Fly Fishing for Trout at Errwood Reservoir, Buxton

This post has been an awful long time coming, but finally - on a train on my way to a stag weekend in Liverpool - I've found time to patch together my account of a terrific day I had, doing something I do too little of these days; fly fishing.

I received an email from Secretary of Errwood Fly Fishing Club, Ian Gould, offering the chance of "smashing your trout PB on fly gear", if I joined him in the Spring for a day on the club's venue, Errwood Reservoir.  After taking a quick look on their website www.effc.co.uk/errwood.html at the quality of the scenery and the fishing on offer in the hills above Buxton in Derbyshire's Peak District, I could not resist a visit!

Ian emailed me again towards the end of March, informing me that the season had kicked off well, with some very large fish coming out, so I got down there as soon as I could.  The week previous, Ian - who I believe still holds the venue record with a trout of over 14lb - had caught 3 double-figure trout the week prior to my visit.   It turned out that I managed to pick the hottest, sunniest April day I can ever remember.  I met up with Ian near Buxton so that I could follow him to the water; he pulled up with The Wildhearts blasting from his speakers and I knew we'd get on.  We both remarked on the clear skies, which remained clear all day.  It was to be unseasonably sunny and I don't think either of us could have predicted quite how hot it would be!

So, we arrived at the venue; which I must say, having seen photos of the water on the internet, more than lived up to my expectations!  Being an upland reservoir, surrounded by wildlife-rich moorland (we heard grouse and curlews calling throughout the day), Errwood evokes parallels to the Lake District or the Highlands of Scotland in both looks and atmosphere.  It really is a beautiful place, but there was no time to contemplate the view when we arrived, because the sun was gradually creeping above the Eastern hills, illuminating the reservoir more by the minute.  Our best chance to start off would definitely be in the corner close to the dam wall (known as "The Tower"), where the sun was yet to hit and the only slight ripples on the entire reservoir were there.  As we walked from the cars we could see a few fish rising, so despite the weather, there were at least a few fish confident enough to feed.

We set up our 6 weight fly rods with several feet of 6lb fluorocarbon as leader.  I started off fishing Goldhead Montanas.  I say Montanas plurally because for the first hour of the day I proceeded to decorate my immediate vicinity with several of Ian's finest.  Various rocks, both in the water and on the bankside, now display flashes of colour thanks to my initial inept casting attempts, which thankfully improved before I had completely exhausted Ian's fly box!  While I was having my problems, Ian was duly hooking fish, making the whole thing look way too easy; including landing a two-pounder first cast!  Fearing that my casting predicament may last for a while, I made the most, photographically, of the fish Ian was landing.

Ian added another fish before the sun rose and the action dried up somewhat, so we decided upon a move to the sailing club area of the reservoir, which is much deeper than where we had started.  After half an hour or so without a sign of a fish, it was clear that another move was called for.  After resting the corner for a short while, we decided it was worth another try before venturing further round the reservoir.  This turned out to be a good decision for me, because I hooked into my first fish of the day!  It was an invigorating fight which reminded me just how much patience and skill is required in landing a trout on fly gear.  It was a while since I'd done it and it is a completely different experience to playing a fish on coarse gear.  As Ian netted the fish for me a bit of relief kicked in, but what struck me most was how immersed in the fishing I'd become, and how much I'd enjoyed the day so far as a result.  Time was flying by and I was definitely having fun.  First trout on the bank, 2lb 7oz...

After this fish was returned (as all of the fish we caught were), both Ian and I missed takes and despite Ian's insistence that this was a slow day at Errwood, I couldn't believe quite how much action we were getting.  We must have "pricked" a few of the missed takes and spooked the fish, because things quietened down once more, so we headed to the opposite corner of the reservoir to have lunch, regroup and hopefully find some more fish.  This place is called "Duffer's Bank", so Ian had obviously realised my skill level by now!

There was a slight breeze blowing towards us now, so there was a large accumulation of suspended matter which absolutely must have contained food; we just had to find a fish which longed for something a bit fluffier and sharper!  Ian did just this, and landed yet another rainbow.  There were quite a few small fish rising here, which Ian affirmed were the wild brownies which abound in the water, but seldom see the bank.  They tend to require finer tactics and smaller flies to tempt them, than the rainbows do.

We moved down to the other corner on the West bank, known as "The Memorial" but nothing was moving there at all.  We'd been out in the sun for a good few hours by now and were well beyond "sun-kissed".  I had unwittingly become a redneck - in appearance rather than attitude - but I was having such a good day and I was determined that more and bigger fish would start showing once the sun was less intense.  So, we decided to fish on and for the last couple of hours of the day we ended up back where we had started, near the dam tower.

A couple of Ian's mates and fishery regulars turned up, but still Ian managed to show everyone how it was done, as he caught another two trout of a larger stamp than earlier in the day.  The largest was this fish of around 4lb:

Finally my persistence began to pay off.  I was fishing closest to the dam and as the sun began to sink the trout began to rise; nowhere more so than directly in front of me.  I began trying to cast to rises, but they all seemed to be a few frustrating feet beyond my casting range.  Finally I hooked into something which was no doubt larger than the fish I'd caught earlier.  A lively and exciting fight ensued.  I was further rewarded as the victor with a new PB trout of 3lb 3oz!

