The last blog of 2014 from Martin... Sunday 13th December I thought it would be a quiet day so a good time to go shopping with Kate, after an hour facing the mass of people I decided it wasn’t a good idea so was pleased when it was finished. No doubt there were other days planned so I gave Kate a wad of cash so she could go off and spend several days wandering the shops knowing she enjoys the experience, I hate the whole idea of trudging around shops preferring the quiet of the countryside and water’s edge. I was off the hook as they say no pun intended, I then spent the rest of the day reading and listening to sport on the radio. Monday 14th December I was on the top beat of the River Ribble at 1000 hrs. after a walk around I went off to the bottom beat where I checked the water temperature getting a reading of 40 degrees F, then it was off to bait a few spots with some Cheese Mania flavoured mashed bread returning half an hour later. I put together a Lone Angler chub rod matched with a fixed spool reel 6lb fluorocarbon line to which I attached a size 4 Pallatrax barbless hook, putting a loaf of bread some Cheese Mania paste along with shot and hooks into my Lone Angler bait bucket I picked up my rod landing net and sponge before making my way to a swim just upstream of the weir pool. Pinching 3 LG shot on the line about 6 inches from the hook I wrapped them in plastacine then baited with cheese flavoured crust I fished for about an hour with no bites, then my friend Albert turned up with his so we went off to the cabin for a brew ten minutes later another friend David arrived we spent an hour or more having a good chat. When they all left I went back to my swim sitting in the reeds waiting for a bite I was surprised at the sudden appearance of a Kingfisher which perched on my rod where it sat peering into the water, I held my breath daring not to move after about a minute this beautiful bird dived quickly returning with a minnow which it tapped on the rod before swallowing head first. It then ruffled up its feathers shook itself as if to say that was good. Certainly a far better angler than me as I ended the day fishless, but my prize was watching that Kingfisher up close. During the day several flocks of Fieldfare could be seen moving across the fields often landing on Hawthorne bushes just upstream of where I was seated to feed on the red berries known as bread and cheese when I was a boy. Tuesday 15th December I was on the River Ribble just after 0900 hrs., first job was to get some fresh meat for the mink traps. With no rabbits about I scanned the tree tops I was lucky to get 2 grey squirrels as fresh bait. I had enough for 4 traps one which I put underneath the cabin the other three were placed in the reeds just above the flood line then covered with flood debris. Checking the water temperature I got a reading of 42 degrees F then made a brew, the river flowing high and fast I had to forget the idea to have a day’s float fishing using the Lone Angler float rod which I’m most impressed with. I feel it will be the rod for the future especially for those who want to target above average chub barbel and tench with float tackle, I must mention mullet if you haven’t fished for these marine species my advice is give it a try they are exciting fish and forget all the rubbish written about these fish as being uncatchable with soft mouths. I then walked to the bottom of the beat dropping in a handful of mashed bread laced with a good application of Sausage Sizzle spray in all the quiet spots close to the bank or behind the odd fallen tree, as I walked the beat lots of fieldfare were seen walking back to the cabin I spotted 2 kingfishers one was perched on a far bank willow branch. The other flying low and fast close to the water. Back at the cabin I put together my Lone Angler chub rod matched with a Mitchell 300 reel and 6lb fluorocarbon line then attached a size 6 Pallatrax barbless hook. I was going to start fishing with Sausage Sizzle flavoured crust so I lightly pinched on 2 LG shot six inches from the hook covering the shot with plastacine, should I get hooked up in the rocks I can often pull free just losing some of the plastacine. Putting a box of shot hooks and a loaf of bread in my Lone Angler bait bucket I was ready to try and catch some fish, picking up rod, landing net and my bit of sponge to sit on I walked to the bottom of the beat. Within a minute of making my first cast I had a quick pull round hooking a good fighting fish which turned out to be a heavy weight trout probably pushing 3lbs, these triploid trout really do fight as they don’t spawn and lose condition. I fished on for fifteen minutes the moved upstream to the next swim, fifteen minutes later with no interest in that spot I move upstream again to my next baited spot. I was getting quite despondent with no chub, suddenly the tip pulled round quite savagely I didn’t need to strike the fish was hooked then it powered off downstream in the fast water, For several minutes it was an interesting contest but eventually the balanced tackle proved the winner as I pulled a good chub over the waiting net. On the scales it weighed 4lb 11 ounces I was more than happy. I fished on for another twenty minutes catching a trout around the pound mark. Then decided on some lunch where I ended up with burnt gammon and toast forgetting I’d got food under the grill being more interested trying to shoot a rabbit outside the cabin. The afternoon session accounted for 2 more chub about 3lbs each and another pound plus trout, as dusk approached I headed off home before it got dark as I don’t like to drive in the darkness these days which means I often miss out on the best of the fishing. Wednesday 17th I was 1030 hrs. when I got on the river bank my first job was to check the mink traps, I was in luck finding a big dark coloured male which was quickly dispatched so a few more song and ground nesting birds along with sand martins and moorhens will survive. The mink is the biggest killer in the countryside and let’s not forget today’s mink originate from those released