About time things Perched up.

Now my season has not been good (catch wise) as you may have noticed from earlier posts but August was especially poor with blank after blank session.

However a few weeks ago things finally turned around. I had a session roving on the River Nidd on Saturday.

My first trip to the Kirk Hammerton stretch so didn't know what to expect. I was travelling light as I expected to do some walking. The weather was overcast with a slight breeze. Perfect conditions.


I walked to below the weir before trying my first swim.  The banks of the Nidd are treacherous and after the rain of the night before it was more than a little hairy trying to get down to the swim.  Not for the faint hearted.


One of the only benefits from the invasion of Himalyan Balsam is that it seems to be out competing the Stinging Nettle.  The result was far less stings on my hands and arms than I usually end up with.

I had a single 12ft Barbel Rod which has a quiver tip and Avon tip so I can use it for float fishing just as easily as ledgering.  I started with a light 3AA loafer and trotted caster down the edge of a area of slack water.  This produced nothing and neither did running the float along the edge of some far bank overhanging Alder.

I had a couple of shy knocks in the slack water so I spread out the shot a bit, swapped my hook length and put on a juicy worm.

The slack water was right under the rod tip and only about 8ft square, I let the float move about the area and fist cast I was in with a typical Perch bite; A couple of aggressive quick knocks on the float before getting pulled slowly under.  First fish was a nice size perch of about 1lb.  For the next hour I was pulling out fish after fish.  None under 10oz.

The best and last was a beast of a Perch.  Every now and again if I twitched the float it would induce a bite and on this occasion it was the most tentative of bites but on striking I realised that I was in to something good.  The way it headed for every snag and over hang had me believing it was a Chub.  However when I got it to the surface I realised it was a big Perch.  I got the net slipped under it and knew straight away it was probably a PB which was confirmed when it tipped the scales at  2lb 4oz. Outstanding!


I must have had 12 fish from an area about 10ft square and 3ft deep right under the rod.  Just goes to show that those slack water areas can hold large numbers of fish.    What is also interesting is that the fish were never prepared to go out in to the flow to pick up my bait.  If I  tried running the float along current seam it was ignored and they would only take it once it was in the slower water.


After that 2lber I really felt that spot was fished out so I moved down stream and found some more accessible swims than my first attempt.   Again I started with Caster on the float but I had little interest.  I did get a large pike follow my float all the way back on the retrieve though.

I switched tips and swapped over to a running ledger rig.  I realised I had forgot my box full of swivels and ledger stops so had to do a bit of a bodge-it rig,  threading the weight on to a large loop at the end of the mainline. Old Skool!!.

I started casting to likely areas under far bank trees etc and kept picking up Perch after Perch but no sign of the Chub I was hoping for. (wish I had brought some bread!)  Not that I was complaining.  I was using large lob worms and picking up good sized fish. The Perch hits on the Quivertip were almost identical to on the float, a couple of violent tweeks  and then a steady pull round, fish on!


The Pike made another appearance, launching itself at a Perch I was bringing in.  I saw it come in from a long way out moving upstream against the current like a bullet and it latched on with  such determination that for a minute I thought I may be able to land it.  As soon as he saw me however he realised that he had made other lunch arrangements and beat a retreat.

I had intended to pull some Chub out of this stretch as it looks perfect for that species but as it turns out I still had an excellent session of Stripeys which included a new PB.

The Perch are really putting on their best threads at this time of year two so their fins and markings  are really standing out.  All the fish were in excellent condition with only the big one having a couple of missing membranes on it's Dorsal.

 

posted from Bloggeroid

Desperation is the Father of Hypocrisy

Radio 4 woke me up at   4am to get me on the road to the River Swale near Topcliffe some 50 minutes driver from my house.

 

I had all my kit ready so all I needed to do was fill my coffee cup and get everything in the car.

 

I was bank side just as the chimneypot red sun was coming up over the vale ofYork.  At this time it offered nothing in the way of light or heat but a magical sight all the same.

 

The fishing rights for this stretch of the River Swale are now owned by Bradford City AC.  I had heard that it used to be run by the Barbel Society and word was/is that there are good Barbel and Chub to be had.

