Catch Up

 It's been a month since I done and blog and there's a good reason for that.

I stayed close to home on the River Kenn since the Lock Down began in January and up to and including the 21st Feb I can only describe the fishing as hard but good, not many bites but some great quality fish were caught. Chub, Tench, Bream, Perch, Hybrids and a big Roach all graced my net.

After the 21st February and up until the 14th March I went out 5 times and had 2 bites and no fish! I wasn't the only one who struggled so not sure what's going on.

I have been out working on the river bank with a couple of others and we have made some improvements providing a number of flat stable area's for members to fish from and our work will continue for the next couple of months.

I have also made a new friend, well it started off as one robin but now there are two of them plus two black birds. As soon as I go to the garage they come down for maggots, the robins even come right inside.

I am the Bird Man of Wraxall

On the 18th March I decided to have a go on the Bristol Feeder Canal. It's a bit early for the canal but after my last 5 outings on the Kenn it couldn't be any worse.

I got there before 7 a.m. in order to secure a parking space and was fishing by 08:15. Two pole rigs, both 1 gram over a 13 and 9 metre line. I only had maggot and pinkie and put a few samples in a mix of Gros Gardon and Noire. 

15 minutes in I had a chunky dace so blank avoided. Rotating both lines I had bites most of the day. Mainly dace, about 5 roach and a hybrid of 10oz. I didn't weigh the bag but estimated I had around 8lbs so reasonably happy with that.

On Sunday the 21st March I went back again and after an hour with not a bite I feared the worst. After 4 hours I managed 5 bites and 3 small dace. It was quite cold and 2 other seasoned anglers also struggled and had a similar experience to me.

Team mate Leigh Wakefield contacted me and suggested going on the Feeder again Wednesday 24th March. He knew what the last two outings were like and despite this I agreed to meet up with him.

We both picked swims down by Manor Scrap and set up 30 metres apart. We know how to fish this venue as we are regulars on it during the Spring although we missed out last year due to Lock Down 1.

Both of us were into fish fairly quickly and had a fantastic day catching bream, skimmers, hybrids, roach and dace. I was surprised the bream were present as they don't move into the canal from the docks until April.

I ended up with 4 bream / skimmers and a good mix of roach and dace for 15lbs plus. Leigh had 12 bream / skimmers plus roach and dace for over 26lb, we did weigh our catch on digital scales.

My bag

Leigh's total bag and the roach shown separately above

It was a great day and the sun was shining as well.

Back working on the river tomorrow (Friday), Feeder Canal Sunday and then up on the Gloucester Canal Wednesday.