It would have been easy to have packed up after that fish, seeing it as a high point on which to bow out; but ever the fishing optimist, I saw more fish rising and thought there might yet be another with my name on it.  As the last part of the sun was sinking from view over the western hills, I got another take from a fish which hung deep.  Ian had explained earlier that this is a fighting trait of the double-figure trout in Errwood, so I began to fantasise about just what I might be attached to!  Maybe I fantasised a little too much, or gave the fish slightly too much respect, because before I knew it Ian was giving me some gentle ribbing about how long I was taking to land it!  I had yet to lose a fish I'd hooked and I wasn't about to start, so I gave the fish a bit more pressure and gained the upper hand as a result.  Soon the fish was being guided towards the waiting net and it was clearly another PB.  Both Ian and myself had put the fish at heavier, but at 4lb 7oz, I'm really pleased with my respectable new personal best fish:

I was completely won over by Errwood.  It seems like the perfect fly fishing venue to me: Relatively easy to fish (but challenging if you want it to be - think wild browns!), stocked with large, fit fish, set in the most impressive surroundings and of a size that can be comfortably explored in a day.  Seriously, what more could one ask of a trout venue?  The river coarse fishing season is almost upon us, so I doubt I'll be heading back to Errwood any time soon, but a return trip next spring will give me something to really look forward to during next year's closed season.  I would urge all coarse anglers or lapsed fly fishermen to make plans to do the same!

If you're interested in sampling a bit of the action for yourself, there is plenty more information on the Errwood Website.  You can fish on a day ticket, which needs to be purchased beforehand from one of many outlets, or you can become a member, for which there may be a waiting list.

Ian also writes his own blog, the aptly titled "One More Cast", which you can find at http://www.glow777.blogspot.com/

Keep an eye out for the July issue of Angling Star.  There will be an all-new, more in-depth article about my day at Errwood, including some different photographs.

As for my next few weeks, I should really be concentrating on my plans for the early season, but I'm in the throes of buying my first house, so this has been taking precedence over pretty much everything else!  I'll be sneaking in a couple of sessions as and when I can, but nothing's set in stone.  The blog shall be updated when I do go!

Lobby your local MP now! To help protect UK sea fish stocks - Fish Fight

Firstly big apologies, I have a post about a brilliant fishing trip in April which I've been struggling time-wise to finish, but it'll be on here ASAP.

For now though, I think it's important to bring to your attention the fact that the "Fish Fight Early Day Motion" (yes, that of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's TV programme fame) is going to be debated in the House of Commons THIS THURSDAY AFTERNOON!  So, to ensure the issue gets the amount of attention and thought it deserves, we all need to make sure our MPs know that their constituents consider it to be a very important issue.  Click on the link below, which will take you to the Fish Fight website.  Follow the instructions and within 2 minutes you will have emailed your MP with a basic message, urging them to give the issue their support:

http://fishfightnews.net/interface/external_view_email.php?P898860083645777142114542318&utm_campaign=Fish%2BFight%2BNewsletter%2B-%2BMay%2B2011&utm_source=emailCampaign&utm_medium=email

Personally, I think that overfishing in general has/is raping our sea fish stocks, so over-quota discard is only a small part of the overall problem, but this motion getting seen in the Commons is a start.  If it grabs the nation's attention and can start to change attitudes of both politicians and the fish-buying public then our seas might just have a chance at some day recovering to their former glories, so I'm all for it.  Emailing your local MP is free and only takes a minute or two with the pre-formatted message (or you can write your own).

That's all for now but you'll be hearing from me very soon regarding my exploits at a certain trout reservoir near Buxton, called Errwood...

The Most Popular Fishing Articles on www.Just-Fish.co.uk - March 2010 through March 2011

I've now posted more than 40 articles to my fishing website, www.just-fish.co.uk over the past six years!  This I find quite hard to believe, but this blog seems to have added to the popularity of my website, so as long as people keep reading 'em, I'll keep writing 'em! 

Now, because I may be a little short of fishing trips to write about in the near future (though I have a fly fishing trip to Errwood Reservoir at Buxton in thepipeline), I thought it would be interesting to check through Google Analytics, to see which of my articles have proven to be the most popular over the past year. 

The results were quite surprising.  My most popular article over the past 12 months, with over 6,500 views, is the one I wrote a few years ago about fishing the "Lift Method" for carp & tench. 

"Lift Method" Rig Diagram from http://www.just-fish.co.uk/

Top 20 Countdown

Okay, pop-pickers, here is the full run-down of the top 20 of my fishing articles, viewed over the last 12 months on www.just-fish.co.uk voted for by you, the angling public!  ...Nod 'arf!

