Something Better Change 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSEOzimKnEY The Stranglers .. Something Better Change

Hi , and can I offer you a Warm Welcome back to the Start of Some Brand New Fishing Adventures for 2012 at Roaming Free. Can I start by wishing you all a belated " Happy New Year ". I hope you all enjoyed your Christmas Holidays and have settled back into your routines. My Angling Year has started much like it finished.......... Slooooow. These things are set to try us I suppose. I have been fishing long enough now to have suffered a few of these lean times. You just have to keep battling away for it always comes right in the end , I guess you just have to be patient grrrrrrr.

I started the year pretty much the same as I left it in 2011 , in the good company of that Born Again Fisher and NWOBHM Guru - Alan Goulbourne. The weather has been somewhat up and down to say the least. One day sub zero temperatures followed by temps into double figure which is crazy certainly for January. We have mixed our days up with attempts for Barbel Chub and Pike.First Fish of the New Year for Alan.


The Mild Conditions brought it's fair share of rain which meant that my two main Rivers The Dee and The Severn have both been in flood. I did have a dabble on the Severn for Winter Barbel without much success. Slash on the other hand got off to a flier catching numerous fish to over 8lbs on a New Boilie. Bravo Sir.

Slash Rewriting the Rule Book Again with this January Barbel.
I spent one glorious Mild Evening more like May than January on a Flooded Upper Severn whilst after Winter Barbel, where I was treated to one of the most breathtaking Sunsets I have ever witnessed, that in itself , was well worth the 100 mile trip in alone. At one stage I had Curlews , Lapwings and Tawny Owls all competing for who could sing the loudest. A Good Salmon topped things off by leaping out of the water mid river at spasmodic intervals. I was at peace with the world and Life........ was shear bliss.
After a secession of blanks Alan and I targeted a small river that somehow had manage to fine down much quicker than the rest and we were treated to some good sport from both Pike and Chub. The Chub was particularly satisfying as it was only through Alan's shear determination of trying various swims that saw him triumph. This Guy really does have the bug and boy does he learn quick. They weren't Monsters but it didn't matter we had caught and that's all that mattered. Sometimes Shear Consistency of Catching Fish regardless of size is Always Comforting. It just means that you still have your finger on the pulse and time will serve it's fine rewards when it is ready.

Alan and I even managed to team up with Neil and Gulper on a well known North West Pike Water. On a Frosty Morning we set forth for the challenge with Pressured Esox uppermost in our minds. This fish had seen many baits and methods in their time and delicate rigs with minimal resistance playing the main role.
Neil Bags One
We were all treated to a magnificent Sunrise before casting out to known spots that Gulper had fine tuned his trade on and off over the years. He even predicted the feeding times. True to his Word Both Neil and Gulper went onto land three fish a piece within minutes of predicted taking times by the master. It was quite uncanny but I knew from previous trips to Scotland on one particular water that you could virtually set your watch by the timing of the first run. It was a good day full of fun and laughter as always even if Alan and Myself failed to catch. I think I need to fine tune my rigs after two dropped runs.
Gulper gets to Grips

I finally managed my first fish twelve days into the New Year in the shape of a feisty jack off the River Dee. The level had finally fallen and the margins were quite clear , certainly enough for a Pike to exploit it's hunting powers. I actually managed two jacks in short succession and it was nice to have a bend in the rod again.First Of Many.

Heres Hoping Some Really Hungry Mothers Turn up in the Near Future. Them Big Girls Must be Starving after such a sustained period of flood. Let's hope we can get amongst them soon. With all these Tiddlers - Something Better Change !!

Tight Lines !!