDonald's should of told us what the day was going to be like. Not perturbed we headed south whilst admiring the sunrise and eeking out the last of heart Christmas. 

We set up the ledger rods, cheesepaste moulded round a pellet and cast in likely looking spots. We had meat too, just if the fish fancied something different. 

I reeled in to cast again. Some leaves and debris on my hook and line. Rupe said "that's good, you've caught some salad"

I have no idea where he gets these phrases from, but he makes me laugh! He commented on the "salad" caught every time!

After a while we went for an adventure. Crossing over to the island and seeing where the river has breached some winters ago. It's still drastically changing and soon will be the river's new natural route. 

We tried a few more swims and ones that are new and maybe not swims yet. Some good casts right under a bush on the far side were not rewarded and we trudged across the field in a cold biting wind. 

No, I have not taken up photography, that was all I could do to lighten the mood. I tried meat and Rupe tried my banker swim by the fallen tree. If the fish were there, they must still be watching Tiddler or whatever is the fish equivalent. 

Back at the car, another angler was packing up too. He was just about to drive away, we waved at him, he waved back. We were not just being polite, he had left his wellies outside the car door. He realised and we ticked that off as our good deed for the day! 

I love fishing with my son, its about making memories and just being together. Today's memory to quote Rupe was '  slow McDonald's, eat plenty of salad and don't fish when it's cold!!"