1. Fishing the Lift Method for Carp & Tench
2. Sturgeon Fishing on the Fraser River, BC, Canada
3. Catching my first 3lb+ Perch (lure fishing)
4. Fishing for my first double-figure Zander
5. Barbel, Chub, Carp and Bream from the Trent
6. Surface Fishing for Carp, inc. Grass Carp
7. Pike Fishing on Ladybower Reservoir
8. Catfish fishing at Willowcroft Fisheries, Cambridgeshire
9. Travel Tackle Review - Part 1 (Quite out-dated now)
10. Travel Tackle Review - Part 2 (Quite out-dated now)
11. Pike Fishing on the Norfolk Broads
12. Roach Fishing with Maggot Feeder (aiming for a 2lb+ specimen)
13. Using "Chum" to attract Big Pike
14. Himalayan Golden Mahseer Fishing in India
15. Hunting a 3lb+ Perch
16. Trotting for Grayling on the Derbyshire Derwent
17. My first pair of 20lb+ Pike
18. Canal Specimen Fishing
19. Boat Fishing for Tope off the West coast of Scotland
20. Travel Tackle Review - Part 3 (Quite out-dated now)

I was having a bit of a browse through Blogger the other day and stumbled across some quite astounding fishing-related artwork.  Check out some of these "flies" tied by someone with a huge amount of skill and an equally huge imagination: http://www.vksteelworks.com/VKS/Piscivore.html
These flies truly are works of art. 
They're not for catching fish, so they certainly don't count as "fishing flies" per se, but I'd suggest more "inspired by fishing flies".  Like some kind of post-modern robo-flies!  Very impressive indeed.

Finally, I have a few reviews coming up, which I haven't quite got round to finishing off yet, but at some point I'll find the time.  These include "Billy's Backbiter" pike fishing bite alarms, "Laserlure" crankbaits & jigs featuring flashing laser lights; both of which I've briefly mentioned before; and lastly, I shall also be reviewing a brilliant little innovation from King Of The Pond, which I've ever-so-slightly pestered them to release... Quick-Change Micro Swivels.  These allow you to fish with the benefits of a quick-change swivel, but when using lighter, finer tackle to target specimens of smaller species such as Roach & Perch, or when you need to fish fine to fool finicky Carp & Barbel.  They're a rare item of terminal tackle and they fill a definite gap in the market.  I'll be using these swivels in the vast majority of my rigs!

New British Perch Record - 6lb 2oz!!!

Just a quick one, but I've literally just found out that a specialist angler has caught Britain's first authenticated 6lb+ perch and set a new British record weight of 6lb 2oz!

I don't know the guy, and I've never fished the venue, but this is a landmark fish and from how the article reads, the captor applied real specialist tactics to land this fish, so kudos.  Well done that man.

The full Angling Times exclusive article is here: http://www.gofishing.co.uk/Angling-Times/Section/News--Catches/Catch-Reports/March-2011/6lb-2oz-monster-perch-smashes-current-British-record/

The End is Nigh! ...Final Days of the River Fishing Season 2010/11

For the first two or three years of this millennium I generally experienced some great fishing towards the back-end of the season.  For some reason, as my river experience has grown each year, my "final session" captures have dwindled.  For the last 4 or 5 "final sessions" I have targetted perch and failedd to catch anything of merit.  I was all set for my final session of the 2010/11 season and after my success piking the previous week, I decided to have a final blow-out session piking, back on the Dove.  With my confidence buoyed by my recent capture, I thought I'd try some different stretches to search out new swims for fishing in the future.  On my way from the freezer after grabbing some pike baits, I spotted my lobworm sack and - despite my previous "last session" experiences with perch - couldn't resist taking them along in case there was a rare, big Dove stripey out there with my name on it.

The original "final" session...
I arrived at the first new stretch before dawn and had a walk to find a few features before grabbing my gear.  The wind was absolutely horrendous and I can't think of a session when I've fished in stronger winds.  On the way down to the features I'd spotted and chummed-up, the wind was behind me, so it made the mile-plus trudge with all my gear (including so many layers that I was comfy when sat in the cold wind, but hot as hell once I started walking!) quite pleasant and easy.  I had so many features to choose from, straight out of the river pike textbook; with eddies, slack water, overhanging trees, faster shallows and steadier pools.  It was hard to know where to start but I managed to cast one rod into a slack below a high bank and the other bait went between some overhanging trees, both initially fishing in around 5 feet of water.  It seemed perfect, but the conditions were not that condusive to successful predator fishing.  The water was low and gin clear and the clouds were continually breaking, meaning the river was bathed in sunshine for most of the day.  At least there was a chop on the water, but that was only due to the gale force winds which pummelled me no matter where I sat! 

Over a period of around four hours I searched a couple of swims, casting the baits around and never leaving them in place for too long.  Both runs the previous week had come within 5 minutes or so of casting out, so I knew that if I landed a bait presented correctly in the right place, I was in with a good chance.  Not a touch came my way, so I decided to move to yet another new stretch.  My walk back to the van was completely against the wind and with the surface area created by me, my rod bag, tackle bag and worst of all, my unhooking mat, I had to battle to make every footstep!  I decided to break the journey up by dropping into another swim which I'd pre-baited with some chum earlier.  Again, nothing happened so I resumed my trek against the headwind and finally managed to drive to the new stretch.

