2025

When the world is on fire and everything is seemingly going to ratshit, what's the correct response?

Well, the answer to misery is not more misery. Try and do what you love, see your friends and family as much as possible and don't let the bastards grind you down. That's my view anyway.

Apart from the poor oldies ongoing and worsening health problems, I have to say it's been a bloody good year. Of course there's been some ups and downs, but that's life.

At the back end of last season I had some sessions trotting with The Chubmeister General for dace and roach on the Suffolk Stour, Blackwater, Little Ouse and Brain. Nothing huge but lovely fishing and something I want to do again next year. 

The Great Ouse continued to provide some brilliant mixed fishing with some big rudd, perch and clonking silver bream thrown in.

In April the mullet arrived and as you'll know if you regularly read this blog, I fished for them and the bass throughout the warmer months,  catching the last one on 13 November. Learnt lots and had some superb sport, with a few big ones thrown in too.

As usual the midsummer camper trip was the highlight, 5 weeks of non stop fishing and cycling in Holland, Germany and Denmark.

Catching some big perch from the Baltic in Denmark was one of the many highlights, great fishing in beautiful surroundings. 

The lure fishing in Holland was rock hard, after lots of blanking I was eventually rewarded, landing two decent asp one evening on topwater lures, incredibly exciting fishing.

Obviously,  I have to mention the roach fishing. It was off the scale. The four biggest roach going 11lb 10oz , with the biggest a monster of 3lb 4.5oz. Incredible. 

Plenty of big ide too, with fish well over 5lb from three rivers, the Susa in Denmark and the Waal and Ijssel in Holland. 

The Susa river is fantastic, stuffed full of fish of all sorts. In one section, right by where the camper was parked, I saw a group of five carp, in fast flowing water more suited to barbel. The biggest wouldn't have been far short of 30lb.

The usual hitches and mishaps on the trip, including getting stuck down a little lane in Denmark and filling the cabin with smoke from a burning clutch, three tyre changes, one rod destroyed and two quivers broken.

 "All part of the adventure".

We stayed at all types of places, mostly harbours and free park ups, a few campsites and rather bizarrely, a night in a German bloke's garden.

Another fantastic trip.

When we returned, it was back on the mullet and bass, the fishing being at its best in October and November. A couple of nice flounders and a nice sea trout, all on lures, added a bit of variety. 

I wangled a three carp from the river this year, all in mint condition and probably uncaught, a fish of 25lb 3oz caught on a lightweight trout rod being the highlight. Absolutely mad fight and chaotic scenes landing it. 

Didn't help that I was covered in blood and scratches, having fallen off the bike into a ditch full of brambles and stingers right next to the swim !

What of 2026 ?

Well, as usual I'll change my mind countless times, not book anything and go wherever flow takes me, I suppose.

Me and Bully have trip to Holland pencilled in for late March for big roach and perch, but other than that, nothing concrete. 

I also fancy a go at some very big grass carp in a canal near Gouda. We had a recce on the bikes this year and it looked great.

Hoping to go to the far north of Finland or Sweden for some grayling. Maybe it'll happen, maybe it won't.

The big summer trip will probably be either the west coast of Ireland or Scandinavia, we'll see.

Spotify recently told me my most played album of 2025 was Ensoulment by The The, followed by Eton Alive by Sleaford Mods. I recommend you listen to them both, they're bloody brilliant. 

And finally, I'll leave you with this....

Toodle pip.

Bingo

You know the old cliché that comes out when someone has a good result ?  Effort = Reward.

Yeah, yeah, we all know that. Although it's trotted out all too often, it's true nonetheless. 

I've been prebaiting several swims. One is a known good swim and the rest are punts. 

This afternoon I fished three of them. The first, in a crappy, but fishy looking section, looked a cert for a chub. I sat there biteless for almost half hour, surprised at the lack of action.

Second swim, where I've seen trout and carp in the summer, another blank.

Third swim, a weir pool, carrying plenty of extra water, the only steady bit being my pre baited area. First chuck, a rattle. Second chuck the feeder didn't even hit bottom.

Thought it was a floating log at first. No, the rod kicked over, its alive.

