peter crabtree
AKA Simon, 1953 - 2022 (RIP)
Most kind of you to offer Rob but I've already drawn the cover picture of my book myself..
I didn't do art A level for nothing
I didn't do art A level for nothing
How did you get on?
- Thread starter peter crabtree
- Start date
mikench
Well-known member
You obviously like Lowry Simon
theartist
Well-known member
He catches them on a match stick man!
thames mudlarker
Well-known member
I've had the privilege of drawing Bob Buteux for the cover of Fishing with the famous revisited, the limited edition sepia cover with him holding a barbel. A copy of which has pride of place on my bookshelf.
When Simon does his 'How did you get on - the ten million page epic' or Steve does 'How I got Binka'd' i'm all over those books
Ive got all of Bob Buteux books here in me little study,
I'm a bit of a quality fishing book Collector aswell
---------- Post added at 11:06 ---------- Previous post was at 10:59 ----------
Good on yer Pete, they were the days hey, be damm lucky to get 4 barbel in a day now, more like 4 in a month and that's if yer lucky
Yea mate that's me good old mate Bill Newton, spent many a time out in his CB shed playing about with all of his CB's etc
Sadly no longer with us, bless him
had some happy days on there :thumbs:
---------- Post added at 11:08 ---------- Previous post was at 11:06 ----------
Most kind of you to offer Rob but I've already drawn the cover picture of my book myself..
I didn't do art A level for nothing
Funny PMSL
fishing4luckies
Well-known member
Had a day on the local lakes yesterday.
Sort of an exploratory mission as I'm trying to suss out the character of each of the 6 lakes.
I fished a narrow area with the island about 20 metres away.
After a fairly confused start, lacking any kind of focus (this will be the subject of another thread once I've cleaned my gear) I eventually settled onto a spot about 4 ft out and to my left, under an overhanging willow. Carpeted it with mixed maggots and casters and a few balls of home-brewed groundbait every half hour and eventually the better fish turned up.
By the time I packed up (dark and raining) apart from the numerous bits I'd had about 20 or so small Bream (skimmers?). I now know why they're known as 'snotters'!!
My waterproof over-trousers look like they've been coated in glittery mucus!
Sort of an exploratory mission as I'm trying to suss out the character of each of the 6 lakes.
I fished a narrow area with the island about 20 metres away.
After a fairly confused start, lacking any kind of focus (this will be the subject of another thread once I've cleaned my gear) I eventually settled onto a spot about 4 ft out and to my left, under an overhanging willow. Carpeted it with mixed maggots and casters and a few balls of home-brewed groundbait every half hour and eventually the better fish turned up.
By the time I packed up (dark and raining) apart from the numerous bits I'd had about 20 or so small Bream (skimmers?). I now know why they're known as 'snotters'!!
My waterproof over-trousers look like they've been coated in glittery mucus!
dorsetandchub
Well-known member
Awakening this morning to heavy rain and blustery conditions, I sat drinking strong coffee and consulted the beeb for weather. There might, just might, be a short window to squeeze in a quick session so, post coffee, I shoved some kit into a ruckbag and, around 10am, set off on the short drive to the river Yeo.
For once, my timing was pretty good and the weather started to clear just a little as I arrived.
I set up an 11ft Drennan Matchpro, Daiwa 125 reel with 2.4lb main and, due to conditions, opted for a straight Drennan waggler carrying 3BB, to a 20 to 1.1lb length and a single red.
After catapulting a small pouch of red maggots in, I instantly had the waggler stab under for a roach of some mighty 2oz or so. That was it for a good while though. I explored other areas of the swim I was in but nothing paid anything off.
The mobile approach allowed a move to an interesting looking swim where a stream skirting the golf course entered the small main river. I had a feeling that maybe the fish were shoaled up and cast my waggler out, prepared again to explore.
My first throw brought a little dace, followed by another half a dozen after maybe a dozen casts. A shoal of small roach joined the party and, although not a fish a chuck, the odd one took and at least it was something.
I did promise myself that I'd use a feeder rod and step up to a bigger bait to explore this section of river but that can wait till next week and provide the closing chapter of my first season on this new to me river.
As I kept an eye on the weather, a common buzzard flew fairly close from a ground position somewhere and a woodpecker that I could only hear but not see was somewhere close by.
It was then that a watery leviathan made itself known, a chub of some whole 4oz. Again,nothing remarkable, but making the effort on a day when some wouldn't did make me feel a lot better.
After some three quick hours, the conditions darkened a little and a visit from the wet stuff seemed inevitable so I tackled down, my lightning raid done and enough of the day left to make further use of.