I had a couple of swims in mind here, both a long walk from the car park, but this time I was walking into the wind to reach them.  At some points I couldn't physically walk against the gusts and had to wait for a slight drop in wind speed.  Progress was both slow and exhausting so as I passed swim number one (which I'd planned to fish later, after fishing the farthest one first), I decided I could go no further.  I attempted to chum up behind a far-bank tree, but the wind stopped me reaching beyond half-way!  Accurate casting (usually one of my stronger points) was also nigh-on impossible.  By now I was getting really frustrated, so decided that I'd set my float rod up and have a trot down the near-margin for a perch or two, and hope the wind died down later on.  You guessed it, the wind made trotting less of a precise art and more of a repeated untangling exercise, but I did stick with it for half an hour or so.  In this time I had no bites, but on my final trot, as I began to retrieve, I saw a long silver flash behind my float, before everything went quite solid.  After fishing all day with deadbaits, I had hooked a pike on a lobworm!  Fortunately it was not a big one and had been hooked right in the scissors, so I was able to land it after quite an impressive fight, but one I was never really in any danger of losing.

I moved back to piking after this, and another angler Ian, who I've since found out is a fellow blogger, moved into the "perch" swim and also caught a pike on a lobworm!  This has given me some food for thought regarding the diets of certain pike at certain times of the year.  These fish were surely after some quick, easy protein before spawning, so maybe their diets switch to such easily digestible food sources if the conditions are right.  How widespread or common this switch is, is open to debate and/or experimentation, but it's something I'm going to consider when fishing for back-end predators next season.  I had a good chat with Ian before he left and I fished on well into dark, but couldn't coax a bite on a deadbait.  I retired, drained, wind-battered and quite downbeat about a session I was hoping for much more from.

The actual "final" session

I couldn't really end what has actually been a pretty good season on such a low note, so when the weather settled over the weekend I decided to fish after work for the final few hours before the curtain finally fell.  It was mild but the rivers were still low.  In the daytime the skies were clear and the sun bright, so this would surely result in many species feeding nocturnally, I thought.  So I got out the barbel rods for a final flog in the hope that I could end the season the way I started it ...with a double figure barbel.

As I've mentioned before, the barbelling I enjoy most is on summer rivers which are low and clear, but if they're fished right (and also preferably in the dark), they can be productive.  Predators tend to take over as my main winter targets, so my winter barbel fishing experience is limited to literally 2 or 3 sessions ever.  This is completely against general barbel fishing principles, because not only are the fish at their largest toward the end of the season, if the conditions are right they're reputedly easier to catch too.  I spent two hours each in two different swims, using two varieties of super-stinky luncheon meat which I'd flavoured myself.  One batch with Dynamite "Red Fish" liquid and krill powder, the other with some paprika, cayenne and krill powder.  They were prepared a couple of days before, briefly frozen then defrosted and left to sweat for a few hours, so the flavours had really sunk in.  I used large chunks and relied solely on these for attraction, rather than any loosefeed, which may have fed-off any prospective barbel (or even chub!), rather than encouraged them to take my baits.  I had convinced myself that all of the necessary elements had come together at exactly the right time, so I could be in for an evening to remember.  I don't think I've been as excited about a session since my first of the season!

This fishless post has already gone on for far too long so I'm not going to draw it out for any longer.  Basically, I didn't get a bite, but the evening was a very pleasant one to be sat beside the river, which was notably very serene, slow and calm.  It seemed very poetic, almost as if the rivers had gone through so much over the past nine months that they'd finally given up and had begun their three month rest a few hours early.

Having no fish photos to post, I decided to pose for this one at 11.50 on March 14th.  There was still ten minutes of the season left, but already my optimism had faded and I knew my fate...

A massive shrug or holding a massive imaginary barbel?  I'll leave that for you to decide!

During the closed season I'll be trying to fit in a few after-work eel, zander and maybe even carp stalking sessions.  I'm also hoping to do a day or possibly 24-hour session tench fishing on a local estate lake, I've been invited for a day fly fishing for trout on a Derbyshire reservoir and I've also been invited onto an un-fished private pond which apparently has some perch potential, so I'll let you know how I get on with these...

Oh, and I've also booked for a week in September chasing the monster Zander and Catfish of the River Ebro!

River Pike - Not Much Beats 'Em!

It's been a while since I posted but the good news is that I did manage to notch up a session in February and I've already got one under my belt for March but the river closed season (which I back 100%) is looming ominously.  I am now faced with the dilemna of which river/stretch/swim/species to target for my final session of the 2010/11 season.  Not an easy one when I've got memberships of 5 clubs, all with their own merits, but I prefer to have plenty of options available (usually, but not when it's down to choosing one last session!).  Anyway, that's to come later this week, but for now I'll tell you about my last two sessions, during which I have been reminded just why and how much I love catching pike from a natural river.

