I text Geoff Mortimer from Gloucester to let him know Mike Martin and I would be fishing the Feeder today and he said he would be down. This would also be Mike's first visit to the venue. As usual it would have to be an early start in order to get a parking space so I suggested to Mike that we meet up at 06:45 at the latest and then go down and sample the delights of Kelly's Cafe, this seemed to make the early start more attractive to him.
I woke up wide awake at 04:00 and cat napped until 05:30, I was on the road by 06:00 and arrived on Feeder Rd by 06:30. Geoff was already parked up eating his cereal but when informed we were going for breakie he said he would come along for a cuppa. Mike soon arrived and parked in Short Rd just around the corner from us.
As the Cafe didn't open until 07:00 we took a walk along the bank. As Geoff and I were updating Mike on the venue I noticed a big swirl under a tree upstream of us. Geoff said it was probably a rat but there was another swirl. On close inspection bream could be see among the roots of a tree which had some weed on them. To say there was quite a few was an understatement, some proper slabs were rubbing themselves up against the vegetation and they were obviously spawning.
We left for the Cafe with a degree of excitement.
Even more excitement followed when we saw the prices and choice in the Cafe. I went for the large breakfast and Mike went for the Monster aka food shop for a family of 4 for a week.
Our order was quickly served and very good it was too. Mike definitely was hungry as he finished his the same time as I did mine.
We were on the bank by 07:45 . Geoff went in on the same spot as the other week as did I. Mike went in just past the access slipway so peg nearest the spawning bream but still about 50 yards from them.
Usual set up for me as well as the ground bait mix. It took 30 minutes or more to get my first bite which surprised me and that was a small dace. Mike however got a decent slab halfway across and added another 2 in the first hour or so. I think he lost one as well.
I eventually started to put a few fish in the net but was getting plagued by tiny dace just snatching at the maggot or pinkie. I suppose I was hitting 1 bite in 10, very frustrating.
2 hours in I had net skimmer and a couple of chunky roach holding back hard.
Looking down I could see Geoff adding quite a few fish including the odd netter. Mike's line had slowed.
The flow was changeable during the day and you had tp keep altering the depth and shot to get a bite.
We called it a day at 15:00.
Mike had top weight, 14lb plus.
Geoff had a nice bag which weighed 11lb
I was 2nd runner up with 7lb 6oz
No match this weekend but Mike and I are going bream slaying on the Glossy, then I am back on the Feeder Canal next Wednesday.
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