Out twice in the last five days. First was a mis-timed visit to the Soar, where I've renewed an old card thinking the mix of natural and canalised sections might be handy if another wet winter knocks the rivers out for weeks on end. I glanced at the levels and noted that it had dropped a metre in three days and thought it should be ok'ish, then. Wrong - the canal was full to the brim and covered in noxious-looking foam and debris, and the main river a filthy colour and racing through.
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I had only one rod, thinking to fish across for chub on bread or perch on worm, but down the side was the only option. I spent an hour watching the tip shake as little fish whittled expensive lobworms down to a stub, and then wrapped up and parked myself behind a bloke fishing the canal section upstream, a local match hot-shot who'd made the same mistake, and the information he gave me about the river, and the good chat, meant it wasn't a complete waste of time.
Today, I thought I'm giving up on coarse fish and drove off into Derbyshire to fish for grayling and trout on the Derwent. Even at 9.30 am I had to scrape ice off the car, but the day got milder as it went on. There was plenty of water in this river, too, and the usually stately deep section had some pace. It's a lovely river to fish, if you can stop wondering where all the coarse fish went, and good to catch something after Saturday's outing. Fishing a 4g balsa slider down the middle in 12' of water, I caught some nice grayling.
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That wouldn't get a second glance on your chalk stream, but up here it's a nice fish. And a few nice trout turned up when I swapped maggot on the hook for worm 2' off the bottom
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It was all going well until a big mother of a trout, hooked 30 yds down, thought it was a chub and tunnelled its way into the branches trailing into the water below me. The fish slipped the hook, but I was snagged above the hooklength and when I had to pull for a break my precious 30 year old Ultra balsa slider came adrift and floated off towards Derby, a fate I wouldn't wish on anyone. I followed it downstream for 100 yds, but it was always getting further from the bank... Never mind, I'll just have to make a copy.
I started again with chopped worm in a maggot feeder and lobworm on the hook, and discovered that's a much easier way to catch trout, but I'll still set up the float next time. Meanwhile, flocks of tits flitted through the far bank trees, a dabchick, looking small and lonely, fished the peg below, and an otter swam by in a leisurely manner. I drove home by the scenic route through the same heavy mist I drove out through. All this, and beef stew and beer in the fridge and football on tv. It's a hard life.
