April the 1st

Just a quick line to say that I managed an afternoon on April fools day and caught a steady string of tench. The venue again was ryton pool in search of the big carp .The pool was empty and there were a few carp showing however they once again eluded me ,may be I need to try harder!!! I had six tench in a fairly short spell all between 3lb and 4lb 2oz . Two of the 3lbers were grabbed on the way in by an enormous pike certainly over 20lb in weight.The first tench was very damaged and I unhooked it in the water and wished it all the best .The second was only scuffed slightly so I took a picture to show the bite mark of the fearsome beast. All the best Baz 4lb 2oz and my first self take !!! hahaha!!!

March madness

2lb 14oz of spring tench!!!

Once again today I ventured back to see the mistress.Having been busy at the early part of the week I new there was a lul in work imminent and prayed last night that it would coincide with the predicted warm spring day that was forecast.

Last night I prepared the tackle and bait and had it all ready in the front room.The morning was spent around the house doing various bits of house work. I call it " preparing the case for the defence" thus legitamising my time spent idley by the pool, when really I could of been doing some form of work!!.

11 o'clock came and my work phone lay pleasantly quiet ,so I loaded up the car and headed out through the Warwickshire countryside .The weather was amazing and I had the windows of the car down so as to absorb the maximum aroma that nature had to offer me after what seemed and always does seem a cold suffocating Winter.I arrived at the pool and was the only angler lucky enough to be free of the shackles of work on such a beautiful day .The pool was empty and I scanned the waters surface for signs of anything fishy .I opted to go around to the beach on the far side of the pool away from public and well and truly in to the warming rays of sun .

My plan was to fish both rods on solid pva bags and rove them around the bay .There were signs of fish all day and at one point a group of small commons bustled their way across the swim warming their backs in the sun.

After several very comfortable hours one of the rods was away and I hooked in to what felt like a tench .It zigged and zagged around the swim and gave a very spirited account of its self,unfortunatley the hook pulled and I cursed for all of a second .Never mind bag reloaded and punched out to the bay I leant back to enjoy the pleasant warmth of the day.

It was a day that made you feel truly lucky to be alive. And one that you should grasp with both hands in case of the return of cold weather and low temperatures.As well as seeing several buzzards over head I was amazed to see a red kite circle low over the pond .I have never seen them in Warwickshire before and so felt priviledged to do so .As well as the renewed abundance of wildlife the was also a renewed abundance of lady joggers and summery clad ladies present today .As I admired from a far one particular young lady in a short denim skirt the alarm burst in to life .After a careful fight I was pleased to slip my huge net under a small tench .Another species for the challenge and the perfect end to a wonderful day .I packed up prematurely really and made it home in time to feed the cat put the tea on and retrieve a full line of dry washing .

As I left a very large carp smshed out on to the surface along the no fishing margin of the bay .I could clearly see it was a huge common and was probably also feeling alive again after the clostrophobic cold of winter.

Two sessions ,two runs ,one fish that is the best start I have ever had on Ryton and in March as well.

Fantastic.

Baz

Super moon ??

Across the bay (no dogs allowed)

The super moon arrived Saturday night and my other half set about burning sage and various other bizarre things which included me drinking half a glass of spring water that was left out all night shrowded in bits and pieces to attract the moonlight .The moral of the story is "I will try anything once except morris dancing and incest!!" .If it could improve my catch rate it must be worth a try.

My plan for Sunday morning was to head back to the old mistress (ryton park pool).I had been visiting it more and more and as the weather is getting better there are some signs of fish moving.This was compounded on Saturday evening when I saw an angler net a tench.

Full of moon beams I set about getting another carp campaign off the ground .I am trying to stick to two approaches early doors so as not to confuse myself.Out went a chod rig and a solid pva bag .Both cast a fair distance in to the shallow bay area.

To cut a long story short apart from the odd liner the day was fish less much as I expected .However during the morning I was amazed to see at around 60yards out over my bait ,not a carp not a tench but a rhodesian ridge back !!!!!!

The dog was in hot pursuit of the resident phsycotic swan and I watched in awe as he swam and swam after it .Indeeed I even sat back and lit the stove up and made a cup of tea as it continued in its quest.The owner was no where to be seen and the dog had now virtually reached the island which is some distance from the disabled corner where its mission began.The swan which in years gone by had been such a dominant and indeed merciless character now looked bothered.Occasionally the swan would stop and hiss ,but the dog did not flinch .I poured my tea and awaited the arrival of the owner and eventually the shout of "bo bo"! went out. All be it half heartedly .After several more shrieks the dog turned from the front of the isalnd and began to head back towards the sanctuary of my beachy swim .

I was now looking at the dog head on as it majestically swam across the pond like a canine torpedo .Its teeth glinted in the morning sun .The owners calls now became more frequent and high pitched which in turn seemed to stir the dog in to some sort of panic .It was now baring down on my beach and looking very dunkirkesque .The shear size of this creature became evident as it now scrambled in to the shallows staring deep in to my eyes .It was at this point the dog (an estimated 10stones in weight) with a head like an anvil ran towards me ."I broke wind at and froze to the spot!!!! ".At the last minute the dog veared left and up the hill away from me .

THANK GOD !!!!!!

