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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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)