Spring
has finally sprung
After a
difficult winter, spring has finally arrived and just like a greyhound
on a lease with a rabbit running away from it, the burst of energy
when it is finally released is electric. And so it has been in the
natural world over the past seven days or so. From one extreme to
another, the lifelessness of winter has suddenly been elbowed out
the way by a spring eager to make up for lost time. From just small
clusters of brave snowdrops battling the elements, whole sections
have shot up from nowhere. The birds are beginning their mating displays
- I watched a female great spotted woodpecker being pursued by a male
through a copse - and a very early pair of magpies were attending
a well constructed nest.
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on the Stour
My
plans for the week consisted of a number of sessions on the
local River Stour. Afternoon-into-evening trips meant that
I was able to fish the river three times. The conditions this
side of the water had a big bearing on what was happening
beneath the surface, and the temperature rose from 6.5C at
the start of the week to 8.7C by the time I finished the last
session. Yet in spite of the upturn, I didn't see any real
payback in what I caught.
I
did net a few roach, but all were short of the 1lb mark. But
what they lacked in size they more than made up for with good
looks. None of them showed any sign of mouth damage through
angler's ill treatment or ragged fins because of being crammed
into a poor quality keepnet. I am not going to make the bold
statement that they have never been caught before, because
I can't qualify that, but they certainly looked top notch.
In
the main I have had the whole stretch to myself and the one
or two other anglers that I have seen on the river have all
packed away by 3.00pm - just as I have been arriving. I know
that we all have to fish around other factors - myself included
- but I do feel that a lot of anglers miss out on prime time
fishing by leaving too early.
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A
good looking Stour roach
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A
good fish lost
I
did lose a particularly good fish during dusk on the second
trip of the week.With no snags it was a case of simply playing
it in and it was all mine. However the hook pulled and so
all I got to take from it was a few seconds of being connected.
As it turned out, as far as my Stour sessions were concerned,
this fish was the thin line between 'success' and 'failure'
and in this case I was on the wrong side of the line.
The
Stour is one of those rivers that, although it can rise quickly,
also tails off equally so. And with no rainfall of any sort
to drop on its catchment area for several days, it was normal
level, which for a small river like the Stour means that dusk
through into dark will always be the best time to tempt fish
into feeding.
I
also caught a couple of gudgeon while on the river, but as
I avoided the big shoals that are in some stretches, I continued
to fish with single maggot. If I did encounter gudgeon I would
simply have switched to a larger piece of bread or paste to
help avoid them.
The canal to round the week off |
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Tip
of the week
Dusk and
into dark is a prime time for big fish.
So if
possible, stay that extra hour or two and you will find
that it is definitely worthwhile.
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To
finish the week off though I switched from the river to
the local canal. With the temperature on the rise I fancied
a crack at perch. So on the Friday morning I was up while
it was still dark and on my way to my chosen stretch as
the sun was rising. Although a little behind the river,
and no doubt affected by the first overnight frost in a
while, it was still a good 5.9C. So it was with confidence
that I cast a small waggler float about a length or so out.
The
maggot was taken almost immediately by a small gudgeon and
that went out on the livebait rod. Within the hour, the
5g bob suddenly and without any warning whatsoever, disappeared.
The result was not a perch as I hoped, but a small pike.
I added more gudgeon but it was at 12.20pm, as I entered
the last hour of the session that the float once more came
to life and I netted another pike, this one much bigger.
A week that was so promising, certainly as far as the water
temperatures were concerned, had in reality been a struggle.
The best week of the year but one of the hardest. That's
angling for you.
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A
pike right at the end of the week
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Clash
of angling cultures
The
peg that I fished on the canal was a good 15 minute walk from the
access point and on the way I passed numerous swims that remained
vacant. Yet in spite of that, an hour into fishing along came another
angler who promptly set up within pole-touching distance next to
me. Sometimes people do this out of arrogance or a couldn't-care-less
attitude, but more often than not it's just a clash of angling cultures
and no harm is intended. Many anglers fish commercials where in
some cases they sit shoulder to shoulder and fish the small section
of water in front of them.
But
for the specialist fisherman, anything less than 50 yards of frontage
to himself is bordering on the claustrophobic. So when someone pitches
up right alongside you, and particularly when the rest of the canal
is empty, it is a case of cramping your style. But my style wasn't
cramped for long as a couple of hours later he went and I once more
had the feeling of freedom return.
Click
on the icon for this week's video clip
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The
week ahead
At
the time of writing I haven't got a clue! I'm thinking perch
or roach but the upward turn in the temperature has me considering
barbel for the first time this year. But whatever I do,
I'll definitely be out somewhere, that's for sure!
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