THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PASSION AND AN OBSESSION - Canal chub (Winter fishing. Series 1: Episode 9)



Click to play the video. Includes: It's important that anglers understand the difference between a passion and an obsession - Bait and rig revealed - The toilet habits of the kingfisher

 

 

In this week's video I share the need to know the difference between a passion and an obsession. This is true in every area of life, but especially so for us anglers. In fact I would say that it's crucial we not only understand that there is a difference but then to make sure we are firmly on the right side of the line. In a nutshell, passion is good, obsession bad. I would also say that just because someone fishes a lot, that in itself doesn't mean to say they are obsessed. It's all about what's going on in our mind. Anyway, what about the actual fishing this week, how did that go?

A small chub on the bank

 

Underneath the first photo in this week's blog, I wrote the words 'A small chub'. But is it small? Someone contacted me recently to say he had never caught a 3lb chub and the ones that I have been banking of late have all been monsters. So although there's nothing wrong in using words like 'small' we do have to understand that they are just relative to our own experiences. The moment we feel a chub, or any other fish for that matter, doesn't have the same value as another based on size alone, then it's time for some serious re-evaluation.

 

Barbel Stix does the business again

 

I continued with my Barbel Stix approach this week, fishing both Frankfurter Sausage and Undercover flavours. That's the latter that you can see in the photo above. I think confidence plays a massive part in angling and no more is that reflected than in bait choice. Although the canal has been tough, the only bait I've taken along has been Barbel Stix. If nothing else, I know that it has put a lot of big chub on the bank for me. Another thing is that I can confidently say it won't 'blow' as a bait. In the whole of this week I only saw one family group of anglers anywhere on the canal - and they went after an hour.

 

Another chub poses for the camera with yours truly

 

Whoever said 'time flies' wasn't joking - I can't believe it's the first of February today (as I publish this blog entry of course). I'm still on track for my fish-every-day-of-the-year target, although to highlight the title of this week's blog entry, there's no obsession involved but lots of passion. Of course, I'm not able to fish twenty-four hours of every single day, and that is reflected very much in this week's sessions. I averaged out at about three hours per outing. I can do four mornings and it's no more total fishing time than the angler who does a twelve-hour session.

 

In the net and ready to go back

 

All the fish caught this week were my target species, apart from one bream in the final visit. However, when the rod pulled out of the rest and the fish took off like an express train, in the split second before I lifted into it, I was convinced that I had hooked into a carp. Imagine my surprise when I found myself banking a small bream, one that definitely punched above its weight for sure. As it happened, it was the only fish I caught that morning so avoided a blank. It's always nice when your target species hits the back of the net, but hardly an issue when something else obliges instead.

 

The bream that I thought was a carp

 

And finally (I like to end my blog with that as no doubt you've realised), for those who do access my website (www.anglingdiary.com) as a means of connecting with my weekly entry, you will have realised by now that it hasn't been updated for a couple of weeks. The people that host the site did some internal work, which meant that for the first time in almost 11 years, I was unable to get on there. Basically they weren't able to help, so I just had to draw a line under it. It's no issue though, I was just using the site as a place to host the blogs. They're still out there, and as from now will just be on Blogger as opposed to the site as well (Published February 1 2014)

 

Blog published every Saturday, this is number 551.

 

 



 



 



 

 

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

 

IN IT TO WIN IT - Black Country canal chub (Winter fishing. Series 1: Episode 2)

Click play to watch video. Includes: Hair-rigging for big chub - Groundbait and bait approach - What thermometer do I use - Water temperature pointers.

 



If you've watched this week's video then you'll be aware of how I connected with the chub on my local canal. Of course you hear lots of stories, but one thing I realised many years ago is that there's a lot of 'wild goose' chasing going on in the angling network. Rumours and the fishing world go hand-in-hand.

The opening chub of the week

 

My chub fishing this week was made up of short afternoon sessions. I fish a lot, but because I have loads of other stuff in my life, I can't fish twenty-fours every single day of the week. Not that I would want to really, for me angling is a passion not an obsession. I do actually fish most days, certainly mid-week, but shorter sessions.

 

Another decent chub

 

On my first outing, which you can see in the video, I caught four chub for the camera. I added a fifth right at the end after I had finished filming. Back the next day, the water temperature had tumbled from 9.2C to 7.9C. I still caught though, my first just as a lady jogger came past.

 

Return not eat

 

She asked me if I was going to eat it, which led to a conversation where I was able to talk about fish welfare and conservation. As anglers we are all ambassadors, and any opportunity we have with the general public to promote fishing in a positive way should be grasped and taken.

 

I even caught a small roach on a size 6 hook

 

The remaining sessions saw water temperatures continue to tumble, in fact I ended the week at 4.8C, which is a pretty dramatic fall from what it was at the beginning, almost 50% to be precise. Consequently, the fishing got tougher, but in-it-to-win-it I still managed a few fish. I cover temperature in the video, especially the importance of trend.

A chub from the final session

Switching from the boilie approach at the start of the week to bread, I even caught a small roach - with a big chunk on a size 6 hook. In spite of the drop in temperature affecting the fishing, I still enjoyed it. Ultimately, that's what it's all about. Even if you're catching big fish, but not enjoying it, then it's time to re-evaluate. (Published December 14 2013)

 

 

Visit my angling website HERE - updated every Saturday since 2003.

 

(Blog entry 544)