The week or so preceeding the first session had started off with a lot of rain falling and relatively mild weather, but as my session grew nearer, the rain subsided, river levels dropped and clarity started to return to the water.  These developments had me changing my mind at the last minute; I'd originally decided to fish for barbel, but with the water dropping I had an urge to get out there pike fishing.  In the end, I went piking but had barbel tackle with me too, in case the river clarity wasn't as I was expecting.  To cut a long story short, I fished 4 or 5 feature swims over a few hours without a touch and decided to move to a different stretch of river, which could offer me the chance to fish for barbel later should I wish to.  Rain had fallen again overnight and by mid-day the river was rising fast and the colour was returning to the water.  Just when I thought my chances of a pike were completely gone, I had a frantic 15 minute period which gave me two runs from the same spot - both on smelt - resulting in one fish landed and one dropped run.  I was casting to a tiny slack behind a far-bank bush and thought I'd hooked a monster.  It surged into the fast mid-stream flow and ran downstream so far that I had to acrobatically pass my rod around some overhanging trees to follow it!  This is when I realised just how much the river had come up; for maybe 30 seconds I though the fish was snagged because we were completely at deadlock, but finally it surfaced and I was amazed but ever-so-slightly disappointed to see a pike of around 6lb surface!  I was out of breath, my arms were shaking and my heart was pumping hard... all from a pike of this size?!  It was only after I quickly unhooked and returned this fish that it hit me just how enjoyable the whole experience had been and that such a fish from a drain, canal or lake could not have possibly given such an account of itself.  It was a combination of the rivers ferocity and the pikes instincts to use this power to its own advantage which had given me this immense battle from less-than immense fish.  I was suddenly glad I'd chosen to come pike fishing on a river, despite the conditions.  As an added bonus, one of my new Shimano Purist Deadbait Classic rods was christened by this pike!

After missing the next run which came almost immediately after re-casting, I gave the swim another half-hour before cutting my losses and grabbing my barbel gear.  I spotted a peg which looked perfect, but I had another peg in mind which was quite a long trudge away, and I chose not to be lazy and walked to it.  I'd had some barbel from it in the Summer and I was sure it would have the ideal mixture of deep, slack water and fast water which would be the key to me finding some huge winter barbel.  When I got there I was disappointed to see that this swim was not behaving how I expected it to with the extra water, but I had walked a long way with far too much tackle, so I set up there anyway.  Four hours passed with the only things caught being hundreds of dead leaves gathering on the line (in February?!  Where've they come from?!).  I packed away dejected, but having not much experience of barbel fishing after early November, I suppose it was a small lesson learned.  On my way back to the van, I noticed a fishing umbrella reflect my torch light on the other peg I was going to fish.  The chap fishing there informed me this was a pretty good swim in these conditions (why oh why didn't I trust my instincts!!!) and he'd had a couple of chub on breadflake (which was more than I'd had), but he was now fishing boilies for barbel.  As I stood chatting to him, his upstream rod lurched over, and upon picking the rod up the guy pronounced "This is a Barbel...".  Before long it broke the surface and a beautiful, chunky specimen rolled into his small pan net.  It weighed 12lb 3oz!  That would've done me very nicely!  There wasn't a mark on this fish, it was one of the most scale-perfect big barbel I've ever seen.  I did offer to take a photo but the angler was intent on getting the fish back quickly, which I can't blame him for (although the unhooking and weighing was very routine, so the fish was hardly out of the water), but I know with a fish of that stamp and condition I would have been keen to get a trophy shot.

Fast forward to last Friday, the 4th of March.  Knowing that the clock was ticking before the end of the season, I really fancied giving the centrepin another run out, trotting for grayling and chub.  As a new challenge I decided to visit the Dove, rather than the Derwent, as I had never really fished the Dove in winter.  A small part of me was nagging to take a pike rod to fish as a "sleeper" while I trotted, so I packed a handful of deadbaits and my pike tackle and initially set-up in a deep-ish swim which shallowed off at the downstream end, above some rapids.  The pike rod was cast into the near margin as I tried to build up a swim, feeding a small sprinkle of maggots every couple of minutes.  After a couple of hours of trying different trotting speeds, depths, casting distances and baits, I'd had nothing to even suggest a bite, but I'd re-cast the pike bait into a small slack behind a tree.  Within a couple of minutes of the re-cast, my Billy's Backbiter alarm (which I was testing out for only the second time) hollered at me that the lead on my float-leger setup had been dislodged and I hurried to check that indeed the float was moving (still getting used to using a back-alarm rather than a front, roller-wheel one).  The bite was positive so I wound down straight away and watched the Purist take on a lovely curve.

If I hadn't been reminded quite enough on the last session why I loved river pike, I needed no reminding now!  This fish pulled hard to reach the tree, then as I turned its head it made for the main flow and accelerated!  What a fight I had on my hands and as I finally drew the fish toward the landing net, in true pike fashion, it opened its mouth and violently shook its head to try to shed the hooks.  Luckily, although only lightly hooked with one point of one treble, the hooks held firm (good old Owners!) and my prize rested safely in the mesh of my landing net.  Immediately I knew this was my largest pike from the Dove and the weighing ceremony confirmed this, with the fish registering 18lb 13oz, making her my second biggest from any venue this season.  As a small side-note to this, I've caught pike of every single weight (i.e. between 10lb & 11lb and between 16lb and 17lb) up to and including 21lb, but I've never had a fish wiegh between 19lb and 20lb.  I've had two fish just ounces short this season and it does make me wonder if I'd get more satisfaction from "completing the set" with a 19lb fish than I would from catching a 20lb+ fish!  So, if anyone knows of a water with a good head of 19lb 5oz pike in it, let me know!

