How did you get on?

[Pete Shears]

Another trip to the upper Soar this morning after a biteless trip to the Wreake last Thursday. Still hard walking across the recently flooded fields and extra muddy at the gates where the cattle had churned it up.
As I neared my first swim a kingfisher flew off downstream and after not getting a bite on trotted flake or legered crust, I managed to land a hard fighting 2lb brown trout on legered red worm. Moving upstream twice still struggling to get a bite, I eventually landed another hard fighting brown trout weighing 1lb 8oz exactly. It then started to rain . . . . . . . .

 

[@Clive]

Blankety-Blank today. First for a long time, but it happens.

Frosty start and cold all day if not in the sun. Started out fishing a swim around 5 foot deep on the edge of the current using lobworm bait and dead maggots as enticers. The area is a pool after a series of weirs that are ancient fish traps for migrating eels and shad. Nothing doing so I moved about 50 yds downstream where the depth is about 14 foot under the rod end and visibilty is so clear I could see the stones on the bottom. The current passes a line of rushes and there were some fry in the margins that were in shade of tall trees. I d!ropped some chopped worms and dead maggots to the bottom then fished the lobworm laid on under a sliding float. Had 90 minutes without a bite so went back to the car and spent the last three hours failing in my infallible swim. I put in a small amount of milled maize, wheat and hemp mixed with a bit of oily bag stuff, dead maggots and chopped worms. Hookbait was worm, then maize and finally maggots without registering a bite.

I had a robin perched on the rod for a while, a long tailed t i t doing acrobatics on a branch within touching distance, lesser spotted woodpecker hammerjng the branches above me and a black woodpecker in the tree opposite. Three swans, one moorhen and a flight of cranes overhead, but no fish!

I left the robin my remaining chopped worms and maggots and went home early.

@flightliner; here's the box I mentioned.

 

[flightliner]

Blankety-Blank today. First for a long time, but it happens.

View attachment 25147

Frosty start and cold all day if not in the sun. Started out fishing a swim around 5 foot deep on the edge of the current using lobworm bait and dead maggots as enticers. The area is a pool after a series of weirs that are ancient fish traps for migrating eels and shad. Nothing doing so I moved about 50 yds downstream where the depth is about 14 foot under the rod end and visibilty is so clear I could see the stones on the bottom. The current passes a line of rushes and there were some fry in the margins that were in shade of tall trees. I d!ropped some chopped worms and dead maggots to the bottom then fished the lobworm laid on under a sliding float. Had 90 minutes without a bite so went back to the car and spent the last three hours failing in my infallible swim. I put in a small amount of milled maize, wheat and hemp mixed with a bit of oily bag stuff, dead maggots and chopped worms. Hookbait was worm, then maize and finally maggots without registering a bite.

I had a robin perched on the rod for a while, a long tailed t i t doing acrobatics on a branch within touching distance, lesser spotted woodpecker hammerjng the branches above me and a black woodpecker in the tree opposite. Three swans, one moorhen and a flight of cranes overhead, but no fish!

I left the robin my remaining chopped worms and maggots and went home early.

@flightliner; here's the box I mentioned.

View attachment 25149

View attachment 25145

Clive, l once saw the exact copy of that box in the early sixties.
I was fishing Clowne pond in north east Derbyshire for its many Crucians when a chap turned up with the same box, and he was french!

 

[The Runner]

Used to be a regular poster to this thread, not posted on here for a good while but hearing the news about Simon today prompted me to contribute again to what was ultimately his thread. So , my two most recent outings and , first, one from a couple of months ago.