 

Considering the expected heat, an early start was essential and it was actually quite cool when I got to the river bank.  I did the typical thing and picked a swim very close to where I parked rather than trudging too far down stream.  This is something that I am not usually guilty of but to be fair it looked a good swim with overhanging trees on the far bank, good access,  a reed bed on the near bank and a beach type area next to my peg.  The latter was essential considering I had just realised I had left my landing net at home.  It would give me a place to unhook in the water any large fish I caught.

 

[spoiler alert;  I didn't need it.]

 

I started out by putting a bed of hemp out along a stretch at the edge of the overhanging trees on the far bank.   I then did some practice casts with a small bomb and line clipped the distance so I could ensure I repeatedly  hit my mark. Finally I started setting up my gear.  For end tackle I opted for an open end feeder to be filled with a mix of groundbait, hemp and pellets, a long hook length of camo braid to a hair rigged piece of luncheon meat flavoured with Oxo cube.

 

There were masses of fry close in to my bank and evidence of dace or roach mid-stream.  The river was very slow at this point and I could not help thinking that the bigger fish may be in the shallow, faster water down stream.   I started getting taps and knocks though so stuck it out and decided to be patient.

 

Long story short, despite changing hook baits several times, dropping the feeder for a light bomb and shortening and lengthening hook lengths I blanked for my target fish of Chub and Barbel.   My first 3lb Chub and first Barbel remain illusive.

 

I did spot a very large pike cruising the edge of the weed bed at one point and so wound in and  broke out my lure rod.  I didn't have any lures with me which realistically were big enough to tempt this fish (easily a double)  but I did hook a very nice perch on a traditional spoon lure fished sink-and-draw.  However it threw the hook  as I brought it over the top of a floating weed bed near the bank.

 

I called it a day by noon and packed up.  I then took an exploratory walk down stream  to where there is an island and the water runs a lot faster and shallower. Sure enough from the high bank, peering through the mass of nettles and overhanging trees I spotted 3 or 4 specimen chub.  All easily over 3lb.  I consoled myself with the fact that, their location would be almost impossible to fish, with steep nettle filled banks and overhanging trees on both sides right down to the waters edge.  If the heat keeps up I will be trying the faster water on my next visit though.  Waders may be an option.

 

On Sunday I decided to give the rivers a miss and go to one of the lakes run by Bradford City AC.  This lake has a massive head of good bream and plenty of mid sized Carp together with some roach and perch.   This is a mature man made lake stacked full of features; islands, lilly beds, over hangs and fallen trees.  The club has brought in the help of the EA to assess the water and it appears the Bream are not breeding and the roach are somewhat stunted (they need to stop smoking).  This seems incredible and a bit of a mystery.  On the face of it the water is an excellent habitat and seems to produce plenty of fly life which would support a fish population even without fishermans bait going in. It is true though that it is very rare to catch big roach or skimmers and for some reason the tench stocked in this lake disappeared as soon as they were released.  What is good to see though is the club taking action and trying to rectify the problem long term and identify the issues rather than simply dumping more fish in.

 

I started with my favourite way of fishing. The humble waggler is for me quintessential way to fish. I will take an insert waggler fished next to some lilly pads over the hi-tech bolt rigs,  Nascar predator lures  or golf clubesque fly fishing every day of the week (and twice on Sundays).    t is probably the technique that every boy learns (or should learn) when he gets handed his first rod and reel.  The tip of the float sliding under the surface gets me in my guts the same way today as it did when I was 10.   I appreciate it is not the most effective way to fish but it has a simplicity and grace that gets overlooked these days in an age of complex rigs fast result gadgets and big fish gimmicks.

 

On this occasion however, after failing to get a bite for two hours I decided on a switch of tactics which  soon paid dividends.  I know a lot of the fish do hug the three islands on the lake so I put away the match rod and in an act of  almost poetical hypocrisy,  broke out my 8ft light quiver tip rod and method feeder. 