I lost another fish later on, which felt big, but if I don't end up piking this week, I'll be happy with how my piking has gone this winter.  Not as many sessions as I'd like, but when I have gone, I've done well.  A not-so-grand tally of 5 individual pike landed from 5 sessions, but with 3 of the fish weighing over 17lb, I'm viewing it as a very successful campaign.  Maybe next winter I'll catch 100 tiny jacks!
So, now I'm left with a single very complex conundrum.  Where/how/what to fish for on my sole remaining session of the 2010/11 season.  It's supposed to be really windy for the rest of the week, so maybe trotting and quivertipping won't be the easiest methods to employ.  At least that's a couple of options discounted!  I'll report back next week...  Best of luck to anyone fishing on running water over the next few days.  If you're after low water, get out there quick because we're in for some serious rain...
Footnote:  I also had half an hour testing out some new lures which have just hit the UK, called "Laserlure".  There's a full range of styles available and they all feature a flickering laser, which is supposed to trigger interest from predators, especially in coloured or deep water.  I didn't have any takes on them but I fished on a very cold day, so not ideal for the fish to be chasing moving baits.  I was very impressed by their actions though and I've no doubt they'll catch pike, perch and zander.  They're well worth a look.  I'll be reviewing them soon, but for now here's a picture I took of them and for more info tak a look here:  http://www.fishingrevolution.co.uk/

2011 Fish Tally = 0

January 2011:  I managed a rather sorry tally of a single session.  I should be going this week, all being well, but as far as January went, I joined Shane Calton on a trip to Toft Newton Reservoir in North Lincs, in search of its large perch.  This trout water is normally fly-only, but for a few weekends each winter they open up for "all methods" days, which allows anglers the rare chance to fish for the reservoir's head of large coarse fish, which include some massive bream and roach, as well as the perch.  We fished on the 23rd of January which, on the flatlands of Lincolnshire, was bitterly cold mainly due to a Northerly blasting us all day.

After a few drifts across the reservoir jigging lures, we were cold and biteless.  Even my home made sloe gin only warmed us up briefly, so we anchored up in a more sheltered area and rotated between lure fishing and deadbaiting.  Shane did have a run on his deadbait rig, which left teethmarks in the flank of the bait, but presumably it was a small fish, as the hook failed to connect.  This was the only bite we had between us and despite trying various jigs and lures, we couldn't provoke as much as a follow.  None of the 10 or so other coarse anglers caught anything by fair means (by fair, I mean with a setup that was more likely to catch a roach, bream or perch, than a trout), but I did see a couple of people land trout (which had to be returned if caught on coarse gear) in desperation, fishing with floating pellet and a bubble float! 

The potential for specimen coarse fish is there at Toft Newton, but as long as they - understandably, to conserve their trout stocks - only have the odd "all methods" weekends in deepest winter, it will always be hard-going unless we have a particular mild spell.  For anyone wishing to try their hand, the venue is a concrete bowl reservoir with a maximum depth of 19 feet, some bottom weed growth and a 4-foot diameter pipe running out into the middle (which many perch are said to congregate around).  The fly anglers all seemed to be catching, despite the cold and the record trout is an impressive 17lb.  http://www.toftnewton.com/

News of my session this week (and hopefully my first fish of 2011) to follow soon...

Pike & Grayling Sessions - my last of 2010 and my chance to try out some new gear!

After more than a month of abstinence from fishing, I finally got myself back out on the bank between Christmas and New Year. I had a few new bits of tackle – mainly Christmas presents – to try out too. The first trip was an ill-advised, two hour drive to Boston with Craig and his mate Arran, only for us to find all of the drains were still completely frozen over with a good 3 to 4 inches of ice! After a brief bout of self-deprecation for not calling a local tackle shop to check, a swift re-think was required. We needed to find some flowing water to be guaranteed some ice-free fishing. The nearby Witham was an option, but as none of us had ever really pulled up any trees on there, so we opted to head back as far as Newark and try a stretch of the Trent which none of us had fished before. It was close to a boatyard and seemed a logical place for us to find some lethargic pike seeking food close to shelter. Craig quickly caught a small jack, probably less than a couple of pounds, and that was it as far as action was concerned between the three of us. A big fat blank for me, which was disappointing because I was fishing with a new gear combo of a Shimano Purist Deadbait Classic rod (Christmas present from my very thoughtful better half) and a backbiter alarm which I’d never used before.

I’m pretty sure that once the drains thaw, there will be some very hungry fish just waiting to be caught. The second major freeze-over in a year can’t be bad for the long-term future of the drains, as it will give the pike a rest and will hopefully even have stopped some of the unscrupulous bastards catching and killing fish using illegal deadlines, as the PAC reported on their blog last month here.

