A Great Start to the 2007/08 Season

I suppose it was around three in the afternoon of June 16th 2007 when Ewan Turner of Southport and I arrived on the bank of the River Kennet which looked delightful, especially as it carried a few inches of extra water. Far better than last year when I refused to fish the rivers for much of the summer months until there had been some appreciable rainfall. In fact I did most of my fishing on the coast or in still waters.
Thankfully this year we are having what I would best describe as a normal summer. Long may the rain showers continue? All the trees were cloaked in their new coats of green, wild flowers were in profusion including some beautiful fox gloves.

Pigeons cooed in the nearby trees, blackbird’s wrens, robins, blue and great tits were hunting for caterpillars and other food items, while the green woodpeckers with their dipping flight and manical laughing call were going about their business. The flora and fauna mean as much to me as the fish I catch. In fact the whole ambience of my surroundings is most important. No way could I fish many of the modern still waters with their cafes, bars and all the other trappings of modern life. It was lovely to be back in the pristine wilderness of the beautiful Wasing Estate where the fishery manager John Butler and his staff have worked wonders in repairing all the damage and destruction caused by the storms of last winter. The only thing that saddens me are the number of people these days who bivvy up on the banks of such delightful small rivers.

Having checked the permits of those fishing on the Dalston, Warren and Brimpton beats It was off to check the Aldermaston beat, This done we went off to Tadley Angling to collect worms and gentles, my chosen baits for tench fishing on a Aquatek’s Midgham lakes. We called in at Sainsbury’s for some shopping, and then off to meet up with my old friend, or should I say young friend Will Carter. Not only is he an avid barbel angler, he fishes for carp at that most delightful of carp waters Redmire. Though a keen angler he makes sure his three lovely children and his delightful and attractive partner Sonia are not forgotten. Will and Sonia are a lovely couple and hopefully in the not too distant future they will tie the knot. As is often the case I forgot my sleeping bag and pillow but Will got things sorted out. Back at our base camp Ewan and I unpacked soon everything was ship shape. Having cooked and eaten dinner, it was time for a session on the river Kennet at Dalston.

On this first day of a new season my 66th year at this great pastime I chose to fish for barbel, which I reckon would be a wise choice after a three month lay off. Let’s be honest, we all want to catch on June 16th and the barbel is not the most difficult of fish to catch. I chose to roam the fishery dropping sausage meat or Pallatrax jungle paste baits into every likely looking spot. I matched a centre pin reel holding Gamma 10lb line with a Grauvelle Specialist rod with a one and a half pound test curve. I reckon it was the perfect match for these hard fighting fish. Having tied on a size 4 Partridge barbless hook with a five turned tucked blood knot I lightly pinched on the line some fifteen inches from the hook one LG shot. I was ready for the off. A hundreds yards upstream of the car park I could see the perfect crease as the water flowed under some over hanging alder branches. Creeping slowly into position I sat down and baited with a pigeon size bit of sausage meat. After quietly lowering the bait into the swim I sat enjoying my surroundings and the bird song. Ten minutes later I felt a light pluck, that wasn’t a crayfish I thought. Suddenly the tip whacked round I was hooked up to my first barbel of the season. After a brief struggle I netted a fish of about 6lbs ending the session with three fish to about eight pounds, while Ewan also caught his first fish a barbel about six pounds. It was great fun session. As Ewan sat enjoying a glass of red wine, me a mug of Yorkshire Gold tea we both agreed it was great being back. As I zipped up my sleeping bag I thought of the next day’s tench fishing as I drifted off to sleep.

Gravel Pit Fishing

On Sunday morning after a late breakfast we drove off to the village of Woolhampton where just outside the village alongside the Old Bath Road are two mature gravel pits holding some good tench, carp and perch, where the fishing is controlled by Kevin Rolls of Aquatek. It was around midday when we arrived; Paul Smythe of Thatcham suggested we fish close to some water lilies, feeding with gentles and fishing either float tackle or the method. We both chose the former. Having given my swim a good raking and baiting with crumb mix containing hemp, corn and gentles, I had a walk around the lake. What surprised me were the large number of carp present in the pits. An hour later back in my swim I set about putting some tackle together choosing to fish a sliding float rig. Meanwhile Ewan had already taken three perch the best weighing two pounds. Three hours later without a bite or the sign of any feeding fish we called it a day. Although I didn’t catch I did see some good tench roll well out in the lake, on what I reckon was a gravel bar. Tomorrow I would check out the area. It was time for tea then a late barbel session on the Kennet. It was around nine o’clock when we arrived on the Brimpton beat. We chose to fish the same swim; it was the right choice as we both had fish showing interest in our baits. During the two hour session, Ewan lost a good fish while I caught four the best about seven pounds.

