The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

Two of us fished the Idle yesterday.My friend had a 4 1/2 lb barbel on luncheon meat and later a 3 lb chub again on meat. I had two smallish perch.We walked downstream for two miles fish spotting and saw one barbel and one chub(although lots of pike).The river was the lowest I have ever seen it,even lower than in the middle of summer and floating weed continues to be a problem.The river needs a good flush out so if anyone wants to join me for a day I suggest will leave it a couple of weeks,although pike fishing with lures is productive.

After a poor day on the Trent yesterday(two small chub) I was thinking of going after the big perch on the South Yorkshire Navigation. Then I realised the oil barge the Excell Challenger took its weekly trip from Goole to Rotherham and as the barge is nearly as wide as this very wide canal when it passes through the fishing is ruined for the day. So I decided on the lovely Idle in the depth of the Nottinghamshire countryside. I was go to travel light and spot chub and barbel with my Poloroids. I found a nice group of chub with the largest well over 5lbs.I lose fed bread and prawns and satisfied the fish were confident cast out prawn and started to get a few nibbles. Then this thing ploughed through my swim



That put out of actions two miles of river downstream. I spoke to the operator and he told me he was not going above Hallcroft Weir so I went upstream and found a pod of barbel and chub in a very snaggy swim. With great difficulty I winkled out a 4.4lb chub on freelined meat


Floating weed made fishing very difficult so at 3.00pm I decided to go and cast a fly in the nearby Sutton Lake. I had that morning collected a two piece fibreglass fly rod(weight 6/7) "The Imperial" made by "Knocker" Norris of Leamington Spa. This was purchased for £20 from a well known internet site for sentimental reasons. "Knocker" made me a similar rod when I was 11(1963)."Knocker" showed me how to cast on the lawn beneath the flat where Bob Brookes lived("Knockers" shop was in the basement of the house).BB was probably watching and laughing! This along with all my rods was stolen from my house in 1994.The rod fished very well but it was too hot and I did not move any fish but collected a lot of swan and goose quills.

Top marks for persistence Mark I would have made for home long before that chub turned up!

I forgot to add if you do not know what the machine is.That is the EA's weedcuttung machine.Conveniently they start weed cutting round about the start of the course fishing river season! Very considerate.I hope you are reading this Hovis!

Penninelad wrote: ↑Mon Jul 01, 2019 9:39 pm I forgot to add if you do not know what the machine is.That is the EA's weedcuttung machine.Conveniently they start weed cutting round about the start of the course fishing river season! Very considerate.I hope you are reading this Hovis!

Indeed I am and I'll gladly pass it to the responsible office. The real question is does this actually need doing? Is it impacting flow, conveyance or capacity to a large degree?

Well done on the chub. I fear for that river there - seems to be very poor juvenile survival which doesn't bode well for the future. The upper sections where it's impounded above town are looking very sorry. I feel the good times are over and a boom and bust is coming.

Persistence pays dividends Mark I guess that weed cutting on a Monday could be explained as being planned to disturb as few anglers as possible? Though having directly experienced a deterioration in EA fisheries work I doubt it