Sat in work this morning and there's a definite chill in the air! Starting to feel a lot like Autumn all of a sudden. The gritter was out on the road this morning and the car thermometer was reading a very mediocre 3 deg C! It doesn't feel like five minutes ago I was sat in 25C carp fishing on my local pond. The last fortnights fishing has been spent close to home as time has once again been unkind and in short supply. 

I decided to take the Kayak out last week for the first time in about a year as the weather and sea state looked rather decent for the day. I initially  opted to head west to fish around Stackpole Quay but the forecast changed overnight with potential heavy thunderstorms forecast for the day. With that in mind I stayed near to home and had a few hours down at Aber Afan beach instead. On arrival the tide was ebbing gently and I slipped the Yak into the water. 

There was a bit of a surf which flooded me out on the push but after removing the drain plugs I was free of water and off out. I paddled about a mile and a half to a drop off in around 40 feet of water and dropped anchor. 

There was very little tidal flow and I held bottom with just 3oz of lead. Prawn on one and a bluey on the other. Things started quiet and after an hour I'd had very little other than a few nibbles. 

I decided to swap over to mackerel baits and almost instantly started to catch dog fish. After about 10 I was thinking it was a mistake heading out local as there seemed very little else about. I sat it out a bit longer and the left hand rod started to tremble with a faint bite. I let the bite develop for a minute or so before setting the hook. I was instantly met with a solid resistance and a fish that held solid on the bottom. A great fight ensued and I was sure it was a big old ray! 

The fish came up some 20 feet before powering back to the bottom again....This continued for a few minutes before I finally boarded the fish over the side. A very nice sized Thornback ray! After that the weather set in and torrential rain stopped play and I had to head inshore due to very poor visibility. 

Last weekend was my full weekend off work so time was more on my side....On the Saturday I had an afternoon down the local urban pool and a few hours dabbling.....I say dabbling as to be honest I just wasn't feeling the will to be there....

I have no idea why as I had spent all week looking forward to the chance to fish? Well, I went, I sat, I felt a tad lack lustred and devoid of enthusiasm. I managed about 9 fish in total, a Tench, a Bream and 7 small commons all on the Rod Hutchinson Nutty Bait. 

Sundays fishing was very similar in that I still felt very unenthusiastic but still made the effort to venture up the River Wye for the afternoon. I got half way up the M4 and totally regretted leaving the house as the motorway was closed and forced me to take the valleys roads instead! A mere 30 miles extra and an hour on the journey! 

Very frustrating and I finally arrived at 1pm to find the river literally empty of water! I started in a big fish swim I had done well in before and after 4 hours I was biteless! There was an endless stream of weed coming down the river and wiped out both rods within minutes of them being in the water. Presentation was a mare at best!

By 5pm I'd had enough and decided to head upstream for a few hours. I stopped in a swim that's usually full of fish and set up just a single rod with a boilie and pellet approach. Within seconds I was into my first barbel of the day. A small one of around 3lbs. This was very quickly followed up with 2 more of a similar stamp. 

I thought I was about to have a bountiful evening session but as soon as the first couple of fish came, they were gone and that was it for the day. Rather disappointing to be honest and I felt a bit low. Never mind, I can't honestly complain as it's been an exceptionally good summer of fishing despite the quite often shit weather. The change in conditions is getting me thinking about Perch, Pike and big Roach again! I can't wait|!  

Old haunts

Hi guys...so another week goes past us and it finally feels like a bit of summer is here! The last month or two honestly felt like winter was coming fast but at least we have this nice little spell of hot weather before it all goes shit shape. I decided it was about bloody time to crack out the river fishing kit as well as this season has so far been devoid of river fishing action. 

I like many of you have been feeling the pinch in my financials and I've not renewed any of my tickets to date. I've got a couple running up until Feb next year but local wise just my little club lake has stayed on my ticket list. Last Saturday I decided to make the most of the winter permit available for the River Wye and shed out the £60 for it so I could have a few trips up there before it gets too cold. Saturday arrived and 

I set the alarm for 5.30am. Not something I've done in a long time....I confess to getting rather lazy in recent times and staying in bed later than I used to only venturing out late morning for a few hours. 

I got to the river just after 6.30am and had a brief walk along to some familiar spots I haven't fished in 3-4 years! They hadn't changed a lot apart from a severe lack of any weed....a now very common problem in a polluted River Wye. 

I dropped my gear into a spot that I could sit out in the water and fish to the back of a stone crwy that projects into the main mid flow. The water gets diverted here and speeds up to give a nice aeriated channel mid river and fluctuating currents. The fish love to hold up in these areas and this spot is no different.

I opted to fish my trusty Drennan Acolyte in 14ft distance guise. I feel this rod with the 5oz tip is perfect for controlling medium weight feeders and keeping line up out of the flow of water. Open ended feeder of 2.5oz was packed with pellets and blocked off with halibut groundbait, a 3 ft fluorocarbon hook link and a trimmed down Rod Hutchinson Infusion boilie on the hook end. 

It took around 40 mins of regular casting into the spot before I got my first bite and a very quick slack line bite signalled a hooked fish. It was apparent straight away that his was a barbel and after a cracking scrap I landed a nice 8lb 2oz fish. 

The day progressed beautifully and by lunch I had caught 7 fish in a mixture of sizes...In true form things then died a death until the sun dropped behind the hill and off we went again with another 4 barbel finding the net to 8lb 14oz. 

It was a very lovely day spent in the valley with the river to myself for the best part. 

Sunday I decided to head up the local urban lake to pick up some pole sections I had lent to a mate and have a couple of hours chasing the remaining 3 carp I have still to catch in there. Things started shit from the off with a rod tip catching in the entry gate and snapping clear off! I then proceeded to fish like an absolute clown! 

My casting was shite, my pole use was shite, I lost a fish, it was too hot, poor swim choice etc etc etc.....Well, I managed to land 2 for my efforts but to be honest I just wasn't feeling the love for it that day and I think I should have just stayed at home. Sometimes you just have days like that and have to say sod it and just leave your gear in the garage and do something else!. Not sure what i'm up to this weekend as I'm working half of it but I have the inkling to want to get the Kayak out and have a dabble off shore somewhere???? Watch this space!