Desmond

Date fished 19/6/2026

7.30am until 11.30am

Ellis owns the Tees. Well, not really. But it's in his blood, his heritage. Today he smashed it. A pb perch and a cracking chub on the float. I, well, I have a sore thumb/wrist. 

A great evening of chat, football, not too spicy chicken wings and a few drinks and we headed to bed about 11pm. I slept like a log and woke up ready to fish again.

After a hearty and healthy breakfast, we headed to the Tees at Sockburn. Two days this week of sitting watching the rod tips, we fancied some trotting. 

The usual June jungle warfare was inevitable but our chosen swim is not too far upstream. We often fish here, its fairly non descript from a features point of view, but always seems to deliver.

As we started, two other anglers started fishing downstream of us. Three of the four of us did well, (we asked when we left and they had caught a 2lb perch, 1lb 14oz perch and lost a chub) and one angler ........ has a bad thumb!! 

Ellis and I started feeding and casting, it was slow going. We usually start to catch little silvers straight away but not today. I had a few bites but missed them. We were starting to think today was not right. 

Suddenly Ellis hooked into something decent, I grabbed the net to help and saw the tell tale dorsal of a big perch. Nightmare as the hook pulled and the perch got away. Remember the dorsal. 

Ellis started catching chublets and I soon got a few too. Sadly, my thumb and wrist was hurting too much for trotting, so I was not doing it with my usual vigor. Ellis  however, stood and fed the line and soon when his float buried a much bigger fish pulled back. Not the perch we were expecting but a chub. 3lb 8oz of Tees magic, a beauty (chub not Ellis) on the float rod.

A few fish later, I had tapped out and was a spectator at best. I saw a good sized perch swimming to my right where Ellis was just about to fish. I enjoyed the best seat (stood mid river) while Ellis hooked, played and landed a different perch, this one had no dorsal. At 2lb 2oz, or two two (Tutu) it was a new pb.

Worth a second pic!!

We have both been after a 2lb plus perch for a while now, and while that still eludes me, it's great to be with, and see a mate catch one! 

Ellis fished on and caught more fish, but again my discomfort was apparent. We decided to call it a day and head home for a bath or rosè or whatever a pb catcher deserves!! 

On a separate note, I had a perch with no dorsal on June 19th 2024 from that same swim. It weighed 1lb 6oz. I wonder......

Shared my blog with my oldest (non fishing friends, their response!!) This is why I love them. 

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!!

Same but different

Date fished 2/2/2026

8.50am until 1.15pm

I had booked some days off work to fish the river. Looking at the weather, I decided to just stay local again. I was not in the mood for a long trip in tough conditions. 

First fish of 2026! Not quite the size I was after  but the correct species. 

I was armed with fresh, alive maggots and worms this time. I left the dead maggots in the freezer. A float rod and a ledger rod was taken, however I was lazy and took the trotting float rod. It was already set up with a closed faced reel and trotting float, am sure it would be fine. 

The lake was deeper than last trip, full to brimming! I fished the deep end which was flat calm. Out of the wind, it was pleasant. I nearly lost my bowels when the bird scarer positioned behind me went bang! Not put off though, but the cormorant circling over head and not settling on the lake was! 

Worm on the hook and maggots in the feeder in one and maggots all the way on the float and I was fishing. 

The little perch was caught on the ledger. A bite whilst I was chatting with a potential new member, I missed. As he left, another bite. This time I got the culprit and in he came. 

A nice few hours on the bank, restful really. I just watched the rods and World go by in equal measures. Now I am sat thinking of warm sunshine and fishing in shorts. Roll on summer!! 

Very appealing

Date fished 22/10/2025

8am until 2pm

I had booked some days off work, but looking at weather etc decided I would take today for a fishing trip. I was back on the Tees, not targeting the barbel but if one came along!! 

I arrived early and walked to my chosen swim. The river looked good and I had a nice crease about two rod lengths out. The aim was maggot feeder with maggot on the hook. I did have some breadcrumb I had mixed with predator liquid. I have two bottles and never really used it, so thought why not!

It was bites straight away. I had watched an otter in the swim as I arrived. Was lovely to watch it and it was not fazed by me. Eventually a rattle turned into a proper bite and a nice perch was landed. 

I fished on and apart from a deer, two kingfishers and a buzzard it was quiet. I played around with the rod rests and if I put the rod flat, no bites. If I put it up high, constant knocks. No idea the logic. 

The sun was lovely, I didn't need the big coat, but I had it with me. 

Another fish  a dace that was the same length as the perch. No pic as I was trying an arty shot close to the water, you know the rest..... 

I was having a lovely day. I noticed my rod rest was now in the water. Soon my chair legs were in the water. My feet were in the water. The crease had slowly disappeared and was now the main flow. 

As lovely as a day it was, I decided to head home, via a couple of tackle shops.

I did a thing

Date fished 27/09/2025

10am until 1.15pm

The kids had plans and didn't need me, so I decided to go to Tilcon for a few hours. The minimal amount of kit. Rod, reel, chair, net, unhooking mat and some terminal tackle was all I took. 

Bait was simple.

Worms ( I have had since July 5th) for the hook and breadcrumb for loose feed.

Fishing about a rod length out behind a bush is idyllic float fishing. It took a while of feeding but eventually a bite. A small perch was landed, a little birdie tells me there are some big ones in here! 

I then got no more bites, even though I was sure fish were in the swim. I decided to change the shoting. The olivette that was six inches from the hook was taking the bait down quickly. I fixed this much higher up the line so the worm could sink down slowly. 

This seemed to work, as it was soon a bite a chuck. Constant action, it was fun and soon I had well over a dozen perch. I had lost just as many. The float sailed away and this time something pulled back. An ide proving much better sport.

