Four seasons

My friend remarked the other day about how we have had four very defined seasons this year. So many years go by when we seem to go from winter to summer in one bound, without anything resembling spring in between or from summer to winter with out experiencing a proper autumn. This has in some ways helped me to define my fishing better and make plans according to the season. Now Autumn is well underway I have a clear view of where the Fishing is going over the next few weeks and months, and there is much to look forward to! Roach, Perch and Grayling are the main targets, species that are epitomal Autumn and winter quarry for many anglers including myself. There are few better fish to try and catch than these during this period. How you go about catching them can be crucial to not only the enjoyment but also part of the reward. For instance I tried fishing for big Roach in several different ways over the years, but I have found that fishing for them on stillwaters using a Pole is hard to beat. Not everyone's first choice probably but it is surprisingly rewarding to play good Roach on a Pole, Moreover the presentation is far superior for Autumn and Winter Roach, and a good bag of decent specimens can be put together very efficiently. I think it's the finesse that I find so rewarding and I hope to demonstrate what I mean when I begin My Roach campaign, but the small floats, fine lines and soft stretchy elastic can give as much feedback from a relatively small fish like the Roach, as bigger fish give on heavier rods and lines.
Thats not to say I am adverse to catching them on other menthods when conditions negate the use of a Pole. I am happy to revert to feeder tactics when it isn't possible to fish with the Pole, but will use as light a rod and line as possible to try and maximise the enjoyment as much as possible. The same can be said of targetting Perch, and I may have a go at fishing for them with the Pole as well at some point during the Winter as an experiment just to see what transpires. The Grayling will be fished for with conventional trotted maggots with some change baits such as sweetcorn to try and single out a bigger fish, and whilst on the river I will try for some river Roach or Chub with bread. The first trip for Grayling is this coming weekend, the 23rd and myself and three companions are very much looking forward to our trip to the Lower Itchen Fishery in search of 'The lady of the stream'. Our trip last year was in late November and although we all caught fish, the conditions for it were horrendous to say the least! Hopefully things will be more conducive this year and a bit more relaxed. Target this time is a 1lb plus Grayling, not a huge specimen but a respectable one as there are a lot of Grayling in the stretch, but getting through to a bigger one can prove tricky. Watch this space!

Stark realities...

I have long been a fan of the Horizon science documentaries on the BBC, and a recent one entitled ' Death of the Oceans' focused on the efforts to census the planets Oceans, something never before done on the current scale. A fascinating insight and superbly put together programme, but as you can guess by the titles a very worrying, no..., frightening message about the future of not only our fisheries but of the Oceans eco systems as a whole. I have never wanted to use my Blog as a political soap box but I have to vent My feelings somewhere but if a few readers follow My lead then maybe I will have done some good by writing this piece.
The programme covered the various aspects of how we, Humans, are fundamentally damaging and altering the Heart and Lungs of our planet, which is what the Oceans are. Commercial fishing, and our output of Co2 emmissions into the atmosphere being the main focus. Commercial fishing's affect on the fish stocks and the Co2 acidifying the waters thus destroying the Coral reefs and habitats that generate the very beginnings of the food chains that sustain all life in the Seas. According to current studies, if we do not begin to manage our fisheries, in just a short 40 years there will be nothing left to fish for Globally. It almost makes me want to weep.
There are many other ways that we are having a destructive impact on the creatures of the Oceans and you really should watch the programme if you care in the slightest about the future of our beautiful but ruined planet. ( Available on the iplayer ).
So what can we do as Anglers? Recreational fishing takes it's toll along with commercial catches, which makes us as accountable, and the more we needlessly take, ( or waste as I see it ), the more of an impact we are having. There are many needless and wasteful and selfish practices going on in sea Angling, and still not enough Anglers practicing catch and release, preffering to keep all and any fish, wether for money, glory or 'just for the cat'.
I have stood on the shore and watched boat after boat hammer a shoal of Bass and not seen one fish returned, and it's made me want to sink to my knees and scream at them "what the Hell are you doing you morons???" can they not see and understand that every one they take is worth hundreds if not thousands less of the species in the future? Every fish is capable of spawning several hundred offspring, but not if they are not allowed to. If these practices continue year on year where are the next genrations coming from? I suppose it doesn't concern them, as long as they get their money, or fame or whatever,  it's irrelevant, and besides it's not as bad as every one makes out.......is it? Watch the programme and tell me what you think.
Simple practices such as crushing the barbs on hooks will make a huge difference to the " oh it had swallowed the hook so I had to take it anyway" scenario. Barbless or crushed barb hooks don't lose fish, and if the fish has been deep hooked, often  the situation can be salvaged, certainly more than if the hook was barbed at any rate. 
It's the little things that make the difference, but as Anglers collectively we have a huge voice, if we all begin altering our practices and leading by example then the powers that be cannot help but sit up and take notice. If we remain complacent then we can eventually give ourselves a pat on the back when the Oceans are finally empty, and say what a good job we did in our apathy. Remember this WILL happen in our lifetme and what then ? Perhaps we will start to consume our Coarse fish stocks then..."I'll have Carp and chips please mate"!