My second trip out, on New Years Eve, was thankfully much more successful and enjoyable. My mate Titch (of my Mahseer fishing article fame) had been given some fishing tackle for Christmas and understandably he wanted to test it out at the earliest opportunity. I also had another new piece of kit to try out, a Centrepin reel called the “Ikona”, which at £50 is a real bargain-basement ‘pin, but having never tried using a centrepin before, I didn’t want to spend £200+ on a good one. So, we headed to Matlock Bath on the Derbyshire Derwent for a bit of day ticket fishing. I showed Titch how to set up with a running maggot feeder rig whilst I paired my new 'pin with my 15 foot Fox stick float rod and a medium-sized wire stemmed stick float. We started off fishing in around 6 feet of steady-paced water but nothing here seemed interested in maggots or bread; we didn’t have a bite between us in two hours. A move was in order, so we headed to a couple of swims with fast, deep water on the far margin and a slowly sloping sandy bed heading away from the near bank.

After a few initial problems I had got to grips with trotting with a centrepin and I was really pleased with how the Ikona reel was working. Not being a centrepin connoisseur, I can’t give any in-depth critique, but the bearings seemed to turn extremely easily, the spool ran smooth and true and I really enjoyed using it. I got into the habit of flicking on the spool latch (or “clicker”) with my little finger each time I netted a fish or re-baited my hook, to prevent unwanted spool spinning/bird nests/expletive shouting. From my experience using this reel, I reckon it makes a great introductory reel for newcomers to 'pins and certainly opened my eyes to the joy of participating in the only true art form in coarse fishing.

Almost from the first cast in the new swim my float was dipping with bites I didn’t manage to connect to, then Titch hooked and lost a fish on the feeder. My very next trot through yielded us our first fish of the day in the shape of a grayling of around half a pound. A couple of casts later I landed my second grayling of the day, but this one was only maybe half the size of the first. Titch managed to get through 7 hooklengths and three feeders in the space of about an hour, through various altercations with trees, rocks and fish, but eventually whilst trotting a waggler through, he managed to land his first ever trout. It was a wild brownie and after a few eerie moments around the aforementioned snags, the new rod & reel was christened and Titch was very relieved!

 
Meanwhile, my swim had seemingly come alive.  I landed 4 wild brownies myself and missed plenty of bites.  The thing was, three of the trout were the exact same fish!  It had a small red ulcer on its left side so it was easily recognisable.  I have caught the same fish twice in a session before but never three times!  The second and third captures were within 3 casts of each other so it was getting a little ridiculous.  I decided a switch to feeder tactics would allow me to fish further across the river, away from this greedy, suicidal trout which had staked sole claim on my swim.  Within minutes of casting out the maggot feeder I had a good solid bite and connected with my biggest fish of the day.  I think it was a large trout, but it started swimming quickly upstream towards me and as I guided it towards the net it suddenly turned and bolted, straightening my size 20 barbless hook, so there’s also a chance it was a small barbel.  I’ll never know.  Another small grayling came from this swim before I decided we’d had the best of it and we moved further upstream to some of my favourite pegs.

Titch was into the action straight away and it wasn’t long before a couple of young, wild spotties had been caught and released and also his first ever grayling so he was now a very happy man.  I caught a couple of small trout but it was grayling I was really after.  I remembered having joy with bread on this peg a couple of years ago, so I pinched as big a piece as I dare around a size 20 and swung out the rig.  Any bites I’d been getting from trout had been coming early on in the trot and the float passed this area without any sign of interest; as it neared the end of the trot, my float gently disappeared.  I struck and instantly knew I had a good fish attached.  It was the first time I’d actually needed to play a fish with the centrepin and I now see the appeal of it.  Extremely direct, with no drag to help me out, it really was heart-in-mouth stuff.  Again, I assumed this fish was a good trout but as it surfaced halfway out, I saw it was actually a decent chub.  Thankfully the hook held and I netted what was a very battered old chevin, with a strange sky-blue hue to its body, a bulging-out eye, a rotted anal fin and a fairly fresh mouth wound, presumably from a previous hook tearing out.  I treated this and set the fish up for a photograph alongside my centrepin before returning it as quickly as possible.  I didn’t weigh the fish but it was a chunky old chap which I think would weigh around 3lb 12oz.  It was also the first chub I’ve ever caught from this stretch, though I’ve always known it held a few.  All in all, a pleasant end - to a day of education for both Titch and myself - and of course, to 2010.  the only disappointment of the day was that I still had a Christmas present I hadn't tried out - a Zippo hand warmer - but better to have it and not need it than vice versa!  Happy new year everyone and tight lines for 2011.

A Merry Fishy Christmas!

I haven't been out fishing since catching the pike below, but I intend to get a session or two in over the Christmas break.  Have a great Christmas and New Year everyone and the best of luck to those of you wetting a line between Christmas and New Year...  If you can find any water which isn't frozen to wet it in!

Andrew.

Piking before the snow came and a timely review of some warm fishing gear!

