In The Dutch Groove

With no further sign of grassies, the next morning I scaled down somewhat, to 7lb line and a strong size 10 with double corn, in the hope that I'd have a few more tench.

I'd had a couple over the last two days on heavy carp gear, with three grains of maize on a size 6, so they weren't especially fussy.

The bream were still active ( surprise surprise ), but by fishing a few yards away from the main baited area you seemed more likely to get a tench or carp.

It wasn't hectic fishing but they were all in good condition and really scrapped hard. I was using an old Fox 12 foot Floater rod, a cracking tool, with a very soft tip with power in the butt, just about perfect for this type of work.

Scaling down a bit resulted in five nice tench to 5lb 8oz, my biggest canal fish, so a good mornings fishing in my book.

The fishing is what we come for on these trips obviously, but it really is just a part of the experience.

Typically, we fish the morning, then retire to the van for a big breakfast, usually a dirty omelette ( copyright me ), coffee and a bit of lazing about, followed by an afternoon bike ride, with or without rods. 

Its a great way for checking out new waters and enables you to add to your knowledge of the area. I've stumbled across loads of spots over the years doing this.

Normally there's a bait bucket in the rear basket, so we can pre bait any swims we fancy.

I can never be arsed to move the van, so the bikes are used to stock up on provisions in the nearest town too.

Then it's a meal at the van before the evening session. The day ends with a drink or two and more eating. And lots of talking bollocks.

Repeat the next day and for as long as possible. 

All Together Now

Bully had seen that the best results came in the early morning, so the next morning saw both of us on the bank at dawn.

The pre bait seemed to have done it's job, as my swim seemed full of rolling fish. After half hour or so the rod went round and as I pulled in to the fish it became apparent that it was too heavy for a tench. Not fighting hard enough for a carp, so....

Could it be a grass carp ? As it surfaced there was no doubt and after a brief tussle my first ever "wild" grass carp was on the bank.

I left it in the net and text Bully, but before I could press "Send"  a message from him popped up on the phone.

"Just had a grassie"

Weird, we'd both had one at the same time and similar size, mine going 14lb and Bully's estimated at 15 plus. Fantastic. 

Job done.

Holland Ahoy

Well, we certainly picked a good week weather wise, dry and sunny for the most part, with temperatures in the mid to high teens.

After the overnight ferry to the Hook of Holland, we headed to an area I'd been told holds some grass carp and tench, just an hour or so from the port. 

A little campsite on the canal was found, then we had a walk with the plumbing rod and found a few spots and baited them with the trusty seed/maize/sweetcorn mix. 

The canal was fed by little djkes, maybe six foot wide and eighteen inches deep. It quickly became apparent that some decent fish were feeding all the way along these tiny watercourses,  although we couldn't access them, as they were all entering from the far bank. 

After watching with the binoculars over several hours, I was convinced that those fish were grass carp feeding on the bream spawn.

The first evening produced just a few scabby bream, but before leaving we baited heavily , ready for a dawn start. Well, an early start for me anyway. Bully hates getting up and usually appears on the bank a bit later.

The bream were a pain. Smallish fish of 2-4 lb were ravenously feeding on anything and everything, but you need to fish through them, because there are often carp and tench on the edge of the bream shoals.

I was up early and as I arrived I immediately spotted fish rolling. 

Within half hour I was into a fish. Heavy and fighting hard, it had to be a carp. Yes, an immaculate common of 14-15lb and my best from a canal. "Well chuffed".

A couple of nice tench and a small carp followed, before the sun became too much for me, and we packed up late in the morning, ready to tuck in to a big breakfast. 

In the afternoon we got on the bikes and had a scout round. Another nice canal about five minutes ride away was our first stop.

We used the little nine foot rods that fit on to my bike rod holders and first chuck out on a feeder a dreaded bream was hooked. Off came the feeder and a change to floating crust ensured.

A short while after a few crusts were chucked in, the first surface swirls appeared. Not big enough for carp.

A ten yard mid river cast was met with rod pulling over, as an angry asp surged downstream. The fight was typical, fast and furious, but over quickly

 A nice fish around 4lb.

Later we spotted carp in the tiny djkes and thought they'd be an easy catch, but despite sneaking up to them as quietly as possible,  we seemed to spook them and we returned to the van carpless.

Great fun dicking about like a couple of kids though.

Packing

Me and Bully are off on the night ferry to Holland on Tuesday,  this time on the canals after grass carp and tench and maybe a go for barbel on one of the rivers.

Lots of cooking going on, I'm expecting to use a bit of bait prebaiting several swims. The bream are excited already.

We know the grassies and tench exist in the venue, but have no idea where. I'm confident of getting a few, I had a recce of the place last year and found a couple of nice areas, so fingers crossed. 

