The Same But Different

 I've fished the river for thirty years on and off. Mostly on. This year, having only re started in January, I'm restricted to one free stretch, as I'm not a member of any clubs.

As it happens, this stretch is not one I've fished much before. It's deepish and slow. Very slow if not static in the summer.

I never rated it much for chub, though I had a few out many years ago.

However, after catching that big one last trip, I decided to give it a proper go and it turned out to be decent fishing with good numbers of fish between two and three pounds. Not massive, but fun nevertheless.

Agreed, I look a gumby in that photo.

Chub are a fish that, if you get things right, you'll almost certainly catch them.

Don't scare them with your approach, put the bait in exactly the right spot, understand that your best chance is on the first cast and it's easy.

But as with many things it's not always easy to do the simple things right. Which is why I've ended up tangled in far bank trees, bumped fish off on the strike and missed too many bites.

But no matter, I've caught enough and am re learning how not to cock things up. It's bloody great fun.

I've had two or three fish out every evening, just fishing around dusk, the golden hour to be sure. Especially in the clear conditions that prevail at the moment. Lots of people blanking in the middle of day re enforces that belief.

I've also had some more pike out on this stretch, so things are going well at the moment.

It turns out that stories that the river was finished, due to otters, cormorants and nasty foreigners are not true. 

It has changed of course. Next to no carp, the already tiny numbers of (introduced) barbel now practically zero, but roach, dace, perch and chub numbers seem to be on the up. 

So, it's as it was, in that there's good fishing available if you make the effort, but possibly with different species. 

Nothing stays the same forever.

 

 

The Hunger

 

The hunger ? Yes, that fire in your belly, bordering on obsession when you've got to fish whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Until I mentioned the words "species hunt" to Cocksy in January I didn't really have much enthusiasm for freshwater fishing, the salt water stuff had taken over almost entirely.

I'd almost forgotten what it was like trotting a float down a winter river or watching an orange pike float bob before slipping away or seeing a chub pull the quiver round as dusk settles on the river.

Almost forgotten, but not quite and now I've got that huge hunger back for it. Well, for everything really. The fact it's spring helps too.

I wandered along a beautiful little stream running through a wood the other day, dead quiet apart from birdsong.

It's full of wild brown trout in stunning condition, with a few dace, roach and chub thrown in too. Oh and loads of minnows.

I was actually after gudgeon and ruffe for the species hunt, but they have so far remained elusive. I'll just have to have another go, eh ?

Little nine foot rod and a bobber float with maggots or worms trotted down the stream resulted in trout, roach, minnows and little chub, lovely bit of fishing.

I've had a couple pike sessions with The Mighty Turdster on the river too and had fish on the last three occasions. Only short sessions but good sport with fish 5-10lb. 

Whist piking, I've seen several big swirls near the snags which I didn't think were pike, so one evening went back with the quiver rod to see if I could catch the culprit.

Well, I was actually hoping for a ruffe ( yes, again ), so fished quite light with a cage feeder and 16 hook to 2lb line. Worm and maggots were tried with only a few small roach the result and surprising at dusk it went totally dead.

I thought I'd have one cast with a big bit of bread to see if there was a chub about. Thankfully I changed to heavier gear and half a minute later I was into a much bigger fish which turned out to be a real brute of a chub.

Well chuffed with that.

I'm going back for a proper session this evening.

Hungry bastard.

Love it.

 

Rumours of my demise.....

 

After years in the blog wilderness The Loafer returns with stories and photos a plenty.

Where to begin ? Feck knows, so I'll start with today.

After months of the rivers being in permanent flood, they're now spot on. Even for pike.

I found a spot that I've never fished before but looked like a dead cert. Loads of cover, deep 'oles out of the flow, a shallow feeder dyke, perfect.

River fining down, temperatures rising I couldn't fail could I ? Well, no actually I couldn't.

A couple of nice fish on a "deadroachanoster" on a quick morning session, I was more than happy.

A couple of days later I took The Mighty Turdster to "the spot" as he'd only ever caught one pike before.

Similar conditions, a good chat whilst watching the wildfowl and a kingfisher working the river and three pike in the bag before it was time for breakfast. Wunderbar.

I'm Still Here

Just.

Great Bentley half marathon. So very cold, windy, grim and I struggled a bit. Came in at 1.46 something, not disastrous but not what I wanted.

Beers and a good meal down the pub afterwards and it didn't seem so bad.

Toodle pip.

That Time of Year

The bonfire, bright against the grey
Our custom in those old Decembers
Standing in encroaching darkness
Gazing into orange embers

From the cuttings, canes and deadwood
Apple, rose and artichoke
Came the wraiths of vanquished summer
Snaking out of sparks and smoke

From "The Winter Bonfire" byMartin Newell

Late November, getting darker and darker, light starts to fade around half three, not long to the winter solstice. Then the fightback begins.

Had some cracking bright, sunny days recently though. Been out running and biking, making the most of it. No fishing for three weeks though, can't get excited catching whiting and undersized codling or anything freshwater at the moment.

Had some interesting fishing this year though. Some of the highlights....

Catching at thirty something pound tope off the beach in the middle of a beautiful warm, sunny June day with a good mate. Thanks Bob.

An hour and a bit of fantastic lure fishing in Ireland, catching good sized coalfish in eighty foot of water in a five or six knot tide on light spinning gear, with The Mighty Turdster. Great fun.

