Catch Fish with
Mike Ladle

Information Page

Freshwater Fishing

For anyone unfamiliar with the site always check the FRESHWATER, SALTWATER and TACK-TICS pages. The Saltwater page now extends back as a record of over several years of (mostly) sea fishing and may be a useful guide as to when to fish. The Freshwater stuff is also up to date now. I keep adding to both. These pages are effectively my diary and the latest will usually be about fishing in the previous day or two. As you see I also add the odd piece from my friends and correspondents if I've not been doing much. The Tactics pages which are chiefly 'how I do it' plus a bit of science are also updated regularly and (I think) worth a read (the earlier ones are mostly tackle and 'how to do it' stuff).

The River

Yesterday I decided to have an hour on my local River to see if there were any seatrout about yet. In fact it was a bit blowy with a chilly north west wind so not very pleasant for fishing. Anyway, I clipped on a little Rapala and began to walk the banks casting and retreiveing across all the likely spots. The water was pretty clear and occasionally the sun came out, giving me a false impression of warmth. In one or two spots I saw fish rising to take the few brave mayflies which were emerging in the chilly conditions.

There was very little doing apart from a little trout that yanked at my lure and an even smaller perch which followed up without taking. After about an hour I was considering packing in when I noticed the flash of a decent fish down by my bank just under where I was standing. For an instant my hopes were lifted then I saw that the fish was a thinlipped mullet. Now I was fishing at least three or four miles above the tidal stretch so there's no 'salt' in the water. Despite the cold conditions this Spring it was clear that the bloom of diatom algae, which the mullet feed on, is now well under way. Of course the only real hope for catching one of these fish (some were five pounders) is to spin with a ragworm baited lure and I had no worms. Perhaps I'll try for them next time I go out.

As I walked back I had the odd cast in particularly likely spots but I saw nothing. Eventually I got to the road and was just crossing the bridge when I decided to have a last cast from the bridge. I plopped the plug downstream and worked it across in the flow. Suddenly there was a flash and a fish was on. It was clearly a seatrout but a bit smaller than I would have liked. Still, beggars can't be choosers and at least it showed that it's worth trying.

If you have any comments or questions about fish, methods, tactics or 'what have you!' get in touch with me by sending an E-MAIL to - docladle@hotmail.com

Thinlips.

Seatrout.