YOU CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF A GOOD THING - Canal chub (Winter fishing. Series 1: Episode 8)

Click play to watch video. Includes: Tips on making angling videos for YouTube -  enjoy it and don't let it interfere with your fishing - be honest - be yourself. Woven in with sessions after chub on the canal.

As the title more than suggests, as far as angling is concerned, you can't overdo it. What I am referring to in particular though is that once again I pursued canal chub. As far as my own fishing schedule is concerned, although I'm an all-rounder, I don't have a rota so that every species, method and venue gets a fair crack of the whip. Whatever takes my fancy, that's what I target, fish with, and head for. So for the third week on the bounce, it's chevin from the cut that has captured my imagination.

 

 

A different take on a selfie

 

If you watch this week's video you will see I share a few tips, pointers and thoughts on making YouTube videos. I certainly don't claim to be anywhere near an expert on the subject. But having made them for a few years now, hopefully there will be something in there that's helpful if you're thinking of walking that path yourself. The most important advice I would give though, is don't let it get in the way of your fishing. It should be a joy not a burden.

 

Dipping bait to boost the flavour

 



I fished a number of the sessions this week with Barbel Stix as the bait. I've been using them (there are three flavours) for some time successfully when after chub. I film the photographing of the above on the video and as I say, check it out on the SBS Baits site as well. If you're not aware, by the way, I write a monthly blog that appears on the home page of the SBS website. I also fished with bread as well and caught small bream, one of which you can see being returned below.

 

Not a chub, but avoiding a blank

 

In fact, weather permitting of course, it won't be long now until I'm targeting bream proper. I do enjoy the pursuit of big slabs, and as I did last year, I'm hoping to bank a few this spring and summer. In the meantime though I've got plenty of winter sessions to get through. Even though we may look forward to the future, we can't wish the present away. In life in general and certainly as far as our fishing is concerned, enjoy the moment.

 

 

Chunky chub in the net

 

If you watch the video then you will be aware that even though I didn't blank during the first three sessions (although the roach was border-line) I didn't net any chub. At the end though I spoke by faith saying I would get some before the week was out. And so it was. It was definitely a tough week but as always, unless you fish then you'll never catch anything. In many ways, the harder the going is, the greater the satisfaction when you do finally catch your chosen species.

 

Returning a chub

 

Finally, if you're on my Facebook angling page then you may recall last autumn I shared that I had been approached by a radio station to host an angling show. I was quite keen on the idea and travelled to the station to meet the person who had contacted me, who was the programme controller. He gave me a brief introduction to the equipment and talked about some training for me on how to use it. Unfortunately, just afterwards he left the station and so the project died a death. But as far as I was concerned it was nice to be 'head-hunted', and although I'm not disappointed, who knows what the future may hold on that front. (Published January 25 2014)

 

 

Published every Saturday, this is blog entry 550

 

 

 



 

 

WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH - Canal chub fishing (Winter fishing. Series 1: Episode 7)

 

Click play to watch video. Includes: Fishing short sessions - bird clips - fishing in difficult conditions

 

 

As always, you can watch the video above by clicking play. Apart from doing things a little differently this time round (a change is as good as a rest and all that), it was hard going and so with no fish on my opening session of the week, I was forced into prolonging the filming if I wanted to catch something for the camera. As you will hear on the video, I was quite positive that the fish had come on the feed. Well they did, but not as I would have liked.

 

The opening fish of the week

 

As we all know though, angling can be a real challenge sometimes. But, as the heading of this week's blog implies, we have to battle on and persevere. In fact following a blank, my second session, on paper, didn't look good at all. A sharp overnight frost, combined with the first snow of the year, saw a number of anglers commenting on social media that they were definitely staying away from fishing. Now of course, I'm not being critical, but the reality is you only catch if your bait's in the water. 

A chub rested, in the net, and ready to go back

 

Although the opening fish wasn't big, I was just happy to catch. If you've been following my recent chub adventures, you'll know I've been banking some big fish. Sometimes though you're just happy to catch anything, regardless of size. I was recently asked if I have ever had a fishless blog and the answer to that, is in over 10 years I have managed to catch at least one fish each week. Of course though, the advantage I have over most bloggers is that I do get more than one bite of the cherry.



A robin on the rod

As you will be aware if you have watched the video, I managed to capture a few bird clips this week, including the angler's favourite - the robin. Whether stealing maggots from our bait box, mopping up dropped groundbait or just perching on the rod, there can't be many fishermen who have not had a close encounter with a friendly  robin on a regular basis. I also saw my second (although likely to be the same bird) chiffchaff of the month. Very common summer migrants, it's always great to spot an overwintering one.

