After a delayed start due to a grumbling hernia I finally made it to the river this afternoon for a few hours trotting for a barbel, allowing for the occasional heavy shower it wasn’t a half bad afternoon…
The set up was the 15’ float rod, ‘pin with 6lb main and 5.6lb Supplex flouro hooklink and an 8 x no.4 stick float down to a size 18 B911X which was alternating between single and double red maggot.
The going was rock hard at first, despite a couple of inches of extra water the river is still gin clear and the first two hours running the stick through had accounted for three small chublets, a blade roach and a perch around the same size.
As things clearly weren’t working out I decided to lay on down the edge and pile the maggot in, a trick which has worked for me many times and good, old faithful whiskers fell for it once again as twenty minutes in and the float slipped away without a blip and I lifted into a nice fish which gave a good account of itself, as they generally tend to do at this time of the year…
No need or desire to weigh it but reasonably confident of a double and a nice, pigeon breasted Trent fish.
After resting and slipping the fish back I re-baited and swung out again, fed six good handfuls of reds and stood waiting for a good half an hour or so before the float went again and this one felt a better fish which put in three strong runs after getting it under the rod tip and within sight of the net each time.
After finally slipping the net under her she came in at 11lb 4ozs…
I fished on until dusk which allowed me one more at around 7lbs just as the light faded…
Very happy with that, all in all it’s been a rough couple of weeks and this was a nice tonic.
The sunset was nice too...
Jerry...
Fantastic perch, well done fella!
:w
