Change is overdue

Been having some decent tench bags  from two or three waters, this little belter was from a 40-minute drive complex with a big drop past those lillies with hordes of rudd, roach, chub  and dace making a bee line for any bait they see so was quite please thus turned up.

Been looking for roach and dace and a few have turned up but I've sort of lost my mojo. These yestesterday nearly turned my head but  a change is as good as a rest.

I didn't bring my thermometer today like every other self flagellating Pious Peter on social media but I did bring my livebait bucket and pump and a float paternoster set up. I don't livebait much these days, it can be such a faff trying to catch baits to order then lugging them about. When the Bure Boi shed is hooked up I might make a holding pond but today I was fishing almost out if the boot of the new charabanc so caught  a selection of roach, rudd and dace and sent a circle hooked dace (the biggest in the bucket) out into the pool. 

Almost as so as I set the baitrunner the tip nodded and the orange tipped float made of with the flow pulling the 1.1oz paternoster lead along. Wound into and kept winding to let the circle hook turn and set and decent fish on. Not a pike but a big perch so put the 42 inch net down and guided it into the waiting 24 inch pan net. Solid but no big belly yet and a very pleasing 2lb 5oz.

Three lost fish and several missed runs later I found a single treble trace (I don't like them for perch), connected with a smaller perch and the last roach was taken by this decent pike.. Off down to fish with Loafer and Bully tomorrow in the estuarine ooze.

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Famine to feast

Walked straight on past Roach Bend on to the next stretch to see what was what. Not a lot, despite diligent searching. Wonder of some white gold with whizzed up corn might be good way to pique some interest when prospecting. A lot to carry round though.

Dropped down to the next indent in the reed fringe (on another otter midden) and on the second trot the chubber buried and  a decent brownie was on. No real acrobatics and it was soon slobbering in the margins  A good 3lb guestimated.

A few hesitant bites followed with no reward so down to the double stile that marks the upper end of  our stretch. Soon to be named 

First trot and float away, a tiny pike that didn't survive the disgorger and is now residing in the freezer behind me. Waste not, want not.

After that it was a constant stream of gonks, enough to make a (small) pie. 

Enough also to earn the swim name Gudgeon Gate. 

Just a dace and  a smaller brown managed to beat the gudgeon to the double reds.

Looking down to Roach Bend.

  

 

Two rivers

I had heard of some roach and imposter stone loach so headed up to the top of our top beat and did indeed find the imposter stone loach (gudgeon, a tale best left on the Whats App Group) in reasonable numbers and slightly larger than last time out too. A nasty down streamer meant the pin was out but the (mostly) roach managed to keep up with the double reds on the first bend. Not up to the size reported on the Whats App group but still plump, lovely unspoiled fish.

Tried the cattle drink and the roach and dace were well over to the far cover and most obliging. A very pleasant late afternoon all round..

No show school taxi and an unplanned excursion in the opposite direction before heading off to a different river for an autumn trotting recce. It took a long walk to find a gap in the burr reed on a bend with an even fiercer down streamer. Dace, chublets, gudgeon, more plump roach and an unfortunate foul hooked minnow kept me busy for an hour or so then a rodless look around before rain drove me off. 

Tea chores done  I stole an other hour back on roach bend on my local river, temperature a balmy 22C " into dusk, with zero wind and just coughing sheep and cattle for company.

 

This last fish had me thinking bigger roach for a while.

Freshen up.

I've got a couple of tench catch ups to write but at last the river police have shut the feck up and I have had a couple of trots and it's been a lovely change. Nothing to trouble the net but gudgeon galore, chublets, roach and dace. Plenty of dragon and damsel flies and the ever present Cetti's Warblers. I have even found some decent rudd to go back for. Happy days.

And the Loafer sent me this. I guess Alresford or the Pump Pit. Half the man I am now.

Double trouble

Last fish before heading off to the Ionian Sea.  Couple of tench on the waggler and a pond pig to finish off a lightly fished July.

Toodle pip.

Standing up to the stumps

Like the New Zealand keeper I've been standing up to the stumps, well above the knee rolls anyway.Thin water, overgrown banks and roasting temps have seen me don the beach shoes and swimmers in the cool water.

Rare bankside sortie

I even had an hour almost putting out a straight fly line down that far run with a couple of missed pulls. Work in progress.'

The 'River Police' are now actively shutting down rivers with lots of virtue signalling going on, best I get a thermometer to keep below the magic 22C and post evidence with every photo. World has gone mad.

Dedicated to Darth Sidious, Emperor Palpatine

The chub were spawning at the weekend on My River. A wondrous sight and  a good way to guestimate size and quantity of the stock. Very healthy. Amongst those gathered for a feast in the post spawning bonanza were these chunky chublets, my first fish of the new season.

I dropped down to Soay bend and the dace were as obliging.

Monday saw me back on the stretch and wading in the shaded shallows but this was the best as a horde of maggot shredders had taken up residence.

I hauled out like a blubber seal and dropped in at the top of the run in to Soay Bend and fed a sparse trickle of maggots for a reasonable time  then ran the small loafer down and bingo, no maggot shredder this. I was lucky I'd bought the bigger net . An absolute beast of a small river chub. Spawned out with stunning bronze flanks, coral fins and dark blue tail. 4lb 14 oz on the Korums.

Time to check out the Pastons as well, a few trots for  a few roach and gudgeon to round off the sortie.

Tuesday saw a run up to the Yare for another shallow wade on the village stretch. Along with most of Norwich. I retreated to the pub for a think and nice pint of Swallowtail.

Loins girded I tried a few quieter spots on the river and in the pool for a reasonable haul of small rudd, roach, dace and chub and a solitary perch.  A happy few days mostly in the river. Perfect

From the river to the sea

First day of the new season a gentle roving affair, an hour on a low Wensum, lots of fry and minnows, and some small but perfectly formed roach and brownies. No dace. Not even in the Spoons pool.

Up through Docking and Ringstead then swooping down to the wide open horizon over the stunning North Norfolk coast. Poked about a bit before meeting up with the Loafer for a pint.

 On to the nature reserve prospecting for grey ghosts and silver shadows. What a stunning backdrop.

I worked a shallow diver for a while but the clay made me uneasy, as  I am firmly of the age now when I don't fall over but 'have a fall'.

 

 

The Loafer was on the mullet, indeed surrounded by them but couldn't convert his out of the blue chance

Back home in time to take the no longer Little Un to play cricket. Bowling is her thing 

Cracking afternoon Loafer, perhaps I take my little piece of heaven up here in North Norfolk a touch for granted.