Human dipsticks (TB9)

Date fished 14/8/26

7am until 2.30pm

The sun didn't dissappear behind the moon for very long this week and nor did thoughts about my Tees barbel quest. Nine attempts so far, although was it really one today? 

Ellis and I hit the Tees in the usual spot. Throughout the warm weather the level here remains constant due to the weir and I did read a reservoir upstream, not sure. Anyway, it was coolest and quiet at the start. It wasn't till later that people chucked rocks into our swim over our heads or people tested the depth with their dogs or themselves mere metres from us. 

Two 'fat' dace on pellet for me. Not really much fun on the big rod. 

Ellis doing much better when he realised the barbel rod was definitely the sleeper rod and lots more fun could be had on a lighter ledger with dead maggots or worms! 

Several gonks, two perch and some fat dace of his own making his tally 16 fish. I even got the clicker out (minnows included not as a half!? ).

A trio of kingfisher whizzing down the river just missing out on the best part of the session. That goes to me saying "there are loads of fry here,  that drop off into deep dark water must surely hold a big perch" 

Followed by Ellis dropping a worm in said deep dark hole and catching two perch instantly. 

"Perch by design!" He coined.

A great day as always, not even marred by dipsticks! 

Tees barbel (3)

Date fished 7/9/2025

6am until 10am

I am enjoying the Tees barbel challenge. I chatted with an angler as I walked back to the car, he told me he caught a Tees barbel from the swim he was in a few weeks ago. It's an area, I have never even considered!!! 

I was back in the same swim as the previous trip. This time travelling even lighter as I was planning on wading mid river to present a moving bait in and below the faster water. 

I only had meat and spicy sausage for the hair. 

Third trundle down, the line went slack. I struck and the culprit pulled back. Head shaking and zig zagging around the current and I soon saw the lips! A while ago, I would of weighed this, but today it was just slipped back. 

I changed the line and pace of the rolling meat. I was using the korum touch ledger and at times (not always) I controlled the bait downstream. Parts were so fast, I had no control.

During one of the pacier trotting down, I noted the line was spooling really fast. I closed the bail arm and struck. I was correct, something had intercepted the rolling meat. 

A different fish from the first, however I think the same as last session. A noticeable scar on its flank, maybe from a heron or similar.  

The upstream wind was warm and strong, my rolling took a more static approach as I found dips and places the meat would sit. A few times it came back with corners missing. Something was having a nibble. Not the two pincers buggers, but some whiskered beauty, whom I am always pleased to catch.

I will take this as a sign that I am getting closer to the Tees barbel. 

"Tam prope, quantum longe"

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...........

Fool

Date fished 1/4/2023

8.15 until 14.45

A day after my birthday and I decided to brave the rain. Fuelled by child made Choc mint cream cake for breakfast, I was up early and ready to hit the bank. I wanted to float fish, there will be plenty of ledgering time on this lake soon, so I thought I would start with float watching. 

Arriving at the lake, I went and chatted with the angler already fishing. He was actually just leaving, having just popped down for a short session before work. That's the way, I thought! 

We had a good chat. Introductions were short as Phillip said " I know who you are!" 

Fortunately this was followed by "I read all your blogs!" 

Phew! I thought, my reputation preceeds me, but only with McDonald's eating apparently! 

I jumped in the vacant swim, already pre baited and set up. 

The drizzle was annoying. That fine stuff, that looks OK but gets you absolutely drenched. Anyway, under the brolly I was mostly dry, so I fished on. It wasn't long before bites came. A few small perch and some very welcome gudgeon. 

The wind was calm and the lake was like glass. 

There is something about watching the float, and soon I was happy. Thoughts were gone and I was hypnotised by the orange blob. 

A change from dead maggot to sweetcorn brought an immediate bite. This was a different culprit. Am gonna say Ide. But if I am wrong, that's OK. 

The carp were crashing around in the reeds  opposite, they will soon be thinking about spawning. The bites kept coming and sweetcorn brought a better stamp of fish. 

