Del_R

Hi Ken. Yes, it was easy enough to cast accurately on the canal, it was more about trying (and failing) to find a methodology that might work at distance. I also feel nervous about having the line clipped up and a big fish taking my bait - although that's never happened yet! Cheers Derek

I've never really used the line clips on my reels before now, other than to keep the line nice and neat in between sessions... In fact on all my reels getting the line behind the clip is a bit of a pain. That aside, I've been doing some feeder fishing on the Gloucester Sharpness canal and have been experimenting with clipping up in order to get the feeder to the same spot every time. But my brain is hurting... Let's say I cast to the centre of the canal, do I stop the line (with a finger) the moment my rig hits the water, and thus as the rig sinks (this canal is probably 20 feet deep) the rig swings towards me underwater. Or do I not let trap the line, and let the rig sink where it landed and strip out another 20 feet or so of line? Either way, I now clip up. If I do the first of my choices, the rig isn't where I want it to be, instead it's swung towards me under water? If I do the latter, when I recast the extra 20 feet of line will see my rig sailing past the centre channel, hit the water with a big splash, but instead of then sinking down and arcing towards the ideal point underwater, it'll now rest on the far side ledge. The same puzzle would occur if I was trying to cast to a far island (not on the Gloucester Sharpness, of course, There are very few islands on the Gloucester canal). If I amazingly managed a cast that saw my rig land within, say a foot of the island, and the rig now sinks, say four feet. If I now clip up my next cast will be onto the island. How do I clip up to get that close again? On the canal I gave up and just cast to the middle of the channel each time and caught some nice bream, but it's still puzzling me. Cheers Derek

Thanks for the reply, Phone. Following on from the above I found a Facebook group for Teme anglers and they said the same - that the upper reaches dry out every year, so maybe the photos above had a hint of the non-story about them really. Their recent photos of the Teme downstream look a lot more healthy and folks are catching a few chub and barbel, so I think I will give it a go one of these weekends. Derek

A few years back I used to get up to the Teme in Worcestershire. Caught my first ever barbel and chub there and it was a beautiful river. Thinking about getting up there again, but can't get last summer's photos out of my mind when the heatwave dried up great swathes of the river. How long would it take for a river like that to get back to some kind of natural equilibrium - I would have guessed several years? (Assuming no repeat of the heatwave). Anyone been on the Teme this season yet? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-44722945 Derek

I'm thinking of just sitting on my unhooking mat - it's quite thick and comfy, and rarely wet...

I've been lure fishing a lot these last few years and enjoyed the freedom of just taking a small bag, one rod and reel, a net, and just a few items of tackle. Compared to my river fishing trips of the same period - a great big rucksack (that itself is meant to be part of the roving angler's arsenal, and I guess it is when compared to the wheel-barrows of many anglers), and two rods, and every pocket of that rucksack filled with something... I swapped that great big rucksack for a much smaller bag.But I found I was still carrying way too much. So the last couple of trips I've kind of reverted to long lost days of yore - one rod, a small trout bag, in which I have a small box of bits and pieces, a few floats, a flask of coffee, and a pint of maggots. I have a light roving chair, unhooking mat, and a landing net. It's been brilliant. Bag over the shoulder, chair and net in one hand, rod and landing net handle in the other. Just the job. I've jotted down what kit I actually used in anger these last few trips: Rod, reel, chair, flask, scissors, packet of hooks, disgorger, split-shot, maggots, float, float adaptor, rodrest, towel, loop tyer, unhooking mat That's it. When I look at all the stuff I'm still taking n addition to the above, I reckon I can get down lighter still, although one needs to keep a few options open for the river bank. Derek

... Sensas Easy Loop. My loops have never been so neat! Fine addition to my very small tackle bag. Derek

I thoroughly enjoyed the series. I know who the two of them are, but I must confess I've never ever seen a Bob Mortimer or Paul Whitehouse programme in my life, so I came to the show (on the recommendation of a friend) with an open mind about them and their humour. I thought it was a lovely show, and they fished some beautiful venues.

I've logged in for the first time in an age, too - forgot my password and there's no way to retrieve it as the forgotten password routine doesn't work. But now I've remembered it and here I am :-)

I got into lure fishing a few years back partly because I didn't have a car at the time and I could carry all I needed on my pushbike. As you say, it was like going back in time. When I was a kid we cycled everywhere and didn't think about carrying too much tackle - all the tackle I had fitted in a small box, with my one rod and reel tied to the cross bar off we went. A while back I noticed I was starting to carry too much stuff again. I bought a small holdall to force my hand a bit... yet I'm still carrying too much! I'm on a session by session mission to reduce stuff to the minimum. Part of the joy of angling for me is to be able to wander along the river bank, for miles if necessary, enjoying the walk and the scenery as much as the fishing itself.

I was loading my rucksack this morning and realised that the most voluminous and weighty items was the feed - for me! It was freezing cold so in went a litre of water, a kettle, a metal mug, two pot noodles and some coffee, a stove, knives and forks,and a cannister of propane. All the fish had was a pint of maggots and a tin of sweetcorn! Was nice sipping on a steaming pot noodle watching my float do very little though

Interesting! I've been lure fishing for several seasons, partly because I had to get the kit down to a level I could carry on a push bike. Alas, I'm so rubbish at lure fishing I'm going to try some regular bait fishing again. This methodology looks to be just the job... even though I have a car again now :-) Kind regards, Derek

All my fishing the last few years has been done via bicycle. No only is it a great way to combine two passions, but I get to cycle along the tow-path to swims where few other anglers seem to get to. Alas, few fish appear to get to these swims, either. Derek

Hi Emma, I haven't posted here for a few years, but have been actively lure fishing in that time - often with good folk I met through the LAS. A great little organisation and very much alive and kicking ;-) Lure fishing is the only style of fishing I've done since selling the car at the height of the recession as I can fit everything I need on my pushbike. kind regards, Derek

Yep, it felt great. One of those things that I wished I done months back. Cycling actually took the place of angling in terms of Saturday and Sunday mornings over the last year or two. Had to do something and I like to be out there in the open air away from everyone. To combine the two will be superb. Derek