The right path

Date fished 23/9/2023

7.30am until 1.30pm

I checked the weather earlier in the week and it said 0% chance of rain for saturday. I took that to mean it would not rain!

The heavy rain in the week meant the rivers were up and down, fishable (probably) but I decided to stay local and head to tilcon. 

On the morning whilst eating my breakfast I checked the weather. 30% chance of rain, I packed the rain coat!! I drove to the lake and was pleasantly surprised to see the changes. I had seen on Facebook pics but not seen for myself. 

Where there was a high steep bank before, a path had been cut away behind all the car park swims. I believe it will also help pole anglers when shipping back, but for me it made easy access to the swim. Another angler had just arrived and was in peg six, so I decided to fish in four, I have never fished it before. 

I had float and ledger rods with worm, maggots, sweetcorn, bread and pellets. I did leave the kitchen sink at home! I also had a mix of micro pellets, breadcrumb and groundbait for the feeder. 

The feeder was cast to an island to my left whilst I float fished in front of me. As usual, I didn't really concentrate on either. I would watch one whilst the other moved and vice versa. The drizzle started and was fairly persistent, I was actually pretty wet, I was happy though. 

As I watched the float, I noticed the back ground moving. A large island that I thought was fixed was slowly moving across the lake. In my head, I thought the fish must all be under it, pushing it and using it to run away! 

Eventually I connected with a bob of the float. 

The other angler got smashed up by a carp and decided to pack up. He gave me his bait and I thought it rude not to also jump in his vacated swim. The sun came out and I was soon dry again. First cast another perch. I finished on 10 perch, the biggest being the first one above. Nothing big, but sometimes it's nice to just sit and chill. 

Chub or dace? Who cares?

Yes, I know its a perch 

Date fished 17/09/2023

8am until 5pm

I had not fished with or seen Ellis since December last year. DIY, work and Dorset being the reasons.  Today we met up on the Tees, travelling light with float gear, a few different baits and plenty to catch up on. I arrived at my usual 'early' time and Ellis was already parked up and sorting his gear! What was going on?? 

I needn't of worried, I was ready first and waited for him to faff about, just returning to the parked cars once.

We walked down to the river, to see how it looked. 

Perfect! The answer.

We walked a way and soon found a beach area where we could tackle up then both fit in and fish. The river was fast but we started to fish. Second trot through, I lost a fish. A good sign! 

As we fished a few metres apart, Ellis saw an otter spring from the bank and plunge into the river between us! We watched the bubbles as it swam away. 

A few chublets each here and it was time to move on. I still question every dace or chub but they never confirm what they are!

The second swim we tried again produced fish. It was also quite fast. A fast channel with a slower still bit by the bank where some trees had fallen in and to the left side of the fast channel cut towards the main flow in the river. It turned out to be a fish highway. 

I fished the left side, Ellis the right. I lost a fish whilst Ellis got snagged and had to tackle up again. A size 16 being the best!  I caught a roach from the faster bit that looked like it would only produce grayling. I also caught grayling.

The second much bigger than the first, caught on worm

Ellis tried bread, I have watched many a youtuber catch a lot of fish on bread, it looks so simple. It didn't prove effective today.

A change to worm on the hook, and my float buried and something bigger pulled back. The fast water helping the fish. I played it a while until the 2lb hook link snapped. Gutted.

Ellis was back and fishing, we were both catching fish, then it was his turn for a big one. He played it longer than I did, but then his hook came out. Gutted times 2.

Our luck changed and soon bigger fish found the net, we both had some nice perch from the fast water. 

Ellis noted the fallen trees in the now slack water, the river was dropping. He was sure the perch would be here. As I trotted he cast a worm to the still water and lake fished on the river! It worked and his float sailed away at least five times and a perch his reward every time. 

The faster section was still producing, and as a bird of prey, we are gonna say buzzard, but we "don't know our birds of prey" circled above us my float dipped away. A big smile on Ellis's face as he saw before me. A gonk the surprise! 

As close to a Tees barbel as we have ever come! 

We were chatting and laughing as hard as we were fishing, putting the world to rights as the maggots tumbled through the water. The sun broke through the clouds and the fishing didn't stop. A crazy 10 minutes brought chublets (everyone questioned about being dace) on a bite a chuck basis. Roach also kept featuring. 

