The start of 2013

The year 2013 let’s hope the weather is better to us this year. The first session of the year was to be at a still water as the rivers are still flooded. The first session of the New Year turned out in a blank but it was great to get back out on the bank again, it was a cold day with only one fish show in that was in my area so I was in the right place. I fished until my lift arrived which was last light.

The first session on the River Soar turned out much the same another blank. I arrived at about 1 in the afternoon to find I had the whole river to myself again so I headed for the weir island looking for signs on the way there. I chose a peg which has produced some very good barbel the year before. The floods have made a big difference this time all the banks are now covered with sand; also I found the depths had changed quite a bit as well. The bottom felt like sand with the first drop out with a lead so I had a couple of quick flicks round not too much just enough to build a little picture up of the bottom. I only baited very lightly using a small section of Castaway P.V.A. funnel webbing with 1 whole boilie and a few crushed, I also put out a small handful of boilies in a line over the area. After about an hour I got a right shock, an otter broke the surface not six feet in front of me. As soon as it saw me it shot off under the water again, was there any point in staying here now is what I was asking myself for the next half hour. An hour later I decided to call it a day and return soon for another bash. 

The next day I went for another go this time I fished under the road bridge for a change, it’s not somewhere I have fished before but on the day it looked go for a go. Same approach as the day before a quick feel round and small P.V.A. bags were put out, I fished one rod in the flow and the other down the deep margin. I was there for about 5 hours in the end with no takes but I had been feeding the swim slowly over that time on the plan of coming back soon for another go. So another blank it’s not looked to go so far this year but that’s fishing for you. 

  

I returned after a couple of days to fish the peg again. It was a lovely start to the morning, the mist rolling in off the river and the sun just breaking through the trees it all felt so good until the cormorants started flying over me, 14 in 10 minutes that was more than enough to spoil the mood. I fished through to mid-afternoon before calling it a day, another blank hmm.

A couple of weeks not being able to go on the bank fishing has seen the snow arrive, I thought I would have a go with the spinning rod in the snow and keep on the move for a few hours. The river looked beautiful with a covering of the white stuff hiding all the litter on the banks from the last flood. So a casual walk along the river only produced a couple of jacks but it was an enjoyable day.

With the snow here I thought I would have a go at getting a snow barbel, now i do love catching barbel and one in the snow would be special but to get a river carp in this now that would be super special in my book. Anyway I headed off to the weir island for a go and dropped in a peg which has done some great fish last year. It was not to be again as this session was a blank but what a time to be out fishing it was a great day with the usual robin popping in for a look and a kingfisher dropped in on the tree to my left, this is the closest I have been to one so the moment was cherished.