Ladies take centre stage!

Date fished 28/11/2020

8am until 2.30pm

Friday evening was spent sorting through the tackle. Getting the stick floats, bait apron and catapult. Ellis was back to fishing ways after building a summer house at home, so I let him decide on the approach. He opted for a day wading with stick floats for Grayling on the Tees. It was 3 years nearly to the day that I first tried for the "ladies of the stream", so I couldn't think of anything more perfect! 

I started getting a few bits together

And soon, I had a little bit more

It was a frosty start and I don't mean making Ellis get out of bed early! As I packed the car, the windscreen was sparkling. I told myself, I love fishing on these cold and frosty mornings! The car said it was minus three. 

Parked up, I braved the cold to set the float rod up. My fingers getting the first taste of the cold carbon. I was glad for the thermals today, top and bottoms were employed!

We walked to the river. The sun was just rising and the ground all white with frost. It was certainly the coldest day I had been fishing in a while, it was bitter. We saw the area we normally fish, both of us remarked at how different the island was. It had been narrowed by flood water alot! It has been a while since we had fished here, so was amazing to see the change. 

We decided to walk all the way to the furthest point and fish our way back towards the car. We would also warm up a bit on the way! We were soon in a swim and trotting. There was little wind and although cold, it seemed perfect. Ellis was into a fish straight away, a small Grayling. We fished on. As our legs got colder it was time for another walk to warm them up. We walked all the way to the lower limit and fished some likely spots. Ellis caught another few smaller Grayling. I managed to catch a snag and loose the hooklink. I tied on a new hooklink and as Ellis had caught snag with the same outcome,  I jumped into his swim to try my luck as he did some tackle repairs! I felt spots of rain, but looking up I noticed it was not raining. It was Ellis chucking maggots at me!! By accident, allegedly! 

We found some great looking swims on our bank and fished them hard. All we (Ellis) could manage was a fish not much bigger than the bait! 

Ellis decided to go explore another Island, he waded off to check it out. I stayed in another spot and managed to get snagged again. This time I lost the lot. I pulled for a break but it broke the main line. I watched as my chubber float headed towards the sea! 

I retackled and when Ellis finally plodded back through the water, I asked him how he got on? 

"Knackered" he replied.

"Effort equals reward" my reply! 

"Plenty of the first for none off the second" Ellis concluded. 

We decided to walk back to our banker swim. The main event. Saving the best till last, and all of that.

We waded across, and it was a little deeper than we thought. Both our bags got soaked, I was on tip toes and still the water was over waist deep. Eventually we got to the swim and started to fish. Finally I managed a fish, the biggest of the Grayling so far.

Not to be out done, Ellis soon started catching and the fish were getting bigger. 

We both lost fish too. It was full of action, thick and fast. Ellis managed to catch a trout too, we unhooked it in the net and it was off.

Soon Ellis decided to change his reel. He had brought a centre pin with him and was dying to catch on it. He tackled up and soon had the drum spinning in time with the current. As the float buried, a quick finger stopping the spool and he was in. He had christened the reel with a few lovely Grayling. 

Soon the cold got too much and we needed to warm the feet. We climbed out, a shallower way, and headed up stream. We battled through thick bush and ended up at a spot by the bridge. It looked Good, but I was not convinced.

"I am not feeling it" I declared.

Just as Ellis' float buried. He was in again, and it was from five yards in front of me! I lowered my float in the spot and sure enough, it went under.

The fish had suddenly come alive and for a 15 minute period, it was all stations go. I ended with three nice fish and Ellis a dozen I guess.

It was a great trip and great to see a "master" at work. I have always wanted to see a "professional" working hard at the top of it's game. "Catching" fish. Trying" hard. Today I saw all of that.

Oh! Not from either of the humans. I give the Centre pin all that credit!