 

I set up the feeder with 2mm Red Krill pellets and a small pink fluro krill boilly on a hair rig and started casting out in to the shadows of the overhanging trees on the far bank.   Within 10 minutes I had my first 3lb Bream on the bank and what followed was a further bream between 2 and 5lb every 10 to 15 minutes for the next two hours.  Now I am not a fan of bream, they fight like Mahatma Ghandi on Valium and cover everything you own in slime but after my last 3 sessions resulting in blanks, I was not about to complain.

 

 It was good to catch for no other reason than to get the confidence back up.  It was also an illustration on how making a change can turn a blank day in to a boom day.  When and how to make such a change is key in my book.  It's down to a cocktail of experience and instinct.  I assume successful match fisherman are adept at it.  I generally second guess myself too much and over think rather than going with my gut.  However on Sunday I did follow my instinct,  made the decision to change and it really paid off.

 

posted from Bloggeroid

The Heat is On

So I had three days off and no little boy to look after (it was his weekend with him Mum) and a forecast of warm sunny weather.

I was hoping for three full days fishing but after a works night out on the Thursday evening and a very late night  I wasted Friday feeling sorry for myself on the Sofa.

 
I came up smiling on Saturday though and managed to fish three locations over the next 2 days. 

All with equally poor results.

 
On Saturday I was up at 6am for the 45 minute driver to the River Nidd.  Now this stretch of the river between Knaresborough and York is owned by the Leeds ASA and it  really is quite beautiful. What some would call "Mr Crabtree-esque".    I got parked up, got my kit and hopped over the style in to the field through which the river flows.  The land owner seems to be using it as pasture or set- aside but the result is a vast wild flower meadow teaming with butterflies of every shade. A low drone of countless pollinator's wings beating the summer air, ratcheted up my excitement as moths, crickets and froghoppers rolled off my footsteps like waves.  In some ways my favourite part of fishing is that walk up to the riverbank especially on a summer morning. 

 
It's only once you get to the bank that things start to go wrong. 

 
Now there are a couple of pegs near the road with very easy access but the river is quite shallow there and I wanted to start off with the deeper, slower well sheltered pegs further upstream.   The problem is; getting down the banks at these points is particularly hairy.  The choice is a skin full of nettle stings or an early bath in the river.  I opted for the former and the bankside vegetation took it's toll for every inch that I slipped, crawled and swore (quitely) down to the peg.

 
Now I was conscious that the forecast was for a scorcher and a 7am start is a bit late when the temperatures were already in the high teens.  However I saw evidence on the surface and through my polarised glasses that there were fish about.  I opted for a legered piece of luncheon meat flavoured with an OXO cube to start with.  I can cast more accurately with a bomb than with a feeder and the river was narrow enough that I could catapult my freebies over the top.   I placed my rig perfectly,  flush against the deep far bank, in the shade of an overhanging Alder.  Perfect.

Nothing.

As the sun climbed, the shade of the far bank became thinner and thinner until the whole river was reaching for the factor 30.  As the temperatures went up,  the signs of life on the surface decreased and so after about 2 hours I decided that the flow may be too slow considering the heat which was now pushing 24C!  I decided to pack up and moved downstream where there is a shallower but much fast flowing section where the water would be carrying much more oxygen.

I always pack light when river fishing.  I have a rod quiver into which I can pack two broken down rods, my bank sticks and landing net and an excellent soft seatbox by TF Gear that has a padded top and access through a zippered flap at the front.  It has adjustable feet and comes with ruckstraps if need be.  It's one of the best pieces of kit I have.  Packing light when river fishing is a must in my view. This way you do not have to set your stall out for the whole day.  There is always the option to move.  If you have too much gear then it tends to put you off moving if the swim you have chosen is not producing.

 
On this occasion the move downstream failed to pay off except for a good sized Gudgeon following a switch to worm. (not to be sniffed at, I always consider Gudgeon a real bonus fish).

 
By this time I had run out of (drinking) water so made the decision to pack up return to the car, stop off at the garage for more drinks and then go on to the River Ouse at Linton.  (about a 15 minute drive).  Again, with the set up I have, going from fishing to moving takes about 5 minutes and about the same to set up once I have reached my destination.

