Soap Time Silures

[nicepix]

I'd just got settled down with a pot of tea when the dreaded music for Emmerdale came on the telly. Little wife insists on watching that carp so I poured my tea down the sink and got a spinning rod out of the barn at the back of our house. It was already rigged up with an old Voblex spinner that I'd found in the river last year and had the hook replaced after it broke on a catfish last week.

The River Vienne is about 400 metres away down a farm track and across a sheep pasture. On my way down Alexander the Siberian builder who is working on the chateau stopped me to thank me for having his photo printed of a fish he caught last week before he bought his own camera. Previously he would bring the fish up to our house to be weighed and photographed.

Just after I got to the river and started casting he turned up with his telescopic rod and 'distressed' reel with half a spool of 40kg line topped off with an old spoon I remember from a Shakespeare catalogue circa 1969.

He watched me for a while and then we walked up to the river. Between us we can make ourselves understood despite my having no Russian words except the one for mole that he taught me last week. I picked another spot and he carried on to his favourite place about 50 metres from where I was.

I'd had a few casts along the bank and then started to cast across. A fish took instantly the spinner landed and I was into a good fish. "Alexander!" I shouted. "Feesh!" "Yes!" came the distant reply.

Turns out we both had one on. I landed mine in a Bob Church reservoir folding net. He hauled his out by hand. For a little bloke of 5' 7" he has hands and a grip of a 7' 5" bloke.

So, Alexander returned the favour and took my photo. Both fish were as near as dammit 113cm which makes them around 19lb going on past experience. Here he is with his fish and, what is more amazing is that he put it back!




And myself with its twin. Also returned.



I left the house at 8:00pm and was back home by 8:45pm

 

[bennygesserit]

seems a little rude to just press like but I have nothing to add but well done and thanks for the interesting read

 

[laguna]

What with Coronation street, Emmerdale and all the other remote hoarding gripped possessively like another mans penis in her hand, you would think regular short fishing sessions would be in order? Unfortunately the nearest decent venue is a few miles away and I have to endure the torturous humiliation on a daily bases.

Nice fish by the way :w

 

[terry m]

Should've switched over to Hollyoaks, there are some fair dinkum boilers on that show!

 

[nicepix]

Thursday night is double Emmerdale!

Alexander has had 9 catfish from this stretch this year. Two were kittens of around 5lb but all the rest are virtually identical in size and they can't be the same fish because he usually eats them. I was gobsmacked when he returned his.

I found another catfish spot by accident last week when one did me big style on carp gear. I later had one out from the same place on more appropriate tackle at 22-05. But I have a sneaking suspicion that I caught the smaller of the two I saw around my bait that evening. Certainly the fight of the fish I hooked on the carp rod was far, far more powerful than the 22-05 I later got.

Now that I know Alexander practices catch and release I won't be as wary about revealing the location.

 

[nicepix]

I was down at the river again last night. Different place on the same stretch. After I'd been fishing for a while I got into a tangle so had to dismantle the reel. It is an ABU 6500C3. I took the handle end off and put that safely into my pocket. I realised that I couldn't easily free the tangle so I took the reel off the rod, removed the spool and laid the reel on my landing net while I worked on the spool and line. When I had finished I noticed a small steel bearing laid on the mesh of the net next to the reel. I couldn't see where this bearing fitted so I popped it into my pocket and re-assembled the reel without it.

After walking the line off the reel down the field I wound it back on and the first two casts were gentle affairs to make sure the missing bearing wasn't affecting the reel's performance. It had no bearing on it (sorry ) so the next cast was full pelt to the middle of the river. A catfish took the spinner immediately it landed as they often do. Tip;- if you are spinning for catfish don't expect them to follow the lure like a pike does. You often have to land the spinner on their heads so you need to search the water by varying your casting distances.

Anyway, I landed the fish. Same size as the one above and returned home. This morning I've been trying to find where the spare bearing fits without success. The schematic diagram has been consulted and I still can't find a home for it

 

[nicepix]

Got another one tonight - on deadbait. I suspected that the small backwater where I caught a 22lb 5oz cat held a bigger one, around 30 - 35lb. I saw it tonight but it ignored my carp deadbait. As did a much smaller one of around 8lb. They were taking the bits of sandeels I use as free offerings so I tried a couple on the hook and promptly hooked and lost the little 'un.

I cut the carp in half and mounted the head section on and almost immediately was into a good fish that I thought might be the 22lb one from last week. When I got it out it was a different fish - 110cm for 21lb 6oz as opposed to 119cm for 22lb 5oz.

Still hoping for the bigger one before we leave the cottage at the end of October.

 

[nicepix]

River Island Catfish - YouTube