Sunday 30th June - return to the River Kenn

I dragged myself out of bed this morning even though I had about 9 hours sleep. I went to my first Asian Wedding yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed myself, the food was excellent and I had a couple of pints afterward with some friends. Anyway back to today, I could not belive the wind was still howling, it was the same last week so I decided to have a look around the Kenn first before deciding where to fish. I went up to the area known as the 'cross waters' first, this is where the old River Kenn, the Black Ditch and some other drain meets to form the Blind Yeo (also know as the Kenn, confusing I know. I was tempted but there did appear to be a fair bit of weed, I could see another angler setting up about 200 yds away but did not walk down. Back in the car and I stopped in Davis Lane just below the M5 Motorway Bridge, up over two stiles and a short walk to the bank, the water had a tinge of brown colour in it, the wind was upstream, there was some weed but only about a third across and would not cause any problems, then a roach broke the surface. That's it I thought and hurried back to unload the gear.

View from my peg looking up towards the M5

Here is my peg, you can see the streamer weed.

After I took these two phots the wind got up and there was a ripple on the water all day, I decided just to fish the tip and got out my new Drennan Match Pro purchased from Cadbury Angling on the Friday night, lovely piece of kit. My ground bait mix was 50% Sensas Noire and 50% Sensas Magic, I mixed up just under 2 kilo and added half a pint of caster and balled in 6 handsized balls two thirds the way across. I wnent failry heavy on the line with 6lb and a 0.13 hook length to a drennan 16 super specalisit eyed hook due to the weed, It was now 09:30.
First chuck with double red on the hook I had a decent perch about 12oz, nothing else happended for about a hour when I had a few more in quick succession followed by a few eels, always a risk on the Kenn.
I thought I was getting a few liners but it was hard to tell due to the wind. I put on two half of worm tipped with a caster, tip went striaght around and stayed there, on picking up the rod the heavy thuds and tip action told me it was a bream, it fought well and came easy enough through the weed, a nice fish of around 4lb. Out with the same hook bait and I bumped another on the strike (too eager prob). More perch followed but I didn't care, I was getting bites and fish and I was not on a Commercial. A cast slightly downstream of where I had been fishing produced another good bream and slightly bigger then it went quiet for a while before the perch came back, no roach at all which was strange as the colour was just right for them. About 3 o'clock the tip just moved ever so slightly and I struck before letting the bite develop as it looked like an eel bite I had put on a 3' hooklength as well, this was no eel and was not wanting to come in, it gave my new rod a thorough work out. When I got it in the net it was almost bent double, a big old boy of at least 6lb plus.
It was now just after 3 p.m so decided to call it a day, I needed to get home to do a few jobs. In total I had 3 bream, 12 perch and 4 eels for around 15lb, very pleased with that. Pic of my bream below.

There is a Club Match on the Kenn next week but I cannot attend due to family visiting us. I dobubt if many plan to attend but perhaps any Clevedon Club memebers reading the last few reports may give it a go. It is fishing better than last year.

Sunday 23rd June - pleasure session on the River Kenn peg 3

I was determined tp fish the Kenn on Sunday whatever. After a busy Saturday running around and a late night due to a BBQ I didn't get up until 08:30. The wind was gusting still and very strong a times. I stopped on Strode Rd bridge to have a look before deciding where to fish. Due to the wind direction and force I opted for the bottom end hoping the sea wall and sluice gates would offer some protection, in hindsight I should have gone up to peg 21 which is on a bend. There had been no evidence of anyone fishing on any of the first 6 pegs which is unusal for this time of year.
A wag and feeder rod was set up and 4 jaffa's deposited down the track. I started on the wag and alough did manage to cast ok in the wind it did not move much due to the force of the upstream wind, I did persevere for an hour, only had one bite which I missed and put the rod behind me.
Out on the feeder and after 30 mins had a good pull around and a perch around a pound graced the net, a few more followed and then the eels moved in. I caught around 8 of them and even foul hooked one in it's middle which shows how many there were around. After 4 hours I called it a day ending up with approx 5lb. The wind did not help and I am sure if the wag was presented correctly I would have had more.
Clevedon have the 2nd Saturday afternoon match this week but I have a wedding to go to but I hope to get back on the Kenn on Sunday.

Sunday 23rd June, pleasure session on the River Kenn (peg 3)

I was determined to get out this weeken on the River Kenn especially after the bag that Barry put together earlier in the week. A lot of running around during Saturday followed by a BBQ down at Axbridge and a late night meant I woke up a bit knackered. I did get out of bed at around 08:30.