The Poach Pit provided some great fishing for beautiful uncaught ghostie / metallic carp. Me and Lord Pualus of Clacton had so many good evenings there. The savagery of the fight was incredible. We'll have some more of that next year. Hopefully.

 Had some good sessions in Dorset in da camper,  on the black bream, wrasse, smoothies, makkie and gars with Conc, in glorious T shirt weather in October.

Also, a good day in early spring catching plaice in Brighton, again with The Concmeister.

Taking Mason fishing a few weeks ago, in beautiful warm weather and catching loads of rays with Norfolk Bob and Conc. Mason having his first ray on a light bass rod and struggling to get it in.

The best fishing of the year for me, without any doubt, was catching ( mostly not catching ) mullet on the fly in the local estuary. That was so, so good. And not something I thought I'd ever do.
The stray sea trout just about topped it off. I want more.

Other highlights....

Clive's cooking in a little place in Andalucia, enjoyed with Mr and Mrs Turdster. Still the best I've ever had. The man's a genius. And he hates "foodies".
Dorset and North Norfolk in da camper. Magical places.
Another few days in Brighton to see ex Fall troop, Brix and The Extricated. Good food, a few drinks and a great gig.
Barbel fishing in the Ardennes in 30 deg C with The Turdster.
An absolutely fantastic James gig at Newmarket in August with Goozgog. Great night, top chuuuuunes.
Got a few qualifications throughout the year, which pleased me as an oldie.
Doing the "Paras 10" in May and finishing within the Paras qualifying time, leaving hairy arsed, twenty something squaddies in my wake. Yes, it really happened. I fookin' loved it.

Loads of other stuff, too
 much to mention. Few crap things that we won't mention.

Music. This year I've been mostly listening to.....

James. So many top tunes and the new stuff is really good. Not "OK", really good.
Everything Everything. Not my usual stuff but very unusual, original stuff.
Sleaford Mods. You will love or hate them.
"Crop Dust" by The Fall. A re discovered gem. Other old Fall,stuff too.
Interpol. Got a charity shop album for 50p and then bought their other CDs. Great stuff. How did I overlook them first time round ?
The Pop Group - Citizen Zombie. Post punk groove funk. Yeah baby.

Books.

Fragile Lives by Stephen Westerby. Heart surgeon. Gripping. What a life. What a man.

TV

The Vietnam War - A ten part documentary on BBC4 ( I think ). Superb, some stunning footage. Same old story about those not learning from history being doomed to repeat it.

That's it for now. Toodle pip.

Golden Autumn Days

" A man's friendships are one of the best measures of his worth "

Charles Darwin

Norfolk Bob, me and Conc

Been out a couple of times this week, both times fishing in the afternoon sun in a T shirt. Loads of fish about, rays in the daytime and hoards of whiting at night. Great times to be out and about.

Bob doing what he does best

Yesterday Norfolk Bob, Conc, me and Mason went to the roooooker beach . Nobody else about, a nice, very gentle offshore wind and blazing sunshine. Lovely.

By the time me and Mason turned up Bob and Conc had been fishing for three hours and had already had four each. A good start, that early in the tide.

Tea on, jaffa cakes out and a chat in the sun before getting on with catching the fish. Bob carried on catching, while me and Conc's rods remained motionless. After an hour Mason's rod sprang back as a skate moved downtide. The rod hooped over and he needed all of his four stone to pump it in. His first sea fish, a nice roker just short of 6lb. He was well chuffed.  That got the ball rolling and it was steady bites until the top of the tide.

Well done Mason

 The wind, which was light anyway, dropped away until it was flat calm. It was absolutely beautiful, the fish continued to feed and we were treated to a fantastic sunset.

Double shot

By this time Mason was getting hungry, so I said "last cast". As I was packing some of the gear away one of the rods pulled round and a decent roker thumped in the tide. It was half way in when Mason shouted that the other rod was pulling round. I told him to keep an eye on it but no sooner had I said that than it was off the rest and heading seaward. He grabbed it just in time, good lad.

The last fish was the biggest of the day at 8.5lb, a nice way to finish off a really enjoyable afternoon.

Shining times indeed.

The Flat Rats Are Back

"Walking is the best exercise by far. Habituate yourself to walk very far"

Thomas Jefferson

It's been a good few months since I fished at the local beach for the rays, but the freezer was low on the fish front and the tides looked spot on, so I grabbed the rods and off I went for the afternoon.

Conditions looked about spot on, calm, light south west wind, but you never can tell whether they'll be about. Nobody else about, which I always prefer, I was was cutting up some bait and looked up to see the tip bent right round and the rod butt lifting off the ground. It'd only been out there five minutes.

I wound down and felt the pleasing thud of a roker swimming down tide and a few minutes later the first one of the day was in the cool box.

As I was unhooking the first fish the other rod sprung back and the line fell slack. Another one.

The next couple of hours they continued feeding on and off and I ended up with nine, all around 5-6lb. I came back for another go a couple of days later and had another five to 9.5lb, so plenty of fish about.

Daytime sessions much better at the moment because as soon as it's dark the whiting are on the baits before the rays get a chance.

Still a few bass in the river, mostly litluns though.

Something special about those Essex mudflats.

On Sunday I did the Wix Five Miler along with four hundred others. Unbelievably warm, a nice flat course and a decent time of 36.39. Then off for a meal and a few pints with Bongo and Mr and Mrs Turdster. Wunderbar.

Lastly, just when you think this prick Trump can't be even more of a buffoon........