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bad start!!

S

Steven Ballard

Senior Member
Hi all, had a rather **** start to the season! I fished last night (16th) on a stretch that saw not many bodies on the bank last season, got there at 6pm, not a soul there, by 8 there was 12 people there with only 12 available fishing spots on this stretch! So my usual roving was out of the question, I had to sit in one spot getting cold, I fished until midnight, not a touch, tried everything, meat, pellet, corn...at midnight, I deciede to pack up and went home.
come this morning I was itching to get out again, being self employed I managed to winkle a few hours off.
Thought Id target the perch in a different stretch, and wait for the banks to quieten down before I go back for some barbel.
Now last season I had several perch between 2-3lb and had lost one at the net that looked 4lb at least out of this pool. So off i went to catch some livebaits before setting up, the weirpool Id be targetting for the perch was empty so I strolled over to a back water 50 metres away. Now the back water is only 3 ft across but has lots of tiny bleak and roach.
dropped my size 18 hook baited with single maggot in and instantly the float dipped, as I struck the elastic on my little pole flew out,and after a fierce scrap which was rather touch and go, I raised a perch, which looked around late 3's to 4lb mark, to the net, just as i did, the hook pulled! could I believe my luck?????????? As I turned round in utter disbelief and anger I stood on the tip of my new avon perch rod, cracking the top section. Session over!!!
I suppose this is why we love river fishing! you never know where or what they will throw up!!
 
in true forrest gump style........."life is like a box of chocolates................."
seriouslly though, bad luck steven, better next time out hopefully.
 
Silver lining and all that Steve !! At least you've managed to locate a new Perch hotspot out of it !
 
Similaly poor start for me, after quite a bit of effort on the pre-baiting front, went to fish my little section where i have never seen another barbel angler...except for last night. Fished my first swim, another angler turned up, plodded down the far bank and fished down through my swim. moved to my second swim and strated fishing, then from upstream, down comes the same angler and fishes down through my swim again, from then on the night was lost...i just cant believe the cheek of these bloody otters!

anyway, fished till 2am and my furry little enemy was the only sign of life all night.
 
George Maltby said:
Similaly poor start for me, after quite a bit of effort on the pre-baiting front, went to fish my little section where i have never seen another barbel angler...except for last night. Fished my first swim, another angler turned up, plodded down the far bank and fished down through my swim. moved to my second swim and strated fishing, then from upstream, down comes the same angler and fishes down through my swim again, from then on the night was lost...i just cant believe the cheek of these bloody otters!

anyway, fished till 2am and my furry little enemy was the only sign of life all night.
Click to expand...


Give this bloke a call,


Ottertrapper.jpg
 
What about the broken rod? did the guy offer a replacement or one to use whilst you were there. Not sure what the etiquette is regarding broken rods, maybe someone can enlighten me just for future reference. Bad luck about the perch Regards Jeff
 
Ouch Steven! Still at least you know the wereabouts of a couple of big fish now. I remember breaking two tips of my old Kevlar multi tip in consecutive sessions a few seasons ago. The first one was one of those slow motion moments. Trying to get my tackle together to move swims, I knocked my chair over and watched immoveable as it toppled onto the rod.

The other one I guess I must have broke packing up in an October storm at night. I say guess because I didn't find out until my next trip when I went to get the tip out I wanted to use, only to find that it was missing a couple of inches. Luckily I do always carry a spare rod.
 
The start of my season was ok
But my mate jono who I fish with on opening night every year had another nightmare session, this is a run down of the last 4 opening nights,
2008 Bridgnorth he popped over to see how I was getting on and slipped down the bank landed on my chub outkast and snapped it,
2009 Bridgnorth he took another bad fall and broke his arm, fair play thoughhe fished through the night then we went to the hospital I'n the morning,
2010 warks Avon the staging he was standing on broke and I'n the river he went got completely soaked and had no spare clothing,
2011 warks Avon he had another fall and broke his greys x flight I'n two
And to top it of his umbrella blew into the weir pool,!!!
Now that's unlucky , what will next season bring
 
I lost the door on my fox baitdropper. Waste of money that was but nothing compared to the above post lol

Brian
 
had another bash tonight, didn't have any barbel but did have plenty of time to think about a new film:
'the impossible barbel (possibly singular) of the somerset frome- ten years of decline'

starring:

tarka otter
colin comorant
gus goosander
the heron family
vladimir
boris

directed by the EA

produced by the new hydroelectric turbine

coming soon to a river near you.
 
An exceptional start to the season with my best fishing mate. Like an April day in September, as Walker used to say, but it was of course mid June. The small stream full of life and colour. Swallows and housemartins.

The use of a centrepin and a favoured rod, not on this occasion cane, but a treasured Hexagraph. A red tipped float suddenly disappearing with a lively chub seeking sanctuary.


Heavy showers ending and revealing glorious rainbows.


A change of swim to a fast shallows. Much fish movement. Off with the Rapidex and on with a Nexave, ( neither have been used for far too long.)
Holding the rod and feeling the line. It's like riding a bike; you never forget.
The joy of being by a river.

Evening approaches. A party of long tailed tits descend upon a nearby willow. Joyful twitterings. Wagtails catch mayflies in mid air. A small chub takes my carefully presented sweetcorn. 4 grains on a size 8. Only one swanshot as weight. Wonderful to have felt the bite and the bend in the rod.
The current is fast and the adrenalin rush even faster.

Nearly dusk and the temperature dropping. One's breath is palpably visible. Large fish are making ripples in the slacker water beneath my feet. A cast to the far bank and the bait drawn carefully to the baited zone. I feel the line twitching and then a savage pull and the fish is on. A vigorous fight in the strong current but she is mine.

Size......I never make catch reports. All I shall say is that the glorious sixteenth exceeded my wildest dreams. We shall go back as soon as we can.



Regards



Hugo and daughter







 
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