Arriving home to a big mug of tea, I now look at a dozen Preston Tyson floats, the same number of winders, line, shot, etc so listening to Everton getting mullered by the Spuds has rounded off, so far, an acceptable but not amazing day.
Till the next time - with a feeder rod.
For once, my timing was pretty good and the weather started to clear just a little as I arrived.
I set up an 11ft Drennan Matchpro, Daiwa 125 reel with 2.4lb main and, due to conditions, opted for a straight Drennan waggler carrying 3BB, to a 20 to 1.1lb length and a single red.
After catapulting a small pouch of red maggots in, I instantly had the waggler stab under for a roach of some mighty 2oz or so. That was it for a good while though. I explored other areas of the swim I was in but nothing paid anything off.
The mobile approach allowed a move to an interesting looking swim where a stream skirting the golf course entered the small main river. I had a feeling that maybe the fish were shoaled up and cast my waggler out, prepared again to explore.
My first throw brought a little dace, followed by another half a dozen after maybe a dozen casts. A shoal of small roach joined the party and, although not a fish a chuck, the odd one took and at least it was something.
I did promise myself that I'd use a feeder rod and step up to a bigger bait to explore this section of river but that can wait till next week and provide the closing chapter of my first season on this new to me river.
As I kept an eye on the weather, a common buzzard flew fairly close from a ground position somewhere and a woodpecker that I could only hear but not see was somewhere close by.
It was then that a watery leviathan made itself known, a chub of some whole 4oz. Again,nothing remarkable, but making the effort on a day when some wouldn't did make me feel a lot better.
After some three quick hours, the conditions darkened a little and a visit from the wet stuff seemed inevitable so I tackled down, my lightning raid done and enough of the day left to make further use of.
Arriving home to a big mug of tea, I now look at a dozen Preston Tyson floats, the same number of winders, line, shot, etc so listening to Everton getting mullered by the Spuds has rounded off, so far, an acceptable but not amazing day.
Till the next time - with a feeder rod.
jon atkinson
Well-known member
Well fair play to BBC weather, they look to have been on the money for this week end [had to happen eventually :wh]. I fished yesterday, without the need for a coat [at least at first] whilst this morning I returned very wet & rather cold from walking the dogs...
I had it in mind to get in a final trip of the season up to the Ribble, but the level was more than double my 'comfort zone' so I'll see how it's looking next Saturday instead. So, back to Blackbrook Basin in search of, well anything really, but ideally tench & crucian. It was a glorious morning in the North West, but bright sunshine coupled with the gin clear nature of 'the basin' wasn't a great omen.
There were a couple of guys on the bank when I arrived; one had missed a couple of bites, the other hadn't had a touch, but... they had seen a couple of mink on the far bank another bad omen...
Regardless it was a lovely day just to be out, so having opted for a peg at the wide end I set up initially with a grain of corn with a small feeder 30 yards out to my right as a sleeper. I've really taken a shine to the Drennan Glowtip floats, despite their fine tip / my relatively poor eyesightmg: but for fishing up to 30 yards out with the sun at my back they're just the ticket [well I like them!]. I set up a size 20 on a 2.8 lb hook length with a single #10 stot as a tell tale & started with a single red maggot. In a perfect world I'd have gone with a lighter hook length, but the basin suffers with a Hornwort infestation & even though it has largely died down at this time of year, there are still big clumps of it on the bottom.
I cast out, sprayed in a few loose maggots & sat back enjoying the setting & the cacophony of birdsong around me.
Time for a coffee... pants! Remembered the flask but forgot the coffee & milk - doh! However I seem to have accumulated plenty of cold drinks courtesy of the Co-op's £3.25 for a sarnie, snack & a drink deal, which has become my staple for lunch when fishing. Besides, it was too warm for coffee, I told myself...
I flicked in a few more maggots which saw a definite lift of the float which resulted in a small but pristine roach. I put 2 red on the hook & cast out again - the float dipped almost immediately for a slightly bigger but equally pretty red fin.
I had another half a dozen or so roach broadly of a similar stamp all on the waggler, but no sign of life on the feeder, so I pulled it in & switched to bread. I persevered with that for an hour or so without a twitch so changed to a maggot feeder with a red & a white on the hook.
I'm always happy to catch roach, but I really was hoping for tench or crucian which thus far had not been in evidence, so I upped my waggler set up to a 14 with a pinch of flake... so obviously when the float dipped again it was a skimmer! Bites then dried up completely, ironically after it had clouded over. I did at least get a couple more roach, but on the feeder - maggot appeared to be all they wanted so I reverted back on the waggler as well & had a few more similarly sized roach.
