Excellent end to the season!

[Captain Pelvis]

First things first ive fished this stream for about 2 years. no-one else does so the potential is not fully known but i began by setting myself a target to get a 4lb chub and a 2lb perch from there. i did however think both difficult as i hadnt seen a fish near that size in there, however....read on

 

Well i managed to swap my shift at work with a mate allowing me to fish my favourite little stream on the last day (this is the same tiny 10 foot wide river i mentioned in a perch topic ages ago incase anyone remembers).I had everything ready on friday night so i was up by 5 and away bye half past, it takes me around 30 minutes to walk the mile or so with my gear to the river. After feeding a few swims with maggots and bread i settled into my usual swim as the sun was peaking over the horizon, float fishing maggot and ledgering worm to a snag. Lost a few good roach and had a nice chub for the stretch of around 1lb 8oz on the worm but the swim went completely quite and didnt respond all day after that.

 

Time for plan B. I moved to a swim were i had recently had a quality 2lb 12oz chub and some 1lb perch (i actually mentioned this swim in the perch thread but until saturday had never given it a proper go). It looked really nice so i settled here. Heres the swim:

I casted the ledgered lobworm tipped with a red maggot between the overhangs infront of those animal holes. i continued to fish with the float but still had nothing so tried a spinner and had a small about 1lb jack. Then i began having takes on the worm with chub of 2lb 8oz and 3lb 1oz and a number of perch too 1lb 14oz (what a result! best trip for along time and a new pb perch!). Then i had another small jack on the drop. Here is a picture of them both and how similar in size they are:

The swim then seemed to go dead with no fish for a while. I just began dozing in the warm sun when a single bleep of the alarm and i was up and into a good fish. It went straight into the snags but after a tentative minute or two i got it out into open water, when it came up it looked huge to me! Obviously a new pb chub but i didnt know what it would go but it looked over 4lb. On the scales it went 4lb 7oz and i was absolutely delighted, it was a very thick and fat fish something i really didnt expect from this stream. Here are two photos:

I was genuinely buzzing as i had caught a fish i had set out to catch and put in the hours for it. Now i left the swim for a while to let myself cool down and also let the swim call down, after no success for about half an hour and just one signal crayfish and a knock i decided to try the other side of the snag. i fed a few maggots and then casted out. After a while i had a good take and the powerful fish surged off, after a short but spirited fight i landed another PB! This time it was a 2lb perch!!! I had caught both my target fish in one day! i was so pleased with myself i decided to pack up as i was quite tired, running out of bait and wanting to listen to the Leicester v Millwall match (which we won 1-0 ).

 

Well thats all for this season. Im very happy with what i had caught even though for most these are both fairly small but in my opinion for such a tiny unfished stream these fish were great. come the summer i may even try for a 5lb chub which is a specimen isnt it? Finally i have gone on abit and i apologise, here are just a few more pictures:

My two PB perch the top fish is the very fat 2lber.

The 2lber.

Finally just me appreciating such a fine fish

 

Apologese for the size of the images. I hope everyone else did well on their last day also, hopefully you will here more from me (and the stream) in the summer.

 

Tight Lines.

 

Apologeses i forgot to mention that it was free fishing!

Edited March 15, 2009 by Captain Pelvis

[1superken]

Well done excellent session & some cracking fish

 

Nice one

[The Flying Tench]

Yes, fantastic to get both your targets on the last day like that! Beautiful fish, too!

 

John

[Guest Rabbit]

Well done very good write up and some very good pictures too.. watch out Matt Hayes.

I understand how you feel about fishing and football at the same time, being a life long Bristol City Supporter and fishing nut there have been some carefully selected swims where I could tune into the match.

Foxes won too so a great day, looks like promotion which is good, as I quite fancy an easy 6 points next season, providing we don't get promoted to the Prem

Once again well done , ain't small streams great

[Guest Rabbit]

Forgot to mention I drew a blank Lost a barbel (hook pull) funny thing was the same swim gave me the same result on June 16th still not a bad season with a pb barbel at 12lb...roll on June.

[tiddlertamer]

I had caught both my target fish in one day! i was so pleased with myself i decided to pack up as i was quite tired, running out of bait and wanting to listen to the Leicester v Millwall match (which we won 1-0 ).

 

 

Talking of footballing and fishing tales, I’m sure I read somewhere about an angler fishing the Trent river close to the Nottingham Forest football ground one Saturday.

As three o’clock approached, football fans began to approach the City Ground, no doubt fired up by a pint or two of the local ale, to cheer on their team.

Then, the angler struck, and a weighty roach began a zig zagging fight in a bid to throw the hook.

A crowd of football fans gathered around the angler. Perhaps fired on by those pints of Burton ale, or whatever was on offer in their local pubs, about 50 football fans began to cheer on the angler.

Warming up to the chants they would later be shouting out for their team, the Nottingham Forest fans cheered on their local man as he landed his prize fish.

Not quite the bucolic country experience that many of us enjoy about fishing but it must of have been pleasant to land a decent fish in front of a supportive audience!

Well done by the way on a splendid day’s catch.

Edited March 16, 2009 by tiddlertamer

[Captain Pelvis]

thank you all very much and thankyou Steve Howard for scoring! Talking about next season i think i wont be fishing saturdays anymore as i really need a season ticket to the Walkers Stadium so i can watch us climb the table (top half of the table will do nicely and push for promotino after that). Regarding the cheering Forrest fans that will be the only thing they have to cheer about seeing as we will get an easy 6 points off them next season if they dont go down.

 

once again thanks for the comments and fingers crossed come the summer months those PBs will rise.

[Angly]

Smashing result, and an illustrated write-up that would put many of us to shame.

[Anderoo]

What a session! Fantastic stuff, and a really excellent write-up and photos. If you can catch fish like that from small streams you're doing very well - chub especially can be really spooky. The fish look in great condition. I wonder what other secrets are tucked away there...?

[ForZiE]

some nice fish there. Good end to the river season. I had a blank on the last day even into darkness, not even a nibble.

My mate who i went with got a cracking 5lb 2oz chub on quad red maggot with squid dip. Lovely end for the season for him!!