When The Editor asked us mods for our thoughts, hopes and aspirations for the coming river season my immediate response was very much of the ‘meh’ variety…
No disrespect intended to him however I’ve spent all autumn and winter fishing rivers so can’t I have the summer off? I don’t dislike rivers, quite the opposite, but the fact is I like summer stillwater species and methods too much to just drop everything because the rivers are now open. It’s especially the case this year as spring 2013 (what spring?) was not particularly kind to me and I feel I’ve missed out a little.
So here’s the thing, June 16th really doesn’t mean that much to me anymore, especially so where rivers are concerned.
Yes, I know, burn the witch!
I have a blog, meaningless tripe in the main, small chub, a bit of a diary, tonight’s tea, that sort of thing, but I do try to keep it up to date. I’m rubbish at writing about nothing and the fact that it hasn’t seen a single entry since the back end of last season I think says everything about my fishing for the previous three to four months. Aside from a few pleasant quiver tip sessions on a local mere, dressed in full winter attire I might add, and a few semi-decent tench this last fortnight, I haven’t caught much of anything and not had any consistency whatsoever. So, I have what you might call, ‘unfinished business’ on the tench scene. However ‘unfinished business’ could also read ‘another series of blanks’ or ‘more epic failures’ or if we swap ‘tench scene’ for ‘roach, skimmers and the odd bream scene … well you get the gist.
So, aside from the odd perch or barbel trip as a social or maybe a change of scenery, I won’t be bothering with flowing water in earnest for a while yet but when I do I’ll be drawn into a series of late summer and autumn sessions looking for big perch.
First call will be on my local River Weaver, which will entail many short sessions and most will be perch blanks. When I have a little more time the River Severn or River Dove (more petrol thirsty blanks) will be my port of call. I’ll secretly hope for a ‘3’ having fluked one or two before today, but I’ll be happy with a few fish over a pound and ‘made up’ with the odd 2. I’ll float fish worms, and maybe leger the odd lively, I’ll no doubt catch the odd chub, trout or whatever else and be pretty much happy with my lot.
Once the perch blanks become too much and people start laughing at my efforts directly to my face, as opposed to just behind my back or via the internet, it’ll be back to the business of getting some bites in the shape of very short chub sessions locally on the Weaver. Again, coupled with the odd visit to the Dove or Severn, this is the mainstay of my autumn and winter fishing and is without doubt my favourite time of year. I’m dead good at short sessions even though I do say so myself, I’ve got it to an art form. On several occasions I have been out to my local river, caught chub and been home again inside 90 minutes, although two to three hours is my usual time.
I had several 4s from my local last year up to 4lb 9oz, my best season since moving here in terms of fish size, so bettering this might be a possibility. Who knows I may even nudge the ‘five’ mark? On the Dove and Severn ‘fives’ are more common, just not for me that often, so that’ll be a realistic target. However I am loathe to really pursue a target number! Sure I want to catch a lump, don’t we all? But I couldn’t be disappointed with a 4.14 Dove chub, caught by design on a freezing cold evening, miles from anywhere. Besides once I get lost in the fog on the way back to the car park having been once again chased by cows, those 2 ounces will be the least of my worries…
