Monday 6 May 2024
Just as Gr-r-reat
Saturday 20 April 2024
Well fed
Date fished 20/4/2024
8am until 1pm
Frosts during the week and lows of minus one. Perfect for some spring tench! 😂
The weather is usually the limiting factor in my fishing. Too hot, drought, too wet, flooded just some of the experiences these last few years. I try not to grumble though, no bugger would listen (or sympathise!)
Tom and I decided to head to Tilcon. We had been messaging about halibut pellets over the last few weeks. Me teasing him, as he loves them, that he was making them for dinner! He assured me it was actually corned beef hash, it looked good, my invite must have been in the post?!
Arriving at the lake, it was similar to the last outing here. I had the float rod and the ledger gear ( not sure why I use rod and gear that way?! but always do)
Walking around the flooded path, I found a couple of fishable swims next to eachother. I plonked my gear into one and started feeding. myself, not the fish! Or so Tom thinks.
I ate two roast beef rolls, a kit kat, a little orange and drank my flask of coffee. Not too much!
We then fed the fish. Corn, pellets and groundbait. No bites but plenty of fish topping and a huge ripple right next to my float. My exclamation only met with Tom's laughter as he declared "that was my pellet I chucked at your float!"
Blanker! (Not a typo)
Saturday 6 April 2024
Hypnotic
Date fished 6/4/2024
7am until 12pm
A date with Kathleen later today didn't sound fun, so I headed out early. The rivers being closed to coarse fishing had me going to my usual April to June ish haunt of Tilcon. It's great to have a club close by, just to cater for my closed season fix. In truth, I probably fish Tilcon from April to October, but mostly evenings when the river season is back open from mid June.
Today, the lake was full. Very full. The wooden platform I usually sit on was a good few feet underwater, and by a few I may mean five! Am sure someone will tell me. I plumbed and was fishing fairly deep on the bottom and was probably just about fishing where the normal edge of the lake would be.
Nornally, I would walk from the end of the wooden channel to the platform by that bush. That's how much water was in. But it looked perfect for a fish. Kathleen had brought some unusually warm weather and when the drizzle stopped, it was ideal weather.
Float fished sweetcorn about 10 steps from my parked car was the approach, with a little bit of bread crumb and micro pellets as loose feed. It took about an hour and the float disappeared. A nice, hand sized ide to open my account.
Another angler came just as I was releasing the ide, we had a little chat and he set off to the other side of the lake.
Unfortunately no more fish for me, but I had a good time. Whilst slowly being hypnotised by the float, I watched Magpies taking housing materials to their chosen spot, a deer eating it's breakfast and a large fish porpoising over floating sweetcorn skins.
I thought it was a large bream, it didn't slurp them down like a carp. Instead, going back and forth over one skin. It took two or three attempts to eat it. Of course, I changed tactics and soon two skins attached to my hook sat on the surface. The fish took my offering three times, but sadly no hook ups!
I enjoyed my day at Tilcon. I sat and realised, it was the last place I had fished with Davey. I am not a believer when people say it's not called "catching" but "fishing", so not catching is ok.
However, I was more than happy to sit and be hypnotised by nature this morning. Am off now to hook up with Kathleen and make her dry my washing!
Thursday 14 March 2024
Setting the Tone
Shy for the pic, but was walking about quite happily. |
Saturday 9 March 2024
They come in threes
Date fished 9/3/2024
7am until 1pm
A final Tees flourish before another closed season. I do quite "like" the closed season. Time for nature to recover, replenish and rewild. I definitely think it should be regional though. Even on our little island there is substantial regional variation, so the closed should reflect that.
Anyway, Ellis and I fished a club stretch for the final time this river season, actually I have only fished three times with Ellis since June 2023!
Not showing the blank label |
I met Ellis and we unloaded the cars. Ellis suddenly looked pale, he had forgotten something. Fortunately he found the lost item and we carried on. Nothing major, just his reels!! Not sure how he would of fished with none.
We walked to the river, I got my ledger rod out of the bag. Suddenly I looked pale, I had forgotten something. Nothing major, just the ledger rod. I had brought a 13 ft waggler rod and ledger gear!! Not perturbed, I tackled up anyway and cast in.