Ahh...a pike has took the worm on the drop ? Better be careful, just in case it isn't a pike.

I'd got sort of stepped up chub gear on, 8lb line and a strong size 10 hook, so had a chance of getting whatever it was in, although the water, especially close in, was going like a train.

After five or six minutes it surfaced, a decent carp. It was a long drop to the water, the landing net just about reached, but not properly and I couldn't leave it in the water as the flow was so strong. 

Just as I was doubting I'd be able to land it, a young bloke I know turned up. He got on the net immediately and scooped it up first time. Top work mate.

A lovely 19lb common. Next cast a ruffe.

Wahoooooo !

A great couple of hours.

The Forbidden

I've got a few swims where I've been trickling a bit of bait in. It was mild yesterday, so I went for a couple of hours at dusk, on the opposite bank to where I normally fish.

Nice secluded swim, hopefully out of view of walkers, dogs and busybodies.

 

First chuck in on a mini feeder and the tip showed signs of fish. Liners, but a good sign.

Next cast, the bait was taken practically on the drop, a scale perfect bream of three or four pounds.

I was expecting and hoping for a variety of species, l but ended up with three decent bream before packing up and heading home for a big roast dinner.

Talking of food, earlier I'd demolished a huge, home cooked breakfast which unfortunately resulted in undesirable stomach related effects. Worth it though.

I spent the evening having a meltdown, as I watched Liverpool self destruct yet again. Good game though.

Bit of work this week, which means short sessions at last light. That'll do.

Out there

A magnificent early December day. Sunny, mild and with just a light breeze, a gentle reminder that it is winter.

A few leaves still hanging on, the shades of yellow, orange and brown changing daily. Huge flocks of widgeon and teal along the estuary, with vast numbers of waders adding to the variety.

After a walk and a bit of farting about in the tackle shed ( garage ) it was time for a quick late afternoon session on The Forbidden. I fished on the opposite bank for the first time, trying to avoid the anti angling gentry and their security staff ( I made that bit up ).

As dusk gave way to what should have been darkness, a big, bright moon rose, casting shadows over the meadows, trees and hedges.

A lone chub was all I had to show for my efforts, but all evening I had phantom bites. Some were undoubtedly liners but it showed there were plenty of fish about.

At 19.00 I packed up, too cold to fish on, although the fish were still active.

I crunched along the gravel track and through the muddy puddles, my hands wet and cold from gripping the wet net, the monochrome landscape fully visible from the moonlight.

It's times like these you feel really alive. No comfortable indoor mediocrity, just out there in the elements, sensing, hearing, feeling.

It was bloody great. 

Nothing To See Here

Move on, move on.

All that rain we had made very little difference to the local river. It came up a foot, flowed for the first time since March, but didn't have the effect I'd hoped.

There's still mid river rushes and muck on the bottom. I've had a few half hearted goes but caught nothing of note.

Today was pleasant, a couple of hours in the mill pool, resulting in some nice perch and a mint conditioned bream.

Bad news upstream. "The Forbidden" now has signs up, saying enjoy your walk along the river, through our wildlife friendly, organic farm. Nice.

Unfortunately at the bottom it's says "Angling Strictly Forbidden". Bollocks.

Today I had a poke about on the opposite bank and found a spot where I can fish my favourite area. No signs there, so until that changes I might be alright. Anyway, I baited up with stinking dead maggots, corn and maize , mixed together with crumb and soil.

Special night time ops pencilled in for early next week hopefully. 

The estuary is absolutely full of birdlife at the moment, huge flocks of waders and wildfowl everywhere.  Absolutely great place for my (almost) daily walk.

I did spot a single mullet today, a straggler for sure, no doubt wondering where the hell his mates are.

There's a spot just down the road on a crappy bit of river where I've never, ever caught a fish. I tried twice this week, for maybe half hour around dusk. Blanked both times, but I did register the first ever bite. Whoooopy bloody do

Not exactly a prolific area.

As the year staggers to the end, my mojo is not quite what it was a short time ago. The stingy amount of light shrinks daily, but not for much longer.  In just over a month, the days will start to lengthen.

Not a lot, but with the promise of good times ahead. 

The next post will be The Chairman's Address. Something for you to look forward to.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER.