 
Now the Ouse this is a proper river,  fed by the River Ure and Swale and later by the Nidd, it is slow, deep and wide.  with large boats moving up and down it.  Access is really easy with parking close by and wide pegs close to the water and easy to get to.

 
I switched to a groundbait feeder at this point with worm on the hook.  Another three hours with just a single bite, that I missed.  By 4pm I admitted defeat and headed home.

 
I fully expected better results on Sunday. A fresher wind had come up, the temperatures we much more modest and first thing I headed for Knotford Lagoon in Otley.  A cover strewn, weed filled gravel pit which is teaming with pike.   A floating frog lure is  killer here, retrieved over the top of the weed and lilies.  Surface lure fishing is for me one of the most exciting ways to fish. In the past, on this venue, I have had two pike attack this lure from different directions.  To see the shadows move through the crystal clear water and the huge bow wave come up behind your lure is heart stopping!

 
But for some reason the fishing Gods were not smiling and I didn't  get a single follow all morning, either on the surface or under.   This is the first time I have ever cast a lure at this venue and had no interest.

 
But the banks were alive with damsel flies, dragonflies, butterflies and birdlife the landscapes around these rivers and lakes are inspiring by themselves and just to be sat there feels like a privilege.

 
On packing up I reflected on the fact that I had spent about 13 hours fishing in total over the weekend with just a  single Gudgeon to show for my efforts.  Now in these temperatures it is not surprising that fishing through the hottest part of the day is going to give you little in the way of results.  I would be lying if I said it didn't knock my confidence though.  I am honest enough with myself that I know when I have fished poorly, hitting the wrong area with my cast but letting it sit there anyway, not being patient enough. Feeding too frequently or not frequently enough.  However in all the sessions this weekend I did most things right.  I think a bit more patience in the fist swim may have paid off but in reality the fishing conditions were just not right.  A 7amstart is too late in these temperatures and the heat was sapping enough for me on the bank without the low oxygen levels that the fish were having to cope with. 

 
That raises the questions as to whether you should bother going fishing when the conditions are clearly not right.. Nonsense!.  The conditions for fishing are always perfect even if the conditions for catching may not be.

 

 

 

The Bogeymen of Anglers

 

When talking to anglers on the riverbank it is not unusual to hear "No, don't fish there,  Otters have emptied the river"

The funny thing is, I heard the same thing about Cormorants a few years ago and Mink a few years before that and even about Pike when I was a kid. 

 
Now I can't say that I still caught plenty of fish in these locations because, hey this is me!   I don't catch plenty of fish anywhere!  However,  one thing that stood out to me even then was;   Predators are always found with their prey.  If there is no prey then there will be no Predators.  These animals hanging around empty rivers is the same as a bunch of hungry humans wondering about an empty supermarket.  It doesn't happen.

 
When I first started fishing it was disturbingly common to be told by anglers to take out and kill any Pike you caught as they "ruined fisheries".  Now that was obviously  a nonsense and  is mostly accepted as such nowadays.  Pike are a valued part of any mixed fishery and their presence does not significantly affect the quantity of fish in the area and indeed it can be argued the quality of the prey fish improve as the sickly and malformed are the first to be eaten. 

 
Cormorants have moved inland for the last ten to fifteen years or so as a result lack of prey at sea (due to over fishing by humans).   They are quite large birds that can eat a lot of fish but they are designed for catching fish in open water.  Though adept swimmers, they do not have the tools for pursuing prey through reed beds, underwater snags and undercut banks.   The result is that they will predate on river fish but will not be as effective as they are at sea or in open water.

 
The Otter is a however a river specialist and has the full skill set for chasing fish down amongst the boulders and tree roots. 

 
The common demoniator with all the above is they are all bound by the equation of any predator/prey relationship -  The numbers and success of the predator is directly linked to the number and success of it's prey.  After all, one does not hear of the Serengeti being devoid of antelope because Lions live there!  [OK, this analogy is a little facetious but you get my point.]
 

