Frozen Rodrings

[Twiddler]

I arrived at Bridford midday, planning to fish for about 4 hrs, hoping for a roach or two and maybe a chub.

I passed 3 anglers on the way to my first swim and so far none of them had a single bite.
I knew of a swim where in the past Mike done very well catching chub, however, I only had my float rod and centrepin with me and couldn't manage to cast in to the slack on to the opposite bank, where the chub usually gather.

So instead I fished the slack crease closer to my side of the bank. The water was nicely coloured but running like a steam train so I changed my float from a 4 AAA Drennan stick float to a 4SSG loafer, which I still had to gently hold back to stop it from steaming off too fast downstream.

After an hour and not a single sign of a fish, I moved swim over to the navigation stretch, just before the bridge.

I slightly changed tactics and changed bait to bread, feeding 3-4 Walnut sized liquidised bread and bread flake as hook bait.
View upstream


Soon the locals moved in

I couldn't get rid off them, despite stopping feeding and trying to hush them of with a rather long landing net.

After spending about an hour in the swim, hardly been able to fish it due to those pesky swans, I once more moved swim further upstream, on the opposite bank, near the car park.
View downstream


View upstream


I fished bread again but by then it was almost impossible to cast, as the rod rings kept freezing up, so at 4pm I was defeated and pack up.

The only sign of a fish I had all day was seeing a small fish jump, I guess Mrs Pike was on the hunt.

In other words I blanked...but it was still enjoyable to be out on the river again, beats sitting in the house watching cr*p TV ;-)

[BaggieRich]

Frozen rings stopped play huh? (There's a joke there somewhere.) Fair play to ya Twidds, that's hardcore dedication. Well done for getting out, even for the blank.

[Twiddler]

Baggie my Dear....we are talking coarse fishing where the top rod rings are not much bigger than a needle eye lol...icicles just don't pass through them......a little bit more delicate than the power sticks you are use too


P.S. ROD RINGS, I was talking about ROD RINGS

[pingu]

unlucky my dear

but looked a lovely spot

dave

[tjnorton]

Unlucky about the fishing h but those swims look very fishy tho! Frozen rings is a pain dave and I suffers from them on Exeter canal.

tj

[fishypaul]

lovely stretch of river claudia,respect for going out in cold like that,many wouldnt

[Devon Born & Dorset Bred]

Somebody told me today that Vaseline (other brands available) on the top ring, can put an end to this misery!

Never tried it, to be fair!

[Twiddler]

That's true or WD40 but I was stupid enough to believe the weather man, he said it would be around 5 C today

[Danny.p]

yeh mate vas works a treat or the best is glycerine lasts ages and doesnt make ya line float!

[Twiddler]

Originally Posted by Danny.p

yeh mate vas works a treat or the best is glycerine lasts ages and doesnt make ya line float!

My line s'pose to float...I was trotting