The Colours of Autumn

Autumn is a fantastic time to be out in the countryside. The colours of autumn show themselves in all their glory and of course, with winter around the corner the fish feed in earnest. There are few better occasions to be on the bank and the recent mild weather has provided anglers with a great opportunity to land some cracking fish.

Perfection in minature

With a week off, there was a real chance of a big barbel. I missed the ideal window of opportunity and ended up on the lower Severn about a week ago. Unfortunately, the level had dropped compared with a few days before and it also coincided with the coolest evening we had seen in an otherwise mild spell. Needless to say, my quest failed and the evening passed without so much as a tap on either rod. With my optimism dented I visited the Warks Avon the following day. I took my nephew out during the afternoon with a spinning rod and we managed a few hits resulting in small pike. As the light faded we changed tactics with one rod baited with boilie and the other with meat. It wasn't long before the boilie rod showed a few signs of feeding fish. Therefore, it was no surprise when a 3lb chub hooked itself and was safely landed. Another, slightly larger chub soon followed. At this point, I swapped the meat so that both rods were baited with boilies. It seemed that this bait was gaining more interest on this occasion. A few twitches on the downstream rod signalled a fish was closing in. The rod wrapped round and a barbel was on. The next few minutes saw me experience a memorable battle as a powerful fish tested my tackle to its full. The fish was landed and a solid looking barbel lay in the folds. It was a deep fish but lacked the length needed to send it over ten pounds. The scales settled at 9lb 3oz. It proved to be the final action as the swim switched off and home beckoned.

A cracking 9lb 3oz autumn barbel

A few hours with my son completed the week. We caught a few silvers on maggots, lost a pike on the worm before my half mackerel deadbait was finally picked up. Another good battle commenced as the mild conditions meant an energetic fish gave its all. I didn't weigh the fish but I reckon it was heading towards double figures.

With the cooler nights and the clocks going back it won't be long before the perch come into focus.

Warks Avon Barbel

The lack of activity on this site tells its own story. I've been pretty bogged down at work during the last month and the few trips I have managed have only told a tale of woe with a few eels and two lost barbel on the lower Severn the result.

So an evening on the Warks Avon was long overdue. It was only to be a short session and it ended up being less than three hours. I arrived an hour before sunset and set up two rods. The downstream was baited with a lump of meat together with a feeder crammed with scalded pellets. This approach is my preferred method as the cooler months approach. It gives off a scent without over feeding and has proven quite successful over the last few years. My upstream rod was baited with 1 ½ boilies with PVA bags containing a few samples. I was able to top this up periodically with a few loose offerings thrown well upstream.

After ten minutes or so I received the first signal that fish had arrived in the shape of a sharp twitch

on the rod top. Soon after the upstream rod was nodding as the first fish was successfully hooked. A spirited fight brought the welcome sight of a barbel in the clear Avon water. It wasn't a huge specimen which I suspected was around 5lb but in impeccable condition. With a fish so early in the session I was quietly confident. Soon after, another barbel was hooked but a hook pull saw an end to that brief encounter. The meat bait had been left untouched until the rod tip wrapped around suddenly. I struck expecting a solid resistance but was left hitting thin air. A cheeky chub or line bite? I'll never know. The fish were obviously feeding and very active so it was not a huge surprise when another barbel was hooked a landed. Slightly bigger, this fish put up a great scrap. Another bite on the meat saw the line peeling from the bait runner but the bait was dropped and I suspect a chub was definitely the culprit on that occasion. It had been a hectic hour or so.

With a clear sky above the temperature had dipped dramatically following a warm autumn day and with it sport began to slow. The next hour saw very little happen until a 3lb chub decided to break the silence and cap the end of my session. It might have been brief but it was an enjoyable way to end the recent drought.

The arrival of October also brought about the commencement of the pike season. I now need to find time to find some pike and ready myself for the colder months ahead.

A Dash 'n' Splash

Unsurprisingly, since the birth of my daughter my fishing opportunities have been rather limited. I did manage to spend a few hours on the Avon during Wednesday morning. Conditions were not too appealing with bright sunshine beating down on a low and clear river. I had hoped to target Perch but with them preferring low light that plan was shelved. I also knew that targetting barbel would be a non-starter. So instead, I got some deadbaits out of the freezer and packed the Pike rods in the car.

A welcome visitor

I settled in my first peg and cast a paternostered skimmer to the far bank. I had popped this up to increase its appeal. I then float fished a small roach in close proximity to the near bank. I allowed the flow to take the bait past the nearside bank cover before retrieving it slowly to allow the bait to flutter through the water. It obviously worked as a Pike appeared from nowhere to grab the bait within the first 5-10 minutes. It wasn't huge but welcome nonetheless given my recent abstinence. I had chosen to use single hooks as I didn't want to risk a deeply hooked fish considering the Pike are still very active at this time of year and it was easily removed. Despite employing the same tactics in a number of pegs, it proved to be the only action of the morning and the session ended all too quickly.