We are great at this fishing malarkey!!
No fish here, but a big fish jumped mid river, it was enough to give us five more minutes. When that was over we headed upstream.
The John Wilson ledger rod was first to get action. As we chatted, literally mid sentence, Ellis's rod hooped over. He played the cheesepaste munching culprit to the net. A lovely chub. Not Ellis, the fish, Ellis is a slim!
We decided to put a number on it, I guessed 3lb 2oz. It went 3lb 4oz.
We fished on but with no more luck, we moved on. The cold wind was now joined with freezing rain, not enough to stop us. Gloves now on, we carried on.
We found another swim. I was downstream when Ellis caught his chub, so I went upstream this time. A few knocks on the John Wilson ledger rod. Ellis waited patiently and it happened. His rod hooped over and he was in again. This time I guessed 3lb 9oz and it was 3lb 7oz. Two cracking chub.
Ellis wanted his hatrick, so again we gave it a few more minutes, but nothing came back. Well, not to my cheesepaste. Ellis had a few more knocks. We put our location to "what three words", only the 256m accuracy though, brilliant!?!
A windy swim followed with no interest. One last swim, more out of comfort than anything else. We could sit next to eachother and have a natter. I wasn't feeling chubby, again I mean the fish not Ellis!! So, we packed up and headed home.
My dad would always say bad luck or the like came in threes. We nearly had no reel for Ellis, I had the wrong rod. So had we had avoided the third curse? As we said our goodbyes, Ellis walked to his car door.
"Are you not taking your chair Ellis?" I asked, as I saw it still leaning against his wheel arch.
2-1 to you Ellis!!
Sunday 25 February 2024
Jack.......
Jack the lad, Jack and Jill in the background |
Saturday 10 February 2024
Gone in 60 minutes
Date fished 10/02/2024
8am until 9am
Flooding, family and friends have been the reasons no fishing for a while. A uni mate came up for the weekend, days out with the kids and more water/snow/ice than the country knows what to do with.
The weather was mild but after a week of rain, the rivers were high. As the Derwent is tidal, I wondered if it would be fishable. I set off for an early start. The river was similar in height and speed (flow) to last time I fished it. The big difference was the colour. It was gin clear last time and tea coloured today!
I trotted the float and fed quite heavy. Thinking the more maggots, the more chance of the fish seeing them.
I kept to one line near my bank and going towards a bush.
One hour later, no bites, cold feet but I left happy! Weird, I must be some sort of fishing geek.
Sunday 14 January 2024
NE16
Saturday 13 January 2024
Fatties
Date Fished 13/01/2024
8am until 1pm
The rivers were not my friend over Christmas, and with still waters limited the rods remained in their sleeves. My first free weekend, so I needed to get back on the bank, or in the river. I decided to fish for grayling on the Tees in a familiar spot.
Trotting gear, waders and frozen maggots were assembled and packed. I headed south. Parking up and tackling in the semi darkness was perfect. I waded to the spot as the light took over.
I would not advise to wade alone, but I do know this stretch well and I didn't really venture far away from the bank. If you are going alone, always tell someone where you are going and what time you might be home. I told Ellis, which was a great idea as he is in Cyprus!!
The river was surprisingly low, considering how high it has been these last few weeks. It was also "warm" and very clear. Ideal trotting conditions. Second trot down and the float disappeared. My first fish of 2024......
Out of season but hard to avoid. Took a pic as my first of the year, but the other three I caught, including a 2lb plus fish, all returned from the net, having never left the water.
A few more trots and the first grayling, a good sized fish to start with.
In truth, the stamp of fish today were really good. I caught seven grayling from two areas fished. All were 12oz to a pound. I weighed one (biggest, I think) and it was 1lb exactly.
I chatted with a couple of other anglers, one lure fishing for perch and one ledgering for chub. Ellis and I have fished this stretch most winters and hardly seen a soul, so it was nice to know other anglers were here too.
It was nice to be back on the bank and amongst some fish. A short session today as I am going to fish a new river tomorrow, so I am looking forward to that. No spoilers, but I don't need to leave the NE postcode.....