Things Don’t Always Happen As Planned

Arriving home from Dubai and Fujairah I listened to the weather forecast which predicted mild weather for a few days after a cold spell. I was full of optimism when I left home on Tuesday morning for the long trip to Berkshire to fish the Kennet and Loddon through until Sunday. Then on Monday I would travel to the Cotswolds to record a programme for my At The Waters Edge programme on BBC Radio Lancashire which can be heard on the internet for seven days www.bbc.co.uk/lancashire click on listen again after which you will see list of programmes. After recording my programme I would then travel to Ross-on-Wye staying for a couple of nights at Copperfield House a riverside B&B where I would have two days fishing on the River Wye before attending the Ross AC AGM before returning home.

The journey south can only be described as a nightmare with lots of traffic hold-ups, on the radio I heard the announcer say, “Between junctions 8 and 12 long traffic delays between two and three hours. Thankfully I managed to get off the M6 onto the Toll road, arriving in Newbury around 2 o’clock, half an hour later I was in Tadley Angling Centre chatting with Kevin and his charming wife Lyn, with a fresh brew and a beef sandwich. After buying a new chair it was off Aldermaston on the Kennet to check permits, not an angler in sight. It was the same on the other beats. I had the river to myself. After checking the water temperature which was a low 41 degrees F I dropped three bits of flake in one swim, two bits in two other swims and a single piece of sausage meat in three other spots.

Back in the car park I put the kettle on, I then sorted out some food choosing soup and beef sandwiches. I sat back eating, drinking and catching up on the news in the Anglers Mail. An hour must have gone by before I thought about putting some tackle together. Choosing to fish with a 12 foot Avon action rod, centre pin reel with 10lb Gamma line to which I tied a size 4 barbless hook, then depending on the swim I chose to fish I would use between 2 and 5 LG shot in a dark colour. I do not like those shiny silver coloured split shots that every tackle shop suggests we purchase. I am of the opinion that fish can spot these shots on a gravel or silt bottom, making them a bit spooky. It might not stop them from eventually taking the bait, but I do feel fish are not so confident.

After getting everything ready I had another brew, Planning to fish on in the dark for a couple of hours, I put on another fleece then my top coat. Picking up my tackle and bucket bag which contained two loafs of Morrison’s extra thick sliced bread and sausage meat I made my way downstream about a 800 yards from the car park where a large tree had crashed down into the water laying at an angle of 45 degrees, immediately in front of the tree was quite a large slack, either side of the slack there was some medium paced water. I reckon chub or barbel would be in the slack and that’s where I placed my crust baited hook. Laying my rod on some reeds I started to get myself sorted out, suddenly the rod moved along the bank. My first fish was hooked more by luck than judgement. Soon a nice chub was in the net. A good four pounder. Thirty minutes without a bite I moved on to another swim.

Swim number two was a long glide of medium paced water about three feet in depth flowing over gravel with some Ranunculus water crowfoot, Five yards downstream I had a large ivy clad tree laying at a crazy angle over the water. Ten minutes after casting out a chunk of crust I had a firm take hooking a good chub. It looked as if it might go five pounds. Sadly it weighed 4-6-0 but still a good fish. In the next hour I had three more chub and missed a bite. My best weighed in at 4-13-0. I tried three other spots but not a single bite. Crossing over the bridge I made my way back upstream to the car park. Then it was off to Martin and Jan Porters house for dinner and a comfortable bed.

Wednesday was a Teaching Day.

Today I had arranged to meet Nathan Walter a Kentish angler from Sevenoaks in the Wasing Car park on the Warren beat about 11-30am. Nathan was on time, soon the kettle was on for a brew, waiting for it to boil I mentioned the current one day cricket match taking place when my mate Will Carter who is always trying to wind me up said “ Nathan I reckon Peterson is the one to lead England” Immediately Nathan said its all wrong a foreigner being captain of this country. I said “Couldn’t agree more Nathan” Once again we got thrashed. I don’t understand why we should have a South African leading an England team. Let him go back home and try to get in the team of his birth place. Will who had been fishing meat without success, on my advice changed over to crust and quickly caught a chub.

Nathan’s having sorted out his tackle was ready to go, after picked up his loaf of bread and landing net and we moved off downstream. In the first swim I explained the difference in the bread I use, which is Morrison’s extra thick sliced, and the normal sliced bread and how one is far better than the other and how it will stay on the hook with no problem. I showed him how to put the crust on the size 4 hook. I explained the swim, where the fish would be under the current flow rate and more important where to put the bait to induce a bite. Within minutes Nathan had a good pull, sadly it was missed. Baiting up with another chunk of crust he quickly had another bite, a lot more finicky than the previous one, but this too was missed. Time for a move.

.Moving downstream I pointed out various swims saying how and when to fish these spots. Occasionally we would stop and fish a likely looking swim, sadly the bites were missed. The fish were certainly finicky, looking back on the day; I felt the stiffness of Nathan’s John Wilson rod might have been the cause. We then stopped at a long stretch of water with some big poplar trees growing on the far bank, willows and alders on our bank. I got Nathan to drop a chunk of crust at the far edge of a fast run so the bait was on the inside of the crease. Five minutes later his rod whacked round. It was one of those three foot twitches. I had Nathan move downstream while I picked up the landing net. Soon a barbel was netted, not a big fish but most welcome under the tough conditions and caught on crust. I have never seen a happier angler. It was a pleasure to see a grin a mile wide on his face. As he said “Bread does work for barbel” I thought ‘Another convert’ we then moved on to another swim where Nathan had two bites both missed. It was time for a fresh brew and a sandwich.

A Bite less Two Hours

With darkness enveloping us Nathan started fishing some of the swims I had lightly baited with some crumbed bread, he didn’t get a touch, not even the slightest movement on the rod tip. In the swim where Nathan caught his barbel, I really did expect some action. Nothing just the sound of the owls after half an hour we moved on. Not a touch. Fish can be so annoying at times. At 7-30pm with the temperature dropping we called it a day. Nathan went off to Sevenoaks while I went off to the Porters for dinner. Thursday morning, having heard the weather forecast for the next few days I cancelled all my plans for fishing the Loddon, Wye and my interview in the Cotswolds and travelled north. It was a wise decision. Arriving home I checked my e-mails and one from Nathan said “The fishing was a really great experience and I thoroughly enjoyed it” That was reward enough for me as I get great enjoyment for helping my fellow angler. For the next few days it’s fishing the rivers Ribble, Aire and Wyre