Cracking Common

Lovely looking Common Carp of 19lb 10oz's, caught yesterday evening.

Autumn Harvest

The Autumn Equinox fell on the 23rd September and beneath the brightness of the Harvest Moon we have banked a few fish this week. I managed a 26lb Mirror, which is the same fish I caught on float tackle earlier in the year when Tench fishing, and My friend also banked a nice 19lb common Carp that put up an awsome fight, almost as if it was being powered by the lunar light! We have also had numerous other double figure Carp one of which is pictured below.

                                                                                        



Cruel nature

My friend and I were sitting fishing at our local lake yesterday evening, dusk was settling in and the Pipistrelle Bats were dive bombing the gnats and moths around our heads providing a little entertainment on an otherwise quiet evening session. All of a sudden there was a high pitched screeching and two objects shot past our line of vision. In that brief second as they passed we observed a Kingfisher being hunted at very high speed by a Sparrowhawk! We could hear the Sparrowhawk screeching as it sped after the poor little Kingfisher, who, despite being fast and agile, was obviously no match for the sheer startling pace of the Sparrowhawk who was no more than a foot behind, Seconds later they again blinked past our vision and if we had indeed blinked we would have missed them! Truly amazing to see these two locked in a fight to the death, whether the poor little Kingfisher got away I don't know, I hope so because they are truly beautiful birds and are the epitome of waterside birds for me. It's hard to hate the Sparrowhawk for hunting the Kingfisher, I love to see them flitting about when I'm fishing, but you cannot control nature, it is what it is, cruel, and at times brutal yet awe inspiring in it's raw beauty. A sight like that is reward enough for getting out and sitting for a few hours into darkness, despite the lack of fish. Angling isn't always about catching fish, it's often about the experience, the moment and feeling free to observe such wonders as this, something I would have missed if I had not been bothered and just stayed indoors.

Nice fish shame about the picture..

....Or lack of one! Had a beautiful 19lb fully scaled Mirror Carp yesterday evening, caught on the ever effective 6lb line, hooklinks and small hooks. The problem was I didn't have a camera to record it with as My eldest son had borrowed it for a school project!! Oh well, never mind there's always next time..!

I must stress here that while using the light lines and small hooks I ensure that I have plenty of room to play the fish and at no time do I fish near any snaggy areas with this tackle. It's also surprising just how much control you can have using 1.5 test curve rods. A fair amount of pressure can be applied if need be, and the small hooks penetrate well and generally give a firm hookhold without the danger of pulling when excercising control over the fish.
Obviously the right rod action is crucial for this type of fishing, a fairly soft action is needed but still with some balance of stiffness and flex in the lower sections to ensure the fish is not able to run a way with the battle.
I use a pair of the original Fox 1.5lb barbel special rods, which are incredbly versatile tools, from specimen Roach and Perch, to Bream and Tench to upper double figure Carp and possibly beyond, these rods seem to be able to cope with it all, and have done for me over the several years that I have had them, and they have even performed the task they were designed for and landed me double figure Barbel!

Autumn Approach

So here we are, almost the middle of September. I'm noticing a slight yellowing of the leaves on a few trees here and there, and those summer flowering waterside plants have gone to seed and are now beginning to wilt and die back. Heavy morning dew is becoming a regular feature, and My thoughts are turning increasingly towards My winter fishing that lies in the months ahead. I'm still hoping to get in at least another Saltwater fly session or two before the season is out and winter takes a firm grip. Once October is here I will begin My Autumn and winter Angling in earnest, Trying to track down a 2lb Roach, Exploring a water's Perch stocks, trotting for Grayling on the river Itchen, a trip or two to a gravel pit for big Bream, Roach and Carp, and hopefully a couple of foray's to the Throop fishery in Dorset for Chub and Roach. A few winter Carp from a local water and there's plenty coming up to challenge me and my Angling friends and keep us busy for the next few Months. I'm looking forward to some Fly tying during the long dark mid week evenings, some float making and perhaps a rod build to help pass the time between fishing trips too! I love being an Angler!