By now, the temperature had dropped markedly & I really was rather regretting the lack of coffee plus the light rain which had been forecast made an appearance. I was into 'one last fish' territory & it duly obliged... the smallest roach of the day by some distance
I was in the process of stripping down the waggler rig when the tip went again - another roach but a little better this time, perhaps going on 1/2lb. So no tench or crucian, but a lot better than last week - hopefully all who ventured out enjoyed some success :w
I had it in mind to get in a final trip of the season up to the Ribble, but the level was more than double my 'comfort zone' so I'll see how it's looking next Saturday instead. So, back to Blackbrook Basin in search of, well anything really, but ideally tench & crucian. It was a glorious morning in the North West, but bright sunshine coupled with the gin clear nature of 'the basin' wasn't a great omen.
There were a couple of guys on the bank when I arrived; one had missed a couple of bites, the other hadn't had a touch, but... they had seen a couple of mink on the far bank
another bad omen...Regardless it was a lovely day just to be out, so having opted for a peg at the wide end I set up initially with a grain of corn with a small feeder 30 yards out to my right as a sleeper. I've really taken a shine to the Drennan Glowtip floats, despite their fine tip / my relatively poor eyesight
mg: but for fishing up to 30 yards out with the sun at my back they're just the ticket [well I like them!]. I set up a size 20 on a 2.8 lb hook length with a single #10 stot as a tell tale & started with a single red maggot. In a perfect world I'd have gone with a lighter hook length, but the basin suffers with a Hornwort infestation & even though it has largely died down at this time of year, there are still big clumps of it on the bottom. I cast out, sprayed in a few loose maggots & sat back enjoying the setting & the cacophony of birdsong around me.
Time for a coffee... pants! Remembered the flask but forgot the coffee & milk - doh! However I seem to have accumulated plenty of cold drinks courtesy of the Co-op's £3.25 for a sarnie, snack & a drink deal, which has become my staple for lunch when fishing. Besides, it was too warm for coffee, I told myself...
I flicked in a few more maggots which saw a definite lift of the float which resulted in a small but pristine roach. I put 2 red on the hook & cast out again - the float dipped almost immediately for a slightly bigger but equally pretty red fin.
I had another half a dozen or so roach broadly of a similar stamp all on the waggler, but no sign of life on the feeder, so I pulled it in & switched to bread. I persevered with that for an hour or so without a twitch so changed to a maggot feeder with a red & a white on the hook.
I'm always happy to catch roach, but I really was hoping for tench or crucian which thus far had not been in evidence, so I upped my waggler set up to a 14 with a pinch of flake... so obviously when the float dipped again it was a skimmer! Bites then dried up completely, ironically after it had clouded over. I did at least get a couple more roach, but on the feeder - maggot appeared to be all they wanted so I reverted back on the waggler as well & had a few more similarly sized roach.
By now, the temperature had dropped markedly & I really was rather regretting the lack of coffee plus the light rain which had been forecast made an appearance. I was into 'one last fish' territory & it duly obliged... the smallest roach of the day by some distance
I was in the process of stripping down the waggler rig when the tip went again - another roach but a little better this time, perhaps going on 1/2lb. So no tench or crucian, but a lot better than last week - hopefully all who ventured out enjoyed some success :w
Why is it that the matchmen moan about all the pike in the lake that snatch their silvers yet when we have the annual pike match the s*ds do a disappearing act?
Today was thus. 3 jacks caught in total and everyone got soaked
Today was thus. 3 jacks caught in total and everyone got soaked
thecrow
Well-known member
Why is it that the matchmen moan about all the pike in the lake that snatch their silvers yet when we have the annual pike match the s*ds do a disappearing act?
Today was thus. 3 jacks caught in total and everyone got soaked
They read about the match and date in someone's lost club book
Keith M
Well-known member
I used to fish Kings Weir before they installed the new weir.
I used to catch Barbel along the old weir sill and I caught my very first 5lb Chub on a peeled prawn from the middle of the weir (see pic below with the old weir in the background).
I caught all of my fish on touch legering then and I do now when I'm fishing for Barbel and Chub on moving waters if I'm not trotting or if I'm not using more than one rod.
Keith
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I used to fish Kings Weir before they installed the new weir.
I used to catch Barbel along the old weir sill and I caught my very first 5lb Chub on a peeled prawn from the middle of the weir (see pic below with the old weir in the background).
I caught all of my fish on touch legering then and I do now when I'm fishing for Barbel and Chub on moving waters if I'm not trotting or if I'm not using more than one rod.
