River Thames 26th June 08

I met up with Ross at his house at 07.15, I was very tired as it had been an eventful few days what
with the attempted break in on sunday morning, and staying at my mother in laws all week, so i was running a
little late when I got there.

We set off for chertsey, we arrived at about 07.30 and set up in the big double swim the weir side of
the bridge.

After last weeks sessions I had brought my float rod with me to fish a stick float on a runnig line as
opposed to the whip which I had lost that big fish on! So a 5bb drennan stick float was thread onto
the line at about 6ft depth, 3lb mainline and 2.6lb hooklength to a size 20 spade end hook. I know
I had a pint and a half of red and white maggots with me, as well as a jar of Dynamite baits frenzied
 seed ( I have found this excellant when fishing for smaller fish, as well as fishing for carp and barbel
 too)
The plan was to trot maggots over seed with a few maggots going in as loose feed every few casts.

I started off at about 6foot deep. I didnt plumb but, I dont really feel the need to when fishing the
thames, as Im continually changing the depth through the day anyway, and I know that the swims
the otherside of the cabbages are around 6-8 foot.
It took a couple of trots through with feed going in before I got my first bite, right at the end of the
 run (about 15yds away) so I started feeding more upstream in a bid to get the fish a little closer to
 me. Although my feeding was fairly consistant, the areas in which I was getting bites werent, on
trot Id get a bite straight away, next would be right at the end of the trot next to the over hanging
tree.

It took around half hour before I got my first proper bite which resulted in a fish on, which turned
out to be a lovely fin perfect roach. The roach in the thames really are in perfect condition, sure
you get a few that look a bit tatty, but most are immaculate and look uncaught.

Steady feeding with seed and occasional maggots had the fish feeding now and I was getting bites
most trots through, I had now had around 8 to 10 roach, when the float shot under and another
was on its way to the net, when from the cabbages to my left I saw from the corner of my eye a
pike shoot out to grab its free meal!! I managed to lift the roach just in time, as the pike swirlled on
 the surface and went back to await the next victim to pass over his head!!

I had brought with me, my lure rod and a box of lures, as well as a couple of made up snap tackles
and a couple of small floats, for such and event as this. So I walked back to the car to get my lure
rod and set up a small livebait outfit consisting of a small fox pike float, and a trace. I set the depth
as the length of the trace (about 20 inchs) and next trot down a small roach was caught and duly
hooked onto the trace and left to work the area over the cabbages.

For about 15 minutes the little rach worked his magic, trying to become the martyr, to save his
fellow roach buddies, but the pike was obviously sulking at missing his first free meal.
So I knocked the little roach on the head and put the rod to the side (knowing the pike would be
back if I could start catching again) and I continued to trot maggots and started to catch again
after around an hour of feeding, which turned out to be a bleak, which I was happy to catch, but
didnt really want as I wanted to keep cathing the decent roach. Sure enough after a few more fish,
the pike swirled on the surface and this little roach wasnt so lucky, I played the pike for about 5
minutes before the hooklength parted!
A few casts with the wobbled bait but Ross and nothing, so I decided to have a few casts, one of
which landed right next tot he downstream overhanging tree, within seconds I could see a pike
shaking its head under the surface trying to rid 2 size 6 trebles from its mouth!  Another spirited
battle and another lean, fighting fit angry pike graced my net, about 5lb ish maybe.
I had no more trouble from pike after that, but I did continue to catch quality roach, one of which
must have been getting on for a pound.  I also added a couple of perch and a few more bleak.

I didnt end with a massive bag of fish, but I caught a few throughout the day.

Ross stuck with the feeder all day, alternating between maggot and groundbait feeder, he caught
some nice roach too, upto around a pound too.

The roach fishing on the thames produces some pristine fish that look totally uncaught.

Well baby will be here soon, so not sure how many more sessions I will get in before he arrives.
_________________________________________________________________

River Thames 19th june 08

Was supposed to be working overtime today, but was cancelled at the last minute, so as Claire and
I had both been ill, we decided to have a few hours down the river to get some air after claire had
been in the house all week.
We decided to go to  a spot we have fished a few times before.

