Wednesday 16th September - pleasure session River Kenn

 I still had about a pint of caster and half a pint of red maggot left so opted to return to the River Kenn again following my success with the tench on Sunday. You don't need a lot of bait for this venue at any time of the year.

The weather forecast suggested in would be 21 degrees and light SW winds. High tide was just before 07:00 and it was a big one at 13 metres.

My fellow Club members have their views on the tide affecting the fishing. I have a very strong view that the river fishes best after high tide as the river will flow the right way (towards the sea). When it is backing up or still the fish do not appear to respond. When the incoming tide peaks, i.e. High Tide, it takes about 2 hours for it to turn and start running off. In the winter it can be quite a surge but this time of year it is more gentle.

I arrived on the bank just after 08:00 and talked briefly to an angler who had been on peg 6 since first light. He hadn't had anything but I suggested it would get better after 09:00 based on my theory about the tide.

I carried on past him and settle in on peg 8.

I took my time setting up as the tide would not turn for another 45 minutes.

2 waggler rods, 3AA wagglers, 4lb main line, 0.11 power hook length, size 18 B611 on one, size16 B611 on the other for fishing corn if needed. These are nice sharp strong hooks which I usually use when chub fishing.

I had 2 number 8's as bulk 2/3rds the way down followed by another 8 and 2 number 10's, one above the hook length and the other on it.

I plumbed up to fish 3/4 way over and had about 4 inches tripping the bottom.

My timing was spot on as the tide turned just as I was ready.

I decided I would ease my way into the session and fed about 6 casters via the catty every couple of minutes.

At 09:15 I had my first bite, a nice sail away and connected with a tench of about 1.5 lbs.

The waggler was tripping through nicely and I got into a real rhythm with the feeding. Along with a red maggot on the hook I put on a fluro pinkie.

Small mirror carp next which took me all over the place. These are starting to show now on a regular basis and we didn't stock them.

By the end of the first hour I had 4 tench and the small mirror, nice I thought.

I had been putting the odd single grain of corn in now and then so picked up the other rod and tested the corn, nothing so back on the maggot and pinkie.

Well up until about 12:30 I had a tremendous session, more tench, another carp, perch some nice roach up to 8oz and a few eels.

The wind got a little stronger and became a proper upstream one so presentation suffered a little. I didn't want to go on the bomb as I thought that it would bring eels.

I did continue to to winkle out more perch up to 10oz and another tench which weighed around 3lbs.

I called it a day at 14:00 and managed to get a passer by to take a photo for me.

I estimated I had around 20lbs.

Next out is Sunday on the Bristol Avon, Bristol Commercial House League Round 2.