First Points of the Season for Solent/Avon

Banana Steve · #1 01-12-2011, 04:29 PM

Seems an age since I last went fishing never mind doing a report! However, I managed to get myself onto the river over the New Year Break. My destination was my favourite stretch of the River Nadder in Tisbury Wiltshire. With the forecast for the 2nd of Jan being mild I got myself to the river by 8am just short of first light. The river looked perfect, as I sorted myself out and set my equipment up in the free stretch, I realised that it had been a year since I fished the same peg.

My set-up was also the same apart from I started on the feeder with liquidized bread and punch bread on the hook. The rod can’t have been in the water for 2 minutes when the Tip flew round to produce a clean looking Brown Trout. The next 5 casts produced bites and out of that I managed 1 more Brownie and smallish Chub, well that was 3 points to start with and I only been fishing 15 minutes. The bites tailed right off, but I had been putting maggots into the swim since I had arrived, so it was time to try the stick float. It took about 20 minutes or so before I had my first bite on the float and another 10 minutes before I produced another Brownie.

I enjoy watching a Stick trot through on a river, the constant alertness watching and waiting for the float to dip and the sudden rush as you feel the kick of the fish, the only feeling that beats that in fishing for me is when I see the Waggler on a still water dip under the surface and you feel the kick of the fish. Float fishing for me is best way to fish for all species and it’s a shame that people have forgotten or haven’t learnt the skills to fish the float.

As the day progressed and I swapped from both Feeder and Stick Float I managed a couple of small Brownies, Chub and I even managed to fluke a Roach as well  By Midday I decided to call it a day, as I was still getting over the Flu and a nice warm fire was calling me. At least I managed to get out and I even managed 4.5 points as well.