I hope to be able to squeeze in a barbel trip or two in the next couple of weeks if I am able to balance everything out and keep all parties happy, wish me luck!

A Window of Opportunity - Chub and Barbel

October half-term is a time I always look forward to. Some of my most memorable catches have occurred at this time and it usually coincides with favourable conditions that often see the rivers carrying some additional water and colour. This year was no different as we experienced something of an Indian Summer with daytime temperatures in excess of 15°C at the end of October. With conditions like this it meant only one thing: Barbel. These days sees me attempt to juggle my urge to fish whilst being a family man. Therefore, shorter sessions when the opportunity arises are the order of the day.

Lower Severn: Getting Better

After last Sunday's session, which produced a lovely Barbel that just fell short of the magical 10lb figure, I was again on the lower Severn looking for more of the same. With the extra rain this week and two days of unseasonably mild weather, I arrived on the bank with high hopes. Conditions were textbook. Temperatures had been as high as 17°C throughout the day and the river itself had risen from last week to just over 12°C. With it carrying some extra water and colour I couldn't have asked for better conditions.

Both baits were in place at 6pm with meat on the downstream rod and a boilie on the upstream one. The only modification I made from my previous sessions was to use a small open end feeder on the downstream rod packed with scalded pellets. The idea was that with conditions seemingly perfect, it would give off an attractive scent trail and draw some fish to my waiting bait.

A nice lower Severn double

As dusk approached both rods showed some signs that fish were present and a Barbel porpoised right in front of me. However, nothing happened until about 8pm when out of the blue the downstream rod twitched before the tip wrapped round violently. Unlike the fish from the previous session, this fish set off on a blistering run. I then managed to draw it upriver and get the fish below the rod tip. It then burst into life again with more surging runs, one of which almost ripped the rod from my grasp such was its power. The fish was in superb condition with the scales showing 10lb 5oz.

Another bite about a hour later saw me connected to another good fish but disaster struck as I suffered a break. It was frustrating since it's such a rare occurrence but I guess fishing in the dark means weaknesses are harder to spot. By now it was pouring down and I started to think about my exit from the fishery. With the banks starting to get waterlogged and the track out undoubtedly following suit, I did the right thing in escaping whist I could at about 10pm. I have no doubts that more fish would have come my way as they were feeding but sometimes you have to be sensible. Conditions are fantastic at the moment after months of low clear water so get out if you can and make the most of it.

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Perseverance pays off

The lower Severn can be something of an enigma. A huge expanse of water that doesn't give up its secrets too easily. I have not had a really good go at Barbel this season for a variety of reasons but with autumn upon us I felt compelled to give the 'lower' every opportunity to reward my enthusiasm. I fished three evening sessions over the space of the week and unsurprisingly it wasn't plain sailing.

Session 1

I arrived last Sunday around 3.30pm to a stale looking river. Like rivers all over the country, the Severn was in desperate need of rain. However, fish still need to eat so as far as I was concerned I had a chance. My plan was to deposit some bait into a swim, then fish for Zander for a while before settling down for a couple of hours into dark. The first part of my plan went well. I fished a standard float set up with a dead roach mounted onto a homemade trace sporting a size 2 barbless hook. After around 20 minutes, the float started to move downstream with purpose before disappearing.  A few turns of the reel and a strike connected me with my quarry. It was only a small Zander of a few pounds but it saved a blank and meant I could target Barbel without worrying about going home empty handed. Unfortunately, the second part of my plan, well, didn't go to plan. There was little activity until around 7.45pm when the rod tip showed a series of indications but none were positive enough to warrant action. Then twenty minutes later all activity ceased. By 8.30pm I had decided to call it quits and return later in the week. 

Session 2

I returned on Friday to be presented with a completely different river. Gone had the stale slow moving Severn to be replaced with a beautifully coloured Severn with a nice flow. It looked very promising and the air temperature was unseasonlly mild. I fished two rods - the downstream rod was a simple running ledger set up baited with meat. The upstream rod was an identical rig except it was baited with a boilie and cast over a modest bed of bait. I had one reservation and I am sure it contributed to what happened, or didn't happen over the next few hours. With the influx of water it was bound to knock the river's temperature. Whilst it would still be in the range that Barbel feed, a sudden drop often knocks your chances, and so it did. Despite a great looking river, the rod tips remained montionless from 6pm until 10pm when I called it a day. I wasn't too despondent though since I was sure the Barbel would find my bait and that once temperatures stabilised they would be catchable and hopefully in the area looking for more. Therefore, I vowed to return 48 hours later. There was one highlight however. A tawny owl, seemingly oblivious to my presence, was on the hunt just above my rods. Had I not been looking I would have had no idea it was there such was the silent movement of its wings. It even returned moments later for another survey of the bankside vegetation. It was a real treat.

