🎣 Take two and my first river session of the year, on the Stour
This morning’s session didn’t go ahead due to a frozen pool but a few hours later I was on the Staffordshire/Worcestershire River Stour.
I set up in a nice looking spot, with tree features at either end of the swim.
I fished my waggler rod to the right, as the fallen tree created an eddy, with a nice gentle swirl.
The water dropped to more than six feet just a metre from the bank.
The spot on the left, where I flicked the legered bait was again around six feet deep.
Both baits were one/two white maggots over red/white maggots and brown crumb.
The session was over four hours long and halfway through I had a bite on the leger rod.
I struck and, for a few brief moments, I felt a fish. Unfortunately, it parted company with the hook and that was that, as I recorded my first blank of the year.
Tackle
One: Greys Prodigy TX 12’ rod. Shimano 3500M reel. Maxima Chameleon 4lb line. Drennan 1.2g float. Drennan Super Specialist size 16 hook.
Two: I fished with a 9’ John Wilson Masterline Debut quivertip rod and a Shimano 2500 reel, loaded with 4lb Maxima Chameleon. The lead was a 1/4 ounce bomb, with a size 6 shot and 5mm bead. The hook was a Drennan Super Specialist size 16.
Nature notes
Male and female goosander on the river. Five noisy three ring-necked parakeets in the immediate area. Kingfisher about to land on tree right next to me, before it realised I was there and if flew on further upstream. Several more sightings, at least two birds.
The video shows the river in the immediate area where I fished, as well as the swim. The trees either side are highlighted in the footage.