Farewell My Inflatable Buddy.

 

 After 10 years of "near" perfect service, run ragged, rode upon by a few hairy arsed men holding rods aloft my trusty fishing boat finally gave up as a rogue overwintering rat had a part of my right gunwhale for dinner.

 It took me 96 miles of driving and organise a couple days of angling for Rudd with my mate Chris to realise the hole that was there. Chris had himself made the journey over to the fens to sample some of the angling I and a few others have experienced over the last decade. Here are a few captures that have crossed the walls of my boat, it had done well. 

A pic from a couple years back.

PB Zander for me

A good upper double pike

Brian with a sparkling esox

Ditto

Brother Rich with a 13lb 3oz Zed!

PB Rudd last summer, 3lb 0oz

Hundreds of beauties like this.

No pomp and circumstance, to the tip!

Oh HELLO! Bigger, more spacious, my new boat!

My Opening Gambit.

 

 Well, it wasn't the opening day/s that I had planned, to cut a long story short during the winter the rat or rats that I had in my shed had gnawed a whole in my boat the size of a credit card, I was fuming considering I didn't notice until I had reached my launch site 93 miles from home, having set off at 3am and inviting my mate Chris to join me for a mission across the Fens in search of monster Rudd. SS Rudd was no longer.

 Chris and I both did what we could on the bank to get her afloat but there was to be no salvaging that. Around 9am we decided bank work was our go to alternative and did so for a few hours and I managed one decent Rudd of 1.13 along with a load of fish around one pound, but there was an overriding sense of complete disappointment, I was super pissed off at it all and no doubt Chris was happy just being there but for me it wasn't enough and really wanted to captain us to some brilliant fishing which I know can be had.

 We got to around midday/1pm and decided it was best if we tried somewhere different where we stood a chance of better fishing so we packed away but unfortunately Chris didn't make it to the new venue as his car was giving him trouble and had to head off home / garage to get the issue resolved. With that I carried on went about my business but the fishing in the high sun was tough going and a lot of the Rudd were tucked away in the eel grass, I knew the latter hours would be best but I packed up at 8pm, to be honest the disappointment of the eaten boat had killed the enthusiasm so buggered off home. 

 Less said about that trip the better.

End of Season Review.

 

 The 2024/25 season was certainly one of the quickest, I can not believe its over already but it was pretty good! 

 Highlights of the season are fewer than I would have hoped for along with only one new personal best set.

 My Spring angling was not easy but topped my Bream campaign with a 15lb 10oz specimen PB, I had a fair few doubles too in the aftermath but the 15lb barrier was always my target. 

 The summer seemed to come and go very quickly but the capture of my first 3lb river Rudd was most certainly the cherry on top, there was a couple of cracking back-ups too but barring that it wasn't until early September that things on the Barbel front kicked off.

 That trip up to the Nene in early September bought an end to a 6 trip drought when a 12lb 8oz torpedo slipped up as darkness fell amongst large swathes of cabbages where I found a gravel run which no doubt is used by the fish as a highway between areas, but the Barbel I had the following evening off the Soar was certainly not expected but sometimes thats how angling goes! 

 To be cradling a 12lb 9oz Soar Barbel was much more than I could have dreamt but as I said the angling universe works in strange ways. Rivers number 25 and 26 had been completed inside 24hrs!

 Next up was the Wye, a river that certainly gives up its fish, just not big ones, early October that all changed, when that rod went over around 10/11pm I knew it was a big fish, yes it only just made the cut but they all count! 10lb 1oz and river number 27 had been completed.

 For the majority of the autumn and winter I was on the tools and only fished a couple times, some nice Grayling were caught and Chub, it wasn't until recently on the Dorset Stour that I finally had another proper result when a day spent hunkered down in foul weather was rewarded, not only was it river number 28 completed but weighing 15lb 6ozs it was the 4th river I have had a 15lb+ Barbel off of, a figure I want to increase over the duration of this challenge as a sub-plot.

 And the STATS are in....

 Sessions - 20

 Blanks - 12

 Barbel Caught - 18

 Doubles - 4

 Mileage - 4120

 Only 20 sessions for Barbel in 9 months, now that is poultry! Next season I shall have to do more! and the majority of that was the Kentish Stour.

Filling In the Time.

 

 Fishing of late has taken bit of a back seat recently owing to my constant hectic work schedule, so in this episode of James' Angling Adventures we re-cap on the highlights of how my season has gone so far and I have to be honest given how little fishing I've done the rewards have been pretty good! Work as always gets the blame for curtailing my angling but also when faced with a little bit of time to go fishing I find myself too tired to get myself going and get the car loaded and set off. I don't know if that's normal or if I'm just getting lazy as I ticked past my 37th birthday last Monday.

