Well folks it's here . . . . . . . love ot or hate it, the closed season is now upon us . . .
Personally, i'm starting to garner a distinct dislike to the closed season, for numerous reasons;
firstly, just as the light nights are upon us and you get a chance to actually set up in daylight after work. . . . . . it's over . . . .
then there's the alledged effects of ' global warming ' making the seasons go all out of kilter (personally i don't subscribe to the hype and believe it's just a natural bit of evolution going on here that all the airport and 4 x 4 and long haul flight taxes in the world won't fix) that mean if the weather's pants through may and june, the fish are spawning late june, july and into august . . . . . . as i have witnessed on the dane and ribble on more than one occassion in the last few years. What do they do with all that ' green tax ' money they collect anyway??? . . . . . . . Ever feel like you're in the wrong business? . . . . hmmmmmm
And why does it always seem to fish its nuts off just as the seasons ending ! Aaarrrggghhh lol !
Drives me mad it does . . . . . . plus it forces me to go stillwater fishing and ' fluff chuckin ' for trout i can't catch ! I'll get one though this year i swear . . . if it kills me ! And i'll learn how to actually use this trout gear, erm probably . . . . but . . . . it does give the banks a rest . . . and after yesterdays circus on the stretch i fished, the banks will surely need a rest.
There is though, something nice about going down a stretch of river after it's re-opened and working your way through all the fresh foliage that makes you feel a bit like an intrepid explorer working their way through unchartered territory . . . . . after you've finished hacking away and working up a profuse sweat in the process !
Roll on summer . . . . . . . .
So anyway . . . . my last session of the season was on the ribble on the wigan aa stretch . . . . and it ended up a much happier affair than my previous 3 outings where i'd only managed to scrape out 2 chub between the sessions . . . . i was seriously starting to think i was going to end the season on a proper downer, coming off the river with my tail firmly tucked between my legs, head bowed and dragging my feet. . .
I'd fished a stretch of PAA's water twice and had just one chub and a blank, and fished wigans water another occassion in what i would describe as the most perfect conditions you'd get if you'd paid for them . . . .and blanked !
Why is it there's always someone bank walking that tells you they had two doubles out and 17 fish the last time they were on just as you're contemplating packing it all in and taking up golf ! Yeah stick the knife in why don't ya mate, oh and don't forget to kick me while i'm down !
But back to the session . . . . .
The weather was absolutely beautifull . . . typical eh . . . . it looked . . . . . . just like this . . . . .
And this . . . . . . . . .
The water was clearing up after its recent bout of colour, the swim i was fishing was deep down the inside shallowing to the far side so i fished one long and close in, one 2/3's over and straight across. Boily and paste over, pellet and paste down the inside . . . . same tactics as i'd been blanking with in the last couple of weeks !
But this time, it worked . . . . . so my sanity was saved and i could now stop worrying i was ' losing it ' lol ! Took those snaps about 5 ish after i'd had two barbel on the bank within about 6 or 7 min's of each other and a 'charlie chub' about two and a half pounds. So a hectic 20 min's from out of nowhere just as the sun was starting to drop in the sky.
The average stamp of the fish looked, like this . . . . . . . . . .
That's me modelling my new Trakker thermal fleece top i'd managed to scrounge off our rep' (sorry, 'agent') clive just a few hours earlier ! Lovely lad that clive . . . . . . i've always said that . . . . . ;-)
Most of the fish came from the inside rod to paste wrapped pellet, think i had just one small barb, a chub and a lost fish to the far rod, and 4 barbs and a larger chub about 3 and a half to the inside rod, as well as dropping another due to me sitting drilling out pellets as the rod near took off and i didn't quite get to it quick enough . . . . . .
Ah well, that's one to look out for in the new season eh . . . . . .
The last fish banked was also the best fish of the session and indeed season - not a monster but still a quality fish in cracking condition that put up a fantastic account of itself, just into proper dark at about half seven(ish). The way it ploughed through the swim could quite well be the reason the swim seemed to go dead after that !
Weighing in at 8lb 2, it was just a good size fish, not to be sniffed at, that ended my season on a high rather than a downer ! Many thanks to that fish . . . . . . . . . .
Would have done another better shot normally as this is a bit erm, crap but . . . the fish fought hard, it was dark i was on my own and self portraits are tricky with a lively fish at the best of times, so when the batteries gave up after that shot - rather than change em', i just popped her back in and off she went . . . . .
So that's it 'til june then . . . . . looks like the only river banks i'll be walking will have to be with fluff chuckin rod in hand for now, wish me luck i'm gonna need it . . . . . . .