Got to go, I'm currently stinking the kitchen out with all four hobs bubbling away with maize, hemp and pigeon condioner on the go.

Perfect Day

Wak wanted a mullet on the fly, so plans were made. Monday, the weather looked reasonable, so we pencilled ìt in the diary

Things were looking good. Over the weekend I'd had three fish and had seen big shoals at certain states of the tide. 

We met, had lunch and then a pint at a pub overlooking the river, sitting outside in the sunshine. A mighty fine way to start the session.

We were a bit early to start fishing, the tide still ebbing, so gave it a half hearted chuck for the bass. Then it was time to look for the mullet.

A few fish showed, but as the tide started to flood, there were no significant signs of feeding activity. Wak predictably went arse over head on the slippery rocks bordering the mud.

Disappointingly, he remained fairly mud free. He's, as the carpers say, is a big old "unit" and that is most certainly not conducive to moving quickly and freely on the estuary mud. The Chubmeister General will confirm this.

After an hour of looking, we were yet to cast and a move to another mark was on the cards. However, just as we about to leave, we spotted a group of fish working the shoreline about three feet from the bank.

The fly was presented in the right spot without spooking them and Wak waited. Five minutes later a bite. Missed !

Next cast, another bite and he was in. A smallish mullet was hustled towards the net. Job done. Photos taken, we headed upriver, to a normally reliable spot.

Rain threatened,  but the wind had dropped and we could see fish feeding in a just a few inches of water. 

Again, the fly was put on the spot without issue. I got the video out to get to footage of them feeding and amazingly,  seconds after I pressed record, the indicator slipped away, Wak struck and a mullet bolted off , the fly line pointing in one direction and the bow wave in another, such was the mullet's speed.

A bigger one this time, at around 3lb. We'd been along the river for maybe three or four hours and Wak had fished for maybe twenty minutes maximum, having three bites and two fish. It doesn't always work out like that !

The fish unsurprisingly disappeared and we noticed a big commotion under the bridge. Well, two eruptions simultaneously. Fecking cormorants I thought, so I wandered off to have a proper look.

And to scare the horrible feckers off.

It was immediately apparent that it was not cormorants or any land animal responsible.

Too big for a fish. Not a seal, as they would eventually come up for air and if you've ever seen a seal attack fish in shallow water, you'll know it looks like a Great White is on the rampage. 

No, these were two porpoises, trying and probably succeeding to stuff themselves full of mullet. Not a sight you see every day, way upriver in three or four feet of water.

We packed up as the tide flooded, Wak once again entertaining me, as instead of walking up the flood bank, after slipping he slowly crawled up on his hands and knees, effing and blinding as he did so. I don't think he likes the estuary mud much.

I reckon that was just about a perfect day.

A Rich Tapestry

Where to start ? I've just come back from the tidal river, where I got within touching distance of a harbour porpoise, which had ( almost ) stranded itself in a few inches of water, no doubt after becoming pre occupied chasing mullet.

Thankfully,  the flooding tide saved him.

Yesterday,  I met Ben Norrington,  EA man and all round good egg, who was carrying out an eel survey at the weir. I recorded our conversation for the podcast, it's well worth a listen and I'll put a link up when it's uploaded.

It's amazing, these little three inch "glass eels" are three or four years old and still look like a recently hatched fry. Incredible life storey of an interesting fish I dont want to catch.

I recorded fifty two species of bird on the walk to meet Ben yesterday, falling a few short of "the record", which will fall very shortly I reckon.

Heard a cuckoo for the first time this year and there's whitethroat, blackcap, several nightingales, swallow and warblers too. Swifts a few weeks away I guess. 

I've been doing well on the mullet, having a fish most trips, even if there just twenty or thirty minute sessions. I'm tempted to say I've got it sussed....but won't tempt fate.

In the week I spied a decent bass in a few inches of water by some "structure", more specifically a shopping trolley. It's very attractive to the mullet too , which feed off the algae that's built up on the metal.

A session on the lures after the bass is forthcoming, if I can put down the fly rod.

Good Times

Sunshine, no rain, more and more light, the good times are here again.

Bit of fossil hunting the other day which resulted in a decent haul,

then a big walk and poke about along the estuary and woods with The Chubmeister General. Bloody lovely day.

Wood anemones, bluebells, cuckoo flower, wild garlic, it's all out now. Get out there and enjoy every last drop of the spring. 

Somehow I'm in the groove with the mullet already. 

Another one this evening on a super short session and a good one too, 4lb 10oz.  Fought like a demon.

Bit of work tomorrow morning then I might have another quick go if the weather is OK. Love it.

Almost forgot, to cap it Ipswich beat Norwich and those Arsenal turds lost. Perfect.