Returning another small  chub

 

So no big fish this week, but as we know with angling, you can't put your order in and expect it to be delivered as and when you want. The most important thing though is that I did manage to catch something, but I guess even more important than that is I enjoyed it. Without that, what's the point in fishing? At the end of the video I give my Facebook angling page a mention, well it also incorporates a lot of nature stuff as well. So if either - or both - of those float your boat then why not give it a like? Finally, if you watched the video and took the bird quiz, the answers are: magpie, robin, bullfinch (female), mistle thrush, robin, mistle thrush. If you got all of them, well done. (Published January 18 2014)

 

Published every Saturday, this is blog entry 549

 

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WATCH OUT FISHES - Canal chub fishing (Winter fishing. Series 1: Episode 6)

Click play to watch video. Includes: Rig explained - Bait revealed - Thoughts on anglers v boaters - Fungi clips.

We often hear the phrase 'Things to do before I die', and of course everyone has their own individual list of desires. For me there is just one box to tick, and that is to fish every day of a calendar year. I attempted it in 2013 but due to severe snowfall that had me housebound, I didn't even get past January.

A good fish to kick the week off with

However, not to give in totally, I took up the challenge once more as we entered the current New Year. I'm fortunate in that I meet all the criteria that allows me lots of fishing time, the icing on the cake being that I very recently went semi-retired. Watch out fishes, even more so than before, is all I can say.

The rig I fished with

With canal chub on the agenda this week, the first session is the one in the video. It was harder going than I expected, which just goes to show that good water temperature alone is no guarantee of fish. I avoided the dreaded blank though, and it was a top quality chub that I caught.

Barbel Stix did the business

The second session was just as tough but again I managed the one fish. As well as showing my rig on the video, you can see the photograph of it above. Mainline is 6lb Maxima to the same strength Drennan Team England hooklength. The lead is 1/3oz and the hook a size 6 Drennan Super Specialist. The system over the swivel is a Greys top and tail rubber.

Lots of fungi clips in this week's video

If you follow my angling adventures regularly, you will know that I'm a keen naturalist. Fungi have not been my strongest point though, but after my wife bought me the Collins (black series) book for Christmas, now is the time to take my knowledge up a notch or two. Right next to where I fished, on decaying wood, I found some turkeytail, which is a bracket fungus.

A chunky chub to end the week

 

It was a slow week as far as the fishing was concerned, with no more than one chub putting in an appearance per session. It shows how thin that line is between 'success' and 'failure'. But if you're on the right side of it, that's what counts and especially so when the fish are specimen-sized. Above all though, I have enjoyed this week, and as always, that's what really counts. (Published January 11 2014)

 

 

Published every Saturday, this is blog entry 548.

 

Visit my angling website HERE

 

WE SHOULD ALL BE PLEASURE ANGLERS - Pike on a Shropshire lake (Winter fishing. Series 1: Episode 5)



Click play to watch video. Includes: Getting to know your venue - Tips on starting pike fishing - Advice on when to strike - Temperature relevant to the venue

 

 

The big thing as far as my fishing is concerned is that I have to enjoy it. I often get requests such as 'Could you do a video on this species?' or 'Could you do one on that venue? Although I appreciate the interest very much, the bottom line is that, in the truest sense of the meaning, I'm a pleasure angler. My fishing is based on what I fancy doing at that time, and following on from targeting pike last week, it was more of the same this time round.

 

Mute swans on the lake

 

I don't know about a kid on Christmas Eve, I often struggle to get to sleep the night before a fishing trip - and I'm in my 50s. So it was this time round, with the alarm set for 6.30am it was the early hours before I dozed off, and even then I was just cat-napping. Heading for a club lake in the neighbouring county of Shropshire, I was fishing by first-light. I was using my favourite method for pike - float-fished deadbaits.

 

 



 

The first fish on the bank

 

It's always good to net the first fish of any session and I did that an hour and a half in. It was a decent enough fish for the venue and that's important for all anglers to bear in mind; you can only catch what's in there. Although I always try to catch big fish whenever I go fishing, 'big' is relative to the venue. Within an hour of my opening pike I had another two runs, resulting in one fish and one where I 'pulled out'.

 

 

The second pike of the session

 

As you can see from the video, I ended the session with four runs resulting in two fish on the bank. On the nature front I managed to capture a few seconds footage of a common buzzard in flight, which a few moments earlier had been mobbed briefly by a carrion crow. I also saw - and heard - a pair of ravens, which is pretty common for the area. On arrival I also heard a muntjac in the woods surrounding the lake. 

Winter sunshine on the lake

 

Happy with my two pike, I decided to see the week out with a couple of early-morning sessions on the Staffs/Worcs Canal after the elusive pike there. I covered that in last week's blog entry and highlighted just what a challenge it is to even catch one, regardless of size. So it was, as both outings resulted in a blank. But at least I had a chance as my baits were in the water.

Always keep your tools at hand

 

Both canal sessions were in atrocious conditions, with gale force winds and heavy rain. In fact on the second, which was the most severe, I couldn't put the umbrella up as it was so windy, so I just sat it out in the rain. There's always a positive though and at least, with it being from the SW, it was 'warm' rain. As this is the first blog entry of 2013, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a great, fish-filled year ahead. (Published January 4 2013)

 

 

(Blog entry 547)

Visit my angling website HERE updated every Saturday since 2003