Back on Aquatek’s Midgham Lakes

Today I decided to rake and bait a small bay on the roadside, where the wind had been blowing into for several days, for about ten feet out from the bank, the water averaged two feet then plunged away to thirteen fourteen feet. Having raked and baited the swim with brown crumb containing sweet corn, hemp, chopped boilies and worms. I then went off looking for carp. Tackle was a Grauvelle Specialist rod, Mitchell 300 reel and 10lb Gamma line with a size 4 hook. Bait a loaf of bread, walking around the big lake I come across a very weedy bay. Crouching low behind some reed mace I peered intently into the water several carp moving around. I thought “Those carp are for catching” Baiting with a chunk of bread I cast out, so the bread was close to some weed. Minutes later I spotted a nice common moving towards the bait. Seconds later it sucked in the bait, the answering strike connected with an angry fish which moved off quickly for the open water. I was more than confident in the tackle and cramped on the pressure, stopping the fish in its track then bullied the fish back through the weed, then netted a nice common of about 13lbs. The old baits still work, yet I had been told bread was a blown bait. During the next hour moving around the lake looking for feeding carp I caught several more low doubles. They might not have been twenty or thirty pounders but great fishing. Back in my baited swim I made up a sliding float rig baiting with lobworm and corn. After about three hours fishing with just two missed bites I called it a day. Before leaving I once again raked and baited the area.

After dinner Ewan and I went off to the River Kennet on the Dalston beat. What should have been a good session, turned into a session of poor angling on my part, then I suppose we all have these days. I hooked six fish losing three through hook slippage, that I reckon is bad angling, even worse I missed three good bites. I did land three barbel averaging around nine pounds the best and my first double of the season weighed ten pounds four ounces. The big fish picked up a chunk of free lined Pallatrax Jungle paste. It was my only bite on this bait; all the others were on sausage meat paste. Ewan apart from losing what he thought was a good fish in a snag didn’t get a fish though he fished hard. Still that’s fishing.

Eyeball to Eyeball with Carp

Next morning after a late start we didn’t get up until about ten o’clock we were back on the Aquatek lakes around noon, I chose to fish my previously baited swim in the roadside bay, while Ewan fished a swim on the opposite bank. I fished a Pallatrax in line stones weight with hair rigged corn on one rod, and sliding float rig with lobworm and corn or bread flake as bait on the other rod. I then left the swim for an hour and went off looking for carp. Today I had bread and lobworms for bait. Moving around the lake I scanned the water surface for signs of feeding or moving fish.

In a small area of open water among some dense weed I spotted a smoke screening fish, it’s a name given by the late Richard Walker to describe carp disturbing the bottom as it feeds, in doing so it creates an area of cloudy muddy water. The next minute this fish moved from rooting, to an upright position. A good mirror carp. Creeping on hands and knees Indian fashion I moved as close to the fish as I dare, which was no more than ten feet from the fish. I lowered a worm baited hook into the clear water a foot in front of the fish. I could see its gills and pectoral fins occasionally moving. As the worm slowly drifted down the fish followed. I controlled my breathing as if I was on a rifle range. This was as close an encounter with a fish as was possible. My heart beat must have increased as the fish slowly moved its mouth over the bait.

The line twitched, then twitched again, the fish righted itself I could see the line going in the direction of its mouth. A controlled strike set the hook, suddenly the water was swirling and boiling as drops of water and weed seemed to go everywhere. The rod tip pulled down savagely, my reel screamed like a scolded cat as the fish tried to put as much distance as possible from me. The fight was on. I reckon some thirty yards of line went in that first rush. Ten minutes later I had the fish in the landing net. It went fifteen and a half pounds. It was some of the most exciting fishing I have had in a long time. As I sat having a fresh brew, my mind went back to the far off days of the 1950’s when we stalked fish, rather than sitting behind our rods. I caught three more double figure carp another mirror and two commons, one on floating crust, two on slowly sinking bits of flake. Back in my other swim I had my first tench of the summer and missed a couple of good takes on the method mix. I fished on until about six o’clock then decided it was time for dinner, then a session on the river.

Plagued by Crayfish

For our evening session on the River Kennet we chose to fish the Warren beat, it wasn’t a good choice the crayfish were everywhere I fished two rods in an open area of water I hadn’t fished before. One rod was baited with sausage meat the other with Pallatrax Jungle. The crayfish were everywhere, I reckon I rebaited every four or five minutes. In fact I was getting really fed up with the crayfish. Unless things improved I would have an early night. After an hour without a fish or any interest. It was time for a fresh brew. I called to Ewan “Tea is made” collecting his mug of tea he said “Lots of crayfish taking my bait” Discussing the problem we agreed we couldn’t find an answer, we both agreed to give it another hour. Apart from one small barbel about five pounds which I caught on sausage meat we didn’t get any other signs of feeding fish, I suppose we packed up about ten thirty that evening.