Where I was sat there is currently 4.4m underwater.

 The Spring kicked off in fine style with a hat-trick of Bream on my first trip with fish registering 11.13, 13.7 and a new personal best of 15lb 10oz which to my amazement came after a pretty tame indication but the fight for a Bream was awesome. Link to session here --- Dream Bream Trip

 The subsequent visits for Bream either ended in blanks or scratched around for bites but did get one more decent trip in before they began to spawn. Link to session here --- Another Good Bream Trip.

 Once the Bream spawned my attentions turned to the start of the season that wasn't far away and amazingly on my first trip for Rudd once the season opened I managed to achieve a milestone that I had been longing to reach in 8 years of angling on the Fenland waterways, that milestone was a 3lb+ Rudd which was achieved by the finest of margins! Link to session here --- Dream Rudd Start

 Once I had achieved that my desire to get back on the Fens waned somewhat but with the rivers now open Barbel would soon be on the agenda but it did take me quite a while to resume my 40 Rivers Challenge and after a few sessions flitting around the country my long wait for a R.Nene double ended in fine fashion as a beauty weighing 12lb 8oz slipped into the net after a tense battle amongst the pads. --- Link to session here --- Nene Double Delight!

Bottoms Up!!

 The very next day with little time to bask in my success on the Nene I managed to do the unthinkable and caught a brute off the R.Soar just 24hrs later, like London Buses....my journey home was one of pure joy. Link to session here --- Soar'ing High!

Kentish Stour Stealth.

 A week later I went back to the R.Wye in search of a double and get myself up to 27 completed rivers but with a decent effort applied I was not fortunate to do so, three weeks later I went back with renewed vigour and after a total of 168hrs spent over 10 trips I at long last got the fish I had been searching for but only made the cut by a gnats whisker! but that was all I needed, I felt I had deserved that fish absolutely! Link to session here --- Wye Wonder.

 And since that trip to the Wye / reccy on the Teme I haven't wet a line, over two weeks ago... anyone who thinks being self-employed means you'll be able to have more time off don't get it twisted, you'll end up doing more, the money is too good to turn down and you'll find yourself busier than ever before.

Northern end of Windermere.

 Anyway that's my fault :), I hope you enjoy this little catch-up and hopefully we can catch a fish of our dreams and pray the rains ease up so the rivers will be more accessible than they were last few winters.

8 Years in the Making.

 

 So we find ourselves finally able to get back on the rivers and thank god for it too. I don't mind stillwaters and canals now and again, running water however has no substitute. Before the season started I set myself a few of targets as I do every spring and my 15lb+ Bream target was achieved on my first trip so I was happy to graft, get plenty of money in and await the 16th of June.

 The targets I set myself were the following:

 - 15lb+ Bream

 - 3lb+ River Rudd

 - A double figure Barbel from 6 different rivers across the UK for my challenge to put me on 30!

 - 3lb+ Grayling

 - 1lb+ Dace

 - 8lb+ Chub

 That is some list above I grant you but certainly possible and given the time of year its only the Rudd and Barbel that I'd target. 

 I didn't fish the 16th for the first time in a while as I haven't been particularly well of late and didn't feel up to going out but was starting to feel a bit better for the first time in a month so I decided upon Rudd and loaded the car, ready for a trip deep into the Fens on the 17th (yesterday). 

 By 0630 the boat was already set and ready to let slip, the morning chorus had ended but the distant Cuckoo's could still be heard and watched on as a Hen Harrier glided across the reed beds in front of me, majestic creatures they most certainly are, but I sought something even more majestic.

My Rudd set-up.

 The Fens spanning across three counties I believe offer hundreds of miles of clear water of varying sizes and hold some wonderful fish and not just Rudd. Carp, Pike, Tench and various species call it home. After years of trying to catch a 3lb+ Rudd I set that as my summer target as I have done for the last seven years without getting too close.

After the last few weeks this was a joy!

 As I pootled along I could see scores of Rudd but nothing large, anything over 2lbs I would advance beyond the shoal and let them settle down whilst feeding copious amounts of bread crust, sometimes it took 15-20mins before the larger fish would start to take the bread but it was slow going. Knowing what was down there I didn't mind waiting and you always know when the bigger fish are moving around as the smaller fish don't come up as much as they get bullied off and the bigger fish begin to feed with gusto, I find its very important not to start fishing too quickly, catching the smaller ones often switches the bigger fish off but oddly if you wait and begin to fish and catch big ones you can do this with successive casts as is what played out around 9am.

Beautiful!

 First up was a smaller fish of 1lb 10oz which was followed by a warrior weighing at 2lb 10ozs and my second biggest river Rudd, so I was mega chuffed and couldn't believe what a start I'd had. She didn't behave like big Rudd usually do either, the bite was so subtle I almost missed it, a tiny slurp at 30 meters away, luckily for me my float started to veer off to the right which is when I knew it was on, the fight was very Rudd like and dived into every patch of pads, then down into the grass and marginal reeds. 

2.10! Yea man that epic :) 

 Wow, 0930 and already had caught a very big Rudd, I must admit I was happy with that and continued to fish the section without another rise so I moved on. I cruised on for about another mile and a half without seeing anything of note, there was a distinct lack of fish of any real size. Around 1130 I found a pod of Rudd maybe 10 strong that all looked to be upper 1's and low 2's so I opted to get some of those as I hadn't had a fish for a couple hours. As usual I got above the shoal and fed bread for a good 20 mins and fish were rising, then I started trotting down to the feeding fish could tell that some of the bow waves made as Rudd approached the bits of crust were pretty big, if you have fished for this species as much as myself you come to learn what sized bow waves can be made by certain fish, some of those were not of fish of mid-high 1's at all.

 I kept feeding the section until the regularity of crust being taken dwindled, I knew it was time to start fishing as the smaller fish should have had their fill but could still see the occasional bow wave of that / them big Rudd still, so I knew they were still active and in the run. My first cast down kissed the wind and sent it right into the marginal reed bed and set my hook in a reed stem, I was fuming at my luck and had to lift the drogue and drift down to the stem, the only fortunate thing was it was still a good 15-20 meters from where the fish were still moving around. I unhooked the stem, dropped the drogue and cast straight out in the middle channel and ran the crust down to the hot zone. It took a good 2-3 mins to get there and then a fish gently took the crust off the top, no gusto, no bow wave I thought no please don't be a pisspot Rudd, the float sailed away and struck into the fish and the round slammed over and line started to peel off my fairly slack clutch, this actually wasn't a bad fish at all and when it dived in every bit of vegetation on the way up I got a glimpse of it and I knew it was very big!

 I couldn't ship the net out fast enough, this surely had to batter my original river best of 2.11 that I had last year and when I lifted it out the water and on to the mat she looked immense! thick across the back, long and very deep... a solid gold bar! Could she go over the 3lb barrier? could, after eight years this be the very fish I wanted? I certainly didn't see any fish in that shoal when I passed over them of that calibre.

You bet it did, a fish I didn't think I'd ever get to catch!

What a special fish and very rare indeed!

 Yes it may have only just made that magical mark but that it did is all that matters. I was honestly lost for words and marvelled at her for ages as she rested in the net before letting her drift back into anonymity possibly never seeing an angler again! This was a long journey, but my god one I have enjoyed for the most part. The wasp stings, the mozzies, the unrelenting winds, the baking hot sun, the storms that build and dump in minutes, the lost fish, the endless rowing through rafts of vegetation was all worth it. 

 I can not overstate how rare Rudd of that size are and know many anglers who after decades of trying haven't managed it, on the 17th of June 2024, it was my day.

Just a fraction of what I have to deal with.

 Once I had released that Rudd my head wasn't really into it, I had achieved my goal! So I opted to slowly make my way back about 2.5 miles to where I had parked up. I cruised over numerous pods of Rudd but nothing of note and just wondered if I had passed over anything big in the morning that I had missed. 

 Something I didn't mention above was that I had a couple male Rudd milt as they were bought in and suspected both the 2.10 & 3.00 had not finished spawning and the water was still very cold, they must be quite far behind and the 3lber was pristine on both sides, no signs of spawning damage, odd...

 A few decent fish around the 1.12 - 2.3 were had on the way back up and were hitting the bread like I expected the bigger ones too, the two best offered up gentle slurps of the bread and then fought like demons. By 3/4pm I was ready to pack down, job was a good'en!!!!

My best of the way home, 2lb 3ozs.

 Target number two of my list achieved, Fens....over and out !!!!! for now at least, I do love the Fens, maybe a change of scenery for a while :)

Afloat Again.

 

 Back on the Rudd again with Brian on Saturday just gone. A trip that appeared to hang in the balance owing to the typical British weather, with heavy rain and thunderstorms forecast we wondered whether sat in a boat with carbon fishing rods in the middle of the fens was a good idea. One thing we have learned over the years is that A: neither of us are sensible when it comes to decisions made regarding angling, B: the weather forecasts are rarely accurate. 

 With such "Fentastic" angling on offer we decided that we were going to go anyway! 3am the alarm went off, 0320 I was showered and car loaded, 0330 I was leaving my house for Brian's in S.London and by 0545 we were at our launch site, serenaded by birds still going through their morning rigours.

 The really early start was in anticipation that we may have our visit curtailed, which we would do if things got too close for comfort, straight away we hunted down fish among the eel grass where we would see fish darting in and out of, the bigger looking to seek cover under the miles of reed and pads systems which they use so effectively to remain concealed, but when one gives its position away we would try to get their confidence up by feeding copious amounts of crust and aim for fish we perceived as being "decent".

Mint 1.8

 It was a slow start with some nice fish being caught but nothing big which was slightly frustrating but we know very well how quickly that all changes, but they are very pretty fish and size almost doesn't matter!  

A nice one of 1.10

 The cloud started to build around 11am and thought that the system was closing in on us and that we were going to have think about heading for the launch site, some 3miles from where we were fishing at the time, coupled with boisterous swans we had parts of the system isolated from us which was quite frustrating but angry cobs in an inflatable rib is no match.

 Thankfully I did find a bigger fish which settled on 2lb 1oz which we hoped would be the start of a good run of better fish. 

That's better :) 

 We pressed on with our hunt as the clouds slowly gathered weight and streaks could be seen getting closer and then....

 It trashed it down! Mercifully, not for long and lighter clouds could be seen beyond the system that was currently dumping on us, with that we decided to ride it out and see if we could get some more better fish as the smaller fish were really feeding hard and the larger fish seemed to be hiding away from us.

 I slowly edged my way to the total of 18 Rudd, amazingly less than half were over a pound, with only the one over two-pounds, a big fish day it was not, however its always great fun powering around the fens with Brian and just generally fecking around talking nonsense all day!  

Lush!

 Also for the ornathologists out there here's a video of a Bittern flying past us in the boat.

Bittern in flight

A Change of Scenery.

 

 Finally we have a summer that everyone can be happy with! That said, the Barbel don't appear to be enjoying it much, in truth I haven't targeted them for about two weeks and haven't caught one in 6 weeks, so with those piss poor returns it was high time that I mixed it up a little. 

 And what better place to go than the wonderful endless skies of the Fens, a place I hold huge affection for. In the boat or walking the banks it never fails to ignite that intrigue and sense of anticipation not many places can rival. Pristine waterways, overgrown banks in many places means a boat is the only real way to fish effectively and search out big fish that invariably are never targeted. 

SS Rudd all cleaned up and gleaming!

 An afternoon of prep the day before meant I got the chance to scrub my best investment for another tour of the Rudd infested waters of Cambridgeshire and Suffolk, I could not wait. The following morning I awoke at 0315 to finish loading the car and then set off to pick up Brian who of course was as excited as me if not more so given his current predicament, this soiree is just what both of us need and for very different reasons.

 By 6am we were at our slip and could already see some decent Rudd so inevitably the excitement level ratcheted up a couple of notches. By 0630 we were afloat and in search of fish, which didn't seem shy at all. Yes catching is the aim of the game but we both had designs on something a little more substantial than 8-14oz bars of gold, even if they looked amazing!

 

 About an hour or so afloat we were making our way up the narrow corridors in search of some bigger fish as a pound seemed to be the threshold to begin with, that was however until we came across a few half decent fish with one almighty beast at the tail of the shoal, it was enormous and the target in my mind is a 3lb+ specimen, I assure you this fish was that and more! If I had to hazard a conservative guess I'd say 3.04 - 3.08, she was massive and immediately we eased up and tried to keep an eye on where she was heading as the shoal had seen us before we saw them, what with ample bankside vegetation and untold pad systems everywhere it very quickly disappeared. 

 For about 15 minutes we continued to search around for it and fed a couple slices of bread around to try and tempt anything still present into feeding but our efforts were in vein and I feel she either held up in the cover waiting for us to go, or they had pushed on up under cover and we never did see that again, the very fact I had seen a huge fish, the "one" I have sought after for 6 years now on the Fens had been located, I now know its not a pipe dream and that it really is possible!

 Notwithstanding the day did pan out nicely as we coasted around in the glorious sunshine for hours, catching fish with the odd bigger one coming to the net until my battery died and I had to resort to rowing instead ( Not so relaxing by this point ). Hundreds of smaller swirls and slurps at the floating crust would be punctuated by a bow wave and smash out of the blue as bigger fish looked to capitalise on the copious amounts of food we pumped out, they really were mopping it up.

My best of the day, a gnats todger under 2lbs.

 Brian did manage quite a few fish but nothing massive, the simple fact we got out on the boat was great, we will be back soon for another bash for sure! Next time we head out I may have a new engine and battery to try out, even more of an excuse to get back up there, it really is heaven and if you are reading this having never fished the Fens I urge you to give it some thought at the very least, its possibly my favourite place to fish, even if it is difficult to locate bigger specimens amongst the hoards of smaller ones.

What a view :) 

  Tight lines all and be lucky!