I still haven’t been getting out much, what with the rain and medical appointments but yesterday I was able to grab a couple of hours in the afternoon to go back to the stream to try and catch some more chub. I had been thinking about the best method to use in such a small, shallow fast flowing swim and had decided to try a kind of paternoster rig where a lead would sit on the bottom and the hook would be a bit above that and stream out from the line. As the water is so narrow and there are nettles and other vegetation all around I also thought that a shorter rod would be easier to handle and so decided to try my telescopic rod which I bought as it was on offer and thought that it would come in useful sometime and has never been used. Rigging up in my shed I was all ready and only had to wait to collect my missus from the dentist, have lunch and then go.
It was a warm, cloudy day with some periods of sunshine and I felt overdressed with my camouflage waterproof trousers over my shorts but I needed to wear them as I would be walking and stalking through some dense patches of nettles and thistles. I also put on a sweatshirt to cover my arms and I was ready. I climbed over the gate into the field and was making my way to the swim when I came across a couple of goats. I had never been near to goats before and didn’t quite know how they would react but carried on walking towards them. One of them ignored me and carried on munching while the other ran away into the small fenced field which was its home where a couple were sitting enjoying the afternoon. They called the other goat and it soon followed so I was free to carry on walking without fear of being savaged! The path had become even more overgrown since my last visit, usually the summers are very dry in our part of the east of England and vegetation starts to wilt and die off by now but the rain has kept the plants growing this year.
I arrived at the swim and dropped off my gear a little way away and crept up to the bank, there they were, several chub swimming against the current and clearly visible in the gin clear water. There are several places where you can get near the bank and could see by the flattened grass that I have not been the only angler on this stretch. I tossed some bits of bread in to attract a bit of attention then crept back to my gear and set up the rod. I decided to fish the swim furthest upstream to start and gently lowered the line into the water. I could quite clearly see the bread streaming out from the line and by lifting the rod tip I could alter the height of the bait in the water, the only problem was that I couldn’t see any fish! I decided to move to the next swim where there was room to lie down and as the sun had come out I took my sweatshirt off and laid it on the ground as a cushion. I was having more luck here as I could see lots of little fish nibbling the bait and was hoping that a larger one would be attracted by them and come in and swallow the bread.
I was so engrossed in this that it took some time before the message from my arm got through to my brain and when I looked down I could see that my forearm was covered with ants and what’s more they were biting me! I quickly brushed them off and reached into my bag for the bite cream which I always carry with me. I had a number of bites and they were swelling up and I was beginning to wonder what I would do if I had an allergic reaction as I was in a wilderness, miles from anywhere and doubted that anyone would come that way for several days, it could even be weeks before my body was found! Fortunately, the cream started to do its work and the swelling eased although it was still painful. I decided to move swims again and this time instead of laying on the floor I crouched down in an attempt to avoid the ants! I was watching the bait and could see the same thing happening, lots of small fry nibbling the bread until suddenly the line was shaking, fish on! It wasn’t very big and I soon got it to the bank when I was surprised to find it was a rudd and not a chub! A quick photo then he was popped back and I was fishing again. I had proved that my rig worked and felt confident that more fish would follow but it was not to be. I changed bait to maggots without any luck, lots of small fish nibbling but the larger fish had vanished and as it was getting near time to go home I called it a day.
So, what had I learnt? In general terms that we, as anglers, can go to some pretty remote spots that would be difficult to get help to if we needed it. I have had one ride to hospital in an ambulance with my heart attack and would hate to think how they would find me in some of the places that I fish. I think I will look up the What3words locations for these and make a note of them. In fishing terms, is it that however careful you are near the bank it is easy to spook wild fish and they will disappear? Or is it that once the sun comes out the fish feel more vulnerable and go into hiding? Or was it the time of day? Last time I was here it was morning and I know that the afternoon is not the best time to go fishing although I have to go when I can. Perhaps my hook size was too big, I was using a 14 hoping to get a bigger fish but perhaps it was too visible in the clear water. Lots of things to think about before my next visit as I am not finished yet!
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