Nice Couple of Hours on the Mersey River 7/8/2013

After August the 6ths wet conditions with some 44mms of rain in and around the Kentish area I thought another trip was worthwhile to the Mersey River once again. Left home in cool and sunny conditions and arrived at my ever reliable hole on the Mersey and had both worm baited rigs in the water in no time at all. The river was at least 350mm higher this morning than on Monday and I was a little unsure of how my little fishing hole would go as there was a fair flow of water pushing through it. I could see that it had been much higher too as there were the signs of flattened grass along the river bank and I could see the high water mark that it had reached. The Mersey had already dropped around 400mm from that mark which was good for me. Had it been at that height this morning I would be looking elsewhere to drop a worm. 

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Nice solid 1.3 kg Brown

Anyway flicked out my baited rigs that comprised of a small ball sinker set above a small swivel followed with a 400mm trace to a # 4 hook with three nice plump gardens worms attached, then just sat back in the sun and waited. Things were pretty quiet for the first half an hour before the rod on my left gave the first sign of a touch with just the slightest bit of movement. As I slipped out a little more line I could feel the weight of the fish on the end of it, but I knew it hadn't taken it enough yet to set the hook. Then there was nothing, it had dropped the bunched hook of worms much to my disgust. Then I thought, well it's had a taste of them so more than likely this fish will return shortly in which it did do so. This time it didn't mess around either as it picked up the baited hook and was well on its way in one hell of a rush. Once I felt the weight of the fish on the line I set the hook hard and fast, and after it made a couple of runs towards some logs in which I managed to just hold it back from, it wasn't long before this solid brown was in the net. This fish tipped the scales at 1.3 kg and was in excellent condition and as solid as ever. I am a great believer in catch and release ( I keep around 8% of my total catch each season ) but this time of year I always keep a few for the smoker and this one was going to be smoked.

 

A pair for the day was good enough for me

Placed another couple of worms on and flicked the baited rig back into the same area as before and then sat back and waited once more. The sun was beaming down and there was hardly any breeze to worry about, it was just great to be out and about in these conditions. Just so peaceful sitting here on the edge of the Mersey River with the little wrens chattering and paying me a visit every now and then. One couldn't ask for any thing better that's for sure, this is when it feels great to be alive I reckon when you have all this beauty surrounding ones self. Anyway back to the fishing! Over the next 40 minutes it was reasonably quiet with only a couple of pick ups and dropped baits that were probably from small fish I would think. I kept on flicking some freshly dug soil out to where my baits lay and it wasn't long before it was fish on once again and this fish just picked up the baited hook and made a run for it. Once I set the hook this fish headed the in the same direction as the last one did, straight for the logs. Then it turned and headed back out to deeper water and I knew I had him done then. A couple of minutes later and this solid Brown of 995 gms was in the landing net, a nice fish it was too. So I had now been here for just on two and a half hours and I have two nice fish for the smoker plus, I have had a great relaxing and enjoyable morning on the Mersey River. One couldn't ask for any thing better that's for sure.

Cheers

Adrian

River: Mersey Browns: 2 (both kept)