Sept 29, Loch Dunvegan, Corlarach
Back over to L Dunvegan today for another go after a cracking session there last weekend.
Got there about twelve, fishing by 12-15, about two hours after high tide. Too early to access my favourite spot at the end of the rocks but saw that there were pots in front of it anyway so dropped in about 80 yards before. Don’t think there’s much difference in the fishing but on the end rocks you can always get lower to the water and far easier to land and return fish.
Wasn’t expecting much early, best time here usually last two hours of the ebb and first two of the flood although they can turn up ( and disappear) at any time. Usual mackerel strip on a 2/0 Aberdeen with 130gm grip lead and 90lb mono hooklength. Nice view out to the Western Isles…

Started at about 50 yards where 60 to 70 ft of water. After half an hour had a double knock on the tip and into something big. Pretty sure it wasn’t a spurdog, didn’t fight like one, staying really deep and diving occasionally, got it about five yards out, dived again and snagged the lead in the rocks. Tried changing the angle by walking ten yards either side to see if the lead would free but no. Frustratingly the fish was still on, taking a bit of line on the running ledger which I could get back but lead still wouldn’t budge so after ten minutes or so decided to pull for a break hoping it would go at the lead rather than at the swivel. Nope…Not sure what it was but suspect either a good sized ray or one of the elusive ling that a couple of lads in one of the crab and lobster boats told me on a previous visit were in the area .
Tackled up again, nothing for an hour other than finding a nasty snag on the 50 yard line that ate a couple more leads so started dropping shorter, only 35 yards or so, still more or less the same depth and second chuck here the tip went over and had first spur of the day. Next 90 minutes pretty much non stop action as the pack moved in, ended up with seven and losing two ( one pulled out, one did me in the kelp) before they vanished as suddenly as had they’d arrived. Gave it another hour down to low water but no more activity and called it a day. Had a pod of dolphins came past as I was tackling down, always nice to see.
Average size a bit lower today (First two pics)On previous visit had bagged up with 15 spurs , biggest 12-2 according to weight for length scale, last picture…
Will add two most recent reports shortly…

 

[The Runner]

Three weeks ago, R Colne, Uxbridge
Back down in London to see step and grandkids and fished first match in nearly three years.
Only 13 or 14 there after the river fished appallingly last year ( minnows got you in the frame in three out of eight matches, the last of which was won with a single roach) but apparently a good bit better this year although no big fish showing.
River horribly low and full of pennywort in places.
Drew peg 24 on the main river which I really didn’t fancy in the conditions, usually a case of clean out the perch to give you 2 or 3 lb and then pray for a barbel ( used to be a chub flier but they’re long gone)

At this point should explain that for the last ten years or so we’ve fished the matches there as “semi rovers” where it’s pegged down to start but you can move after two hours, anything you catch before any move not being counted. Most people only move in desperation, which was me after two hours without a bite. Didn’t fancy my chances of a barbel in the low and clear conditions so had a quick walk around to see what was free. Peg 54 on the back stream had been left out as completely overgrown and probably too shallow even by Colne standards but decided it would be good for a few bits and I wouldn’t have travelled 650 miles to blank. Spent ten minutes clearing the worst of the nettles and brambles, set up again with a 3bb sawn off waggler and a 20 to .09 and had a little roach first run through . Barely a foot of water but spent the next two and a half hours picking up small fish steadily before it slowed right down in the last hour with only a few tiny perch. Ended up with 5-11 for third, 10-6 of roach and dace winning it from three pegs below me and 6-14 all perch second from the main river so not too bad a day and lovely to fish with most of the old crowd again

 

[The Runner]

And yesterday…
Trip over to the mainland at Loch Duich between Eilean Donan castle and Inverinate. Had had a couple of decent codling (2-3 lb) on a visit a month or so back as well as a few pollack and my first ever cuckoo wrasse.
Beautiful morning…

First two casts brought a dogfish and a not quite sizeable codling then quiet again until the tide turned . Absolute snag pit though, only fishing about thirty yards out where it’s at least 40-50ft deep, bottom a mixture of rocks and coral. Any further and you’re over another ledge( there’s also one close in) where it drops off to twice that and little chance of getting anything back over it, can’t fish at long range as a strong tide run and won’t hold .
Anyway, with the tide running, two more dogfish were followed by something that felt a good bit bigger, snagged me twice on the way in but came out each time, got it on top , conger probably about 6lb which then bit me off just as I was about to grab the trace. Swear word…
In between losing more tackle to the snags ( fished a rotten bottom rig) ended up with four doggies, three codling, a pouting, a pollack and a bootlace conger

Unusually, another angler there, interesting character, a scallop diver who works all over the west coast and takes a beach caster and lure rod with him everywhere he goes( he had a couple of 3lb pollack on lures just along from me). Swapped a few hints and marks.
Anyway, that’s me up to date.
RIP Simon.

