Void (Part Two)

Monday 25th January, 16:00 - 19:30. Brandon Marsh right hand pool. Cold but still : 3C.

With tonight my only opportunity for the week and with the rivers in spate I headed to Brandon with Tench or Roach in mind. I took some hopes but they weren't high.

I fished a different pool to that which last year laughed at my every attempt not to blank.

I knew where I wanted to fish: into the deeper water off the overhanging willows of the island. I clipped up and cast repeatedly in between the pair of Balsam Poplars.

If you look closely in the photo above you might be able to see the ice on the surface to the left. The ducks sounded funny when they walked across it. Like someone was adding futuristic sound effects to their steps.

I angled my feeder arm to try and get as close as possible to ninety degrees between tip and feeder.

Once cast I wound my line up to the feeder resting on the bottom. I then wound the spool on my reel backwards so only the lightest pressure was on the tip. The evening was still and it was still water in front of me.

Although I sat stock still my tip bounced to the rhythm of my heart.

I fed a Robin maggots.

I scanned the water for signs of fish. I was prepared to move if they told me I was in the wrong place.


I've overcome my hooklength tangling problem when feeder fishing by employing some coated braid as boom for feeder and hooklength. All casts came back clean and straight. It looks a bit agricultural in the photo but is softer on the eye in real life.

I went back to the car at six to get my mp3 player as my mind was wandering from the job of watching the stationary tip. I commend the 'Adam and Joe' and 'Up for Grabs' podcasts to you if you do not already subscribe.

Not a sign on the tip to be had all night. I saw some blades flip but they were too dispersed to warrant relocation.

Where's a Chub when you need one!?

If the local blogger community have drinks next Xmas it has the potential to be big, what with all the new and interesting angling blogs cropping up. I've just read of one pair who fish from bloody canoes - on the Severn! Nutters. I can't follow yet due to an outage but take a look for yourself.. brings a whole new level to cold fingers I bet!

Cheers.