River Roach - Small Stream Adventures - Disciples of Rutilus - Part 2

On the day after boxing day, a day that has always been and shall forever remain as nameless as the back of the knee or the inside of the elbow, me and Keith went roaching. We decided that we'd target a stretch of the stream that we knew held a good head of roach having observed them there in summer. I arrived first and set up above the favoured spot, a short stretch of water fringed along the far bank with reeds and with reasonable depth just below a confluence with a side stream.

River Roach - Small Stream Adventures - Disciples of Rutilus - Part 1

You may have noticed that we've had a record breaking month? Yep, it's official - December 2010 was not only the dryest month for nets, but also the slackest month for lines since records began...

River Roach - Small Stream Adventures - In Praise of Small Things

A mid-winter picture post...

Canal Zander - My Quest for a Big Cut Zed - Cabin Fever

Seems like ages since I last fished. The freezing weather hasn't been to blame - I have yet to encounter conditions severe enough to stop me trying to get my net wet - no, I've been cooped up due to one damn thing after another damn thing and then just as the horizon cleared and it looked as if I might get to exploit a few scarce holes in the canal's ice cap created by the recent thaw (which now looks to be over before it was complete) I was struck down with a short sharp dose of flu that put me down for days.

River Roach - Small Stream Adventures - Roach Reprise

What with the canal frozen solid for the last week or more and no near future chance of getting out to my big river venue of choice, there simply was no question about where I would end up next. Tackle was pared down to the bare minimum - a quiver in which I stowed a Shakespeare 9ft wand teamed to an Okuma Centrepin, 4lb line, ten foot net pole, one tripod seat, two bank sticks, one for the camera, one for the keepnet and a net bag containing the two nets and a half loaf of Warburtons Blue. The only other necessaries were split-shot, bb, and hooks, barbed size twelve.

Thicker...

The ice is now thick enough to support my skinny butt but I'd advise fellows of ampler frame to wait a while yet before venturing out upon the slippery stuff. I heard a crack as I dismounted, so it's not quite there yet, however, I am planning a novelty ice fishing assault on the canal in the next few days if the freeze keeps on keeping on...