As I write this entry, Derbyshire – along with much of the UK - is in the midst of snowy weather so severe that even the most ardent Toyota Prius driver must be wishing they’d bought a “gas guzzling” 4x4 instead! I would be surprised if many anglers are venturing out at the moment because this kind of prolonged cold period can turn most fish completely off the feed. Get ready once it warms up though (after the cold snow melt water has flushed out of the system) and you could be in for some action with very hungry fish! Without expecting anything like this weather approaching us, I managed to time it right and fished just a few days before the snow fell.


I’d been lucky enough to receive a couple of products from outdoor gear manufacturer Sealskinz, to try out for fishing. I have owned their products before, which use a unique waterproof membrane to offer the wearer excellent resilience to the elements. My Sealskinz gloves have been used for everything from raft racing to caving and I’ve always been highly impressed by their function. The new products I was trying out for fishing were a winter Beanie Hat and a pair of Country Socks, both incorporating Sealskinz’ patented waterproof, breathable membrane.

 On first inspection, the country socks seemed a little on the thin side, but once I put them on I realised the benefits of their knee-height merino wool construction. They are surprisingly warm! They also feature an over-sized woolly cuff and are seamless all the way up to reduce blister-causing pressure points. At the end of a Winter session my feet are usually a damp mess, either from sweat or from water seeping in through my boots, but with these socks I can honestly say that my feet remained warm, dry and comfortable all day. Knowing that my legs were waterproof all the way up to the knee gave me confidence of trampling through long, wet grass, too. Perfect socks for fishing whether wearing wellies or boots.

The beanie hat is not only windproof but waterproof too. It has a micro-fleece lining, making it very warm on the head. Having longish hair, beanie hats tend to ride up my head as I wear them, but the Sealskinz hat really seemed to hug my head and stay put. There was no rain to speak of on the day I tested the gear out, so I can’t vouch first hand for the hat being waterproof, but I’m convinced it will be, having experienced how waterproof other Sealskinz gear is. I think all fishing headwear should be made waterproof because you never know when you might be stuck outside when a storm breaks out, so this really is an ingenious feature. I would highly recommend these hats for winter fishing; they should keep you comfortable no matter what nature throws at you, whether on the bank of a drain or a boat on a reservoir. The hat I tested was red but they’re also available in black and olive. I’m sure you’ll be seeing this red hat feature in many of my future catch photographs (including the one below!).

On the day it was great to be warm and comfortable because a cold wind was howling and the fishing was incredibly slow. I had arrived at dawn hoping to find some large shoals of bait fish that I could fish close to, but only the odd small fish made themselves visible, so I moved to an area I knew well, which had a few features to fish to. Initially I leapfrogged my rods, spending maybe half an hour in a swim before moving to the next, but gradually my confidence was slowly ebbing away; I had seen nothing to suggest there were any fish in the area, no bait fish activity and no pike striking either. Upon speaking to a bailiff, I decided to give another area a go, which I’d never seen before let alone fished. I was told no-one was down there and some pike had been showing of late, so it seemed the perfect chance for me to check it out. By the time I was packed up and headed the 4 miles or so to the new area, there was another pike angler set up and also guy after silver fish. It looked promising and the guy bit-bashing said that the odd pike had been showing in front of some far-bank features, which I could see were surrounded by submerged weed. I cast one bait as close as I could and cast around with my other rod, to see if I could find myself some action.


It was a chilly old day by this point and I was glad I’d taken an extra few layers, including the Sealskinz hat. I sat back, finished my sandwiches and flask of soup and contemplated what to do next. I was fishing with a roach deadbait on the rod cast close to where the pike had been showing; my theory being that if pike have been striking nearby, other pike may spot a natural coarse dead laid on the bottom and be less suspicious of it than a sea dead. On the other rod I alternated between smelt, mackerel and mini herring, hoping the added scent trail of an oil-injected sea dead might pull fish in from farther afield.

I had just rigged up a wobbling rig for my lure rod and was making my third cast with this when a solitary beep from the roach baited rod caught my attention. I switched rods immediately and felt the line in my fingers; a couple of strong twitches told me it was time to strike. Immediately I could tell the fish was heavy; it kited to my right before I managed to turn its head, at which point it sluggishly swam towards me. As soon as the fish spotted the net in the clear water, it bolted and gave me a brief moment of worry because I’d seen it was a good size and I inevitably worried if the hooks would hold. My worries were unjustified because soon after the specimen was gracing my net. Just one of the barbless trebles was hooked and was easily removed. When I saw the girth of the fish, I was convinced it would be close to, if not over 20lb but the scales registered 18lb 14oz. This is the largest pike I’ve landed since my PB, which when I checked the date of capture, was exactly 5 years to the day! Guess it must be my lucky date! Spooky.

 

WEBSITE - UPDATED DESIGN

I've also tweaked the layout of my website, www.just-fish.co.uk.  The navigation menu is now at the top of the page, rather down the left-hand side.  It looks a bit neater and dare I say, more "modern".  Hopefully because it no longer uses frames either, it will be easier for people to link to the page they want or save to their favourites.