Diary of an average angler

My second trip to a Nene backwater this season, this time to Castor. I was surprised to be the only car in the lane and when I got on the stretch there were only two anglers. The last time I was there it was much busier. I was also fortunate that the two guys appeared to be 'static', which meant that in all likelihood nobody had dipped into any of the other swims.

I walked some way past the two anglers, stopping at a pitch where the vegetation had been cleared to form a little nook. The stream was flowing quite strongly and I decided to cast downstream between banks of bullrushes. The water was very clear and there was a lot of streamer weed visible. I was using cheese paste and took the view that if there was a chub in the vicinity it would take the bait quite quickly. But after three casts nothing obliged. I think at times the bait was in the streamer but it wasn't possible to see when casting.

I next moved further upstream, passing two inviting swims where there is a large pool as the stream dog-legs, my intention being to return there later. I understand that it is a very popular spot. I instead went slightly further upstream to a fast channel where I had seen chub when I scouted the stretch during the close season. But once again I didn't get a positive pull on the rod top, only knocks from smaller fish.

I then moved on to a swim by a gate on the footpath. It's a very attractive looking spot where the stream widens after passing through a narrower section. With over hanging trees downstream it is a fairly classic looking chub swim. Casting was difficult because of the need to avoid the overhanging branches and I found that I couldn't get the bait as far downstream as I would have liked.

After missing a couple of good pulls, I finally contacted a fish that actually pulled a bit of line from the clutch. It in fact turned out not to be that big but had used the fast flow to its advantage. Big or not, I was pleased since in the bright conditions I was beginning to fear that I might end up with a blank.

I didn't move on straight away but after a short while returned to a swim at the dog-leg bend. Sitting in the upstream of two swims, I cast to the faster water close to overhanging branches on the far side. The idea was for the bait to roll with the flow. But in fact the swim was actually a big eddy and the bait dropped back into the eddy rather than rolling in the faster stream. I spent a while at the this swim, conscious of its reputation as a 'hot' spot, but only got knocks from smaller fish.

I next walked further upstream to a spot I found last year. From the gate I mentioned earlier, it's quite a walk up to the weir that marks the end of the stretch. The spot I found is part way along the path, it being really the only accessible swim before the weir. The last time I was there I met another angler who had already tried it, so this time I hoped to be the 'first' with a better chance of success. Once again the flow was quite fast and there were overhanging branches just downstream, under which I attempted to roll my bait. Casting was really tricky with the line frequently catching the branches, but even when I succeed in getting the bait where I wanted, nothing obliged.

At this point I decided to make my way back to the start of the stretch, dropping in one more spot before packing up. Once again I found a swim where I could roll the bait under overhanging branches but once again no chub obliged.

Rather than stopping at that point I decided to look downstream of the bridge where you enter the stretch. Unfortunately families were picnicking by the bridge and there were a number of children swimming in the water. I decided to walk a bit further downstream to a point just before where the stream rejoins the main river. Deep reed beds restricted access but I found a spot where somebody had beaten a path through them. It was uninspiring, with no real features, but I gave it a go. On each retrieval I was in streamer so I'm not sure that I even got the bait near a fish. I certainly didn't get a bite. It was time to pack up.

Only one chub seems like a poor showing but I really do enjoy roving streams as there is always the chance of something good. I think the problem with this Castor stretch is that it is very popular and the fish are certainly not easy to find, let alone catch.