Diary of an average angler

I was full of hope for the first trip of the new season, with a clear plan of action, but it didn't go that well. I had decided to fish a swim on the Top Stream that I had eyed-up on previous visits. It can be affected badly by wind but with very little wind forecast this seemed an ideal opportunity. It is also secluded and away from the nearby public footpath, so everything looked good. With very little flow I had decided to try laying on with maggots, my target species being roach and perch. But it wasn't to be. A small roach slipped the hook early on but after that, besides a few half-bites, there was nothing happening.

It was a deep swim and after a while I abandoned the laying on technique, instead fishing to just over depth while still holding the float back. A form of stret-pegging I suppose. I also used a maggot dropper to get some bait to the bottom in the desired spot. But none of these changes improved things and I was still not getting any real indication of fish being interested.

After a couple of hours or so I decided to move. Part of the reason for choosing the first swim was that it wasn't too far from the car park, walking being a factor as I continue to recover from my hip operation. Walking any distance to another swim wasn't, therefore, an option, so I settled in a swim on what's called the Car Park Pool, which was on the way back to my car.

The Car Park Pool is heavily fished, being on a day ticket. I was surprised, therefore, that most of the swims were vacant. Further downstream there were a number of carp anglers bivvied up, one having landed a large carp earlier in the week. There were also a couple of chaps on the other side of the pool, on the shaded bank - a wise choice given it had become very hot in the sun.

Once again the water was deep, having plumbed just off some lilies. I again was using maggots with hempseed as an attractor. After a short while I hooked a small roach. So at least a blank had been avoided. I went on to catch a couple of more roach, one being a better fish but in no way large. I also took a couple of small perch. But I was starting to doubt that I would get better fish feeding and was getting very hot in the sun. I decided, therefore, to call it a day.

Chatting to one of the chaps who had been fishing on the shady side of the pool, he told me he had lost a small tench but otherwise hadn't had much sport. It certainly looks a tenchy water but I should think the chances of catching one are quite low. I'm not sure that I will fish the pool again although I might return to the Top Stream in the autumn for another crack at the perch, having caught my PB perch there a while ago.

The next river trip will, I think, be on a stream, where I can roam a bit and try to find the fish rather than hoping that they will come to me!