A gentle day at Throop

[mithrandir]

I was feeling a bit better this week, but still using up the holiday I accrued whilst off sick for 6 months so had a couple of midweek days to get a spot of fishing in. With this in mind I had picked up a day ticket for Throop, on the Dorset Stour, from the tackle shop not far from where I work and bought some white maggots ( I decided to try something a bit different this time).

I arrived at the carpark about 7-15 and by the time I had kitted up and walked to a swim it was nearer to 8. I decided to fish the same swim as the last time I was at throop where I had all but blanked, I wanted to try and beat it!

I set the first rod up with a 2 1/2 oz maggot feeder and a 16 hook on a 15 inch trace, this is different to the set up the locals use as they recommend a very short trace as the big chub tend to try to "hit" the feeder. I baited up with white maggots and liquidised bread.

I started to set up the other rod in the more accepted style for Throop, 2 1/2 ooz feeder with a 3 inch flourocarbon trace to 18 hook, this I baited up with red maggot and cast this out into the flow.

The flow at this section of the Stour was still enough to move a 2 1/2 oz feeder if you get it on the open areas, noticing the first line had moved round I reeled it in and reloaded the feeder with with maggots and bread crumbs and cast it back out, I watched the feeder settle and decided it was time to sit and have a smoke, Just as I went to sit down the line twitched and headed down stream, rattling the rod as it went, I thought it had moved again so I lifted the rod and started to reel in, then I felt the kick on the line and the bend it the rod.

Something had picked up the bait, I steered this fish into my hand, luckily it was not too big as I still had not unpacked the net and mat yet!



This small chub weighed about 12 ounces or so ( had not got the scales out either! ).

Well I thought that was the start of a good day, but alas that was it. I fished on until it was too dark to see the rod tips and had not so much as a nibble for the rest of the day.

One of the Bailiffs decided to fish the swim above me ( the one Neil and Claudia fished last time ) and he blanked ( Neil, this is Mr " I had a six three chub", he did say to me that in his last two trips he had only had 2 fish, a 5lb 10oz and 6lb 1oz chub, both taken at about 6-15 in the evening).

I spent most of the day feeding the Robins and Wrens ( not the sort in uniform!), watching the kingfisher and the Egret doing far better than me.

This little robin kept putting on the "injured bird" pose to get me to feed it







I did find that the hooks kept going blunt on me, I think they were "dinking" on the gravel and going dull, after an hour or so in the water I had trouble hooking the maggots so changed hooks, something to be aware of when fishing fast flowing gravel bed rivers, Always carry lots of spare hooks.

I had a pleasant day, the weather was fine and I came home and had a lovely fry up ( Claudia had gone fishing Town Quay, so I could do a nasty "heart attack on a plate" for me).

[pingu]

nice one mike. i really must get my ass to a river soon, well as soon as son being at school again allows


dave

[Norfolkboy]

Bet you had a pleasant day despite the lack of fish anyway Mike.

[fishypaul]

well done mike,it was a lovely day to be out wasn't it

[Greenheart]

Looks like you had a nice day even if the fish wern't playing mate. I really do think it's time you got a new stuffed Robin though. That ones starting to look a bit motheaten. And next time, make sure you nail it to the branch straight, it looks P!ssed....

[perch_king]

well done looks a cracking fish