Little Rivers.

Daisy and I had a half day trip to a little river near home today, it turned out a good call. While the river was low and slow, it did have a little colour. I set up with a 3 no 4 shallow Harrell stick float on the Acolyte and my old Abu 500 loaded with .14 line. A short 10′ 2 lb hook-length with a size 18s fine wire hook completed the set up. As I was setting up I flicked some maggots into the swim and they disappeared when about a foot down.

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What do you mean no biscuits Dad?

The first fish was a nice little Roach followed by a decent Dace around 6 oz, surprisingly almost every trot down produced a bite. The wind was getting up, but the weather was bright and cheering but a little cold. I regretted leaving my coat in the car as I pulled the hood of my jumper over my ears. Daisy May simply huddled down on my -un-hooking mat among the tall grass tussock, getting well out of the cold wind. Only when I opened my tackle bag did she move, hoping a few biscuits were to go with the thermal flask of tea?

I’d taken a few nice fish on the stick, but found with the slow flow, and upstream wind, the float was often at a standstill, So I changed to a small 2 AA waggler and found it much better as I could bury the line behind the float. As time passed a few better Chub-lets turned up, size about 10oz to a 1lb it made the bag build up in weight. A better Roach of 8oz was nobbled by a Pike that I played for several minutes, until it dropped a now very dead Roach. I thought the Pike would see the swim go dead, but no, I still caught until lunchtime, when Daisy remind me we had only had a spare breakfast, and I’d not brought any lunch, or biscuits.

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30+ fish to almost a pound, sorry about the picture. Standing on a very steep bank!

We had taken about 30 fish from a little River I could jump over (well in my teens I could). Two red maggots on a size 16s had done for them, finesse was not required today, as the fish were clearly hungry. It seems the eco-system is doing well on the little River and I cannot wait for some decent rain to bring the river up! The trotting will just get better and if any big fish are about, they should show?