Such was the fishing or maybe it was being out of practice, but my arm started to ache. We could of emptied the river here, that was my answer to Carole's question "have you caught anything yet?" But we decided to move on. 

We walked to the swim Ellis fished last time. In those conditions on that day, it was the first fishable swim we got to. Today was very different. We fished a swim each, shouting distance apart. Both from the bank now, allowing our waders to dry, glad my trousers were still dry, gotta love my new waders! Casting mid river and feeding breadcrumb, as it was much slower here, we both caught roach, chublets and perch. Nothing massive, but it was nice in the sun and great to be out fishing with Ellis again. 

Ellis thought we had some dace, I thought they were all chublets. On reflection, who cares? We certainly don't. We just had a great time fishing!

N.b I actually think Ellis was right, I think some were dace!! Ffs, seems I do care...........

The advice of Brian

Date fished 2/9/2023

7.30am until 2pm

After a night of beers it was a 6am alarm. Funnily enough I was up straight away, another day fishing! Jar (Alan) and I were off to a local river to try for barbel. 

For once, my words won't do it justice, but the highlights were:

Meeting Brian

Sausage Sarnies

4 miles walked

Casting to an area of feeding fish. 14 fish in total there. We all watched as a barbel swam away from my cast, waited a few minutes and slowly swam over 10 ft, pushing a chub out the way and took my ledgered bread!! Amazing! 

Putting my hand in nettles

Lucky kingfishers

Swims that needed "special" Casting

6lb 11oz

Balls, and to cap it all off a blank

Date fished 1/9/2023

06.30am until 12.00

A visit to see the boys in London meant a trip to Coventry to try for zander again. 2am alarm and in the car by half past. A little after 6am I was parked up and ready to thrash the water. I enjoy lure fishing but don't think I am good at it. 

I caught alot of plastic, most of it I collected up and put in the bin as I walked past. 

The catch of the day was either the baseball cap or the football! I will let you decide. 

The drizzle was annoying but it brightened up. By the time I left it was 20 plus degrees. Just what I needed to sit in traffic in London! A great meal with friends in the evening and some prep for fishing tomorrow.

No T

Da€e fished 19/8/2023

07.30 un€il 12.00

I was going €o wri€e the whole blog wi€hou€ the le€€er T, bu€ €hough€ €hat would be €oo annoying! Jus€ like when I woke up........

Without my morning cup of tea, you are lucky I was able to even function!! A quick stop at Tesco to get some bottled water and I was off to the river. 

Back on the Tees, on a club stretch, and honestly my favourite section. No idea why, I just really love it, and have had some great trips here. 

I walked down the hill to the river. I left the chair in the car as the banks are not level and its not worth carrying. The keep net too as I was just hoping to have a few hours and use up the maggots. 

I got to my favourite swim and it was different. The vegetation was washed away and the bank nearly flat. A chair would have been ideal! Not to worry, I tackled up the float rod and started fishing.  By the second trot down, I had fallen in love with float fishing. I miss it.

The wind was strong but warm. Upstream at times making trotting both easier and then difficult. I was sheltered mostly, but alot of branches on the far bank were blown off and crashed into the water. 

I caught steadily today, finishing on at least 100 fish. Mostly small chublets but also plenty of roach. The first fish was a roach and a great blank saver.

Followed by chublets

The predators were in the margins. I could see and hear them attacking smaller fish. I kept feeding and fished on. A bite a chuck is cliché but it really was. The net would of been small but it would of looked great too! Not to worry, maybe I will bring the keep net next time. 

I lost a better sized fish, the hook just coming out. I wondered if the perch were now on to the maggots. The next few silvers were interspersed with some decent perch. The best weighed 1lb 4oz, a real beauty. 

I was feeding fairly heavily and the roach seemed to respond. They were getting bigger too.

Soon the inevitable happened. A pike grabbed the roach I was bringing in. The hooklink snapping immediately. I watched it swim off to the depths. I fished on a little longer but the bait was going down fast. I used up all I had and decided to call it a day. A good few hours on the bank, back home to a cuppa!