You
can't have it your own way all the time
It doesn't matter how
experienced we become as anglers, the broad spectrum of fishing
is such that there are still lots of things that we have yet to
do. For me, up until a couple of years back, I had never been
spinning for perch and I found myself wanting to have a go on
the local canal network. So I bought the necessary tackle and
got myself set up to do just that. And I can honestly say that
I have really enjoyed the times I go out armed with just a lure
rod, net and small shoulder bag. And that's part of the attraction
really - the light and mobile approach that spinning offers. And
with no baiting up or preparation needed, you simply turn up,
put the already made-up rod together and away you go.
| Opting
for Mepps Aglia
Like
any branch of angling, you can get tackle at various prices
and quality. I have tried cheaper 'no-brand' spinners, and
although some of them weren't too bad, very early on I liked
what I saw when I fished with Mepps Aglia. One of the things
I did at the beginning was cast into clear water so that I
could see how the various spinners responded and also how
I could work them to my advantage through the water. There
is a limit on what you can do with a tiny 3.5g spinner but
nevertheless sometimes just the slightest change in retrieve
can produce a fish.
Confidence plays such
a big part in angling - more than we realise actually, particularly
when we sit down and think about it. And because I have caught
some decent perch on the Aglia, that's my chosen brand of
spinner. Not that I am inflexible and am closed to anything
else, far from it. But once you cast out and your lure hits
the water, you've got to have total faith and trust in it.
It's no good fishing with any bait that you don't believe
in, unless you're experimenting of course.
|
|
A
canal chub caught on spinner
|
Another
surprise pike
Because of the
previously mentioned flexibility associated with spinning,
I was able to get a couple of sessions in, both very short.
I ended up with several perch, a few chub and a small pike.
I never knew that the section in question had any pike in
it, but in recent months I have caught a couple of small
fish. It just shows that angling is full of surprises. I'm
not sure that there is anything big in there though - and
I still wonder where the small ones have come from - as
I've never seen anything other than perch attacking fry.
|
|
|
Tip
of the week
If
you've never done any spinning for perch, then give it a
go.
It's
a great way of fishing - simple, easy and good exercise.
And above all it's great fun.
|
My tip
of the week, as you can see from the regular box, is that if you
have never been spinning for perch then perhaps consider doing so.
It is simple enough to get into and is great fun. The thrill of
a take is one of those 'bite experiences' that for me ranks with
the lethargic movement of a hanger when a big bream takes the bait,
the initial tremble of a pike float and the sudden bend that appears
in a rod as a hooked barbel starts a run. Angling is more than just
putting a fish on the bank, for me it's about the big picture, including
even the excitement from the night before at home knowing that I'll
be fishing the next day.
Switching
species
After
the sessions on the canal for perch, I switched species
and venue as I targeted pike on a small river. Casting the
first deadbait into the flow (a sardine section) I immediately
had a take which resulted in the pike that you can see on
the right. But like so many times, the initial fish did
not herald the opening of the floodgates. In fact quite
the opposite as the rest of the trip produced nothing at
all. I did fancy another crack at the river though and so
returned right at the end of the week to see if I could
improve on the previous session.
But
instead of the graph showing an upward turn, it plummeted
as I hit a brick wall in terms of feeding fish. And in between
I had another blank as I did a very short morning session
on a pike-filled (or so I believe) local canal. So not one
of my most productive weeks in terms of big fish to hours
on the bank ratio. But you can't have it all your own way
all the time, and I have had some decent enough catch reports
recently.
|
|
A
pike from a small river
|
The
birding was good though
But
in spite of struggling on the angling front this week, the birding
has been quite good. If you are a regular reader of my Angling Journal
you will know that our feathered friends are definitely mates of
mine. And due to the type of fishing that I usually do, it means
that I am occasionally able to take my eyes off the rod and see
what is going on around me. When I am birding proper I have a pair
of Swarovski SLC binoculars and a Kowa TSN 800 series scope, so
if you know your stuff you'll appreciate that's decent enough kit.
But I daren't take them fishing with me and so I have a cheaper
pair of Bushnell binoculars that I take angling. They were good
enough to spot birds this week that included goosander, peregrine
falcon, raven, teal, snipe and siskin.
Click
on the icon for this week's video clip
|
|
The
week ahead
The
weather has gone into freefall over the last few days, so
my original plans to continue with predator fishing have
been put on hold for a while. Next week I am going to target
grayling, and no matter how cold it gets, one thing you
can always say is that they will be feeding.
|
Back
to home page
|