last trip of the season

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Tench Dreamer
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last trip of the season

Post by Tench Dreamer »

I decided on Dobbs weir, well the stretch just after the lock heading towatds Broxbourne because I wanted to fish the river in very pleasant surroundings .This was my first river trip since last November and would be the last this side of the close season...I had three maybe fours of fishing.Time is dead precious to me.

I was on the bank at 0745, and its was very ,very cold. But not too windy and the the colour of the water looked ok.

I prepared for this trip by having the J W avon quiver all ready to go and cracked on with that ...cage feeder, maggots/casters in the groundbait.All looked fishy....

Thirty minutes later I set up my float rod , pairing it with a treasure. My Dad has given me his D.A.M closed face reel last Autumn and I was soon trotting,even though I say my self the control was superb. Little and often in went the hemp and a pinch of maggot..

But no fish........

And very cold.

And no fish.......Now I noticed two Comrants early on but now there were three.All perched in a tree nearly opposite.

After 2.45 hours I upped sticks and moved to try the last 2 hours on the Navigation canal.Slightly less cold.Fishing waggler far bank peppering a small steady flow of maggots/hemp . over caster ...

Not a knock.

So a right Royal blank...only if Im honest I was a bit cheesed off. I have spent three years researching and exploring the Lea.I have very little fishing time and Ive had far more blanks than non blanks.

I know B.S.C had a fabulous chub and there are some big fish in there . But I think the days of a mixed bag of course fish may be gawn...straight down the throats of those huge Comrants.I think Im fishing 30 years too late . I think some serious hours would have to be put in to bag up.

But I have three kids, full time job...Im a pleasure fisherman serious amounts of time I aint got.I feel abit undecided about where what to do next...

Pedro

Re: last trip of the season

Post by Pedro »

Sad news Tench Dreamer.
I remember fishing in that area as a Teenager in the 1960s.
We would catch bags of Roach,some really nice Chub and Perch.
I also remember some good fun with the Pike.
No longer living in the area,it would appear that the river is now a shadow of what was a lovely river.
Very similar story of my river the Chelmer, now a shadow of its former self.
The Cormarants have swept along all the rivers in the Anglia and south east of the UK.
Now you can add the Otters to our woes.

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DaveM
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Re: last trip of the season

Post by DaveM »

I can understand your disappointment TD, but this is a funny time of year and the sudden very sharp drop in temperature will have done you no favours. The days when you could sit anywhere and catch loads of fish are now gone, you have to be much more selective where you go.
Dobbs weir is ok for big fish now, but one has to have luck and conditions on your side! Even Fishers Green is the same, despite lots of big fish reported, you don't really get the 'everyday average report' and FG is arguably one of the best big chub waters in the country now ( and good for a barbel).
I fished the Crown about a month ago and it was really pushing, so I ended up in the Mill pool and had a couple of hours of good sport with 35 - 40 roach and perch, some netters, when the main river was hopeless.
The fish have always shoaled up in winter and add to that cormorants herding them and it is more difficult than ever, roll on the summer I say!

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Loop Erimder
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Re: last trip of the season

Post by Loop Erimder »

Never mind Tench dreamer plenty more fish in the sea, I'm a bit nervous going out tomorrow as its going to be minus 2 and darn windy which equals very cold indeed
Chance is always powerful. Let your hook be always cast; in the pool where you least expect it, there will be a fish

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BendSomeCane
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Re: last trip of the season

Post by BendSomeCane »

Hello , I couldnt help notice that youve been on the river TD ... all I can say is that all the fish either came from early morning or just before dark , even when the fish or should I say bites they can in two's or maybe three. I fished the same peg in the same spot all day. What is clear to me that the river may not contain huge numbers of fish ... I may be wrong but to me the the fish move up and down the river and when they find the bait they have nibble but dont stay long.

the full write up on my trip the Lea is on my blog under chub.

http://bendsomecane.blogspot.co.uk/

thanks BSC
http://bendsomecane.blogspot.com/
By the grace of god a Yorkist

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Tench Dreamer
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Re: last trip of the season

Post by Tench Dreamer »

Some very interesting points.I agree with all thoughts and observations......

Its true that there are less fish And we know the reasons..But the Lea is a beauty and magnificent And Im a dreamer, as in the name.

Ill be back for them Tincas....One day oh yes One day..... :geek:

The dream will come true

Fabulous acoount B.S.C

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DaveM
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Re: last trip of the season

Post by DaveM »

That's more like the spirit TD, we don't give up that easy do we , otherwise we wouldn't be as mad as we are to go in the first place would we? :Tongue:

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Tench Dreamer
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Re: last trip of the season

Post by Tench Dreamer »

Mad yes....certainly felt it this morning.So cold and didntreally have all the cold weather gear.

Truth is when I came back to angling in 2009 I found the Lea and explored it with me kids etc. And I was dreaming again....back to 1982 at Pangbourne on the Thames with me own Dad. Bagging up on Perch and Chub...The Lea kinda reminded me


I call it Dreaming .....But really its Wishful thinking.

By the way Dave all those places at Broxbourne; Conkers( The Crown) Millpool I know em well.As do a few others on the forum.

Such a fine river

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DaveM
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Re: last trip of the season

Post by DaveM »

Yes Td, it is a fine river and sorry if I sounded like a 'know all' preaching, that wasn't my intention, it's just that, I too have had my fair share of lows in catch rates, especially when you sit on a swim on a river you know used to be solid with fish and you just can't get a bite!.
I think that sometimes our expectations far outweigh reality. I find that as one place stops fishing well, another improves and everything goes in cycles on rivers, it's just a matter of finding which bits are having their time now. Cormorants have been a problem on the Lea. I've found that the upper Lea is far better (particularly in the colder months) than the middle or lower Lea, one day that might be reversed again!
I think that rivers require a lot more regular visits to gauge which spots / stretches are worth going back to (I too, don't fish regular enough sometimes). I know exactly how you feel after today, but we've all had blanks on days we thought we'd catch on haven't we and I think you were very brave to have a go, it really was brass monkeys this morning!

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