Four good fish soon followed and I was probably on double figures. It didn't matter, no one was counting. 

Not sure if I have fished on April fools day before. I don't claim to be a fool or a prankster. But my experience of April fools day is as follows: 

For years my sister got me with the same prank. She would tell me there was a parcel for me. Having had a birthday the day before, this was quite likely. So, off I would go to see my parcel, only to be greeted with sweet fanny Adams! 

It's because of this, I didn't try to claim I caught this mud pig....

Tees shark

Date fished 2/10/2021

8.15am until 2pm

A new purchase on Wednesday after work needed trying out, so I jumped inside the new motor and told the sat nav to take me to Cleveland Angling Centre. I didn't quite have to shut my eyes and be driven there automatically, but it was close. More gadgetry than the inspector with the same name!

Arriving before it opened, I needed maggots. I left with maggots, worms and tackle bits (baiting needles, Tom! hahaha). I wonder if anyone has ever managed to enter and leave a tackle shop with just a pint of the wrigglies?? I think it's next to impossible.

I headed towards the Tees - a club stretch I fish quite infrequently, but had seen some good fish caught recently. The weather looked decidedly naff, so I brought the one float rod, trotting gear, keep net and the umbrella. 

I went to the first swim. It was fairly open and the cold wind was howling through. I set up and had a few casts. Nothing doing and it didn't feel right, so I picked up all the gear and headed down stream. About 100 metres further down there was a gap in the vegetation. It was a steep slope down but I could get to the water. A little slip at the bottom and it was a good job I had the waders on!! Say no more. 

This swim looked better, it was more sheltered too, I could take my neck scarf off and I was still warm. I set about putting the bait table up and started to feed a few maggots.

I was feeding a little upstream and I had a good run down to an over hanging tree. The current never went bank side of the tree but several times my float went under the tree and it looked perfect. 

After a few casts, I checked the maggots. They had not been sucked. I was expecting bites straight away- I am pretty impatient! A few more trots down and the float buried. I lost that fish. Then again. I had lost two good bites. Was this going to be my luck? 

A few more trots and the float went down. This time I landed the fish. Another Gudgeon. Since someone asked about Tees Gudgeon, we have caught them every (twice) trip!! 

Several more trots down and soon it was a bite a chuck. I was happy. A section of river that looked like any other and I had fed a line and got the fish feeding. I love this style of fishing at times. The Gudgeon was followed by some good Dace and Chublets. They went in the keepnet, I fancied seeing what I could catch as I was planning on staying in the same spot. A different type of fish and a Grayling next. This didn't go in the net, they are delicate and often need some nursing before release. I caught two today and they both went straight back into the river, none the worse for wear with their strong wriggling bodies. 

I was soon catching Dace and Chublets of a better size and was able to tell them apart. I wanted to do a photo comparison but it was raining so hard when I released them, that I didn't. I will do it another session. The Dace really were lovely fish. I caught another Gudgeon and two Roach before the rain came. Brolly up, I was sheltered and still fishing! 

I fished through the rain and the fish kept coming. I tried a worm several times but nothing. There were no Perch in the final net either. Strange not to get some stripeys, maybe they on holiday now?!

As the weather was supposed to get worse in the afternoon, I only got a pint of maggots. I was soon at the bottom of the bait box and as the wind blowing upstream was so strong that the float was struggling in the flow, I decided to pack up. 

A great net of fish in a few hours, I didnt weigh it but about 4lb ish (maybe a bit more) I think. 

I slipped up the bank and back to the car. Wet gear thrown in the boot (it may be new, but it's to be used) and I was off home. 

The fish today were mostly a good size. Of course there were a few finger sized ones but most were proper fish. Just as well really as a net full of fingerlings probably would have been empty by the end! 

Where did I encounter the shark? Not a Great white, not a Basking but my car! Martha, when she saw it, said it looked like it could swim under water with its little shark fin!