Saturday. Judging by the debris in the roads today any fishing would have to be away from trees, and given the wind not over to the far bank, rather down the edge with rods low. Enthused by Two Terriers recent 20 headed for the straight just above Buxton Mill. The deeper channel is down the near bank and give the waves crashing up the length when I got there that was just as well. Strong but steady flow and coloured.
I'd only been there a short while and the heavens opened. No brolly and no waterproofs. I don't know who was wettest, me or the dog walker who appeared out of the hail, shortly followed by this lovely rainbow.
Despite some leapfrogging down the stretch I had no takes and was off the river by 5.
This short stretch threw up my best days piking on the last day a few years back now. I'd started up by the church in quite a sharp frost, having a pug of about 9 lbs in the first swim. I'd worked down the length, with only one more dropped take and nothing from the usual banker big bend swim and by 11ish settled on the straight, opposite a large willow with the plan to fish till about 1, have a pint in Buxton then finish off on the chub below the mill through to dark. Fish started to come soon after the first cast:, at one point as I was playing a fish back in the second float started to move upstream and I was playing these two doubles at once.
The icing on the cake was this big old croc, ready to spawn, possibly why there were so many fish in such a small area. 23lb and my biggest fish only bettered last season with I caught at 25 and then back down to 23 after spawn below the mill.
I'd only just got a mobile then, and The Essex Scribbler had to endure increasingly excitable texts as my tally increased, having already suffered Shanus snagging a 20 elsewhere whilst he sat at work. Instead of chubbing I ended up in the Recruiting Sergeant and fishing above Horstead Bridge as I could then walk rather than drive as I had had a couple to celebrate rather than the planned one and finished with several more smaller pike. A day to remember.
I didn't go out yesterday BB, the wind here was appalling, even a small dyke had waves nearly a foot high. I think tomorrow will do me. Boro lost at Watford so I drowned my sorrows in a few beers. The 26 last week returned three eight inch roach so she was well on the feed. Is that the Bure? It looks really mucky.
ReplyDeleteAll the best, John
Hello John. I couldn't pass up a chance so took it as you never know... Yes, a somewhat murky Bure. Your fish was stunning, and probably feeding up prior to spawning, they do get that pod I have noticed before the general gravid swelling.
ReplyDeleteI remember it well. Whist I want my mates to have a good day fishing, to have two blokes catch 20 pounders whist you're at work is rubbing it in somewhat.
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