How did you get on?

[thames mudlarker]

I get plenty of huge dace during the summer if I want them .

I should do more legering Stuart but I find it boring in comparison to trotting the float and catching a fish on the float is more of a challenge imo and so I get a feeling of accomplishment when I do catch in difficult conditions using a float :w .

That's fair point Ian, everyone's approach is different and this I totally respect,

It's like I don't mind ultra light ledgering but I dislike using heavy leads and even feeders as the sought of close quarters river fishing that I do I often feel that heavy leads and feeders actually spook the fish a lot of the time, and this I proved to meself manyatime :thumbs:

 

[tigger]

That's fair point Ian, everyone's approach is different and this I totally respect,

It's like I don't mind ultra light ledgering but I dislike using heavy leads and even feeders as the sought of close quarters river fishing that I do I often feel that heavy leads and feeders actually spook the fish a lot of the time, and this I proved to meself manyatime :thumbs:

I prefer light legering myself and try to use as light a weight as is possible. I very rarely use a feeder.
I did get into touch legering for chub and barbel last summer and enjoyed that.

 

[thames mudlarker]

I prefer light legering myself and try to use as light a weight as is possible. I very rarely use a feeder.
I did get into touch legering for chub and barbel last summer and enjoyed that.

Touch ledgering, brilliant tactic especially for chub once mastered :thumbs:

I'm sure that I've probably already mentioned on one of the threads about how much I highly rate the technique, I've even used it at times when trying to connect with large finiky roach and does work quite effectively

 

[mikench]

Next time out I might try a light touch float legering feeder method

Have a lovely weekend one and all

 

[Graham Elliott 1]

A day on the Ivel very much like the one before.

Around 30 dace to 10oz a half dozen glorious roach to a lb and chublets along with a 3lber.

The best hooked roach over a lb disappeared along with mr Esox.
Got to say find it very hard to trot with only a foot of water in places. Those unmissable bites where the float ends up 5 yards past you on the missed strke!! I did call myself a few names begining with W mainly!

Interesting visit Bedford way made only worse by the chap that owns the river and the private three lakes asked me if I had bought my fly rod and fancied a go in his private trout lake that has 20lb+ fish. I hadnt!!

Well last couple days on the Wye I guess that apparently been tough.
Emjoy last couple days guys.. then back to perch and tinca and hopefully no brim.

 

[S-Kippy]

Nice one Graham. 4 more days for me to survive and a totally Brimless season will be mine. Now that is a PB worth having !

 

[barbelboi]

I decided to have another trotting session on Thursday for chub, this time on one of the main rivers. The weather was very comfortable temperature wise but non-stop bright sunshine wasn’t ideal. I fished from 10am – 3pm for 9 chub (no monsters but still a good bend in the Titan 2000), and a few roach and dace, covering approximately a mile and a half of bank (although not in one trot).

I’d taken the trip to the country store the day before so the bait fridge is adequately stocked with reds for a session on Monday as well.

Oh, even had time for an action shot..........

 

[edsurf]

Went for session on the Stour today thought it would be dropping off a little and clearing up a bit , Wrong, lots of colour and still pushing through, one decent take and I bumped it off hum ha . Always next season, I have had some nice fish out this year so not complaining.

 

[binka]

What a dreary, dull and thoroughly miserable day weather wise.

I was by the water by 6am this morning and it was very mild at 11° but the feeling of mild air wore off after a couple of hours of being on the end of the wind which, courtesy of the weather forecast, told me it was going to be a sou’westerley which meant I could have put the brolly up for some respite.

Instead it was a full in the face southerly and thus no hiding from that niggling cold coming straight off the water!

Never mind, at least I felt as though I was in the right place.

Nonetheless it was an enjoyable session targeting a few stripeys and it was hard work all things considered but I managed to wet a few new floats from the latest batch and get amongst the stamp of fish that I was hoping for with worm tactics and in very nice condition too.

A simple 3BB bobber down the nearside ledge with a couple of lobworm tails on a size 10 B911X and everything was sitting pretty in the incoming chop…



Finished on six perch which were pretty much peas in a pod with this probably edging in front by a whisker…







Really chuffed with the latest floats, I’ve still got some in mid-varnish stage but the ones I used today did a good job.

Not sure if I will get on the river for the last waltz before the close but I’m trying to keep my options open… :w

Ps…

Proper sarnie…



Get in!

 

[mikench]

What a whopper; and I'm referring to the sarnie although I would be very pleased with a perch like that

 

[bullet]

What a dreary, dull and thoroughly miserable day weather wise.

I was by the water by 6am this morning and it was very mild at 11° but the feeling of mild air wore off after a couple of hours of being on the end of the wind which, courtesy of the weather forecast, told me it was going to be a sou’westerley which meant I could have put the brolly up for some respite.

Instead it was a full in the face southerly and thus no hiding from that niggling cold coming straight off the water!

Never mind, at least I felt as though I was in the right place.

Nonetheless it was an enjoyable session targeting a few stripeys and it was hard work all things considered but I managed to wet a few new floats from the latest batch and get amongst the stamp of fish that I was hoping for with worm tactics and in very nice condition too.

A simple 3BB bobber down the nearside ledge with a couple of lobworm tails on a size 10 B911X and everything was sitting pretty in the incoming chop…



Finished on six perch which were pretty much peas in a pod with this probably edging in front by a whisker…







Really chuffed with the latest floats, I’ve still got some in mid-varnish stage but the ones I used today did a good job.

