Sunday 24th January - 'knock up' River Kenn

At Clevedons AGM last Thursday night Scott showed us some pictures from his sessions on the River Kenn recently, big roach, he also was telling us about the bream he had caught as well, all on bread. I said I was going on the Kenn this Sunday and a few others became interested so we advertised a 'knock up', probably the maximum coming would be 6. Sunday morning came and we ended up with 3, Chairman Steve Bonwick, Scott Smallwood and myself. We met in Kenn Road car park and debated where to fish. I suggested the car par stretch as you were less likely to be disturbed by dog walkers and we were right on it. We drew straws for a rover and the shortest straw had the first pick of the approximate 10 pegs. I was left with the last straw which happened to be the shortest and opted for a peg bang smack in the middle, Steve chose a couple of pegs above the footbridge nearer the car park and Scott went to the further downstream peg.
Just as we were loading the trolleys a young lad came down the bank with a carp trolley and a few rods on it. He had a day ticket and it was his first time on a river! We asked him what he was fishing for and he said carp and pike. OK....... there have been carp caught in the Kenn but they are rare as rocking hourse poo. We told him what we were up to and he settled in on the nearest peg to the car park to spin for pike. I had not unloaded all my gear when I caught site of him with a small pike. He had one second cast and was having trouble getting the trebles out so I gave him a hand taking them out through the back of the gills.

Ben Tidcombe with his first river fish

Ben came across as a very polite young man and was asking quite a few questions which has made the club decide to offer a £5 season ticket to juniors from the April.

So.... on the the old timers (well me anyway). We chucked a £10 er in each, winner take all and began to set up fishing 10:00 - 15:00. The high tide was around 07:00 but at 09:00 it was still pended and had not run off yet. Scott said it would by the time 10:00 came around. Steve opted for the long pole to hand approach with maggot, I set up a small 3AA waggler and a cage feeder rod intending to fish bread. Scott had a whip, waggler and feeder with bread being his main bait as well.

My peg when the water was at its maximum height for the time of year

Scott was right... by the time it was 10:00 it was begining to run off. I fed a couple of golf balls of bread down the middle and started off with double 9mm punch on a 16. After a few trots and regular feeding I had my first roach, it was so good to be back on a river. I looked down towards Scott and saw a big bend in his feeder rod, jammy bugger had a bream with 10 minutes and a few others straight after. I started to get roach regular and the pace of the river became much faster as it ran off, controlled by the sluice gates on the sea wall. What you need to remember (and I didn't for about 20 minutes) on the Kenn when it does this and if you are fishing a float the depth needs to be altered as it becomes shallower. The most effective way to is to hold back the waggler as if you are fishing a stick float (some people reading this may ask ''whats a stick float, bit like young Ben when he asked how do you control a float when the water is moving). 

Kev Perry came down and was not fishing but told me Steve was getting a roach a chuck on the maggot, he sat behing me for a while see a few dectent roach come to the bread before moving down to Scott. Match Secretary Adie Bake came down after his lad had finished football and was amazed at two of the roach I caught while he was there, proper dog roach, fin perfect and well over a pound.

I had a slow spell between 13:00 and 14:00 before getting them back further down the peg. Kev came past again about this time and said Scott had about 10 bream!

Just before 15:00 the wag dipped and I struck as usual expecting another roach and the line went solild with the bream like nodding on the end of the line. By this time the water was about 2' 6'' deep and I soon saw it was a good bream around 4lb. Sadly it came off about a landing net length out in the faster water.

Scott came up with a smile clearly having had a good day. He had 11 bream and about 10lb of roach, I said I must have 20lb of roach so we walked up to Steve to weigh in. Steve had also had a good enjoyable day catching every put in on the long pole to hand.

Steve with his 14lb of roach

I just fell 8oz short of 20lb but look at those roach

Scott with part of his catch 66lb of bream and 10lb of roach in total

Between the 3 of us we had over 110lb!!!!!!!!!

Scott used 6 loaves of liquidised bread with bread flake on the hook. I used 5 loaves of liqqy and double 9mm punch. Steve used maggot and fed maggot.

If you are thinking of fishing the Kenn and are not a memember you can but a day ticket at Cadbury Angling in Congressbury, Olivers in Clevedon, Veals in Bristol. Check the tide times, best to fish after a high tide so the the river runs sea wards during the session. Bread is a classic bait at the moment and you do not have to have the liquidised that fine (but cut off the crusts). Be prepared to get a bit muddy, but its worth it.

What a great day.