The Sessions - January 2015
New sections for Barbel & Perch
10 Jan – Smeatons, River Trent
Once xmas and the New Year festivities were out the way I was itching to get back out fishing. With work and bad weather I didn’t get the chance until the 10th. It had been warm in the day for 3 days but cold at night but I thought I may have a chance of a Barbel so packed the car and headed back up the A1.
I arrived at the sections I know well for 14:00 hours, the wind was a gale force north westerly, it was sunny but felt cold in the wind. There was one angler on the section who was sat in his car trying to keep out of the wind. I got out of mine and went to look at the river, it was high, coloured and steaming through. The problem was the wind was so strong it was difficult to set up in any fashion, and it was cold which I was sure would drop the water temperature.
I wanted some where that would offer shelter and warmer water so I thought a stretch near a town offered both. Smeatons is no secret, it’s non tidal, only offers 7 swims and can be busy in the better weather. Having never fished there I made a phone call to be told everyone had the same idea and there were only 2 swims left which wasn’t ideal but I’d driven 75 miles so wasn’t going to drive home.
I went to have a look and found pegs 5 and 6 available. The lads fishing there were all regulars and were friendly and helpful. It’s worth mentioning that everyone I’ve met on the Trent has been very friendly which isn’t always the case else where. The lads here told me I wouldn’t catch unless I had Source boilies as bait but I was about to prove them wrong.
The river was high, coloured and really hammering though as it’s narrower than the sections I fish. Peg 5 looked good with an over hanging tree in the near margin, a feel around with a lead found a nice deep gravel margin, perfect for my fishing so I paid my £8 and set up.
I was ready by 16:00 hours and used my usual set up and 6oz leads lowered in off the end of the rods, and planned to rebait every two hours. There was plenty of shelter with the bridge and trees and I was able to park my car in front of the Chub Cyclone open front shelter I always use. The banks are steep which gave the river a lot of shelter from the wind keeping the chill off it.
By the time it got dark it was very cold and down to 3 degrees but I felt I was fishing well and was confident.
20:15 hours – the right hand rod (downstream) smashed over and the line peeled of the reel, the fight was epic in the fast flow and I had real trouble getting it back upstream to the net and lost count of the times I got it over the net but was unable to lift it due to the current. Eventually it went in and I thought I may have cracked it but it wasn’t to be at 9-07.
21:10 hours – the same rod and a repeat performance wrestling an 8-05 into the net.
22:40 hours – the same rod went over again and by now the angler in peg 4 was just standing watching me in the dark, this was another epic battle before landing a 9-05, two fish so close to a double.
23:55 hours – the hot rod went over again, it was so cold but with all the action I wasn’t feeling it. This fish felt a whole lot bigger and stripped line of the clutch and went way downstream. I had to put so much pressure on it to get it to come upstream and then it just tore off again, the fight seemed to last for ages, the constant pressure eventually told and I had that sickening feeling when the hook pulled, I was gutted.
01:20 hours – the hot rod smashed over again and this one felt heavy too but instead of going on long runs it just held in the current, I kept the pressure on but tried not to pull too hard and just coax it upstream, this worked and a big lump slipped over the net. I was over the moon and had done it on my first Jan trip and on a new stretch; this one went 12-05.
04:10 hours – I was fast asleep when the hot rod went again, by the time I got to the rod it had some how got the other line and took them both into a snag, after a lot of pulling in all directions the fish came out and was the smallest of the trip at 6+. I didn’t bother casting out again and went to sleep very happy.
When I got up with a brew in the morning the other 4 anglers were questioning what I was doing and what bait I used as I’d caught more than all of them put together, suddenly the Source wasn’t so good and I was handing out tubs of my MAD baits specials.
The rest of the month proved largely a waste of time, it was very cold with lots of frosty nights and intermittent snow. I ventured out three times for Perch, once on Chestnut Pool and twice on the River Ivel, all proved fruitless and I blanked.
A very difficult month but I managed success in the short window available, the MAD baits test bait was definitely working in the winter and my season target was still on very much on fire.
Jan – 1 trip to the Trent, 5 Barbel / 1 double.