Wednesday 25th January 2012

Weather - Rain at first, clearing by Noon, +8c 


Venue - River  Wensum Norwich


Another midweek trip on our local river Wensum started off in unusual circumstances. Myself and Dean arrived at the mooring around first light to find the river as low as I've ever seen it. The boat was clearly sitting on the muddy bottom and its mooring ropes were at their limit. It was quite an effort just to pass the gear down onto the boat and the mooring lines had to be untied at the cleats to allow us to unhook the loops. The outboard was still in plenty of water so i started her up and slowly eased  out into the boat dyke. As we manoeuvred out to the river, several other boats could be seen "Hanging" on their moorings. Some had even pulled the fittings clean off !
Once out on the main river, we headed straight in towards the city centre. 
With the river so low, we saw much more river bank than we normally do but It was quite interesting to see how different everything looks.
We decided to fish near to the hotel Nelson today and as we moored up close to the Scout boat, we could see the river was much more coloured than usual. 
With that in mind, i felt that ledgered dead baits may be our best option and set up one rod  with a smelt and a Bluey on the other. These were positioned one close in, near to a pontoon and the other at the bottom of the near shelf. I also set up a Third rod to share with a decent sized live Roach. This was anchored mid river.
It had been raining steadily since we set off and by now everything seemed to be dripping wet. Two brew ups came and went without so much as a touch on anything. Despite changing baits and moving things around we could not buy a bite so we decided to eat our lunch then move down stream if we still had not caught.

The move only took about 10 minutes and we soon had the Three rods back in the water together with another live bait rod. This meant we were now fishing one dead and one live each. The tide had been "Backing up" all morning and by now the water level was almost normal again. Plenty of debris had been disturbed and it was a constant chore to keep the float lines clear. 

We have been fishing almost an hour in the new spot and its around 1:40pm when Deans live bait finally slides under. A textbook strike and he is into a fairly lively fish which after a good fight, goes 9lbs 15oz on the scales.

You cant get nearer to a double than this

9lbs 15oz

With time running out, our 2:30pm finish time seems to be creeping up rather quickly and I'm staring at a 4th blank on the trot. I try the "Coffee trick" but that fails this time. Its like trailing 1-0 in a football match with full time approaching. I'm trying everything to get back into the game. Ten minutes left, then Eight. It gets to Six minutes, I'm just beginning to think its not going to happen and Its GONE ! The float is not there any more. I pick up fully expecting to find a branch or twig up the line but its tightening up. I lift the rod and the twig "Pulls back".  Its not any size at all, but i play it like its a record breaking fish. As it surfaces near the boat, i can easily hand this one out and i equalise with 5 minutes to spare. Back of the net !!!

Most welcome

We head off back to the marina both happy we eventually caught. Both fish today were caught on a smallish 3oz live Roach. This was after Dean had fished a decent 6oz one all morning without a bite. Dean has never had a blank in Pike fishing yet, that's in about 12 outings. 

Not quite sure why we did not catch more today. Ive done well in the past in those conditions using the oily dead baits. At least when we get back the level is much easier to unload the boat and tie up. We can see now, quite a few boats have broken fittings and mooring ropes from this mornings extreme low tide.

  

Sunday January 22nd 2012

Weather  -  Gale Force Wind/ Rain Showers, Temp +8c


Venue  -  Booton Claypit    7am - 2pm  


As the weather forecast was so bad for the weekend, we ruled any boat fishing out straight away. We decided to try a venue where in the past we have been "plagued" by Pike of various sizes while fishing for Tench and Bream. With the pit dug out and high banks around the perimeter, you can get out of the worst of the weather/wind. Neil lives close to Booton, So I set off at half six to collect Dean on the way. As i arrive outside Deans house i get that feeling of "Deja Vu".
No lights on, No sign of movement, Nothing. I try the phone, straight to answer phone, i think of ringing the doorbell but decide against it, don't really want to upset his landlord. After about 15 mins i head off and leave him a text to wake up to. 
I arrive at Booton and Neil has already started unloading even though its still quite dark. We choose two swims on the road side bank, nice comfortable stagings and also sheltered from the howling wind. The club rules do not allow Live baiting here so its dead baits all the way today. We both set up two rods, one straight ledger and the other a float ledger. Neil positions his dead Bluey close in to a reed bed and its no more than Five minutes before its taken. A nice positive run results in a 6lb fish on the bank. This has happened before he has had time to bait up his second rod !

This is an encouraging start and I get both my rods out and gear sorted for the day. The next hour passes without any interest from anything except the wind. Its starting to really gust now and the alarms "Bleep" now and then as the wind catches the lines. I decide to make a brew but discover ive left the water at home ! I then get a call from Dean who has slept through two alarms and the his phone. The landlord kindly woke him after hearing his alarm going off for half an hour at 6am on a Sunday ! Bet he was impressed !

 I decide to nip home for the water and collect Dean on my way back. This takes about 45 minutes but still no more runs have materialised while ive been away.

Dean decides to set up a float rod to catch a few small fish to break the boredom, but even this seems hard work today. You normally cant put a bait in the water here, otherwise its taken instantly. Eventually he starts catching small Roach and Perch until he lifts into a better "Fish". As he eases the rig out of the water, we are gob smacked to see what's hanging on the hook. Its a full size, empty, Hens egg !!!  Hooked neatly in a small hole in its side.

The sight of the egg reminds us we at least have a nice lunch to look forward too, Crispy Bacon rolls ! I prepare the stove and pan and start to cook the bacon, but the wind has other ideas and continually blows the stove out every few seconds. We shield it with every item on luggage and spare kit we have but still the wind is determined we go hungry ! It takes me about 45 minutes just to cook our food today, a job that normally only takes 15 minutes at the most.

We change our baits and rigs to try and find another Pike from somewhere but we end the day with just Neils fish caught after only 5 minutes !

Just as we are thinking of wrapping up and heading home to watch the football, Two more anglers turn up and walk round the far side and start to set up their gear. As the sun is now out in force we are sitting there almost blinded by one of the anglers new "Nash camouflaged jackets" . 

As none of us had packed our sunglasses, we decide to pack up and go before we suffer any  "Snow Blindness" from the glare.

 Sums up the whole day really ....

This is What Stealth Fishing is all about

(The new Nash jacket is on the Right)