At the end of the pervious week Douglas my 87 year old next door neighbour who always takes an interest in my fishing tales divulged he had a fishing rod and had been out practicing his casting in the back garden! I was totally surprised. He then asked where would be a good place to go fishing?
I soon established that the last time he went fishing was when he was 14, I'll let you do the maths as to how long ago that was.
He went back in the house and brought out his rod which wasn't even new when he got it so goodness knows how old it is. Upon examination I saw that it was solid wood, some kind of dark wood. It was a 3 piece with screw in brass ferrels and weighed a ton. Can't remember the make of the reel, it wasn't too bad but the line was about 15lb test and way below the edge of the spool.
I was going to direct him towards a Commercial but thought the rod would cope with a carp.
I could see that he really wanted to go so suggested a few hours in the evening on the Feeder Canal. I got him a rod licence for the day and put one of my reels on his rod as he wanted to use it for sentimental reasons (think his mum bought it for him). I said I would sort everything else out.
Come the Tuesday he was raring to go and we went into Bristol in separate vehicles. I took my gear but in the end didn't use it as needed to keep an eye on Douglas.
We got to the Bristol Feeder Canal about 5 p.m. and settled down near Manor Scrap. Team mate Leigh Wakefield turned up unexpected and went in above us.
I set Douglas up with a small waggles and plumbed up for him as well as sorting out the rest of his rig. A few small balls of ground bait with dead reds and pinkies went in. I show him how to cast and after missing a few bites he had his first fish, a specimen bleak!
Once I got him to strike correctly i.e. not try to pull the fishes lips off he done OK catching 12 fish and 5 different species (bleak, ruff, perch, roach and dace).
I had to watch him as when he got up out of the chair he still kept going forward!
Well he's ''hooked'' and is going to join the Clevedon Club so looks like I'll be taking him again.
I was up early the following morning (04:45) in order to meet Dan from Cadbury Angling for a bit of Fly Fishing from the bank at Chew Valley Lake.
We met at just after 06:00 and were fishing by 06:30. Fishing Lodge Bank Dan had one about 3rd or 4th cast while I was setting up.
I had one first cast on a Red Dawl Bach. We stayed on Lodge Bank all morning up until about 11:30 when it got too hot. The fish were just out of range but I managed 4 more as well as this perch up near the jetty.
The perch took a black buzzer
Saturday morning I was swim clearing with a few of the Clevedon Club Committee on the River Kenn and I have to say its looking pretty good.
Sunday I met up with Team mate Chris Hook up on the Glossy to fish Castle Down. We met at 07:00 due to the warm bright forecast. When I parked up DGL's Ruben Guerra had also just arrived.
As always the Canal looked great but a lot of debris on the surface.
We walked down toward the semi sunken barge. Ruben went in on about peg 425, Chris went on 432 and I went in on 436.
Usual set up and usual baits as the previous 2 weeks. I could see an angler down on 441 where I had fished last week (must have read the blog lol).
It took 40 minutes or so to get the first bite and it was a small skimmer. A roach followed next cast and then another skimmer. Sun became brighter and it switched off.
Swans didn't mind tough and showed off their young, lovely
Feeding very little and sometimes only fishmeal I changed baits between a combination of red worm, fluro pinkie, dead reds and live reds to snare a few more skimmers, baby bream and a proper one.
The guy on 441 came down after packing up at 12:00 and said he only had a hybrid, Ruben came up and reported one bream and a couple of skimmers. Chris had one bream and a few bits.
I ended up best with a double figure bag so looks like the weather put them down or they are beginning to spread out after spawning.
Chris's catch
My bag, not bad given the conditions
Not sure what I am up to fishing wise this week and waiting on a decision as to wether or not the Canal Pairs Qualifiers is on next Sunday up on the Glossy.
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