Tuesday 18th June - who says there are no fish in the River Kenn

I had planned to fish the River Kenn last Sunday but with my youngest daughters gear box gone on her car and the need to get to work it just did not happen, Dads Taxi Service was in full flow.
Clevedon Club Secretary Barry Fowler gave me a call on Tuesday afternoon asking if I had been on the River yet as there are only a few River Kenn die-hards left due to the river not fishing very well for the last two years.
I could tell by Barry's voice he was more excited than usual, he went on to tell me that he had just managed to get out on the river from 09:30 - 14:30 that day due to work commitments over the weekend and Monday following. Experimenting with the pole, feeder and waggler (he caught on all 3 methods) and taking a pint of caster and maggot mixing up a kilo of groundbait he put together a great catch consisting of 15 roach, 18 perch, 4 skimmers and 7 big bream for around 45lbs. Barry fished Peg 23 and did not pre-bait, what a great catch. The River Kenn can be fished on the North Somerset AA tab, day tickets are available in local tackle shops.
Here is a picture of Barry with his bream, now that's fishing.

Work permitting I do hope to get on the river this weekend, it's got to be done.

Clevedon Freshwater Angling Club are part of the North Somerset AA, for more info on the Club go to http://clevedon-fwac.webs.com/

Clevedon Club Match - Shiplate Farm Main Lake 9th June

Nice day for sunbathing, fish did not respond, I drew peg 1 for the second time in two visits on the main lake. I had 5 small skimmers which I did not weigh (approx 2lb if I was lucky), Rich Healey did not get a bite all day, Rod Wotten packed up early as well, really disappointing day. Anglers fishing the Summer League on the two Canal Lakes caught most of the day!
To be fair the guys who framed kept their heads down and went for it, Paul Faires made a really good decision and stuck at it on the normal feeder method for first place in the silvers. Here is the press report.

Clevedon Freshwater Angling Clubs latest Match was held on the main lake at Shiplate Farm near Bleadon Weston Super Mare. Sun cream and hats were the order of the day to protect anglers from the glorious sunshine which also had a detrimental effect on the fishes appetite. Fish could be seen rolling on the surface for most of the day but had no intention of getting their heads down and feeding. As a result a few anglers packed up before the end of the match in frustration after trying every trick in their book to entice the fish to their baits. Andy Hembrow who was on peg 14 on the west side of the lake had an early 10lb specimen carp in the first hour fishing his usual banded pellet over pellet at 14 meters, he went on to add more at regular 40 minute intervals to finish with a total weight of 54lb 12oz and first place. Another regular framer, Brian Slipper was opposite him on peg 6a and put together 35lb 6oz using a similar method for second, had he not lost a number of foul hooked fish he may have pushed Andy harder for the top position. A couple of pegs away from Brian was new comer Lee Williams with 23lb 12oz off peg 5a for third place.

Top silver fish net went to Paul Faires who adopted a traditional feeder rig set up and fished with fine lines and smaller hooks for a number of average sized bream for 7lb 6oz off peg 14b.

Paul Faires

Andy Hembrow - need a new pic

On the River Kenn next Sunday for a pleasure session.

Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd June, short sessions on Chew

First of all I did manage to do planned maintenance on my top kits and am all ready for the next Clevedon Club Match next Sunday which is on the main lake Shiplate Farm.
I had a few jobs to do again this weekend but did manage 2 late afternoon sessions from the bank at Chew Valley Lake.
On Saturday I got there about 3:30pm and was fishing by 4pm, the wind was off the bank on Lodge , it was warm but not blazing sunshine all the time so perfect conditions. I set up a red diawl bach on the point and 2 black buzzers as droppers. First cast I had a pull, on the 3rd cast I had my first fish, quickly followed by another 30 minutes later. At around 5:30 pm I had another one and a decent size. More pulls followed but no firm takes until just after 6 pm when I had another making by bag limit of 4 fish. I did fish on for 30 mins as you can catch and release but no other bites.
Saturdays fish went 2lb, 2lb 4oz, 2lb 12oz and 3lb 6oz so not bad at all.

The 4 fish ready to be cleaned and freezed

I was also fending for myself concerning a Saturday night meal and had defrosted part one of the fish I caught from Hawkridge the other week so cooked it in oranges in the middle, scored on the outside and salted, wrapped in foil, cooked for 30 mins with new potatoes and mixed veg, can't beat it.

bring on master chef

I went back on the Sunday afternoon, got their a bit earlier this time and fished off Lodge Bank again although I did walk through to the other side of the sailing club to have a look at Wally Bank, looks good but will go there on an all day session. The wind was all over the place today and from speaking to other anglers not a lot being caught. 3rd cast and I had one about 2 rod lengths out, it must have followed the buzzers in and a cracking fish it was to, 4lb 9oz.

4lb 9oz

I did not get another pull and packed up at 7 pm but overall a good weekend even though it was in short bursts. That's it for the fluff chucking for a while (I think), match next weekend and the river will be open the following weekend, looking forward to it.