We’re now in early June, spawning time is almost out the way altogether and any angler worth their salt has thought about the prospect of flowing water in some way shape or form, whether they intend on visiting the rivers come June 16th or not.
I’d say that it’s unfortunate timing this year as I won’t actually be able to get on the bank. A surprise holiday to Safari Diving, Lanzarote, on the 15th putting a swift end to that idea. The truth is, it’s not unfortunate at all. Anyone who knows me knows where diving comes on my list of priorities!
Even so, you can bet your life savings that my mind will still wander back to the miles of overgrown riverbank and wild spooky targets whilst I’m hovering around weightlessly above a coral reef admiring the saltier variety.
There’s not actually much prolific river fishing close to home for me to go at, with my local being the river Hull. This sees very little press and subsequently far fewer anglers than the likes of the Ouse, Severn, Trent etc. A lot of this is down to its small size, lack of impressive fish or association with poaching and pollution. All of which, when you really knuckle down, do your research and find the more prolific stretches, is completely manageable! I’m not suggesting that it’s one of those little hidden gems but it really does have its perks when you look closely enough.
I’ve fished the river from its origins around Driffield catching some incredible Perch, Pike and even Sea Trout in my early days, all the way along its course through the Hull and District stretch at Hempholme, past Beverley and as far as Kingswood on the outskirts of Hull itself.
Now most of these areas I will admit have turned up very little to nothing. A few silvers here and there, the odd Pike too, but very sparse in comparison to other waterways. What they have done though is improve my watercraft and angling ability by the bucket load!
The river really only has 2 areas that interest me now, purely because I’ve located fish here time and time again which just couldn’t be found anywhere else along its course and without giving too much away, the general characteristics include shallower, clearer and weedier water, with one being part of the fairly fast flowing main river holding some very nice Chub, Ide and Bream, whilst the other is actually away from the main stretch and almost stagnant which seems to have attracted a couple of the more unusual species, namely Tench and the odd very hard to locate Carp.
Every year I’m torn between the tranquillity of the rivers or the more prolific stillwaters and more often than not, for every session I spend next to flowing water I’ll spend 10 sat by a lake. This year however, I’ve made it my goal to switch that around a little…or at least make it more even, and I can’t encourage other people to try it out more regularly too!
That’s not to say the rest of my angling is going to suffer because of it! There’s some Carp I won’t take no as an answer from, some Rudd I’m hoping to get in the bottom of a landing net and a Pike or two from 400+ acres that I’m determined to catch this winter.
How’s that saying go? Variety is the spice of life?