Not sure if I will get on the river for the last waltz before the close but I’m trying to keep my options open… :w

Ps…

Proper sarnie…



Get in!

Mate, your bread to filling ratio looks all to cock!

 

[103841]

My day was quite the opposite to Binkas. Tee shirt weather with strong sunshine brought 17 degrees on the cars thermometer.

As per normal the water was low and clear on the Stour, however I've found a new (to me) swim, it was more like a Stillwater with shoals of bream easily visible in the shallows. Three hours produced just the one chub about 3lb, to say it was rough going would be an understatement .

Looking at Steves sarnie mg: I'm off to cook dinner, I'm Hank Marvin.

 

[edsurf]

What a dreary, dull and thoroughly miserable day weather wise.

I was by the water by 6am this morning and it was very mild at 11° but the feeling of mild air wore off after a couple of hours of being on the end of the wind which, courtesy of the weather forecast, told me it was going to be a sou’westerley which meant I could have put the brolly up for some respite.

Instead it was a full in the face southerly and thus no hiding from that niggling cold coming straight off the water!

Never mind, at least I felt as though I was in the right place.

Nonetheless it was an enjoyable session targeting a few stripeys and it was hard work all things considered but I managed to wet a few new floats from the latest batch and get amongst the stamp of fish that I was hoping for with worm tactics and in very nice condition too.

A simple 3BB bobber down the nearside ledge with a couple of lobworm tails on a size 10 B911X and everything was sitting pretty in the incoming chop…



Finished on six perch which were pretty much peas in a pod with this probably edging in front by a whisker…







Really chuffed with the latest floats, I’ve still got some in mid-varnish stage but the ones I used today did a good job.

Not sure if I will get on the river for the last waltz before the close but I’m trying to keep my options open… :w

Ps…

Proper sarnie…



Get in!

Nice fish , sarnie looks canny too.

 

[tigger]

Proper sarnie…



Get in!

Nice fish Steve but blimey that butty i'd need a pint of milk or flask of tea to swill it down, too much bread,not enough fillin' bud.

 

[binka]

Just to clear up the all important bread to filling issue...

I have new neighbours and the bloke builds bespoke ovens for restaurants and bakeries, he's done this for nigh on thirty years.

The first thing he has to do, upon installation, is test fire the oven and the by product of which is seen in the earlier picture, yesterday afternoon he turned up at the front door (yet again) with a paper sack full of freshly baked loaves.

I'm beginning to think I'm on some sort of secret guinea pig programme, it's a tough job but someone's got to do it

I've had everything in the last six months including iced loaves but believe me his bread is something that doesn't need the taste drowning out, more complimenting with something to titillate the alternative taste buds.

And believe me...

I, of all people, can really pack a sarnie out!

 

[mikench]

Proud of you Steve sticking up for the great British sarnie! Today I enjoyed the French equivalent called a pain bagnat; it is essentially a salade niçoise on a large round baguette. It is delicious and highly recommended! Oh la la!

 

[peter crabtree]

Nipped down the Colne late afternoon today with some bread and trotted a couple of swims to no avail. There have been some big chub caught during the past week according to my spies, but today they weren't having it.



Had one proper bite in the swim above which turned out to be this clonking gudgeon

View image in gallery​

A change to maggot bought a couple of small perch..

Nice to be out on a mild but bright spring day....

 

[binka]

it is essentially a salade

What's a salade Mike?

Is it like a kebab but with more meat?

 

[bullet]

Last session of proper fishing before the fluff chucking for trout begins.
River up and quite coloured but a couple of Chub to ledgered flake....

https://youtu.be/xfp2NO5Mra0

 

[fishing4luckies]

So day one of the weekend went well.

Got to the lakes by 08:00 having stopped off at the local shop for provisions (KitKat, Sausage Roll and Deli Pastrami Sandwich - my usual lazy fishing diet).

Got the new seat-box setup and started to worry about all the various bits sticking out everywhere. Mahoosive side tray on left, ground bait bowl and smaller tray on right, feeder arm, keep-net arm, brolley arm and a strange looking foam bumpy bar thing. I quickly discovered that my bait tubs are too big for my side trays, or the trays are too small. I can't get two tubs next to each other.

I also found that with the trays at the right height it preclude the opening of the cross drawers due to the knuckles of the attachments.

Anyway, setup a feeder rod with a Preston interchange banjo-feeder, loaded it up with pellets and ground-bait with a tiny boilie hiding in the middle and out it went, to be followed by a few balls of nicely fluffed up ground bait (I bought a riddle too). After an hour of aggressive liners but no proper takes I decided to switch over to the waggler rod.

I took the opportunity to have a rethink about the placement of all the various attachments etc around the box and got a bit more organised.

A swim about 8 metres out was baited and we were off!! Within half an hour I'd hauled in about 20 skimmers, the biggest about 12oz. Hookbait was two reds alternating with a single grain of corn. They didn't seem to have a preference but I decided to chop and change anyway - two fish on maggots then one on corn, and so on.

Eventually called it a day at 17:00 and when I weighed the days takings I was utterly gobsmacked to find I'd racked up a net of just under 48lb.

So all in all a good day - excellent weather, first class banter with the chap on the next peg and my biggest days haul yet.

The whole seat-box arrangement still needs some thought, and to be honest I probably would do well to try and simplify it all, but overall I'm pleased with it.

Roll on tomorrow - a lazy chair day on the Beult with bankside sausage sandwiches.