A Tench and Carp Session

I suppose it was about noon when Ewan dropped me off at the Aquatek’s water, the weather was over cast, and heavy showers were forecast. Ewan wasn’t fishing today; he was going off to Tadley Library to do some studying. Having baited the swim in the roadside bay I made up two outfits, a Pallatrax in line stones weight fishing hair rigged corn. Though I still persisted with a sliding float rig using lobworm and corn or bread flake as bait. As I sat there waiting for a bite I spotted a tench roll close to the bank thirty yards away. “That fish is feeding" I thought I decided on a move.

The new area had two ledges, one with about six feet of water under the rod tip which went out for about eight feet before it plunged away to some twelve feet. I fished popped up corn close in, a float fished lobworm and corn cocktail on the sliding float rig. Within minutes the float disappeared the strike connected with a tench about five pounds. Then the dough bobbin on my other rod moved upwards the answering strike connecting with a fish which kited to my left. Soon a fully scaled mirror carp was in the net alongside the tench. It proved a good move. Releasing the fish I made a brew.

Within minutes of casting out I had another fish on worm and corn, netting what I realised was a good one. On the scales it weighed six pound four ounces. During the next couple of hours I caught nine tench with an average of around five pounds. Suddenly the fish were gone. Thirty minutes of no action, I went off looking for carp. In that last hour I caught six by stalking them in the margin using bread crust or flake. These baits still work despite many telling me they are old fashioned. Old they might be, but fish still eat them if you don’t first spook the fish.

After this interesting session with the carp and tench, Ewan and I went off to Will Carter’s house where we were made most welcome. Then it was into Sainsbury’s to get some food and tins of corn for the fish. This supermarket corn costs less than eighteen pence. Certainly an excellent buy, why pay more. Lets be honest corn is corn whatever the price. Its how it’s fished that counts. I well remember being told by one carp angler that corn was a blown bait on the water I was fishing. When I said “When did you last try corn as bait” he said “About six years ago” The next day when fishing for tench I also caught a few carp, the bait was corn. After dinner it was back on the Kennet, where sadly Ewan blanked, while I managed a couple of fish, but the crayfish were again a problem. We fished for no more than a couple of hours. Back at base Ewan had a glass of red wine, for me it was tea and toast.

A Big Perch

Next day despite the torrential rain showers we were back on Aquatek’s lake, Ewan chose to fish a swim on the far bank while I fished the swim where the day before I caught the tench. Baiting with a can of corn and chopped worms, I fished as I did the day before. Popped up corn on the leger rod was dropped in the shallow water swim, while I fished the corn and worm cocktail bait on the sliding float rig in the deeper water. In the first hour I had several bites where the float just dipped, then rose in the water about half an inch. I missed them all, I didn’t think they were crayfish as the bait wasn’t marked. Rebaiting and casting out for the eighth time the float again dipped a fraction then lifted. This time the answering strike connected with a powerful fish which went off to my right staying deep as it did so. Was it a tench I said to myself? A minute later I thought “Could this be one of those big perch that anglers have told me about”.

For a couple of nervous minutes I played the fish gently, suddenly my heart was in my mouth as everything went solid, the fish had found a snag or weed bed in some fourteen feet of water. I put pressure on from the right, then the left, still it wouldn’t budge. After a minute or so of intense pressure the fish moved off to my left I was now able to get some line back on the reel. Peering into the gin clear water I spotted the fish for the first time. It was a big perch, in fact a very big perch. Even more so as it was a summer fish. A minute or so later with its prickly dorsal fin erect it appeared on the surface. Then the danger moment as it shook its head twisting and turning as it did so. I pushed the landing net out as far as possible; with a gentle lift of the rod I drew the fish over the waiting net then lifted. It was mine. On the scales it went three pound thirteen ounces a new personal best. A fish that could well go four and a half pounds in February. After a couple of quick pictures I watched my prize swim off strongly. It was also time for the rain to sheet down once again. I just sat there happy as could be. I had a dozen good perch but no tench. After a quiet hour I went off chasing carp in the small lake. I found them feeding in the shallows, fishing small bits of free lined flake within a dozen feet of the carp I caught three nice commons all between 12 and 14lbs. Then it was time to pack up and head off up the M5 and M6 for home. The end of a good week.