Wildlife

Date fished 11/10/2026

7am until 2pm

Tees today with Tom, targeting chub and perch.

An early alarm and despite the A1(M) being a bit closed and the sat nav not realising, we arrived at the river. We walked to "the other side" this time and looked for some good swims. This side was new to us, although I dabbled here many years ago. 

Tom didn't fancy lure fishing here  so went back to where he knows and loves, and blanked there. 

I fished five swims on either the float or ledgered meat and nearly blanked. A minnow called Gary and a small dace on the float saving me. 

It was not a bad day though, as I saw several kingfisher, an owl, a buzzard, a hare and a deer. (Of course game birds too)

Oh, and Tom and I shared scenic shots to keep the spirits up.....

Heart Xmas

Date fished 4/10/2026

7.30am until 1pm

Rupe wanted to try and catch a barbel, I thought the Swale might be the place.  Heart Xmas on the radio on the way there and back, I love fishing with my son!!

The river was full of weed and most casts were met with knocks from weed on the line until it would slowly drift downstream clicking the baitrunner slowly. Very annoying.

Yellow boilies, pellets and meat not getting any interest.

Ellis turned up to try for some predators. Second cast and he had a pike. He was in the next swim, but brought the beast to show us.

Gotta love a micro pike!! 

Eventually it was time to go. A spaceman came travelling, but no fairytale on the way home! 

Such is life. 

82 days to go.

2°10' W

A plan:

I watch loads of Geowizard. He does some great things and one of them is his Straight line missions. He walks in a straight line across city's or whole countries - check them out.

So, I had a thought. I travel South for my fishing, but directly South? of course not. Until now!

I asked AI to draw a line directly south from Hexham and tell me what rivers it crossed at that location. There was 12. Then I looked at fishing opportunities, and indeed fishing I wanted to do. A plan was born.

1. River Tees – near Newbiggin

2. River Swale – near Keld / Thwaite

3. River Ure – near Bainbridge / Hawes

4. River Wharfe – near Buckden / Hubberholme

5. River Aire – near Gargrave / Malham

6. River Calder – near Todmorden

7. River Mersey / River Tame – near Stockport

8. River Dane & River Weaver – Cheshire Plains

9. River Severn – near Bridgnorth / Bewdley

10. River Avon – near Evesham

11. River Thames – near Cricklade

12. River Frome – near Maiden Newton

I decided that numbers 6 and 9 were the places to start. North of 6 was too gamey, so 6 was the "first" one I liked and 9 because I had actually seen and knew about the fishing at Bewdley and wanted to fish the Severn for a while. 

Further investigation ruled out 6 as I could not get a day ticket for the river. Of course this was going to be harder than I thought. The front runner was suddenly number 8. I started googling.

An evening of searching, AI, playing and looking at maps was soon met with "You are completely right, and I need to hold my hands up—I made a major mistake on that last grid reference."

Original AI got it wrong. I started again!

 

After a good few hours spread over several evenings, I finally decided I had to include canals. It was hard to find a river that I could get a day ticket and would catch something good whilst not travelling a million miles. The Severn would have to wait for a different trip. 

Reading that I had a chance to try for a ruffe, a species I would love to catch, I finally settled on the Leeds and Liverpool canal at Gargrave:

The geographical coordinates of Hexham are 54.970° N, 2.104° W, while the coordinates of Gargrave are 53.984° N, 2.105° W.

Comparison Breakdown

• Latitude (North/South): Hexham sits 0.986° further north than Gargrave. This translates to a direct north-south physical distance of roughly 68 miles.
• Longitude (East/West): They sit on almost the exact same vertical line of longitude. The difference is a tiny 0.001°, meaning Hexham is just a few hundred yards further east than Gargrave.

However, I could travel along the canal those few hundred yards and fish at exactly the "right" point. Yes, I know, completely pointless!!!

A day ticket was £4 from Skipton Angling Association, I was all set. 

Date fished 27/9/2026

8am until 2pm

I drove down the M6 and arrived at the car park. I walked the short distance to the canal and found a place to fish. There were fish topping and it looked good.

I then checked my position to see......

I was on the right line.

Two hours on the float and nothing. I changed to feeder and got a bite after an hour. My maggots were smashed to bits but I missed it. 