A lot of our rivers are in fact regularly stocked by the EA in any event so the management of these waterways is semi-artificial.  Introducing an extra predator in to the equations at most  requires a slight shift in stocking strategy.

It is my view that fishermen generally (and I include myself here) look for reasons and/or excuses why they have not caught fish.  If you visit the same location on a number of occasions without success then it is easy to think that there are no fish there and urgo something must have happened to them. The reality is that there are any number of variables as to why you have not caught fish and it is wrong to pin the blame on just one possibility.  A lack of fish in a stretch of water is much more likely to be down to water quality than the result of predation.

Commercial Fisheries offer a very different perspective on the problem.  I have every sympathy with Fishery owners which are now having to look at tackling the issue of predation.

Some of these ponds were created before the re-introduction of the Otter took place so it is unfair to have expected the designers to take this in to account.  However, animals predating other animals is not a modern phenomenon.  

Commercial lakes are generally artificial, the high stocking density and relatively shallow water make them very vulnerable to ecological changes and managers are more than aware  and prepared (hopefully)  when it comes to disease, pollution and poaching.  Predation is simply another  factor that should be taken in to account at the design stage. 

The re-appearance of the Otter and the ongoing threat of Cormorants and other predators  should be seen in the same way as the threat from poachers, pollution or disease.  Business decisions need to be made to address the threat.  But the issue is one of business management not an "ecological disaster" as it is sold in some quarters.   Fishery owners may have to alter the business model to allow for this which may involve investment such as making alterations to their venue.  If so then such costs can and in my view should be past on to customers who want to continue to enjoy their angling.  I see no problem with that.

I have been blessed with seeing Ospreys taking Trout at Eyebrook Reservoir (with much more success than I) and research shows that this fantastic bird may be making a long awaited come back.  If this is the case then anglers will have yet more competition on the river bank.  From this writers perspective it is the kind of competition I look forward to. 

 

Inglorious start to the Glorious 16th

So the new Coarse river season Glorious arrived and I had taken two days off work to start it off properly, hoping for that first Barbel or 3lb+ Chub.

Now I am a strategic optimist but tactical pessimist.  What this translates to in my fishing is; when I think about a fishing trip I am full of confidence that my plans are going to work and I am going to catch plenty of big fish.  However once I get bank side that confidence melts away within minutes.

I did not get off to a good start which to be fair is traditional.  I set my alarm for 3.30am but as I had a late night and early start on Saturday and not such an early night on Sunday I was struggling from the get-go.   I accept that fishing is sedentary but it is important to be relatively fresh as if you are jaded then everything from choosing your swim to casting and more importantly patience can be affected.

I was at he riverbank for about 4.30am and then spent a good 40 minutes fighting my way through nettles and willowherb to find the riverbank and a suitable swim.  I did my traditional lose-footing-and-slither-down-the-riverbank-on-backside early on so it was nice to get that out of the way.  

I picked a swim which I never really felt comfortable with and spent a long time baiting up before giving up on it quite quickly.  One reason was my casting was all over the place.  I used a bait dropper to put a bed of hemp down but my under hand casting was atrocious and I ended up pinging the dropper all over the river and so never really achieved that focused bed of bait.

A move up stream to a good looking swim fishing off an exposed gravel bar.  I had an easier time casting and picked what I felt was a fishy looking target; an eddy at the foot of a small weir on the far bank. After 3 hours without a knock, on maggot, bread or pellet, it was time to move and I dumped the majority of my kit in the car, tackled up a float rod and did some wandering up and down the river, trotting baits through likely looking swims.  My confidence was gone by then however and trotting is not one of my strong points so by early afternoon and about 7 hours on the bank I gave it up.

I have to say that I didn't really enjoy myself on Monday but this was mostly down to the fact that I felt very tired all day.  I had got up way too early with not enough kip which meant that I simply did not have the right mindset.   I really did not fish well on Monday so didn't deserve to catch.