 

[@Clive]

Clive, l once saw the exact copy of that box in the early sixties.
I was fishing Clowne pond in north east Derbyshire for its many Crucians when a chap turned up with the same box, and he was french!

The bottom part is fairly universal in that the four sides taper in towards the top. Some have wicker front panels, but most are stained or varnished plywood. The strong sun has bleached detail in the photo, but mine has an unusually rebated front panel that I enhanced using different wood stains. The upper trays vary and can include side drawers. It would have been a good project for apprentice cabinet makers given the tapered construction and rebated frame to accept the panels.

 

[Aknib]

This one's for you Simon, tight lines fella...

Monday morning, green around the gills from the previous night's England win and on a nittery, damp riverbank for daybreak. I'm currently on a week-long holiday from work and looking at the temperatures from mid-week onwards I reckoned the sooner I got out the better.

The river itself had dropped considerably over the preceding days but still held an encouraging tinge of colour, the banks were treacherous due to the mud and silt deposits left by the recent high water which saw me flat on my side at least once during my walk through the still overgrown bankside vegetation with several comical close calls which would have Torvill & Dean holding up perfect 10's!

Nevertheless I settled into a nice, steady run and began sending through the light trotting gear along the near bank, trying single and double maggot to a size 18 on 2.6lb bottom below a homemade slim Avon float whilst trickling a few loose maggots in down the near side and it was a good forty minutes or so before the first bite which, due to me eagerness, I promptly managed to bump off on the strike.

Back in again and in exactly the same spot, namely where around four feet of water glided right up to the dying bankside reed stems the float dived again and this time it resulted in a small Perch.

More followed, gradually increasing to a chunky size...

Almost as if one song ended and another began the Perch did a vanishing act and were duly replaced by small but pristine Chub...

Like their stripey counterparts they too gradually got bigger and I was enjoying a good steady rhythm...

This continued for a good hour or so until a random smaller fish of around 4ozs was engulfed by a thug of a big Pike which shot in from nowhere upon its return and which in turn killed the swim off completely.

I wasn't overly put out by this as i'd already surpassed my expectations for the morning and it was a jaw dropping sight no matter how many times you've seen it before but I did fish on until dusk mainly out of sheer contentment when, shortly before sunset, the float slid away once again and I was rewarded for my day with a lovely fish by anyone's standards...

R.I.P. Simon and thanks for all the How Did You Get Ons fella.

 

[John Aston]

Winter days can be incredibly pretty and today was just that. Low sun , little wind and a beautiful afternoon exploring some new swims . I saw red kites, buzzards , shelduck . little grebe , heron and egret and at dusk successive flights of starlings in flocks from 100 or so to 1000 + , all joining up to form a murmuration . Add in a huge rising moon , and a plummeting temperature and it was bliss.

I fished drop shot lob worm , then a pink paddle tail and had three takes , all perch. A lovely , pristine 3- 5 , a hard scrapping 1-15 and a real lump I hooked at 30 plus yards . Solid head shaking , very heavy feeling and - of course ! - the damn hook pulled out after about 90 seconds. But it happens, and watching big swirls in gunmetal light from the fish I did land was just ... .. pure fishing magic, and part of why I've been doing this for most of my life .

 

[barbelboi]

It seems a while since I last posted on this thread but November was pretty much like October (and September) fishing the rivers and streams over the back fields. Mainly trotting for roach, chub and dace (the dace always move on around late October/early November but they’re always in the same gravel runs from the season start until then). Quite a few roach to around this size, lots of chub in the 3-4lb range with the odd larger fish. The dace, although abundant once you know where they are, rarely show much above 7/8oz – it involves a bit of travelling to find anything bigger.

That's it bankside for this year - hopefully we'll get a period with some westerly's in January to warm things up a touch...........

 

[mikench]

Well I managed to px er indoors and Nigella arrives on Friday.

