The Sessions - February 2023

All targets still on

Work and the weather had kept my fishing to three short trips last month but I did manage to keep my season targets with the Barbel on track and make a good start with my winter Zander fishing.

2 February 2023 – River Trent, section on the middle

I had a guide session planned with Steve Pepperrall and despite the cold weather he still wanted to go so I arranged to meet him on a section of the middle Trent at midday. It was a bit warmer at 11 degrees, cloudy with a brisk westerly wind; the level was at winter level with a good flow. I got there early, chose the swims and set mine up just in time for Steve to arrive and help get his gear into the swim.

Once he had his camp set up I talked through my approach to Barbel fishing, reading the river, baiting strategy and helping Steve with his rigs. We were ready to start fishing at 14:30 and we flicked out the rigs, all fished with single Pandemic hard hookers, and 8oz leads were needed with the stronger flow, I then baited both areas with BBB and Pandemic.

Steve’s first bite came four hours into the session and was a good start at 9 plus, this was followed an hour later with a new PB for Steve at 13-14, a brilliant start to the session and the pressure off for me 😃

Steve had two more takes before midnight, a Chub and a very unattractive bent fish at 10-02, while my rods were very quiet.

3 February 2023

The night was very quiet despite refreshing the rods and the spots with a little more bait, we did them again at 07:00, it was cloudy and warm and looked good for a bite.

Steve had another take at 09:10 with a lovely daytime fish at 12-08 and unfortunately suffered a hook pull from a bigger fish just before we had to finish the session at midday. It was a good session with a PB for Steve, he was very happy and planning further sessions with me fishing for Crucians in the spring and Barbel next summer.

Thanks for a good trip Steve, was good to meet you and I look forward to our next session.

I stayed on for another night hoping to catch my Feb 12 pound plus as early as possible but it wasn’t to be, I only had two takes, a Chub and a 9 plus in the early hours.

9 February 2023 – River Trent, Collingham

We’d had another week of very cold weather and high pressure, with night time temps below freezing it wasn’t the best conditions, but with working full time I can only go fishing when I get chance so I drove up after work planning to fish for Zander during the day and Barbel at night.

My first choice sections were both busy so I drove onto Collingham and down to an area I know well for a 20:00 start. The level was .92m so very fishable and I cast two Barbel rods out both baited with Pandemic hard hookers, although it was cold and clear I felt a bit of bait may trigger a response so put some BBB and Pandemic through the swim.

10 February 2023

The night was very cold and quiet and I woke up to frost covering the inside and outside of my shelter, I was watching the rods with a brew in hand when the right rod smacked over, I picked up to find the fish had gone, on inspection a small shell had masked the hook point costing me the fish.

I changed the hook and flicked the rig out again and then noticed a car coming down the track, they pulled up for a chat and then decided to set up a couple of swims down from me, that was enough for me, the river was empty and not fishing well so I packed the van and went to look for a different area.

I was on route to a section further down the tidal and called into another to check there first only to find it empty which was perfect so I set up in a swim I knew would give me a good chance with both target species. It was forecast to be a warmer cloudy day and it instinctively felt like the right move.

I checked the swim with the Deeper to locate my spots and found the deeper water a lot closer in than I remembered, this could have happened in the floods as the powerful water does move the gravel about changing the contours of the bottom, so it always worth checking if you haven’t been to an area in a while.

I’d been thinking a lot about my Zander rig and made some changes from the basic wire and trebles. I set up with a size 8 swivel, 18” of 20 pound Amnesia to a link loop, and 12” of soft 15 pound wire, with a size 2 single top hook and a size 8 treble bottom hook; a supple rig with a stiff boom section that I felt would be a lot better than a stiff 18” wire trace.

Both were baited with Roach dead baits and cast onto the spots for a 09:00 start and I sat watching the rod tops.

Two hours later the left hand rod tapped twice and I struck and landed the first Zander on the new rig at 7 plus.

It had been quiet all day but it was nice to be out, when at 16:10 the right hand rod had a firmer knock on the rod top, this resulted in a Pike at 15-00, which was followed by another Zander that I weighed at 7-06. I had another dropped take just into dark before it went quiet again so I swapped the rigs over to Barbel at 22:00. Both were baited with Pandemic and I put a good spread of 12mm Pandemic through the swim.

11 February 2023

I had two takes in the early hours, both doubles at 10-15 and the monthly target fish at exactly 12-00.

I swapped the rigs back to Zander at first light and was looking forward to another days predator fishing, I was really enjoying it and it had really got me thinking again as Zander offer such a different challenge.

It wasn’t long before I had a take landing another Pike at 15-06 that had me thinking it was a big Zed all the way to the net until it popped up. It was a frustrating day with five dropped takes which were clearly Zander feeling resistance and dropping the bait, and interestingly not one of them gave a single bleep on the alarm, if I wasn’t watching the rod I wouldn’t have known.

I started baiting the Barbel spot early evening hoping to draw fish in earlier in the night and planned to change over at 22:00 again.

19:50 – the right hand rod tapped once and I picked the rod up and gave a little slack line holding it in my fingers, I felt the fish pick the bait up again and struck, this one felt heavier and gave a good account of itself shaking its head all the way to the net, it went in first time and I could see it was a good one and was very happy with an English PB at 12-07.