Keith
I remember the old weir. I used to travel on my Honda 90 there to fish the LAA stretch where I caught my first barbel.
I hadn't read the handbook correctly and apparently it was a rota water and when I found out what that was it all became clear why I was getting funny looks from the others who were fishing there. Their clubs had booked the day
mg:thames mudlarker
Well-known member
I used to fish Kings Weir before they installed the new weir.
I used to catch Barbel along the old weir sill and I caught my very first 5lb Chub on a peeled prawn from the middle of the weir (see pic below with the old weir in the background).
I caught all of my fish on touch legering then and I do now when I'm fishing for Barbel and Chub on moving waters if I'm not trotting or if I'm not using more than one rod.
Keith
Wey to go Keith,
There's certainly more foliage and big trees around peg 1 and 2 now,
Where yer actually standing would now be covered in bank side cover and the water level is up a lot more,
I can remember in those early days when I used to regularly sit there chatting with the late Bill Newton, bless him
I believe that Barbera is still about and is busy as usual
I may well still be coming up to fish the lea in the new season and might be able to have a bit of a meet up in the summer and as you've already mentioned maybe a few others aswell like Ray
Speak soon
Pete Shears
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2004
- Messages
- 885
- Reaction score
- 2,500
Another blank clocked up to go with Saturday piking at the reservoir-probably something to do with the huge amount of rain pouring in from the feeder streams,the overflow is roaring and resembles a white water rafting course and all the small rivers two fields wide.
Still back to wildlife watching - 14 great crested grebes,8 buzzards,green woodpecker,kestrel,
red kite,male bull finch,blue tits,great tits,robins,wrens,pair of reed warblers,pair of goosander and four too many cormorants.
Still back to wildlife watching - 14 great crested grebes,8 buzzards,green woodpecker,kestrel,
red kite,male bull finch,blue tits,great tits,robins,wrens,pair of reed warblers,pair of goosander and four too many cormorants.
Graham Elliott 1
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2002
- Messages
- 1,710
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Very happy bunny.
Decided to forsake the Wye and risk a day on the Warks Avon.
River well up and coloured. About 4feet over the wooden stages. Fair bit of debris so backstop employed.
Very pleased to get a barbel of around 6lb second cast then quiet for an hour apart from a 2lb brim.
A quick tap and the strike was met with the lunge of a good fish heading out to the centre of the river. Good news being conscious of the platform below.
Really strong fight so I realised it was a good fish.
Tiring now so lifted above the snag and fumbled into the net along with some bankside weeds.
A new W Avon pb of 13.12. Delighted.
Another one of around 5lb before packing up at just past 6.30.
Great days fishing in hard conditions.
Can I ask someone to do the picture honours please?
Decided to forsake the Wye and risk a day on the Warks Avon.
River well up and coloured. About 4feet over the wooden stages. Fair bit of debris so backstop employed.
Very pleased to get a barbel of around 6lb second cast then quiet for an hour apart from a 2lb brim.
A quick tap and the strike was met with the lunge of a good fish heading out to the centre of the river. Good news being conscious of the platform below.
Really strong fight so I realised it was a good fish.
Tiring now so lifted above the snag and fumbled into the net along with some bankside weeds.
A new W Avon pb of 13.12. Delighted.
Another one of around 5lb before packing up at just past 6.30.
Great days fishing in hard conditions.
Can I ask someone to do the picture honours please?
peter crabtree
AKA Simon, 1953 - 2022 (RIP)
Send the pics like last time and I'll do my best....
Howzat !
And for my next trick....
You da boss Graham ....
Howzat !
And for my next trick....
You da boss Graham ....
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S-Kippy
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- Oct 2, 2006
- Messages
- 15,315
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- 7,934
Fabulous looking fish Graham. Top man !
Keith M
Well-known member
A truly beautiful Barbel Graham, well done :thumbs:
Keith
Keith
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dorsetandchub
Well-known member
Fabulous fish, absolutely beautiful. Very well done, Graham.
Graham Elliott 1
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Thanks very much Simon.
I'll have to sort some hosting for my pics and stop being a b pest!
I'll have to sort some hosting for my pics and stop being a b pest!
Fished the river on sunday afternoon water was still very high. Only the odd spot was fishable decided to give it a go for a couple of hours. Set up a float rod with a wire stemmed Avon fished a couple of rod lengths out. Bait was red and white maggots loose feed every other cast. Finished up with 6 grayling 2 trout and lost a chub in a near side snag.
No other anglers on the river.
No other anglers on the river.