Loafing Around

I had a feeling I may not even get a few casts
this week . The cold snap gave us snow early
in the week , chaos followed , the roads
came to a stand still and with the thaw came
the prospect of cold rising water on the rivers.
I spent most of Saturday in Manchester , Judo
in the morning and out around town for a few
drinks in the evening . I also got to watch Tom
who's band had a gig at the Academy .
Mike was out after some Roach and I knew
my best chance would be a snatched hour or
two on the local brook.
Mid way through my third pint ; and that's
about my limit these days ; I had a text from
Pete he had the same idea ''Great'' another
plus he had some bait .
Sunday was again a deep frosty day ,
afternoon came and I Was all at 2.00
it's dark at 4 so time was at a premium.
Pete was delayed at work so it gave me
an excuse to use some bread , mashed
for feed and a little flake on the hook
results where instant and a succession
of prime winter Roach followed all on
flake it also gave me a chance to use
the closed face reel ....... spot on for
the speed of water and light tactics.


Basically I take a slice of bread add some water
and mash it with my fingers until no big lumps
are left , little is fed, the fish are not as active in
such cold water .
I fished the flake held back it rises and falls in
the current and Roach love it .
It was nice to fish this way on moving water
it was a favourite years ago on the Ribble and
Dane ,but the unfortunate decline in Roach
and Dace numbers along with the head of
smaller Chub being much smaller made it
redundant . I was most entertained and
even when Pete turned up with Maggots
I found it was getting me more bites.
The only reason I stopped was the cold
got so bad I could not feel my fingers to
put the bread on the hook .
I had more Roach on the Ribble this
year than for some time who knows
the practice may come in useful.
Pete had quite a few Trout and Roach
his set up was the same as me but with
maggot . He sent me the pictures but
my lack of brain power makes uploading
them to a decent size hard .. well most
things are on a computer for me.
Night was soon on us , we stood on
a fantastic frosty evening talking about
fish and the small northwest rivers .
The Chub from this brook have all but
gone how can we make it better or help
the fish stocks . Making river habitat
seems to be the way , you can stock
fish but if the water life and food chain is
not abundant or the river has no retreats
for fish in flood the numbers wont last .
It's a long term thing and again I think
angling makes these things happen more
than anything else .
I saw two Kingfisher in the mile or
so of river with improvements to
the river this will increase and all
the nature on these little streams
will benefit , it makes true fishermen
content to see such things we go to fish
and occasionally catch but so much more
many magical moments .
I feel sad not that everyone has seen
the little miracles that are common to
us who spend time in gods good air .