I ran out of worms so had to pack up. It was a great few hours on the lake, amazing to catch a few and the highlight was, that I made a change that worked.  (I THINK)

 

No perch here, mate!

Date fished 5/7/2025

7am until 1pm 

A solo trip today to the Tees. I would like to catch a barbel from this river, so am going to try and target one. Likely, I will get bored and try for everything else, but let's see. 

I did my usual and was outside the back door of the tackle shop about 6.20am. They were actually taking delivery of the days fresh maggots. I was let in and bought some bits. 

4 pints mixed maggots

Small tub worms

8mm Robin reds

Sonubaits groundbait

2 packets hooks to nylon

Total £30

Yes, I only needed maggots but when you have a good, reliable tackle shop, I missed out local, it's worth spending some extra quid! 

I parked up just as another angler was unpacking. He was off to find a swim before I could enquire into his welfare! 

I had some spots to try down stream, but couldn't not have a trot with the float in the faster water first. Second trot through a good sized trout. I put him back and fished on. A bite a chuck and quickly I had half a dozen chublets of a similar size.

A few grayling and I was smiling. The float went under and I struck into something bigger. It didn't feel like a loony trout. I saw it was a good sized chub. It slipped into the net from the fast flow. 

I saw it seemed to have a piercing, so I removed that. Not quite sure how the size of that was snapped off, but it's out now. 

I fished on catching chublets and grayling on the float. An angler came and spoke to me, he was after salmon and sea trout, we chatted and he asked about catching perch here. I dont think Ellis and I have ever had a perch up this way, so I told him quite confidently "no perch up here mate!"

Eventually I headed off to search for barbel. I was expecting to sit behind the ledger rod, so was glad to have had an active start. 

The wind was warm and strong. I sat on a beach, which was prime dog swimming territory. Most owners, seeing me called their dogs and carried on splashing down stream of me. One running dog owner didn't seem to care and the dog carried straight through me and actually went under my rod! I moved on.

Finding a recommended spot, I sat with my meat in a hole (Jason's words, not mine). 

I was putting the bait and stop on the hair, not as easy nowadays without my glasses, which were at home. I reeled in the slack and noticed that I had cut the main line and now the rig was not attached!! 

I set the rod back up, but this time decided to hair rig three worms instead. I put the rod down and it instantly swung around. I was hopeful of a barbel, a chub even but I feared it would be a trout. I saw the very red fins of a perch as it came to the surface! 

1lb 5oz 

I fished on as the wind buffeted me. It was becoming unclear if they were bites or the start of my rod being blown away. I decided to walk back. 

A few hundred metres away, it was sheltered and warm. But that was not the right place for the fish. 

I decided I had been rewarded with the perch and nice chub, so will keep the barbel hunt for another time. 

Too Keen

Date fished 6/6/2025

7am until 3pm

A house warming, birthday and Anniversary party in London immediately got me thinking about fishing. Sadly the rivers are still closed for coarse fishing so it was a canal trip again. I usually fish at Coventry on my way south, but some investigation told me that I could try for zander in Milton Keynes. Speaking to my host, he said "I can get there on a direct train, I will meet you"! And that's how a plan works!!

My mate Jar, aka Mum, aka Alan, who I have fished with before met me in "the Keens" in the hope of catching something. I was after zander, he was after everything. I had a lure rod and a ledger rod with sweetcorn and breadcrumb as bait. 

I parked up like a troll and had a few casts. It was shallow but definitely looked fishy. This was confirmed when I text the (best) only lure angler I know - Tom. He also had mean things to say about my tackle, so we will ignore him!!

With no bites, I went and braved the multitude of roundabouts and collected Jar from the train station. Parking back under the bridge we went off left to find the lock. A few casts but mostly chat as we wandered, we were soon at the lock. A nice grassy area just beyond and it was time to lazy fish. It was lovely just catching up, casting a little and watching the float as small fish attacked the sweetcorn. Nothing with a big enough mouth, not including us two that demolished a kilo (if not more) of sausage roll!

The heavens opened and we took refuge under a smaller bridge. We really did look like trolls here, although the views were spectacular.

As we walked back, it was clear that a lure and ledger approach didn't work as a team. The sun was bright and we could see fry and smaller fish in our margin. Jar fancied a go at lure fishing. I switched over the rods and soon we were both flinging plastic into the canal, not littering! Also some of his casts didn't make the canal, just the trees!

I had explained that a real lure anger would of changed their lures a million times by now, and would probably be flinging some kind of floating, ribbed, sinking paddle tailed abomination with a rattle.

Jar looked at the lure box and decided on a sparkly number. Second cast he shouted " I have something".

Those of you will remember, I was after a barbel on the small river for a while, I took Jar and he caught one just whilst holding my rod. I thought, had he now fluked a zander too?!

It was a lovely perch, his first. I was buzzing, not because it wasn't a zander, but just to be able to take a good friend fishing and share in their success/happiness. 

We fished on and soon I noticed a large dark shape swimming down the middle of the canal, then another and another. A large shoal of big bream were on a day out. I chucked in some corn and bread hoping to slow them down. A few went for it, but the shoal didn't stop. I quickly set back up the ledger but as a boat came round the corner, the chance was gone. I think the bream carried on to Birmingham.

I sat under the bridge as Jar cast around the edge. A savage take on the lure shocking him, but sadly it got off. As we were at the car, hot and bothered and I had been awake since 2.30am, we decided to jump in and drive the 60 miles back to his house. At three hours and 18 minutes, you have to "love" Friday evening London traffic!

Cheers Jar 

Photos from Jar: