stevetheangler

OK… here we are again, having been on session 23 of 2013 at Himley Hall Great Pool in Dudley.

Arrived at the gates at 6:45am, to be ready for their opening at 7:00am but were open on arrival, so straight in and down to the pool. There were a couple of cars already present on the angler’s car park too.

So I gathered gear from the car boot and trotted off to my usual swim – peg 16. Well, I say ‘usual’ as if its a regular visit – but this was the 4th visit in 2 years – and only made as I found out that the pool was open all year round this year, having had a ‘close season’ from mid-March to mid-June in previous years. Once I’d arrived at the swim, first thing was to get the brolly/shelter up as rain was forecast throughout the day although on arrival it was quite bright – and very warm thus requiring the removal of the angling jacket very quickly :)

Tackle set up for the day consisted of a pair of Grandeslam 11′ Avon Barbel rods coupled with 8lb BS Krystonite line, 1/2oz Arseley bombs on short links and with a size 12 hook to 6lb hooklength on one rod, and size 6 to 6lb hooklength on the other. The swim was baited up with hemp, maize and maggot.

First baits of the day were worm on the size 6 hooked rig and cockles fished on a short Stonfo bait holder on the size 12. And within 5-10 minutes of making my first casts both rods had small quick plucks/lifts of the line bobbins… and I awaited developments with bated breath… but 8 hours later, even with changing baits (bread, maggot, corn, etc), they had not moved or twitched one further one millimetre…

Had a few rain showers and dips/rises of temps over the day but nothing too bad – and was quite pleasant just watching the ‘happenings’ of the pool…carp rolling, porpoising and jumping frequently all over the pool, coots nest building between my peg and peg 17 added interest – and it was quite funny when it seemed one of the coots had bullied a moorhen into carrying some buuilding materials from the pool’s far side… :D. Also watched/saw a family of swans with cygnets, a mallard and her 6 or so chicks, another coot family trying to get their 3 offspring into the water from the rock they were stood in, and a crested grebe diving, and when I left, on its nest.

So one more blank for the record… but quite an enjoyable day overall.

Pics of the day:

Session 24 – I’m hoping to have a day on Sunday, 2nd June, back at the club’s tench pool. The weather is being good today and even better is forecast for Saturday and Sunday. So, with a bit of luck, I hope to get the tackle sorted on Saturday for an early start on Sunday :)

B.A.A. – well, after a fit of pique, calming down and reconsideration I’ve decided, along with Liz, to re-join the BAA. I wasn’t going to after the increase in the cost to us this year… Last year (2012) we paid £45 for a Joint Ticket to cover both of us (single Senior Male membership at the time being £32, and single Female ticket was something like £25?). However, the total cost for us both this year is £70 – an effective increase of over 50%, hence the hesitation in rejoining. This increase was due to a few changes occuring – (a) the differential between male and female subscriptions has been made illegal via EU regulations, (b) a general increase in the Full (male/female individual) subscription from £32 to £35 and (c) a decision of the BAA to abolish the Joint Ticket altogether due to low take up. Thus Liz and myself now have to purchase 2 Full tickets for that overall cost of £70. But all said and done, it is still excellent value for the number of waters that can be fished – and notable for us in particular is that they control a large amount of Middle Severn fishing plus Nordley Pools between Bridgnorth and Broseley which we have enjoyed on our previous vists there also some local canal waters. And also may get some Teme visits in too. And with the new river season approaching then we needed to get on to some good water…. :) Last year, Liz and I also had Izaak Walton (Stafford) cards to fish some pools and canal over that way and for me, the River Sow, which is a gorgeous small river, and the River Trent … BUT … finances, and actual number of times I visited the IW waters, make it not so good valuewise and now having just sent off for our BAA cards I think IW renewal will not take place at this point in time.