Encore ! Encore !

Oh all right then. It wasn't over, not by a long way.

With the weather so mild I sacked off work and spent the last two days walking and fishing, determined to milk every last drop out of the season.

Seven more mullet landed and a couple lost, what a fantastic way to finish.

One fish bolted off like lightening and after a brief but exciting fight I beached it on the mud and ran ( well, waddled really ) down to grab it

I positioned myself the river side of the fish to prevent it flipping back in the water. The mullet had other ideas and jumped between my ankles into the water and sped off.

The dropper fly caught in my lace and the fish disappeared with a loud crack as the line parted. Yet another farce on the mud, there's been plenty this year, I bloody love it.

Heavy rain and then much colder weather forecast so the mullet and bass gear has been broken down, hosed and might even get a clean.

I thought it was over... it is now ( sorry, had to do it )

It's Over

"Nobody on the road, nobody on the beach

I can feel it in the air, the summer's out of reach"

OK, OK, so it's from a Don Henley song and he was in the Eagles, the very epitome of middle of the road, American soft rock and the biggest pile of turd you'll have the misfortune to hear this side of Christmas. 

The summer fishing most certainly is over, although quite few mullet and bass remain, but they're dwindling and it's time for something different. I've eeked it out long enough, starting in April and going all the way through to the present  ( with a gap mid summer when I was distracted by other species).

Spring and especially autumn were the best time for both species.

The local tidal river grabbed me like nothing else has for a very long time. Last year I didn't fish it once.

I think what happened is that when I tried the fly for the mullet this year on the "new" ( for me ) method, I caught first cast,  so I was pretty sure I was on to something. 

The fact that it's a two minute drive or five minute bike ride from the house, meant I was down there at every available opportunity.  And that was alot.

When I didn't fish, my morning walk takes me along the river, so it was easy to keep an eye on what was happening.

I never suspected there were so many bass so far upriver. In early summer, fry were being hit in inches of water as the tide flooded. The first time I tried with the lures, three decent bass were landed in an hour or so.

I've no idea how many bass were caught in total, but it will have been hundreds. All sizes, from tiny to about 4lb. Nothing massive.

Most were on surface poppers, what fantastic sport that is. Plenty on tiny shallow diving plugs too.

Having two species to go at is a massive bonus, especially when one of those species are thin lipped mullet. The mullet don't always show and if they do they don't always feed.

I take a fly and a lure rod, sometimes a net and all the rest of the stuff is crammed into jacket pockets, so I travel ultra light.

Sessions are anything from thirty minutes to a couple of hours.

The "rule" is, if mullet are present and feeding then fish for them. If not, lure fish for bass.

The static fly has proved extremely effective, compared to he standard retrieved or drifted method. It really does test your faith though.

A poxy little bit of fur and feather laying motionless on the bottom ? I suppose that's why it gets me though, each time I get a take I can't believe it.

There are three things I try and get right.

1. Find feeding fish. 

Around here, they'll be in a few inches of water no more than a foot or two from the bank. Fins and tails out of the water, heads down.

If they're dashing about mid water, or near the surface, you may catch them with another method, but I've found them much, much more difficult in these circumstances. 

2. Get in position without spooking them.

Difficult when they're close in and the water is clear.

Quite often, I'll cast from ten yards or so from the water. 

3. Get the fly in exactly the right place. 

I mean exactly. They normally patrol parallel to the shore, at a very specific distance. If your fly is more than a few inches away from where they pass, you'll probably have along wait.

You also need to keep your eyes open and keep moving until you find numbers of feeding fish.

You'll get very, very muddy.

As will your gear. I hose mine down after most trips. Alright, after some trips.

In all, I had twenty one or twenty two on the fly and a few more on the baited spinner. That's a good return for me.

Two were over 5lb, which is very big for a thin lip and several more were four plus. I suppose the average is around 3lb. 

Chuck in a sea trout, lots of sand smelt, two decent flounders and a twenty five pound carp, all from a practically unfished bit of river and it's been a great season, helped massively by the weather, especially in the autumn. 

Now, if we get several days constant rain and a good flood, it'll be time for chubbing and trotting.