by the antis many years ago and these people say they care., allowing these animals to escape into the countryside was irresponsible as we have seen the mink have decimated the water voles. Checking the water temperature I got a reading of 43 degrees the gauge was reading 4 feet with the river pushing through and dirty with lots of rubbish. No way could I not have a couple of hours fishing in the very mild conditions. Using the same tackle as the day before I headed downstream to fish the same swim where the Kingfisher showed me the way it should be done. I started off with Sausage Sizzle flavoured crust dropping the bait a foot out from the bank ten feet downstream, as I sat holding the rod I watched a kingfisher zooming upriver then coming towards me before veering off at the last moment, it seems as if I might be in his winning swim. Suddenly the tip pulled round taking me by surprise I tightened into a good fish which in the fast water put up a good fight but slowly I was winning saying to myself “Don’t come off” or words to that effect soon I was drawing a good fish over the net. I thought immediately it might go 5lbs, on the scales it went 4lb 13 ounces but I was more than happy with the weight. I then moved to swim below the weir pool catching another chub about 4lbs on a large piece of Sausage Sizzle paste which was quickly followed by a fish about 2lbs. Half an hour later with the river rising fast the light fading I had to leave so I could be home before darkness it had been another enjoyable day and sharing it with lots of fieldfare. Thursday 18th December I was on the river bank at 0800hrs the wind was gale force south westerly with heavy rain, further up the River Ribble in the Settle area the forecast was for 11 hours of heavy rain. The gauge only records the water height of 6 feet today it was submerged in very muddy swirling water by six inches or more, not really good for chub fishing, no doubt anglers fishing several miles downstream would probably catch barbel on big smelly baits such as Cheese Mania. After walking both beats and checking my mink traps which by law have to be done every 24 hours I returned to the cabin for a brew. As I sat drinking tea and looking out of the cabin door at the fast muddy river and rain sodden countryside I decided I wouldn’t fish, being retired I can fish any day of the week tomorrow if the river drops a couple of feet I could then get lucky and enjoy a very good days sport. Back home the builders gave me the keys to my new garage I spent a couple of hours putting everything back that had been stored in my sheds. Friday 19th December I had a hairdressing appointment at 0900hrs which meant it was 0945 hrs. when I arrived on the river bank the first thing I noticed was no river gauge, I could see by all the debris close to the cabin that the river had been well over the banks probably 9 feet plus of water over night I reckon a large tree must have come floating down the river and rip the water height gauge from the river bed. That’s another job on my long list of work for spring time all part of a river keepers work which I enjoy immensely except all the rubbish I have to clear away discarded by the general public as they are too lazy to take home or use a litter bin I often think what their homes must be like. Checking the water temperature I got a reading of 44 degrees F but with the amount of hail today I reckon there might be drop in the temps tomorrow but a warm front is forecast for Sunday so hopefully I can get in a few hours of float fishing. Saturday 20th December the day started rather horrid with gale force wind and heavy rain by 1000hrs the weather had improved as I arrived on the banks of the River Ribble, I could now see my lost gauge wasn’t lost but was useless being bent over at an acute angle thankfully it was set in concrete 3 years ago. Checking the water temperature I got a reading of 44 degrees the water level was around 3 feet but it was guess work. First job was pre-bait a few spots with mashed bread then fit chicken wire to some stiles, as I was doing so one of my bailiffs shot a cormorant also a goosander as I have licences for both species of fish eaters. I retrieved a trout of at least 1.5lbs from the throat of the cormorant on opening up the gut I found a small chub and another trout, finishing off my work for the day I made my way back to the cabin to join Tam, Peter and Brian three of my bailiffs for a mug of tea and a sandwich. An hour later the lads went off to the top beat as I walked downstream arriving at the first of my three baited swims where I quietly crept in to position then sat down on a piece of sponge, I baited a size 6 Pallatrax hook with a piece of crust then cast downstream to where some reeds were growing out from the bank creating a nice slack. Five minutes later the rod pulled round in a determined fashion the strike connected with a nice fish which soon ended up in the landing net a chub about 2lbs which I released twenty yards upstream, baiting with another piece of crust I made a cast to the same spot within seconds I had a good pull hooking another chub about 2lbs again released upstream. In the next two hours I had eleven chub between 2 and 3lbs all on cheese mania flavoured bread crust or flake both baits worked, usually I move after a couple of fish returning later to the swim. Today with the rain sheeting down I stopped in my first choice swim as I was sheltered by a large willow tree, then as the light started to go I had to leave so I could get home before darkness. It would have been great to have stopped on in the darkness for couple of hours, but with the forecast for tomorrow Sunday giving a warm front the water temperature might go up another 2 degrees F also I will be fishing with my friend Brendan so we will fish until late. With luck one of us might get hooked up to a big chub. I would like to take this opportunity of wishing all the readers and their families a very Merry Christmas and Happy Healthy New Year.
Posted on: Sat, 20 Dec 2014 20:06:48 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015