Spiders from Mars

That's what signal crayfish look like...

And they are big buggers too, aren't they?

I'd arranged to meet Keith on The Blythe on Tuesday afternoon but decided that I would set out early and do the entire day, as the long overdue panacea for my work induced exhaustion and general unravelledness. I woke at six to find it hissing down...

Small Stream Adventures - Caught Short...

It's been a bit busy of late, and far too busy to do unimportant stuff, like fishing. It's been all work, work, work, and nothing besides and as a consequence I have become not only dog tired, but tetchy and unsettled in myself. I have kept reminding myself that going fishing is actually very important, that fishing is no mere hobby, not a thing to be picked up and put down, but the only fully rounded therapy available for the modern mind, body and soul

Handmade Swan Quill Waggler. Step 2

The first coat of paint is for sealing the body of the float and for hardening the imperfect surfaces in readiness for sanding. I found that a coat of really stretched out paint was best, it being very thin and drying off to the touch in an hour or so

Maggots

When I left for the Severn last Saturday I made a stupid mistake, that of leaving some of my fishing tackle out in the back yard, including my favourite float rod. When I went out yesterday afternoon to feed the rabbit I thought the yard looked suspiciously tidy. Then the penny dropped...

Handmade Swan Quill Waggler. Step 1

I had two lovely wagglers that I became very attached to, as happens with nice floats that do the job well, but now I have managed to lose them both to far bank bushes on the canal, and so, as I cannot find replacements anywhere and those available in the shops seem such soulless affairs, have decided to make my own

48 hours

We went camping at Montford Bridge on the Severn late Saturday afternoon; Judy's master-plan was for her to stay overnight, return home Sunday morning to clear up some end of year college marking, leaving me and Molly on the bank till late on Monday. Molly's plan was to play endless games with her precious cricket ball, in and out of water. My plan was to fish every waking moment for an early season barbel

What a difference a day, and a bit of water pushing through, makes!

After having had such fun trotting the Blythe and wondering what that big fish that I lost was, a chub probably, but perhaps that monstrous perch that I'd imagined, I had to get back to where I'd been forced to leave off, and as soon as possible. Luckily I had the next day not only free but with wifey actively encouraging my day long absence!

Deluge on the Blythe

The rivers are calling !

I've been back to the trickles a few times in the last weeks and have had a great time, I must say. I really have missed them so much over the last few months.

Dancing to an underwater tune...

The close season ended and I caught tench as befits. I couldn't repeat the coup unfortunately and though I returned for a dawn session and tench were certainly present in the swim I had just the one missed bite to show for my efforts. It was interesting though, or more accurately, infuriating.

And not a drop to drink...

The local canal has been clarifying overnight to the point where proper fish spotting is possible, indeed yesterday morning proved to be the best I have ever seen it with roach visible everywhere. Most of the fish you see before the boats appear to spoil things are small, but here and there you see larger fish of around the half pound mark grouped together along the near bank. It was while watching a group of these fish

Too hot to think

I've been out of action for a fortnight due to a loss of computer plus all data including all the precious fishing pictures that I have not uploaded to Picasa. Thankfully all that really matter are there, but they are now compressed and will never be fit for printing from ever again.

It's a shit.

There's no other way to describe having to go through the entire rigamarole of installing software all over again, remembering all those web account passwords and usernames and getting back in the saddle.

Soon, I'll post a resume of recent fishy ventures, but for now...

It's too hot to think.