The Sessions - February 2019
Crazy weather!!
I signed of last month having only fished twice in January due to work and poor weather so I was dying to get on the rivers again…..
11 February – River Trent, Sutton.
The crazy February weather had seen us having lots of rain and snow at the start of the month so the rivers were up, coloured and carrying rubbish. The forecast wasn’t good on the first chance I had to fish but I wanted to try so drove up the A1 anyway. With the rivers being high I knew of a big slack on the inside of a bend on the Barbel Society stretch at Sutton so headed there not expecting anyone else silly enough to be out. I arrived as it was getting dark and couldn’t believe my luck, the only person on the section was setting up in my chosen spot. After a quick chat I went 50m below him and thought I still had enough slack water to be able to hold bottom.
The river was up as expected, muddy brown and carrying rubbish. I cast out a 3oz lead and slowly dragged back to find the near shelf and guessed I still had approx. 14 feet of water in front of me. Once the spot was found I was able to hold with 5oz and put one out on double 15mm Pandemic and the other double 18mm with pva bags and put 30 boilies in the area. The temp was dropping fast and it was very clear and cold, not the best conditions so I was pleasantly surprised when the 18mm rod went over and I had an 8plus in the net. It got colder and by 22:00 everything was covered by frost!!
I had two more takes up to midnight, both similar size to the first and then the bites dried up which wasn’t a surprise in the conditions. My neighbour blanked and was soon asking about the magic of Pandemic as we were packing up in the morning.
15 February – River Trent.
A couple of frosty nights followed by mild weather leading up to the weekend looked positive and with no more rain the river would be dropping so I drove up after work for the weekend full of confidence. It’s a bit of a mission getting home at 17:30, packing the car and driving up the A1 as it’s the best part of 110 miles driving but I wanted to be out so needs must. However the trip started badly from the off:
1- Arrive in the village at 20:00 and call in the chip shop, “no vinegar please” so she covers my cod and chips in vinegar and wraps them.
2- Arrive on the fishery and open them to the smell of vinegar….great!
3- Can’t see any cars as I drive up the track and find one tucked away, ¾ mile walk and sure enough he is setting up in the swim I wanted.
4- After a chat I went back to get my gear and started the long walk back, my barrow is on its last legs and I was over half way when it collapsed, three trips later and I was in my swim sweating like crazy.
I went in the Cattle Drink swim I’d done well in during my first couple of trips to this section and set up, by this time it was 23:00 and I finally cast out and put 30 15mm Pandemic through the swim.
16 February
The first night passed without a bite, Jason walked down and he’d had nothing either. It was a lovely mild sunny morning with a south westerly wind and I still felt confident of some fish so put another 30 boilies through the swim.
We were stood chatting at 08:05 when my downstream rod (right) smacked over and sprung back. I reeled it in to find the hook had opened up and the point burred over, I’d not seen this before but the answer became apparent later in the session….
14:00 hours – I’d already had a Barbel at 8plus and two Chub so the baiting was working, the left hand rod crashed over and this one felt better and I was very happy to land a 12-06. After recasting I put another 20 boilies out.
15:55 hours – the right went over resulting in a very welcome Chub at 5-13, this was followed shortly after by another average Barbel, another 20 boilies went over the spot.
17 February
The night was very mild for the time of year and the bites kept coming with another two Barbel at 9plus.
06:45 hours – after a four hour quiet spell the right went again, this was a strange fight so I was surprised when an 11-01 popped up and into the net.
I had another as I was packing up that was 2oz short of a double and managed to fix my barrow to get me back to the car, Jason caught on the second night so it all ended well. Jason had got to the car park first and two anglers were already there having packed up without a fish, they had had two Seals in front of them all night with fish jumping everywhere. It was soon evident the Seals had been working the river as there were multiple sittings through the weekend. I think there is a strong chance I foul hooked one as they were working their way upstream, hence the damaged hook…..
20 February – River Ouse
With the unusually mild temps it seemed silly not to try a night on the Ouse so I went after work and packed up at 05:00 in the morning, the result being one Chub but it was nice being out.
22 February – River Trent
With day time temps up to 16 degrees and no rain the conditions screamed Barbel so as the week before I drove up after work again and arrived on the section to find Jason’s car there already, a quick phone call confirmed he was in the Cattle Drink swim, I wasn’t too worried as I was confident I’d catch on the bend. I barrowed my gear down, it really is a beast of a walk but I made it without stopping and was fishing by 22:00 hours.
I followed the same tactics and put 30 Pandemic through the swim and sat back with a cup of tea.
23:20 hours – it didn’t take long and the left hand rod smashed over, it fought well and felt a good fish and went 11-14, a great start to the trip. Jason popped down and his first words were “It’s all about you isn’t it” to which we both cracked up laughing.
Shortly after the tide started to come up and was rising fast, big tides were forecast and I thought I set up far enough back but I was wrong and had been caught out. I quickly moved the shelter, bedchair and gear back and set up again and thought I had enough time to rescue the rods and pod……wrong again! I had to wade out grab the rods and leave the pod and got a soaking for my effort. I leant the rods up against the shelter, dried myself and went to sleep for two hours.
23 February
I’d got back up, retrieved the pod and got fishing again, it didn’t take long and I soon had an 8plus
I was then awake right through as takes kept coming with an 8plus Bream, two 9’s and a 7plus Barbel followed when the bites dried up at 08:00.
The sun came out and it was a lovely day, crazy for February. Jason went home after only having one small Barbel and strangely I had no takes through the day despite regular recasts. I was kept entertained through the afternoon by a Fox hunt, the farmer must have a Fox problem as there was a full pack of hounds and riders in all the gear working the margins and fields behind me. Having grown up with it its good to watch but not I’m sure how I feel about it now I’m older, a debate for another day.
Once the sun went down it got quite cold and the river was very quiet.
24 February
02:35 hours – finally I had a take and soon had problems, it was so foggy I couldn’t see past the end of the rod, the fish put up a really strong fight and I struggled to see it to net it but it eventually went in, another at 11-14 that was difficult to photograph with the fog.
The next couple of hours were not the best this season, some dipstick thought it was amusing the cut and throw in big branches and I got wiped out on both rods twice, which was made worse by the fog as I couldn’t see to sort it all out, so I didn’t fish anymore, went to sleep and packed up for home in the morning.
All in all not a bad February, until next month tight lines and be lucky 😊
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