Catching trains

Date fished 25/10/2025

8am until 11am

I fished Brian's small river for a few hours this morning in the hope of a barbel. 

Two trains and I was there. I tackled up in a swim where I could see some fish. My ledgered breadl flake got interest but not a proper take. Eventually I got too excited and spooked them. 

I walked along and looked for fish. Not seeing any here but remembering Brian, I fished in a not so secret swim. In the summer the vegetation would cover the entrance.

My line started to tighten, I grabbed the rod and was in a snag. I could feel a fish on too. The fish won and managed to get free. 

I left empty-handed, but I kept my pants on! 

Mk 2

Date fished 24/10/2025

9am until 1.30pm

A trip down south, meant two things. Fireball and zander! 

I picked Jar up from the train station and we headed towards the canal. This time we float fished deadbaits. 

We walked the length and fished likely looking spots in the shade. We started in a turning basin where we saw plenty of fish topping but no predators lurking around. 

Sadly we didn't catch any zander, but we had a great trip. I think on this occasion I will leave it to jars photography..

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.

Tees barbel (6)

Date fished 19/10/2025

7.30am until 11.40am

I envy the anglers that do a proper quest, I am just not cut out for it. I have enjoyed the barbel quest and will put it on the back burner for now. Unless conditions seem perfect on Wednesday!! 

The river looked spot on, but my fishing trip was ruined before I got to the wet stuff. 

I walked to the peg I wanted to fish, realised I had dropped my landing net. I left some gear and walked back. I saw a couple of dog walkers, they said it was on the ground in the car park. I got back and it was gone. Someone had borrowed it. 

I walked back to my gear and started to fish. Conscious that landing anything bigger than a minnow would be challenging, really I hoped I didn't catch a barbel. 

Float fishing or rolling small cubes of meat was employed half heartedly for a few hours. 

Neither produced, and when I lost both new quick change olivettes, given to me by Ellis. I declared game over. 

Not trying to be negative. The highlight of the trip was my mates messaging me on my drive home. 

There is more to life than fishing, you made me smile!!

The afternoon will be spent making online purchases. 😍

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)

 

Tees barbel (5)

Date fished 24/9/2025

3pm until 7.30pm

I wondered if an evening session would increase my chances. Ellis said "it would, 500%"

Unsure of his maths, we gave it a go. 

A different swim fished. I collected a bag full of rubbish from the previous users.

It looked perfect. The river was dropping and had a good pace going into over hanging willows. One rod with pellets and feeder was cast there and a sleeper rod in the nearside slack with meat for any cruising chub. Ellis joined me after work and had a ledger rod near mine on the far bank. 

After one of his casts, I asked where he was. He said 5 yards from the tree. I declared, OK, I will cast this three yards from it. I promptly deposited my rig exactly where his was!! We didn't get tangled and didn't catch any barbel. 

It was great to catch up, we hadn't fished together since June. He has been doing lots of fishing around the country and had barbel to over 8lb! 

His luck didn't rub off on me, and he was left cursing the blank saver when he wound in the last cast and there was actually a small fish on the end. It had registered a bite a while before but didnt do anything else. He didnt see it properly before it dropped off, but I hope it wasnt a small barbel. If it was, we would of carried on for something bigger!! 

We even managed to avoid the massive dog poo as we walked back to the cars in the dark. The quest continues....

Tees barbel (4)

Date fished 20/09/2025

6am until 9.30am 

Ellis did the right thing and decided not to come as the weather was forecast to be awful. I stubbornly went anyway. 

The river had risen and dropped more times than a (insert your level of humour here)

overnight. 

Arriving pre 6am it was still dark. I tackled up by torch light and cast my 12mm Robin red pellet in whilst my eyes were adjusting to the dim glow. Yes, the river was high but it was fishable. Maybe not with the weights and rod I had brought though. 

I cast again into the slack water, but only managed a snag. This was repeated a few times over the three and a half hours. When I didn't get snagged, I was sat hopeful of a fish. It was fairly mild, if not very wet!! 

The  (three) pictures above are the swim I have been fishing recently. Its about 2 metres below the bank I was now stood on and fishing from. Knowing this well, I avoided snags and fished a while in the nearside slack. No luck. 

I moved downstream and fished another big slack under a big tree. No luck. 

I fished two more spots and got snagged so badly that it was a complete loss of tackle twice. 

The second time  I had found a worm, so tackled a new rig to be able to fish this. First cast, snag, I took this as a sign and headed for a long walk back to the car. 

Walking in waders is not fun and my feet hurt from the few miles trudging along the pavement.

It was comfy laying under the 'golf' brolly

I am now home, showered, warm and dry. I will sit down and hopefully watch the reds beat the blues! If nothing else, I have some lovely poetry to read.

When the sun shines we fish together

Told you I'll be here forever

Said I'll always be your friend

But to fish today you must be a 🔔 end

Now that it's raining more than ever

There’s still a chance of a chub or a fella 🤞

You can sit under your umbrella

You can sit under your umbrella 'ella, 'ella, eh, eh, eh

Under your umbrella 'ella, 'ella, eh, eh, eh 🤣

E. HUTCHINSON 

2025