Tuesday however was a much better day. I had a sleep in as I had my little boy and needed to drop him off at Nursery first.  I decided on the River Aire and got to the bank about 8.30am after a good nights sleep.  The banks are well maintained here and it was nice not to have to slip and slide down to the peg or parang my way through prehistoric nettles, thistles and bindweed.    I had a plan for the day, picked a bait and a target and feel I fished really well.  A good groundbait with hemp,and pellets mixed with maggots into a feeder and either a halibut pellet or maggot on the hook.  I had a nice roach on my first cast and cast to my mark repeatedly.  Unfortunately that was the only fish I had all day. (I missed a few bites).   I switched at lunchtime to luncheon meat on a ledger rig and placed the baits perfectly under overhanging trees on the far bank but still no luck.

I enjoyed myself much more however as I fished well which gave me confidence and it was just bad luck that meant no fish.  I left mid afternoon confident that on any other day my methods would have caught fish .  If I had to guess I would say that maybe the fish were in shallower faster running water than the peg I chose which was deep and slow. It may be a better cold weather spot.

One episode I do want to tell you about is Saturday when I was fishing the NewJunction Canal in Doncaster.  I was visiting a friend who lives along side the canal and she had got me a book for the local angling club. (she lets anglers park on her land so she blagged me one).    I had a good day pulling bags of perch, roach and bream out on a lovely stretch and saw Curlews, Barn Owls, Oyster Catchers and Mink.  While fishing I saw the biggest Perch I have ever seen!   It was oblivious to me and repeatedly chased the smaller fish I had on the hook as I brought them in. The water was very clear so with my polaroids on,  I got to watch it dart and chase the fighting fish as I brought it in trying not to let it gobble up my hard won quarry.  Twice it grabbed hold of my catch before letting go.   However on the last occasion I had a reasonable sized Perch on and needed the net.  As I put the net under the water, up came the big perch and it was so focused on the hooked fish,  it swam straight in to my landing net!!  Of course it then went completely mental.  I obviously will not count it as a fish I have "caught" but it was nice to examine and admire this monster.  I did not have my scales but I would guess the fish was at least 2.5 to 3lbs and fin perfect.  An absolute beauty!   A trip to that Canal with my predator gear will be following shortly!

Get some Aire Time

Now I am not going to suggest that the River Aire is up there with the Test, Itchen or Hampshire Avon as one of England's prettiest rivers, Indeed I do not think that it even beats it's sibling rivers of the Wharfe and Nidd.

It is however one of the most improved rivers in the country and still has some wonderful  stretches, of which some are free to fish and  even the controlled parts can be accessed at low cost from clubs such as Bradford City Angling and Leeds ASA.

I like the idea of rivers having personalities  and the Aire is no exception.  I always think that he (he is a he) is somewhat sulky and bitter about his treatment and looks jealously over at his beautiful sister The Wharfe, she never got the level of abuse that the Aire suffered at the hands of Industry.  While she danced and frolicked her way through spa towns such as Ilkley, Wetherby and Tadcaster,      The Aire was dragged through Keighley, Bradford and Leeds, treated with contempt, polluted and extracted to within an inch of his life.  And he has not forgotten.  Or I think forgiven. He is a brooding river that doesn't recognise that actually he may just be in his prime.

It always make me smile to think that the owners of the newly built  riverside "des res" houses nearby with their Range Rovers and hardwood Patio furniture probably don't realise that no one would have dared live that close to the river in the 1980's.

When I was a boy growing up in the suburbs of Leeds,  the River Aire was a stinking sewer that one had to cross if you were walking from my house to theLeeds Liverpool Canal to fish.  There is a foot bridge across it in Bramley and you could smell the river from 100 meters away.  Giant bergs of yellowy foam would drift downstream from the foot of an enormous weir.  One never stopped to look over the bridge in to it's inky depths as firstly you knew there was nothing in it and secondly it took you about 45 seconds to cross the bridge and you could only hold your breath for about a minute!

If we jump forward to present day, some 25/30 years later and I have sat and fished that same weir, I have  seen trout trying to leap it and pulled good size grayling from just down stream. Kingfishers, Herons and Grey Wagtails abound.   

