Another soaking!
Entry posted by Rusty
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River Kennet, loads of places, weekend of 26th & 27th February 2011
Saturday 26th
With the season coming to an end far too quickly Steve and I decided to implement a plan that we’d been talking about for a while. NAA have an exchange ticket arrangement with Wasing Estates, it allows access to the Kennet upstream of the NAA Aldermarston stretch. Apparently this is predominantly a barbel section but that didn’t stop me figuring that there’s bound to be chub and perch there too. Steve’s more informed judgement was that we ought to take quiver rods too, the river was high and coloured and we may be better off finding a big slack water and dropping in a barbel bait. I was too keen to trot to do that (how I wish I’d listened), my last three weekends haven’t really had the ‘pin twirling and I was missing it.
The day started with a sad text from Steve saying that he wouldn’t be coming (best wishes from Anglersnet friend). The rain was coming down and this had potential to be a grim day but the car was loaded and I had nothing else planned so I replied to Steve and set off. One look at the river and I knew Steve had been right; it was a day for pitching up with a quiver tip under a brolly. I had none of this kit with me (I don’t own a brolly) so resigned myself to a wet, blustery walk from one end to the other trotting as I went. On the few occasions that the sun came out it was quite pleasant but as soon as I thought things were looking up back came the clouds and down came the rain. One circuit was all I managed before deciding to call it a biteless day.
Walking way back to the car I met a Wasings member and we discussed the merits of joining the coarse syndicate. I was thinking of applying but at £260 per year it needs to offer something NAA doesn’t and his view was that unless I was going to fish regularly for barbel it probably isn’t worth it. I enjoy catching the species but I’ve never dedicated the time or timing to do it properly and whilst next season I will have a go at after dark barbelling I can’t see it being a regular occurrence. NAA venues will suffice for the time being.
On the way home the sun came out so I fell for it again and popped into Northcroft to fish the sidestream for a couple of hours. I caught a couple of chublets, a dace (which had very rough skin) and a small perch but on balance it was one of those days when I wish I’d stayed at home.
Sunday 27th
The weather for today was a little more promising with a bright start and a wet afternoon forecast so I thought I’d sneak in a couple of hours at Speen before the rain came. I’ve developed a sort of winter circuit; I fish three swims where I’ve previously caught perch to over 2lbs and a couple more where I ought to have done. It’s a nice leisurely stroll and if one swim fails there’s always the next one.
I’m not a fan of really early starts and by the time I got there the sun was well up and conditions weren’t ideal, it was also colder today but the water temperature was holding its own at 45 degrees F so there was still a chance. Depending on how well my swims have fished the circuit can end at a lock cut before I return. If I’ve caught decent perch then I don’t bother with the lock as it usually produces only small fish. Today I was standing next to it perchless with fingers and toes firmly crossed. Even the tiddlers were teasing me; it took half an hour before the pluck and nibbles turned into a bite and a small perch was swung to hand.
The route back takes me past the James/Yates weirpool; I can never walk past it without giving it a try and despite the gathering clouds today was no different. I’ve only ever caught a couple of small trout from here but today the water level looked very healthy and the gentle back currents at each side of the pool looked deeper and more distinct than usual;
A couple of trots around in a big circle and then a bite on the third go, a small chub of about a pound had been lurking not fifteen feet from where I’d been standing. It was a bit of a surprise to be honest but then I suppose in a weirpool there’s loads of background noise to mask a bit of paddling. As my first chub from this pool he deserves a photo;
After that I tried a small sidestream and happened across a shoal of roach, tiddler roach but as I haven’t caught one for a long time it was worth half an hour. That’s all I got before the clouds gave warning that their payload was about to be dumped by dropping a few spots of rain into the river. That’s all the warning I needed, a brisk wellie clad walk back to the car prevented a repeat of yesterdays soaking.
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