(Non) Frozen VI

Our annual (or perhaps now biannual) trip to The North Pole for the Christmas fish-off - Me, Steve & Dylan - the sixth trip - could this be my year to win? Horrible conditions; windy, raining and worst of all - the trout weren't feeding. It was really hard work!


By midday we'd managed one each - wet through - next fish wins. By about 2pm it was time to quit. Steve & Dyl decided to have a coffee in the lodge before heading home - I thought I'd give it ten more minutes fishing - and a bonus second trout in extra time - finally won one!

Scorecard	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	--	--
Brian	1	4	1	0	--	2	--	2	--	10
Dylan	4	1	2	1	--	4	--	1	--	13
Steve	2	5	1	1	--	3	--	1	--	13

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Anyone For Golf?

A break in the rain, just enough time for a quick round...


Well look at that... A pond...


Fortunately my 7 iron is a fly rod...


Some beautiful little rudd...


And Steve even managed a couple of carp. Golf, yeah right!

Xmas Blank-Saver

All I wanted for Christmas was a Wye pike... and... AND... it didn't happen! Still, water and weather conditions tempted me to give it a go for the afternoon, and it's always lovely to be on The Wye.

I also took some luncheon meat - a few quick bites - ridiculously difficult to hit but eventually I got one - probably the best barbel fight I've ever had (thought I'd foul hooked a big pike).

Merry Christmas bloggers.

Chalk Stream Roach

Quick trip to the chalk stream - stick 'n' pin and half a loaf of bread - I could see roach, and chub, and dace...


But the only the trout wanted to play - even trying to avoid them I still managed over a dozen (including this one twice)...


The only non-trout species was this goldfish! Still it was great to be on the winter river - and great to get a bend in the rod!

RDAA

New logo designed for Reading & District Angling Association (plus a secondary logo for the RDAA Better Fishing Academy). Featuring a traditional(ish) wood-cut style barbel illustration.

Beaky Pike

Cold, cold day on the River Rother trying to find my new river double figure pike - didn't crack it this trip, but I did open my account for the season with this freaky looking pike - always brilliant to land a pike!


Never caught one with a head/mouth like this before, although I have seen photos of them. And it did remind me that watching a pike float bob, then sail away is the most exciting thing in fishing!

TK Minn

TC was going shopping to the maxx and somehow I was roped in - but the river was a twenty minute walk away - could I leave her shopping and snag a barbel? So while she was off touching every item of clothing in the shop (twice) I raced to the riverbank...

Aware that the phone call to stop fishing could come at any moment I had a quick roll in every likely looking spot (pausing briefly to photograph a November butterfly). Just one bite - but it was all I needed - an excellent shopping trip!!

Fishing-Fix

One thing or another has kept me off the riverbank for nearly three weeks - including missing a 3 day trip to The Wye & Severn with James. Not enough time to go pike fishing, but I managed to squeeze a quick fishing-fix on the Small River in - a couple of hours, four barbel banked - a bend in the rod and a smile on my face!

Luncheon Meat & Sole

A couple of very quick trips to the Small River, the second of which I spotted this beauty sat between two weedbeds - a proper fight - and a fantastic double at 10lb 12oz! They are turning their noses up at bread now - only luncheon meat will do - autumn is offically here!


And the sole... Not an 'eel... Guess I was in the right plaice...

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With the weather finally turning and summer a distant memory I thought I'd look back on my Pre-Season targets:

• Take my Small River barbel total to over 1,500 fish - 1,591
• A new PB rudd (2lb+), roach (2lb+) or perch (3lb+) - 2lb 10oz
• A new river (Thames?) double figure barbel - Severn
• And a double figure pike from a new water

Three of four checked off - I still fancy a crack at the roach & perch PBs - but that last target needs to be addressed!

Finposters

Had to use up the remaining maggots from The Itchen - only one thing for it - an afternoon on the Small River chasing gudgeon - and I caught loads! Probably 30+, so I thought I'd have a mini species hunt. Eight species including 2 ultra-rare perch and 12 mini-barbel...

...Cracking afternoon!

Autumn Colours

A very sunny 26° - October t-shirt weather, not ideal conditions for a grayling fishing trip - but it's always great to be on the riverbank. A trip to the Lower Itchen with Danny, Keith & James...


Bit of a catch up - and a lot of wandering about on a beautiful stretch of the river - just to see what was around the next corner. Plus some stunning looking fish on the stick 'n' pin...


Thirty plus grayling...


Two salmon parr...


A couple of dozen brown trout...


Felt like hundreds of minnows...


And a couple of Sea trout.

Lucky Severn

His Barbel Quest took James back to The Severn, I tagged along as I've never fished it before. We headed to a tidal section - a low population of fish, but they were rumoured to be big...

James was trying to add a double to his quest, I just wanted my first Severn barbel. Meat had worked well on The Wye but I wasn't convinced here - so I set up a second rod fishing a 16mm pellet...

To cut a long day short - fishing about 100 yards apart - only one bite between us in 12 hours (48 rod-hours). A barbel fell for the pellet - and what a barbel - it's always better to be lucky than good!!


One bite, one fish - 12lb 2oz - that'll do!


What a way to open my Severn account!!

Shooting James 2

Day 2: James & the camera crew slept in bivvies - I crashed out in the car - was up before dawn, while James was in hair & make up (not really, they were waiting for enough light) - I headed onto The Wye...


Great start - 8lb 13oz - luncheon meat accounting for all the fish.


Followed by - 9lb 7oz - rolled or very light ledger.


Surviving trespassers will be shot again.


Well over time now - 7lb 7oz - as the sun came out.


And 5lb 7oz - before hacking it back to London.

Shooting James 1

Day 1: James was doing a Drennen video, did I want to come down? Ummm. It's on a private stretch of the River Wye. Hell yeah! Water conditions weren't great after the recent rain - but it was very interesting to see how it was filmed. Did I take a rod with me?


Of course! First up - 8lb 0oz - they were feeding in the flood.


Oi you London folk - Get off my land!


Next up - 8lb 15oz - the business end.


Quick Pez - taste of America (can't get Pibb Xtra here).


And 9lb 5oz - thanks for the invite James - a fantastic day!