Rob's day
On the Backwater today for the last time this season. The River looked a bit different today after the rain we have had at the beginning of the year – a lot clearer than it has been recently and a lot less flow. Nine of us on the match today so pegged 8 up to 18 just leaving out 11 and 17. I drew peg 13 so relatively happy being at the right end of the River if recent results were to go by.
Set up a couple of whips – 5 meters and 2.5 meters and a pole rig for across for the perch. Started on punch and first few casts resulted in bites, but very small fish – some around an inch long! Also, a lot of pike activity early on. Changed to pinkie but still small fish but at least bites. John Todd to my right also getting a few small fish as was Fred on peg 14.
Some workers were clearing the weir from weed and an hour in a lot of debris started floating down. Unfortunately, with the flow in this peg (mainly from the left flowing into the barge causing most of the swim to back up) – and with the upstream wind – the weed was congregating in the swim making laying in a rig difficult. Tried the perch swim a couple of times resulting in 2 perch – but small 4oz and 2oz. Toddy still getting a few and Fred now getting a few perch over by the gap in the barges. Bill also apparently getting small fish and below me on pegs 9 and 10 Phil and Tony seemed quiet. Not sure about Steve on 8 or Adrian Barker (fishing with us for the first time this season) who drew hot peg 18 (although conditions completely different to when Steve had over 9lb on this peg a couple of weeks ago.
Half-way through decided just to fish the short whip and a top kit just to my left where there were not so many leaves and around 3 ½ foot deep. Plenty of bites on single maggot mainly from small roach and bleak (I think) – but also a couple of better roach around 3-4 oz and a small perch. Half an hour left and struck into something a lot better. A few seconds later slid the net under a perch – maybe just over a pound or so. (luckily on the elasticated top kit) A few more small fish and that was it.
Everyone had a few bites today, but generally very small fish – Adrian 1lb 9oz first to weigh in – then Bill with 2lb 4oz for fourth on the day. Barry 5oz from peg 15 then Fred doing well with 3lb from peg 14 for second. My fish went 4lb 11oz – most fish going about 40 to the pound but helped by the perch. Toddy came third with 2lb 10oz and Steve did well from peg 8 with 2lb 3oz. Tony and Phil predictably struggling from pegs 9 and 10 with the majority of the fish still at the top half of the River.