Tight lines

BAZ

pike

Just a quick line or two to announce that I after several attempts managed to catch my first pike by design today.

I popped down to a little fished part of the Warwickshire Avon and managed to catch not one but two pike in a morning session .It was an itch that needed scratching and it has managed to get me my new pb .The one with the scales in the picture went 9lb 8oz and the one with the float and rod in the picture went 14lb 2oz.Apologies for the piss poor photos but my camera packed up so I had to use my phone.

Also I can add another species to the chart.

Baz

Solihull Throop??

Today I had yet more time on my hands and really needed to get some fish in the net after three blanks on the trot.Yesterday afternoon whilst returning from work I decided to pop in and have a look at acouple of free fishing venues.One being a little weedy pool which contains literally allsorts from goldfish to chub .The other an irrigation pool set out in the wilds of the borough of solihull.I have yet to fish it and so have no idea as to what lies beneath ,it is literally a crater at the top of a field and is very small indeed .As I walked around it yesterday (i could of jumped across it literally) I noticed some bubbles despite the bitter wind and rain.I will keep this one for another day for now.

Back to the weedy little pool that lies on the edge of the village of Hampton in arden.Along side the pool runs a very narrow stream like stretch of the river Blythe .The river is in its infancy here and very close to its source .On this free piece ( it only has two pegs tops)there is a deep hole that forms under a railway bridge and it has a lot of current deviations and looks very fishy.

I decided to drop on the river blythe stretch today and give it an hour just to see if there were any fish in the little eddy under the bridge.There had been localsied rain over night and the river had some colour to it which gave my confidence a lift.

I set up in a very comfortable area of open grass at the head of the pool and this gave me lots to aim at and bouncy a worm around.The set up was a simple 2 aa paternoster, 5lb hooklength ,12 hook and a lobworm with the head nipped off to allow thejuices out.

I eventually got comfortable and repositioned myself so that the current was gently lifting the worm around the swim and in to slacker water.I kept the rod high which allowed the line to pick up some water but not put too much pressure on the tip.Second cast ( the first found a snag!!!) and the tip trembled before hooping over .The fish put up a really solid fight as I pulled it towards me against the current .Once in the net I had a long lean chub which oon the scales went 2lb7oz.

Fantastic a fish at last and a better chub than I had on the % chart.I flicked out again going slightly longer with the cast to the back of the pool .The tip moved rythmically as the shot bounced across the pool then ....BANG again a fish was hooked .This time though it parted and on inspection of the hook I could see that the worm ahd doubled over masking the point and preventing penetration (story of my life!!).

I repeated the same proccess and once agin the tip went round and immediatley I could feel the fish was bigger .It stayed deep and came in to the near bank plodding around .It surfaced and in the net I could see it was a really top heavy chevin .On the scales it went 3lb 10oz my best chub from the blythe and my best chub of this year .

All this for free......FANTASTIC!!!!.

I packed up strigtht away as I wanted to leave the swim for another day .The plan was to head over to the Leam at Offchurch and catch a 5lb chub .

I balnked !!!....but wasnt bothered in the slightest.

All the best.

Barry

Blank expression on my face

Over the past 3 days I have had the pleasure of being able to fish 3 times in a row .Saturday I had a short pike spell at Ryton pool and then yesterday I attempted to fish Longbridge sewage works and saxon mill on the Avon before heading up to the leam at Offchurch.

The weather conditions were the main contributing factor to yesterday's moving around and also to the blank.As I have said before I cannot abide the mix of wind and rain in equal portions .I find it very uncomfortable to fish under an umbrella that is being battered by wind .

On arrival at the Warwick stretch of the avon at the sewage works I thought that the steep bank down to the river may of offered some cover from the howling wind .How wrong I was as the wind was coming across the flat meadows from the M40 and in to my face .I tried in vain to set up but just couldnt settle .What to do now I thought ,I new that the wooded island below saxon mill weir would offer some cover and I would be on the opposite bank of the river so the wind would be behind me .Again I blanked at the mill so decided in desperation to try the Leam for a bite .

By the time I had trudged around at offchurch I was despondant and just couldnt settle .I decided to head home for a cuppa and the Sunday papers followed by a hearty beef dinner.

This morning the weather filled me with optimism despite a slight chill the wind was still and the sun was out.I had decided to push on with my pike angling and popped up deadbaits .I am fishing the deadbaits on 18inch traces with the bait popped up just touching bottom by the tail .This is attatched to an 18gram sinker and float fished over depth .

I set up in the log swim and tried Roach,sprat and Lamprey through out the day but to no avail.The pool looked life less and unwelcoming and the three other gents fishing the pool did'nt seem to fair any better either.

The idiots from Saturday morning had left behind their litter and a stool as well as the tree branches they had damaged to fashion in to rod rests.

Oh well tommorows another day .

Baz

Pike

I will make this brief .I went to ryton today and fished dead baits on the float .

I caught nowt but only managed a couplle of hours as it was more of a learning excercise .I have been tying my own traces and have got my popping up of dead baits sorted (i think).

Thats about it really ,nice to be back there amongst the barking dogs ,women joggers and T***s drinking special brew whilst out for the early morning stroll with the dogs .

Not that theres anything wrong with special brew by the way .

Perch /chub tommorow????

Baz