Des Taylor’s Diary of a Countryman
...and I’ve had some fine fish on them too
IAM sticking to my plan through this early part of the season – to forget boilies and self-hooking rigs.
Instead I’ve been using more traditional methods like float and feeder, with rigs that you have to actually strike to hook the fish.
I am catching loads of fish! In fact on some venues I’m getting a bite every cast. Not specimens, but I am really enjoying it.
Of course, I will be back after big fish soon – that’s what I do – but it’s nice to use different methods rather than the same rods and rigs for every species.
My day on the Thames, which you’ll read about later, was an occasion anyone could have enjoyed and gone home happy – as I did.
MONDAY
Finally gave a pool the elbow after four sessions without a bite. Again I fished with Bill Finch and again we caught nothing, not a nibble.
There were needle bubbles everywhere, but life’s too short and the fish aren’t big enough for me to waste any more time on them. I will try again next year when, hopefully, they will be biting more freely.
Pity – it’s a lovely little pool and the tench are in great condition.
THURSDAY
My first guide day of the river season with Kevin Simms from Banbury, and considering the very low water conditions we did well with four barbel to 7lb 8oz and seven chub to 4lb 7oz.
All the fish were caught on boilies over pellets and in fairly fast water, which is where they like to be at the minute.
The river is a strange colour, almost like strong tea with no milk added – a bit like the colour of Irish loughs. But with so little bait going in this winter because it was out of sorts for so long it will take a little time to get them really having it.
We caught on a couple of pegs I had baited up over the past few weeks. Effort equals success in this sport.
Kevin was a nice bloke, and at the start of the day he gave me a couple of presents from his son Sean, who is also a serious angler. They were well-made disgorgers, a loop-tyer and a bait drill, but using wood instead of plastic for the body parts.
Far too good to use! They will be put in my tackle den for safe keeping. Thanks, young Sean!
I have quite a lot of kids booked in with me this year with their fathers wanting me to show them the delights of river fishing. I have to say it’s one of the best feelings in the world to see a kid’s face as they land their first barbel or chub.
FRIDAY
A Facebook friend told me of a spot on the Stour in Kidderminster where there are some big roach, so it would have been rude of me not to pop down with a rod to see if I could catch them!
To be honest I made only a few casts, as I spent most of the time just looking – the lad had said you could see them as plain as day, but on this occasion they were nowhere to be seen. I will go back a few times, though, because if my mate has it right they are well worth catching, to say the least.
The Stour continues to improve and I know of barbel over 10lb, dace to just short of 1lb, brown trout to 3lb 8oz, chub to 4lb 8oz and perch and roach to just short of 2lb. All that from a river you can jump across in places... well, not me, but some young lads could.
On my Facebook live show at 7pm I shared my disgust at the just-released ‘Action Plan’ from the Angling Trust and the Institute of Fishery Management. Sorry, I just can’t let them think we are all daft enough to believe that this plan isn’t a waste of the paper it was written on!
SATURDAY
I was in the car by 3am and away to the Thames to meet my friend
John Chester. We were going to fish the float and feeder today, and hopefully have a few bites.
Well, the stretch we were on was full of fish!
Every cast we both had bites from bleak, small chub, roach, skimmers and perch. The weather was gorgeous, and although we had no big fish it was a memorable day, made even better with the sighting of a barn owl as we arrived. John had to fly out of the country very early the next day on business, so we left at 2pm.
He still managed a bag of fish which included a couple of 2lb perch, the better one at 2lb 12oz and a nice kipper on the float.
I also took a good net of fish, staying on till 4pm and ending up with a 2lb 9oz perch, a 4lb 9oz chub and a bream ofabout 5lb.
The chub and bream fell to sweetcorn, and I lost a big roach at the net. I bet it was a near two-pounder but I’ll never know.
I said to John just as he was leaving: “We must come down here with drop shotting and jigging gear. The place is stuffed with perch and I bet it will hold some biggies as well”.
On the way back I had to pull in to the services for a hour’s ‘power nap’. I suspect some of you may be thinking ‘why does he still do it ‘hard core’ at his age?’
Well, the simple answer is, because I love it, and have done from the age of 11. I’ve still got years left in me yet…