Out and a-trout on the Thames

We decided to have our first spinning trip down on the Thames today.

The weather was overcast, but very muggy/hot, the cloud cover was just dulling the light down enough to cast a shadow out over the water. I have found this to be the best time for spinning down at this spot, as its mostly perch that we are targetting, and perch seem to hate bright conditions.

It was only a late hour or so session, so we didnt get to the river until about 15:30ish. Claire set about putting her favourite little Mepps bladed spinner on and have a few casts. A couple of casts

in and she had hooked into a small perch of about 4oz.

A few more casts and she passed the rod to me to have ago. A few casts later and I was swinging in a small perch. Several more followed upto maybe 6oz, nothing big but good to be catching on the lures.

I then spotted 2 dark shapes moving along mid river, I wandered along and saw that they were carp. Not big maybe double figures, but a river carp all the same, and one that I have never caught!!

A few more perch followed to the mepps before I hooked into what I thought was a pike, I could see it twisting in the water and it looked like a small one, until it went mental on the surface, I then realised it was a trout!!

I have never even seen a trout caught from the thames, let alone hooked one myself!

Im not even sure what trout it was thinking that it was a brown trout looking at it, but it could be a rainbow??

Anyway it looked like it had had a lucky escape, as there were slash marks on its back and tail on both sides, classic of being grabbed by a pike.

I would imagine it to be a pike of at least double figures judging by the size of the marks on both sides of the trout.

Im not sure passers by would have liked me puting 2 size 6 trebles in the trout and putting it out under a float in the hope of catching a big pike!! So I may have to return a little more descreetly in order to catch it.

I returned the next day for another hours of spinning, this time Claire fishing, but conditions were very bright and sure enough after an hour of continuous searching, no fish came to the bank.

I did however see the two carp again, this time in amoungst the cabbage weed closer to the bank, drifting off into the deeper water as I got closer to them.

Next time Im there, I will have a bag of boilies with me to scatter in a few areas to see if I can get them feeding. Better take a net with me next time!!!