Trees bite??

Date fished 22/10/2022

8am until 4.30pm

Today was a trip to catch up, catch a break, catch fish, get the catch of the day and hopefully avoid the catch 22.

Ellis and I planned to fish the Swale. I was the guest. We fished a section of the Leeds club that Ellis is in, but I am not. Checking the levels last night, it was "flooded", so some chilli and/or garlic meat, pellets, worms and cheese paste were all loaded into the tackle bag. 

Not my dinner  but the fishes. I fried up two batches of meat for the trip. All in, I had 10 items (bags) of bait, which was enough for the both of us. Ellis brought me my bait courtesy of Carole  Thank you!! 

After I went on a slight detour, getting lost, I spotted EL Hut behind me so pulled over to let him lead. Moments later we were parked up. A barmy 13 degrees, it didn't feel like near November. We hoped this warm weather along with the large flood would have the barbel on the feed. Through the keyhole and a short walk to the river and we decided on a swim we could both fit in. This was a catch up, as I said above! Tbh by 4pm, our laughs could of been heard up at Morton, but more of that later. 

Keyhole entrance

Sitting pretty

Two, for now

With the river so high, two rods became "annoying" so we settled on one each. Both with single weights and meat as bait, flavour to be agreed upon when the fish took a liking to one....

The gentle tapping of the rods as leaves and debris collected on the line was hypnotic. We caught up on all things fishing and non fishing related when suddenly a beep and a tap turned into a pull! Ellis was in and quickly brought a Chub through the faster water to the waiting net. Easily over 2lb and a good start to the day. This got the concentration back on focus! 

We fished on, alternating between meat flavours, although the above was caught on chilli so this option was used most often! 

Ellis went for a walk to stretch the legs and take a good look at the beat. I think he found a new brolly shelter for when we next go night fishing!? 

The river was dropping, easily over 50cm during our session, maybe more. This caused it to go faster in places and actually change a lot. Slacks we fished mid river behind an island got smaller and then bigger as the levels changed. We ended up using two weights each, which had a canny resemblance to a part of a male dogs anatomy.

 It was fascinating to notice the change in river and next time we will do a time lapse to demonstrate this! (Well, maybe when we are retired) 

Is actually just the same pic, twice!! Haha oops.

The river really did change and an area that was unfishable when we arrived suddenly looked very fishable now! And in fact, on walking back to the car, a whole area that was a torrent this morning, looked like a perfect bolo glide this afternoon. 

Anyway, I digress. The inviting spot. Ellis got off his comfy chair and came to my left. It was a narrow, tree lined and covered channel that screamed fish. We decided to get the big guns out and and see if we could tempt something. 

Cheese paste was moulded around the dumbbell and cast near to the over hanging tree. Within minutes, Ellis was into a fish. Sadly it came off just as quick. As I hurried over to "help" aka fish next to him, we tackled up and cast in again. Well, I cast in. Ellis just cast. 

Moments later Ellis felt another tap, he got ready for the pull but nothing came. He waited. After some minutes, he decided to re cast. It was then that he noticed, he had been in a tree this whole time!! The second tapping must have been a tree bite!!! We laughed so loud, am still chuckling now. 

By now it was time to go home. Conditions looked good for staying into dark, but we had done everything we wanted and staying longer was just pushing our luck. Was great to catch up with Ellis and learn that trees can bite. I never knew that!! 

Tug o' worm

Date fished 8/10/2022

9.30am until 2.30pm

Checking the river levels all week, it was clear that the much needed rain would hamper fishing at the weekend. With well over a metre at broken scar (our usual marker)  it was decided to abandon a river Tees trip. Tom headed up to a Trout lake in search of pike and I decided on a session at Tilcon for bream. 

I left it "late" this morning as it was bitter cold first thing and wanted to give it chance to warm up. The weather certainly did warm up and some suncream would not of been out of place today. The wind however kept that in check. 

I only took the feeder rod, with pellets for the feeder and worm on the hook. I was sure that would be enough. 

Setting up in the swim I fished last time, I was sure this deeper area would be where the bream were lurking. 

A carp swam past, under the rod tip. Not in the picture above, that was me just showing you the set up. I was no way quick enough to take a pic of the carp, I did toss it some pellets for breakfast though. 

The worm was constantly being tugged. We all know what causes that. For effect, I can show you, but let you know that this was actually the second fish that I caught. 

Typical tugger

The tugger is known to not be much longer than said worm, but to pull the rod with might. It is mostly welcome but on some levels gets in the way of other tuggers that would give more of a pull round. That was what occurred first.....

A much better perch, one that would probably eat the tugger!! 

The wind got stronger and battered the rod, but I still got plenty of bites. All were missed and tuggers assumed, although there were some free spool spinning moments too, but nothing landed to be confirmed. 

The lake is looking a bit more full and the lillies starting to die back. I don't fish Tilcon much in winter, opting for running water in  the colder months. 

As I unpack the kit and look at the calendar, there does not seem to be too many weekends left until the end of the year (alternate ones being those I can fish). It seems crazy but this year really is whizzing past. There must be a perch in 2023 that is tugging 2022 along at an alarming rate! 

I enjoy catching the perch and being out on sunny autumnal days like today is magic. I just wish they wouldn't tug my worm so much! 🤣