The last weekend of the season and chauffeuring the kids, watching the Linnets lose at home again, plus a bit of DIY before the Italian Exchange Student arrives erode fishing time to the point that I don’t get bank-side at Bickerley until 5:30 on Sunday afternoon. With limited time I head for the same swim as last time armed with a groundbait feeder and cheese-paste and flake as hook baits. Initially the temperature is 4 degrees but then reaches a dizzy 7 degrees as dusk comes in. I missed one tentative bite on flake, but connect with a humdinger on cheese-paste. A brief battle follows and I land a chub that the scales show as a smidgen, short of 4lb, so after deducting an ounce or two for the pan net, I’ll put it in the log conservatively as 3lb 12ozs. The same weight as the chub I caught a month ago from this very swim. Could it have been the same fish? Does it make me a low level version of that guy who had abuse heaped on his head for catching the same named barbel from the same swim at Adams Mill? Funny I always thought you did go back to swims you’d been successful in. If I have caught the same fish twice am I entitled to name it? If so how about Homer Simpson (as in "doh, why me!")? Or should I wait until I get it a third time and call it Jules Rimet and take it home?

Normally I’d have given the swim one more cast and moved on, as in small streams I usually reckon connecting with a chub causes enough disturbance to scatter any others that may be in the swim. However, with time running out I decided to sit it out and with no further bites occurring, I headed home at seven, but if God spares me I’ll be back next winter!

Gary Gudgeon

My vote goes to Homer!  

But I liked the Jules Rimet idea too!  But why would you not go back to a good swim ? Though last year I spent an age going back to the same one, blanking all the time on the basis I had done well there in the past.  I guess the fish had realised it wasn't such a good spot to hang out in....

Chris

You asked "But why would you not go back to a good swim ?" and my honest answer is I don't know why not, but some poor sap was castigated in the Mail and Times for doing that at Adams Mill in the summer.  I guess to some extent you, but especially me, operate on a lower plane and are not chasing record barbel  with known 'homes' and names, so if we find a swim taht works for us, we'll use it.  I also expect you like me  are not spending days or even weeks  watching waters to identify good swims, so fitting fishing around life (rather than vice versa) means we'll go with hearsay, experince and near snap judgements in picking swims.

Irony of ironies both the Royalty and the Lower Stour have looked in good nick from the train window today and yesterday.  Roll on June 16th but bring on the carp and tench in the meantime. Until about two yaers ago I used to observe the old close season even for still waters, but then realsied I was the only daft eyjet doing so.  If you cannot beat them ...

I'll send you details of my favourite tench water soon for the 'Local Venues' section.

Gary

 

 

 

Gary

I had not seen that article, I guess he was there for some time, but then if I had the time or inclination to chase after some record I would probably go for a named swim.

Fairly typical that the Rivers look more appealling when the close season kicks in. Still there are the lakes now to get stuck into now you've joined the rest of us. Please feel free to send the details of that water when you have the time.

Chris

Chris

I've had one go at sending, but it not sure if I was sucessful - also cutting and pasting it out of word into an e-mail made the format go all wonky.  Obviously you've got my e-mail address, can you ping me an e-mail and I'll reply to you with this as an  attcahment - happy to delete your e-mail address as soon as I've used it this once!

Gary

Gary I think I have sent you an email which should hopefully of reached you by now.

--- (Edited at 4/16/2006 2:37 pm by Chris) ---

Chris

 

I've sent it three times. it's not bounced back, but nor am I convinced you've received it.

Gary

Hi Gary

No for some reason I have not got it.

Chris

--- (Edited at 4/16/2006 2:36 pm by Chris) ---