I'd done quite well on my previous visit about a year back, but as the water was tanking through at time, I thought a visit when the flow was more normal was in order. Plus I had a new toy to try out and I was very keen to ensure that I had a chance of catching and secondly, that I wouldn't have an audience if it all went Pete Tong.
In case you're wondering, the new toy was a centrepin that SWMBO had kindly bought me. It was a Matt Hayes jobbie, and it seemed ok for what it was.
I arrived on a beautiful misty morning - the kind of thing us anglers take for granted, and a great many people never see. I hoped this was the sign of things to come.
I set up a reasonably heavy stick float (4BB) plumbed up to find about 5ft (the Cherwell is quite deep) and threw in a handful of maggots.
I took a few fingers of line, swung the rig out and dropped in mid-river for my first trot on the pin. It must have gone all of 6ft when the float dipped and a small chublet was swung to hand - my first centrepin fish. Job done.
More runs through and a dabble on the inside was fairly unproductive, the fish were few and far between - a roach and a few bleak, so I moved on.
Next swim on the bend got a few small fish, but again it was slow.
Next drop in was a long channel which was unfishable on my previous visit - the rig just went through too fast - but today with the reduced flow it was perfect. I even managed to find a narrow ledge on the inside where I could stand ankle deep in the river, which aided presentation and control. Trotting on this swim was a delight to behold.
Thankfully, the fish thought so too. If I ran through carefully I could pick up fish about 5-8 rod lengths down. Nothing special, but roach, dace and chublets featured. I cant say that I'd got the 'pin working perfectly (far from it), but I was catching some fish.
I had a habit of over-rotating the 'pin, which meant the line starting wrapping around the drum in the wrong way, but I was learning (I think) albeit slowly.
The bites eased off, so I moved off downstream to try a few other spots.
Next spot (where I had the barbel last time) was a blank.
Next spot - a large slack on the inside - produced two fish in two put-ins. But I lost both on the way in. I found that as I reeled in, I didn't have the same rate of retrieve as a fixed-spool reel, and the fish would shed the barbless hook as it broke the surface. Frustrating, but not disastrous.
A couple more fish followed from a slower peg further down, but it was hard work. So back up to nice trotting swim to work my way back to the car. A few more fish, a few more tangles, until a complete 'pin disaster.
Line around the back of the drum and a complete lock-up. Not to mention I was also without my fishing scissors, so cutting my way free was out of the question. It was the end of the 'pin for the day.
Resorting back to my usual fixed-spool reel produced a few more fish and that was it for the fishing.
What was interesting though was the appearance of a crayfish in the water in front of me (just where I'd been standing previously). It's actually the first time I've seen one in the water - as opposed to on the end of my line. It may have gone some way to explaining why there were so many holes in the near side bank, and why there were so many bank collapses nearby. Not a great thing to see, but another place where the chub and perch might be getting a bit bigger. Food for thought there.
I took a photo of the crayfish, but you can just about make it out (towards the top, left of centre). I'll leave you to judge.
So, overall and interesting little session. Nothing special, (I think a 6oz roach was my best fish) but nice to be out and try the 'pin. I clearly have a lot more to learn, and it'll take a while before it feels in any way natural, but a good day on the bank never the less.
Catch List:
About 20 fish - 3lb or so.
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