A quick trip to dads to pick up our whips, tackle box and lure rods, then via the tackle shop for a
couple of pints of maggots and we were on our way.

We arrived at the river to find a few people dotted about, but the swim we wanted next to the
bridge was free. (this was the swim that claire had her PB perch of 1lb 6oz last year)

I set up to identical rigs, for each whip, and we began fishing. I had fist bite about 5 minutes later
and a nice roach was on its way in, I had a feeling that a pike would be lurking in the cabbage weeds,
 and sure enough as I was abuot to lift the roach from the water, the water erupted in front of us,
soaking myself and claire in the face. I managed to lift the roach from the water just before the pike
 grabbed hold. One lucky roach!!

next put in resulted in a missed bite, before claire managed a similar sized roach, which was duely
whipped out of the water as quickly as the float had gone under!! Claire kept moaning that I was
putting  the roach back where the pike had swirled. She doesnt like seeing the pike attack the small
fish!!

I managed another similar sized roach, which incidently were pristine fish, before the float shot under
 and a strike was met with about 4 mtrs of elastic shooting from the end of the pole!!! Bearing in
mind im only using a number 4 elastic, 3lb mainline and 2.6lb hooklength to a 20 hook, I was a little
under gunned for this fish.
The fish just held in the flow, not really moving, I tried applying strain from above and it came up a
few feet, them it came towards me. Then it swam out into the flow abit more, holding statinary
again!! About 5 minutes past until "twang" the elastic snapped!!! I was a bit gutted, not only that I
had lost a complete rig, but that I had left a fish towing a float and a small amount of elastic.
Maybe 2.6lb hooklength is too strong with a number 4 elastic. I think ill stick to 2lb or less from now
on. Or ill up it to a number 6!!!

After that, as I couldnt repair the pole, I had to pack it away. So I only had  claires whip left set up,
so I had a few casts with a spinnerbait, which resulted in a fat, fighting fit pike of around 6lb. And
having no landing net, I had to hand land it!!

Shortly after this, we packed up as claire was feeling very hot, as neither of us had been aware how
 burnt we had became friom the sun! So a short drive later and we were enjoying a nice cold 99
with a flake!!

We then decided to have a drive to Walton and maybe a little wander with lures at the weir.
Once we arrived I set up both rods with spinnerbaits, and off we set.

Its nice to note that all of the river appears very overgrown, it so nice to see it in thsi condition
after the 3 month lay off, However give it a few weeks and the old swims will, again, become all
trampled down and open. Shame really that anglers cannot be more careful with the bankside,
after all we spend alot of time there, no one wants to sit next to the river with broken shrubs and
empty stella cans do they??

Claire decided to change her spinner bait, to a mepps spinner. All of claires gear os more focused
towards perch with smaller mepps and spinner blades. She had a real fondness for perch having
caught them to 1lb8oz, it took me years to catcha  perch bigger than a pound!

She continued to cast her spinner around, resulting in nothing, shame really, I would have liked her
to catch, plus being over 8 months pregnant, she was doing very well to be out fishing at all!!

We moved up about 2 or 3 swims and the river is a bit slower away from the weir, plus the cabbage
 weed looks so pikey along here, there is loads of the stuff. A few casts in my swim resulted in nothing.
 I chucked it upstream into claires swim and had an exsplosive take straight away, however it came
adrift just as quick, DOH!!! I thought that was my lot, however 2 casts later and I had slowed my
retrieve right down, and I saw the pike follow the lure very closely before flaring its gills and inhaling
the spinnerbait, the resulting fight was great, as another super fit river fish shook  its head to try
and escape, however with 40lb braid and 40lb wire, there was only really gonna be one winner.
Twas me, and another 6lb'er was handlanded and a quick photo taken.

We left shortly after this. I am going to return to chertsey, armed with a float rod and running line,
so I have a sporting chance of landing whatever it was that I lost!!
That is provided it stops raining!!!! British summer, lol!!!