Paul Richardson
Senior Member & Supporter
Back on the river at the weekend, following the floods. Water Temp was 3degC and air temperature showed between -2 to -4. Pretty as a picture, no rain, no wind but I can't ever recall being as cold. But still lovely to be out.
I was chub fishing with a tip rod. After an hour, I had a rattle and hooked into a spirited little fish around 2lb. As I was playing it I noticed something irregular about the quivertip which I couldn't quite work out? On further inspection there was a plug of ice in the eye and it took a fair bit of manipulation to get it out but I managed and got back to fishing. Regular casting with blackcaps, and still looking for the ice build up but no real issues
After an hour and a half inactivity( apart from an 8lb pike on the sleeper rod), I changed over to breadflake and cast into the baited area. Just settled down when the tip whacked around and I was into a good fish. Nice steady, deep fight with typical head shakes and a couple of deep runs, stripping line that even had me thinking for a split second " barbel?". Everything was under control. I was making nice steady progress, clear of obvious snags and had the net ready.
As the fish came to my bank it made a final concerted lunge and as it powered off, something didn't feel right, the tip bent , the top section bent and I could feel the power of the butt starting to kick in but no line coming off the clutch which I had backed off a fair bit. One big head shake, and it was gone. 7lb DH hooklink snapped.
Only then did I notice that the eye had frozen up again and there was an even bigger plug of ice in there. Presumably it was that cold that the water off the line was freezing as I played the fish. It never happened when casting & retrieving as this is done at speed?
I have never experienced this before, just wondered if anyone else has?
It's just a theory but the line definitely locked up and wasn't tangled round the tip and the clutch was definitely not screwed down, but it was like being flat -rodded?
Needless to say that was that it for the rest of the day.
I was chub fishing with a tip rod. After an hour, I had a rattle and hooked into a spirited little fish around 2lb. As I was playing it I noticed something irregular about the quivertip which I couldn't quite work out? On further inspection there was a plug of ice in the eye and it took a fair bit of manipulation to get it out but I managed and got back to fishing. Regular casting with blackcaps, and still looking for the ice build up but no real issues
After an hour and a half inactivity( apart from an 8lb pike on the sleeper rod), I changed over to breadflake and cast into the baited area. Just settled down when the tip whacked around and I was into a good fish. Nice steady, deep fight with typical head shakes and a couple of deep runs, stripping line that even had me thinking for a split second " barbel?". Everything was under control. I was making nice steady progress, clear of obvious snags and had the net ready.
As the fish came to my bank it made a final concerted lunge and as it powered off, something didn't feel right, the tip bent , the top section bent and I could feel the power of the butt starting to kick in but no line coming off the clutch which I had backed off a fair bit. One big head shake, and it was gone. 7lb DH hooklink snapped.
Only then did I notice that the eye had frozen up again and there was an even bigger plug of ice in there. Presumably it was that cold that the water off the line was freezing as I played the fish. It never happened when casting & retrieving as this is done at speed?
I have never experienced this before, just wondered if anyone else has?
It's just a theory but the line definitely locked up and wasn't tangled round the tip and the clutch was definitely not screwed down, but it was like being flat -rodded?
Needless to say that was that it for the rest of the day.
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