Session 3

The Severn still looked very fishy when I arrived at 4.30pm on Sunday. It had crossed my mind to stay at home and watch the England game but instead both rods were cast out as the match kicked off on my radio. My tactics were identical to the previous session. A temperature check showed the river was 10.5°C which was encouraging as I am sure the last few days would have given the fish a chance to acclimatise to any recent drops. Almost immediately there were tell tale signs that fish were present in my swim. In fact I felt it was almost inevitable that a bite would result at any moment. Despite some sharp snatches nothing positive occurred and as dusk arrived the swim had gone dead. I have to admit my confidence had started to wane as dark always offers the best chances but all signs of fish had disappeared. Then, just before 7.30pm and completely out of the blue, the downstream rod was away. The fish felt good. There were no rip roaring runs; instead the fish stubbornly held station. Over the next few minutes I was able to inch it up river before I was finally able to draw it over the waiting net. I was convinced my first lower Severn Barbel of the season was a double as it looked a very stocky fish but the scales showed 9lb 13oz, not that the weight is all that important. More important to me was the fact I had managed to hook and land a Barbel after dedicating three sessions to them. It was a fantastic looking fish that I'm sure will be over 10lb if our paths cross again between now and the season's end. I gave it another hour but with no more bites forthcoming, I left the Severn safe in the knowledge that I'd been right in not staying home to watch England.

The reward for perseverance: 9lb 13oz

Pike: Up and running

I finished work on Thursday with the intention of making it out for what would equate to about two hours of fishing. With the date being October 2nd, the previous day had seen what many view as the opening day of the Pike deadbait season. With this in mind my target would be to try and sneak a Pike out.

The colours of autumn

It was a fine autumnal evening. The sun, low in the sky was producing some beautiful reflections on the water. My chosen approach was trotting a dead roach. With the river still low and clear I had doubts that a static bait would be sought out by fish that were probably holding up in cover. I would remain mobile, spending 15 minutes or so in each likely looking spot before moving on to the next.

Having spent a lot of time on the river over the years, it is my opinion that the margins are prime Pike territory. These areas often have cover in the shape of trees, reeds or other vegetation and often give you a few feet of water. My second swim fitted this description perfectly. As nice slow flow to keep my bait moving with overhanging grass and reeds. I dropped the bait a few yards upstream and let it trundle slowly through the swim. I had set the depth so that the bait was suspended and would be able to find its way through the swim unhindered. I was also using size 2 single hook on a home made trace with the dead roach hooked next to its dorsal fin to present it a natural position in the water. I have more confidence in single hooks for smaller baits and it makes deep hooking very unlikely. That's not to say I don't use trebles. If the bait size necessitates their use then they will be employed but it's important that bite detection and early striking is employed to avoid deep hooking.

On my third trot through the swim the float showed a fish had emerged from the cover and grabbed my bait. The float surged under and started moving away from the bank. With a smallish bait and obvious indication that the bait had been grabbed confidently, I struck early and saw the rod bend into action. A lively fish put up a good scrap but was safely landed. The hook was positioned in the scissors and was removed by hand, vindicating my use of single hooks. Unfortunately, none of my subsequent swims produced but it was nice to get the ball rolling and I am sure better conditions will arrive in the coming weeks and I can find a few more.

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Autumn on the Warks Avon

Autumn is always one of my favourite times of the year and like most rivers, the Warwickshire Avon looked splendid on my latest visit. By late morning the hazy sunshine had burned off the early cloud and was now making its way through the ever-thinning branches of the willows that lined the river’s banks. Every so often the stillness was punctuated by a gentle breeze which was greeted with a new deposit of leaves fluttering their way to the water’s surface. I’ve had some memorable fishing trips over the years during autumn but unfortunately, Saturday was not one of them.

The colours of autumn

I had taken the temperature on arrival to find it hovering around 7°C, which showed it had changed little over the past week or so. Buoyed by this I set up a small maggot feeder and decided to also set up a ledger outfit baited with ‘boilie’ to drop downstream in case a Barbel could be tempted to feed. Within about 30 minutes the downstream rod started to indications of typical Chub plucks. I had set the reel to the baitrunner facility since it was not my main attack and finally something started to take line. However, instead of the satisfying resistance and thump on the rod, I was left reeling in my tackle minus a fish. It was obvious to me that a Chub had picked the bait up without the hook and then let go on the strike. I had a few more taps but strangely the maggot approach failed miserably, which was a surprise. Then, the river began to rise slowly and with this, the ‘fishy’ activity died away and apart from a pluck on the maggots there was nothing else left to report.

With my parents visiting later that afternoon, I decided to cut my losses and head back for home defeated. I find it frustrating when I fail to catch but I guess it is part of the game and like a lot of anglers suffering the same fate at least I can say it was just nice to be out on a fine autumnal day enjoying my surroundings. 

There was a lot bird activity today,
including this Great Spotted Woodpecker