And it is the Environment Agency, The Aire River Trust and Yorkshire Water that need to be thanked for this.   Now I am a Socialist so totally against the privatisation of our utilities but I can not argue with the work that Yorkshire Water did in cleaning up Esholt Sewage works and the river downstream which contributed to the improvement of water quality.   The EA's program of habitat improvement, punishing polluters and re-stocking and The Aire River Trust's tireless efforts to improve the banks and water quality has gone relatively unrecognised.  but for someone who remembers the state of this river when I was a kid, the transformation has been unbelievable.

Trout (my largest was taken from the Aire) Grayling, Chub, Roach, Pike, Perch can all be taken along it's length and the EA even stocked it with thousands Barbel between 2011 and 2013.

Now don't get me wrong the job is not done and  EA have their work cut out to keep this river in it's current state.  It is surrounded by massive urbanised and industrial areas and keeping on top of the polluters and fly tippers is a thankless and impossible task. However, for now, as it stalks it's way through a world of slate grey and brick red, it adds a welcome splash of green.  There are great river walks, picnic areas and fishing spots and you no longer have to hold your breath! 

Come the Glorious 16th don't write off the Aire as an option.  If we can get more people fishing this river then we get more eyes and ears on it thus help the EA maintain it and hopefully, in the long run, earn the forgiveness of this once abused river.

 

 

How to fail and love it.

 
My Targets this year are unchanged to those of last year.  A reflection of my failure as an angler rather than unreasonableness of my ambition.   I have still to catch a Crucian Carp, a Barbel and "specimen" chub (in my book that is a chub of over 3lbs).  I had a week off work and  obviously the rivers are still off limits so I set myself to catch a Crucian Carp.....And failed.
 
Epically.
 
To be fair the conditions could not have been worse, lots of cold water from the incessant rain running in to the ponds and a cold North Easterly wind.  It appeared that my own personal rain cloud was calling the shots.
 
Indeed I scratched around of any fish at all  over the week,  I didn't blank on any day except Friday when I was pike fishing but never really got going either.  Taking a nice Ide here and 5lb Bream there but other than that a mixture of small perch, roach and skimmers.    That is not to say I did not enjoy myself because I did, a brolly and a thermos flask kept the elements at bay as I simply enjoyed being on the bank with a line in the water. 
 
Added to the enjoyment was the wildlife, It started with hearing a Cuckoo up in York and I saw Wrens, Kestrel's, Herons, Kingfishers and Woodpeckers.  The highlight was a Grey Heron taking up station on the opposite bank to my swim on a small pond and out fishing me for about 20 minutes!
 
The most fun I had however was lure fishing for pike on a large lake near Otley on Friday Morning.  I had just bought a floating frog....   Now before you judge me,  read on.
 
These lures used to great effect in the U.S. to catch Large Mouth Bass amongst Lilly pads.  The hooks are hidden and become exposed when the fish bites the lure.    Now this lake which is mostly fished by Carp Anglers is very weedy and shallow close to the banks but it has a lot of pike present.   I saw pike in very shallow water in  nearly every swim I peered into and they went nuts for this lure!  
 
Casting out, This piece of hollow soft plastic puts on a Oscar worthy performance of a hapless amphibian desperately making it's way to the shore, then, as you watch, a large bow wave forms a foot or so behind the lure and then with a flash of yellow and white and a huge displacement of water the pike hits the lure......Or at least try to.  I must have had 7 or 8 fish try and take this lure without a single hook up.  The problem is with the hooks being hidden the fish actually have to bite cleanly on the lure to expose the hooks.  Pike are fast, powerful and brutal but marksmen they are not.   I actually failed to catch but I was having so much fun watching the fish follow and the ferocious attacks on the lure that I did not want to change baits.  I have found a similar pattern that has a trailing treble hook which I think will make a big difference to hook ups but even if not I would really recommend trying surface lures at this time of year.  The acceleration and power of these fish as they attack has to be seen to be believed.
 
Next up will be a fun trip with my 5 year old to help him as he tries to catch some canal roach and then a trip to the Aire and Calder Canal, where I plan to use ultra light lures to try and tag a good perch or chub.