Eventually I connected and two quick roach followed.

No ruffe, but I enjoyed my expedition! 

I managed to drive home all the way without going on either the M6 or A1(M) which was slightly more enjoyable than the fishing! Amazing driving and scenery across the dales and moors! 

What a day, am glad I had this harebrained idea!! 

Float Feeder Trotting

Date fished 13/9/2026

8am until 1.30pm

Autumn days on the river bank really are magic. The leaves were falling around me but it was still a pleasant, if not a tad warm 18-20 degrees. 

It's been a while since I fished the Tees, and more to the point trotted a float. I combined the two.

An eventful Aldi trip yesterday resulted in helping a 90 year old lady who had fallen to get home and then call her an ambulance. I was also without wheels, so had no way to get maggots. Fortunately, I was able to source some from a friend in Hexham, so it was operation go!! 

This club stretch, I have fished once before. The track down is steep and I am not sure it gets fished often. It's overgrown but looks great, I am sure a low presured section, at least from our bank is welcomed by the fish. 

I started float fishing with my new 11ft rod and the closed face reel. The rod was too short and I didn't need the closed faced reel as I was fishing in about 10ft of water with barely any flow!

Fish topped all over and two otter swam around the pool looking at me. One even swam right under my rods, I saw the air bubbles as it shot along the edge. It didn't worry the fish and I was son catching 'bits'.

A sleeper rod with meat was cast to likely spots. This was hoping for a big chub. This was not a Tees barbel mission. I repeat, not a Tees barbel mission!! 

Soon, I realised the float fishing was no good. I needed to be on the bottom. I turned the (only) rod I had into a ledger rod with a closed face reel!! 

It worked though as four perch in four casts, all expertly pulling the tip round. I even got the net wet for one! 

The clicker showed 13, and I decided to take a stroll. It's very overgrown and I hoped a big piece of meat under or near bushes on our side would tempt a chub. 

It didn't.

As I walked along and realised there was no swims up this way and I would have to hack through the jungle to even get to the river, I took the easy option and headed back North. 

I would like to say it was great to be back on flowing water, but it had very little flow. I enjoyed the few hours though, as the Tees has this affect on me that everytime I go, I feel I never know what I will catch. 

In the end, it was a few hours well spent on a quiet River Tees, proving that even a cobbled-together rig and a slow current are more than enough to keep the magic of the unknown alive.

Clickbait

Date fished 22/07/2026

13.30 until 16.30

Flexi in the bank, I decided to take some and go to the bank. 

I drove to Tilcon as it's less than 10 mins from the office. Quickly chatted to another member, then set up the feeder and cast in, soft robin red hooker on the hair. Fourth cast and the tip spun around. An ide.

Plenty of taps and knocks, but I was getting bored of the feeder. I switched to float fishing sweetcorn and feeding my corn and hemp mix.

It worked and was a wonder bait. For the next two hours it was great fishing. The lake really is fishing well at the moment. 

I caught at least 15 ide, maybe 20. I wish I had my clicker as I lost count. A tench, a bream and several good roach.

A double figure mirror carp with a distinctive scale pattern swam right in front of me. I hoped he didn't show an interest in my sweetcorn. 

I was fishing fairly close in, one rod, sweetcorn. It could not be simpler. It really was a great few hours. 

Eventually the promise of fish and chips for tea was too much and I headed home. 

Always time for one more ide though.

I really was glad my bait mixture worked, but I was annoyed I forgot my clicker. 

No, not really

Date fished 22/6/2026

9.30am until tooth hurty pm

GCSE's completed and one more day of holiday for me was a perfect mix for me to take Rupe to the Swale to see if he could catch his first barbel.

We headed to Topcliffe as we could not leave at the  crack of dawn and he had a dentist appointment (brace tighten) at 4.45pm which could be on our way back North. 

First swim

Second swim

The weir swim looked good, sounded noisy and ate two swim feeders in two casts! We moved downstream 100m.

This swim seemed better, we cast our ledgerd pellets just in the flow and waited. 

I like fishing with pellets, they are:

Easy

Cheap

Last ages

Stay on the hook

Different sizes, flavours

Child friendly

I don't like some boilies that I have. I won them years ago and have never really used them. I take them with me on many trips and they come home again. They smell like vomit to me. I decided they were going in the river or in the bin!! 

