Robin's perch

Date fished 22/12/2020

8am until 2pm 

With the fear of further tiers looming and the prospect of longer days (technically) ahead, I decided to get the rods out and go fishing. There had been alot of rain recently so I put some feelers out and got some replies:

Muddy puddle

Looks minging

Brown and running fast

Sh@tty brown 

Taking all the above into account and thinking I might need some toilet roll, I decided on cheese paste for Chub on the Tees. 

Arriving as always bright and early, I thought I might have a few short sessions over Christmas and fit in some eating and drinking too.  I was parked up whilst it was just getting light. I got the small amount of tackle I brought with me and walked the short way to the river. It was much colder here then when I left the house, a frost blanketed the hill towards the river. 

Looking right then left, the river was up quite a bit but I thought looked ok. I found a swim and cast out the rod. A few taps and I was feeling confident, however on reeling in I saw the culprit of the taps, "leaves on the line!" 

Every cast seemed to come in with leaves. Although on the surface the river looked good, underneath told a different story. Soon the sun burnt through and I felt the warmth.

This seemed to bring the river to life. Two large splashes in the swim above me, pike chasing bait fish? Chub splashing on the surface for more cheese paste? No idea but I moved on. 

I fished several more swims on my way upstream. The cold weather had killed alot of the bank vegetation and although slippery, alot of swims were open for business! 

I walked a way further and finally decided that was enough. I turned 180 and headed back downstream to fish some swims I primed on my way up. Settling in a perfect looking swim, a shake of the rod caught my eye. It didn't come from fish though, it seemed I was so motionless that nature started to take hold!

And there was you thinking I had invented a new sub species of Perch!! 

I ended up in the swim I started in, I had been cold, warm and now I was starting to get cold again. A quick chat with the club bailiff who was out to keep an eye on the stretch and I decided to call it a day. 

The chub were not in the mood today, it was the first day after some floods, so I think the leaves and sediment had put them off. It was a nice day to be on the bank however, and the Robin made me smile (honest!!)