Perch bobs and a dodgey motor

The best laid plans of mice and men sometimes have a habit of failing to come to fruition.

Last Friday I sneaked a cheeky pre-breakfast, pre-work spinning session for perch, and landed a brace of very small but beautiful perch and an angry and determined jack that probably weighed about two and a half pounds- fun fishing, and I still was able to start work at 8:00am.

In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I decided to make it a weekly Friday 5:30am date, but- just six days in- it looks like I won't be going this week. The car has been in the garage with a transmission problem that's been baffling the mechanics for three days, and I suspect that the car (now eleven years old) is entering a terminal phase and will shortly require replacing.

 

However, it's not all bad news.

These arrived in the post this week.

 

 

They're hand made mini perch bob floats made by Ian Lewis, a float-maker from Plymouth in Devon. The floats are cane stemmed with a porcupine quill insert, but their unusual feature is that the body is an oak gall.
I have a liking for traditional, English floats made from quills and cork and reeds in a manner that's reminiscent of the "Crabtree era", and (except when I'm pole fishing) use them almost exclusively for my float fishing. I've made a few myself in the past, but these days I don't have the time, but purchasing from a craftsman like Ian is the "next best thing".  (www.handmadefishingfloats.co.uk or check out his Facebook page)

The intention  is- once the car gets sorted- to use them on some of my early morning sorties, where I'll target a couple of likely spots, throw in some chopped worms held together in a ball of gardening peat liberally splashed with Predator Plus, and float-fish either worm or prawn under one of these beauties. It'll provide an interesting contrast to the spinning approach that I usually employ on the canal. .

 

One thing is for sure. Once the car is fixed I'll be back at the canal. I'm totally addicted to this perch fishing game now, and in my absent minded moments I find bristling, red-finned, bold-striped perch invading my dreams.

Just think, if the car repair doesn't cost too much I might be able to afford some more floats!