The advice of Brian

Date fished 2/9/2023

7.30am until 2pm

After a night of beers it was a 6am alarm. Funnily enough I was up straight away, another day fishing! Jar (Alan) and I were off to a local river to try for barbel. 

For once, my words won't do it justice, but the highlights were:

Meeting Brian

Sausage Sarnies

4 miles walked

Casting to an area of feeding fish. 14 fish in total there. We all watched as a barbel swam away from my cast, waited a few minutes and slowly swam over 10 ft, pushing a chub out the way and took my ledgered bread!! Amazing! 

Putting my hand in nettles

Lucky kingfishers

Swims that needed "special" Casting

6lb 11oz

Balls, and to cap it all off a blank

Date fished 1/9/2023

06.30am until 12.00

A visit to see the boys in London meant a trip to Coventry to try for zander again. 2am alarm and in the car by half past. A little after 6am I was parked up and ready to thrash the water. I enjoy lure fishing but don't think I am good at it. 

I caught alot of plastic, most of it I collected up and put in the bin as I walked past. 

The catch of the day was either the baseball cap or the football! I will let you decide. 

The drizzle was annoying but it brightened up. By the time I left it was 20 plus degrees. Just what I needed to sit in traffic in London! A great meal with friends in the evening and some prep for fishing tomorrow.

No T

Da€e fished 19/8/2023

07.30 un€il 12.00

I was going €o wri€e the whole blog wi€hou€ the le€€er T, bu€ €hough€ €hat would be €oo annoying! Jus€ like when I woke up........

Without my morning cup of tea, you are lucky I was able to even function!! A quick stop at Tesco to get some bottled water and I was off to the river. 

Back on the Tees, on a club stretch, and honestly my favourite section. No idea why, I just really love it, and have had some great trips here. 

I walked down the hill to the river. I left the chair in the car as the banks are not level and its not worth carrying. The keep net too as I was just hoping to have a few hours and use up the maggots. 

I got to my favourite swim and it was different. The vegetation was washed away and the bank nearly flat. A chair would have been ideal! Not to worry, I tackled up the float rod and started fishing.  By the second trot down, I had fallen in love with float fishing. I miss it.

The wind was strong but warm. Upstream at times making trotting both easier and then difficult. I was sheltered mostly, but alot of branches on the far bank were blown off and crashed into the water. 

I caught steadily today, finishing on at least 100 fish. Mostly small chublets but also plenty of roach. The first fish was a roach and a great blank saver.

Followed by chublets

The predators were in the margins. I could see and hear them attacking smaller fish. I kept feeding and fished on. A bite a chuck is cliché but it really was. The net would of been small but it would of looked great too! Not to worry, maybe I will bring the keep net next time. 

I lost a better sized fish, the hook just coming out. I wondered if the perch were now on to the maggots. The next few silvers were interspersed with some decent perch. The best weighed 1lb 4oz, a real beauty. 

I was feeding fairly heavily and the roach seemed to respond. They were getting bigger too.

Soon the inevitable happened. A pike grabbed the roach I was bringing in. The hooklink snapping immediately. I watched it swim off to the depths. I fished on a little longer but the bait was going down fast. I used up all I had and decided to call it a day. A good few hours on the bank, back home to a cuppa! 

Move closer

Date fished 18/8/2023

8.30 until 14.00

A few days of annual leave left and I was back in the North. I had yet to visit the Tees this river season, so thought it was rude not too.

I needed bait so it was an early trip to Rambo's. I was waiting outside long before the shutters went up. Some maggots, worms and groundbait and I was off to Bowesfield to sit behind the feeder rod. 

Similar tactics, rigs and swims as previous trips here. I do like ledgering rivers for the bream, there is always the chance a big perch comes along too.  Not today though, only two fish caught. Neither big, but I didn't mind. 

Today's main error was dressing like its August. The wind was cold and when the drizzle started, my rain coat was not enough to keep me warm. I actually sat and shivered!! In August!! I blame Betty! 

I also started out clipped up and fishing quite a way across. A biteless two hours before I started casting nearer to my bank. This brought immediate action. Plenty of bites and the two caught fish came from this move closer.

Spending more time on the river, I am witnessing things other anglers talk about. I have had pike attack my keepnet, take fish I am reeling in, watched otters, mink and other critters at close quarters. Today there was a new first. As I reeled in my feeder, a pike went for it. Swirling on the surface, it got hooked. I fought it for a while but the 2.5lb hooklink no match for it's sharp teeth and soon it was gone. 

Anyway, it was nice to not blank and be back on the Northern rivers. Am thinking of doing it all again tomorrow but with the float rod this time! 

Oh, and of course it was fine once I moved closer, made me think of the first album I ever owned. On cassette no less!! Ask your parents if you dont know what that is!!

All at sea

15/8/2023

09.45 until 10.45

We decided this year to not fish fresh water, opting for salt instead. Eventhough I brought a car full of  coarse fishing gear with us, we booked an hour Mackerel fishing with Lyme bay boat trips. 

The trip was scheduled a few days before but the weather scuppered those plans. The morning finally arrived and calm seas and blue skies greeted us. 

We walked along the cobb and climbed aboard, welcomed by all the crew!

Due to sea conditions the skipper informed us we would be going 1.5 miles off shore and drift over a wreck. That would give us the best chance of catching fish as the Mackerel were proving difficult. We drifted over the 70ft wreck which lay in 80ft of water. 

After getting snagged first cast, Martha and I soon got the hang of it and caught some 'poor cod' that's me not saying the cod were not rich or hard done by! The boys both caught too, Sam managing two at once! We ended with eight fish between the four of us and 17 across the whole boat of 10 anglers (5 rods). 

It was a great 20 minutes fishing and an enjoyable hour trip. 

As we headed back to the harbour that's usually where my fishing ends but today was different. It was a catch and cook kinda day....