I decided to carry out a few hours stream hopping today so with rod, pin, net, half a pint of reds and small bag of bits took a stroll over a couple of fields to find that the overnight rain had changed the picture somewhat. A raging chocolate coloured picture, not quite the gentle stream I’m more used to. The water was still freezing cold and the fish felt like ice blocks.
And how I prefer it.............
Anyway, nothing ventured – nothing gained, and all that, so 4 hours trotting over a couple of miles of ‘molten chocolate’ and thankfully managed to tempt some fish. Just over 20 roach and ‘lets, one perch and not a sign of the dace. Fished from 10.30am - 2.30pm starting in bright sunshine quickly turning to white cloud and a nippy breeze.
Like Graham I too have been checking the water level on the Frome and biding my time. I got out for three hours this morning and the river was 6 inch up and sock on, with a steady draw and a nice colour. Unusually for me I stuck the centre pin on and took a pound fish first run through, normally the kiss of death. The fog lifted and the sun came out, shirt sleeves weather almost. There was no wind, in fact ideal conditions, the stick went down a treat, just the sort of day to relish. Finished up with 18 grayling the best being this one:
It hit the scales in the landing net, at 3lb 14oz. I checked that the empty net on the scales was zeroed, which I had set some time ago, but it was reading plus 6oz. So correcting for that brings it down to 3lb 8oz, which I will happily take, thank you very much.
This is one of my centre pins that I used. It's a bit shy, not seen daylight for sometime.
This is the peg, don't look bad do it, four foot deep and pulling through nicely. How can you walk passed a peg like that? Pete.
The weather forecast said dry, calm and mild! The reality was wet cold and windy. In the morning I fished liquidised bread in a grip feeder with punch on a hair rig . Had about 6 roach about 4oz each. At about 1.00 I switched to an elasticated bomb with bread punch, then wet bread ,then corn- nothing barely a knock. I then switched to an 8mm crabpellet and had 7 more roach all around 1lb ish with one about 1lb 2 oz. how do you figure that!!
I took some pics for the benefit of Mr Crabtree and once photobucket( useless) enables me to upload them I will post a couple to demonstrate that my assessments are reasonably accurateI have never caught as many large roach before and never had one genuinely over a 1lb. Thrilled
Roach really scrap for their size!
The weather forecast said dry, calm and mild! The reality was wet cold and windy. In the morning I fished liquidised bread in a grip feeder with punch on a hair rig . Had about 6 roach about 4oz each. At about 1.00 I switched to an elasticated bomb with bread punch, then wet bread ,then corn- nothing barely a knock. I then switched to an 8mm crabpellet and had 7 more roach all around 1lb ish with one about 1lb 2 oz. how do you figure that!!
I took some pics for the benefit of Mr Crabtree and once photobucket( useless) enables me to upload them I will post a couple to demonstrate that my assessments are reasonably accurate
Roach really scrap for their size!
The weather forecast said dry, calm and mild! The reality was wet cold and windy. In the morning I fished liquidised bread in a grip feeder with punch on a hair rig . Had about 6 roach about 4oz each. At about 1.00 I switched to an elasticated bomb with bread punch, then wet bread ,then corn- nothing barely a knock. I then switched to an 8mm crabpellet and had 7 more roach all around 1lb ish with one about 1lb 2 oz. how do you figure that!!
I took some pics for the benefit of Mr Crabtree and once photobucket( useless) enables me to upload them I will post a couple to demonstrate that my assessments are reasonably accurate
Roach really scrap for their size!
Thanks a lot Simon! I can access my existing photos in Photobucket but when I try to upload more nothing happens. I have tried at least half a dozen times
I was really thrilled with those roach yesterday; sad isn't it