I carried on until 22:00 and swapped over to Barbel.

12 February 2023

The same as the last night, two fish in the early hours, both doubles at 10-10 and 10-14.

I swapped to Zander again at first light and had two dropped takes and a small Pike before packing up for home very happy at 11:00.

16 February 2023 – River Trent, section down the tidal

The conditions looked perfect, warm at 12 degrees, cloudy with a brisk wind and a pressure drop to 1017mb, the only slight concern was the river was still low and clear at .91m.

It was a bit of a walk to the area and I barrowed the gear down and was set up for a lunchtime start. I wanted to fish for both species again on this trip so elected to fish one rod for each during the day and Barbel at night and see how things developed through the session. I baited the Barbel rod with a Pandemic hard hooker and cast three quarters of the way across to the spot, I then put some BBB and Asbo through the swim. The Zander rod was fished mid-river with a dead Roach.

By late afternoon I’d had two single figure Barbel and two dropped takes on the Zander rod, the wind was getting stronger and despite being quite sheltered from it the rods were taking a hammering.

17:20 – a lot more resistance on a take on the Barbel rod resulted in a double at 11-13.

18:15 –after another dropped take I finally connected with a Zander, another average fish at 7 plus.

I had three more takes on the Barbel rod with fish to 10-10 and another smaller Zander before reeling in for the night, the wind was hammering the rods and the delkims kept going off making any sleep impossible.

17 February 2023

I was up at 06:00, the wind was still strong but had dropped so I put both rods out, one for each species and topped up the Barbel area with Asbo and BBB, and chopped up some older deadbaits into pieces and catapulted them over the area.

The wind was making fishing very difficult with the rods getting hammered on the tripod and casting was difficult. I had a Chub at 6-02, two singles and suffered two hook pulls which is unusual as I tend to lose very few once hooked.

After losing a Zander to hook pull late evening I changed both rods over to Barbel for the night and had a Barbel at 9-10 just before midnight to end a disappointing, difficult day.

18 February 2023

It rained through the night but was mild with thick cloud, the conditions still looked good so I was surprised it was so quiet, then at 05:50 I had a double take landing fish at 8 plus and 12-01.

I changed both rods to Zander at 07:00 and quickly had a fish at 8 plus, but by 11:30 I felt the bigger fish were not there and I needed to move, so I packed down and drove upstream to an area I’d wanted to try for a while.

I got to the area and got the Deeper rod out and had a good look at the swims, I located the depression I was looking for and had a feel with a bare lead, it was clean gravel and looked good. The swims on this section just don’t see many people so it needed work to have enough room for a shelter and the bedchair, once that was done I put two rods out on dead Roach. It looked lovely and I felt really confident but then to my horror someone pitched up and set up on the other side, with no one on the whole section they set up just down opposite me……I was gutted and packed the van straight away and moved back up to Collingham.

I was set up again by 17:00 with both rods fishing for Barbel, I knew the swim well and put both out on Pandemic and pit a good spread of BBB and Asbo through the swim.

It proved a good move with fish at 9-08, 11-15 and another single before midnight.

19 February 2023

It was strangely quiet up until 06:00 when I had two average Barbel before changing over to Zander at first light.

One of the dead Roach was picked up quickly with a Zander at 7-08 followed by a small Pike before I headed home once the sun had dried all the gear out.

22 February 2023 – River Trent, Cromwell

I finished work at 17:30 and had a window of opportunity for an overnight Barbel trip, the pressure had dropped again to 1017mb, it was mild at 9 degrees with a light wind, and with an 8.1m tide due it looked too good to miss so I drove up. What sounds easy involves a lot of effort and a four hour turn around, to pick up my daughter from work, get home, get the gear and drive up which involved a detour due to the A1 being closed, so I didn’t arrive until 22:00.

I got the swim I wanted and got two baits out on arrival and set the swim up, it looked perfect and I felt it needed bait so put a good spread of BBB and Asbo over the area.

I had a short two hour feeding window at the top of the tide and had fish that made the trip and effort very worthwhile at 9-09, 14-02, 15-15 and 14-03, brilliant fishing 

The bites stopped at 01:20, I had a good sleep and packed up in the morning very happy, what a season, my best ever!!

27 February 2023 – River Trent, section down the tidal.

What a difference 6 days can make, the conditions were horrible, temps at minus 2 at night, north easterly winds and heavy showers, with small tides at 5.8m, but I can only go when I get chance so I drove up for a 24 hour session arriving at 10:00.

I started with both rods for Barbel and the bites came almost straight away with four 9’s and doubles at 11-09 and 12-01 before it got dark but the night was very quiet and I didn’t get a touch.

I changed to Zander at first light and had two average fish at 7 plus and got soaked landing them, so I packed up as soon as there was a break in the rain and headed home to finish another months fishing.

Until next month, tight lines and be lucky😃 

Big thanks to my sponsors for their continued support,

#madbaits #gardnertackle #freespirit #jackpyke #castawaypva





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The Sessions - March 2023

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The Sessions - January 2023