Suddenly, Rupe's rod wiggled and I let him know, just incase he didn't see it through his fringe. He was in. A cute little chub his prize.

I cast too close to the far bank and lost more tackle. 

Today's mission was to hopefully get Rupe his first barbel, so I changed my rig to a vomit boilie on a hybrid feeder, no respectful barbel would get caught on that! 

A missed bite on that, it must work. I kept with it. 

My second of the week (ish). Big smiles all round! On the vomit too!!

Another angler came to fish this swim as I was releasing the barbel, he warned us of some snags. We had none in this swim so far. 

We reeled in. Snag! 

Another lost feeder. Am going through feeders quicker than............ (fill your own answer in here)

The sun burst through the clouds and although we liked the warmth, the fishing died. We watched birds, river critters and a little mouse having his lunch.

It was lovely to spend time with the boy. 

Oh, the title. I nearly forgot. Speaking of things that annoy me. Ask my son any question and his reply is usually "No, not really".

It doesn't even make sense!! 

Love him though!! 

What is this hair!?

Two barbel, five bream, six perch!!

Date fished 18/6/2026

7am until 3pm

Ellis and I went to the Ouse today. We had a great, great session. 

Two rods ledgered mid river or towards the tree lined far bank proving to be the tactic! 

I will let you into a secret, the bait today that worked was worms! Many other pellets laid unmolested, but not the worms!!

I actually can't remember the sequence of what we caught when. But I know, I did catch a couple of bream then a barbel and Ellis caught his barbel whilst I had my third bream in the net!! 

3lb 12oz

4lb 12oz

We have never both caught a barbel in the same session,  plenty of chub but never barbel. We wondered if we could top the day off with a chub each from the Nidd. This proved a touch too far for our luck, so we headed back to Ellis's house for a celebratory beer!!

Earl of Northumberland

Date fished 16th of course!! 

7.10am until 2.10pm

Forgetting a few hours after work for the elusive Tees barbel on a September evening, I had not fished with Ellis since 17th June 2025!!

Putting that right this week, we started on the Swale. I have joined Leeds, a large and great club. Today we tried their Topcliffe flavour.

Coming from Northumberland, this is why I felt at home

Ellis arrived early and secured a double swim. Today was another social with rods. In hindsight, I could of left the rods at home as they didn't catch today. However  I thoroughly enjoyed the day on a great new stretch! 

I walked it just before we left, and that definitely had me thinking about another trip, soon! 

We ledgered every bait we had, varied everything but to no avail. We even swapped for a worm in the margins as something was constantly harassing something. Ellis caught the culprit, a nice perch. 

I will need to review the boundaries as some other swim parameters seemed 'muddled'.

Some barbel were caught on the stretch today, it was full of anglers. Great to see on opening day! 

Let's not leave it until nearly a year until the next trip please Ellis!!

Bloody Tinca!

Date fished 14/06/2026

7am until 11am

It's so nice to walk to and/or home from fishing. That's kinda why today, I fished Wydon in Hexham. 

Arriving at 7am, I walked to the swim I love to fish in. There was someone already in it! In truth the lake was fairly busy ( great to see). 

Realising I knew the guy in my swim, I chatted with him, George,  and then tackled up in the swim next door. 

George and I have talked about fishing together before but work and life schedules have never aligned, not sure this counts but will have to sort one day mate! 

Short rod, hybrid feeder and I was soon fishing down my left, not one rod length away from the reeds. 20 minutes of nothing and I got the 13ft float rod out. I was still fishing close in, but the length helps! (Stop the sniggering).

The float buried and I was in. An angry tench (assumed, not seen) kept deep and low and messed me up around the left reeds, then out in front and then the right hand reeds. I got the rod down and tried to bully him. It resulted in a hook pull and a lost fish. I was raging!

Am not normally an angry chappie, except when driving, but this annoyed me. Soon, I was back to normal when the offspring arrived. 

There is much more to life than a lost fish. 

1. Sunday breakfast

2. Cute pic of the young offspring 

3. My nephew sorting his fishing gear like I used to when I was young 

4. A nice rudd, both Rupe and I caught a few

5. Early morning at the lake