 

[Ray Roberts]

I set out at around midday and fished into dark. Had I realised it was a full moon tonight I probably wouldn’t have bothered, as I’ve never fared well during a full moon.

The fishing was poor, I had three chub and three greedy, suicidal gudgeon, that took a large lump of bread flake on a size 6 hook.

I stayed until about 9pm and bloody cold it was too. Water temp was six degrees but air temperature dropped to -4c, it may have been colder as I don’t think the thermometer reads lower, lol. I gave up when the line froze in the rings.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mikench]

Well done Ray for venturing forth; Simon would have given your post a like.

 

[Neil Maidment]

First proper session of the season trotting for chub on the Dorset Stour (Throop) earlier in the week. River looked good having had a thorough flush through after a series of floods. Fining down nicely, colour dropping out very quickly but still very pacey. Looks very promising for the rest of the winter season.

I had a busy morning with several chub mostly 4lbs/5lbs. I weighed one of the bigger chub which turned out to be 5lbs 10oz. Need to get reacquainted with these fine beasts as I thought it was somewhat heavier than that! Things then calmed down, but I managed the occasional chub, all of a similar stamp, at intervals throughout the rest of the day into dusk. A stunning seatrout had me going for a while, once again I was fooled into thinking "BIG chub" right up until it reached the net.

Good to be back trotting the Stour again.

 

[The Runner]

Staying in Doncaster with friends for three days en route to granddaughters second birthday bash in London.
Went to the Trent today with mate. In my fifty or so years as a match angler, half a dozen Nationals and lots of practice sessions for them on the River and today was the first time I’d ever fished the famous Road Stretch at Burton Joyce.
Got there about 10 30, swearword freezing. Couple of anglers already there just above us had one roach between them and we reckoned given the conditions it would be chub or bust and then probably not until late in the day.

Started on small feeder with liquidised bread and piece of flake on a 14 fished about 15 yards out which would double as a stick float line for later, about 8ft of water. No signs for either of us in a couple of hours, so picked up the stick float rod (borrowed mates 15ft Acolyte) which I had set up with a 7 no 4 and an 18 to 0.10. Nothing on this either but a bit more active (and thus warmer) keeping a steady stream of loosefeed going in.
At about 2pm had what could have been a bite , float dragged under, nothing there but bait gone and then finally just before three, hit something. Felt like a BIG bream ( mate has had them there to 10lb something). Also I think foulhooked, it never went anywhere other than drifting ten yards further out and couldn’t do anything with it, never gained more than a couple of yards of line and think it was side on to the quite heavy flow. Anyway, hook pulled out after about 5 minutes of impasse, bait still on and unmarked.
Thought my chance had gone for the day but twenty minutes later as the light dropped, had a good chub right down the swim on single white maggot. And that was it, fished on another half hour until too dark to see float but no more activity. Mate never had a sign on anything.

Lovely day to be out though

 

[The Runner]

And todays venue for freezing ones nads off was the Don at Sprotborough….

Got there about 10.30 and we set up on two swims about 300 yards down from the bridge. Big drop off half a rod out where it went off to 12 ft deep and then to about 14ft just short of middle. Set up only one rod, big stick taking 14 no 4 with a 20 to 0.09. Very slow start, mate 50 yards above me had a 6oz chub after an hour or so, half an hour later I bumped a fish and then nothing until just before 1 when a puppy chub saved my blank.

Picked up a bit after that, started getting fairly regular bites but had to keep making little alterations to the depth to keep them coming.
Ended up with four small chub, biggest around a pound along with about twenty roach, one decent but mostly small,( some very…)

final total around 4lb or maybe a little more. Mate had about the same, fewer fish but he picked up some decent roach on caster towards the end.
Difficult fishing but very enjoyable, the sort of day when every fish feels like a little victory.

 

[@Clive]

Have you thought about fishing the Don further up at Hillsborough? Some lovely grayling fishing there.

 

[The Runner]

Would be nice but live 450 miles away !
Only visiting friends in Doncaster so go to old mates favourite spots…

 

[@Clive]

Fair enough, but its only about 30 minutes from Donny and free fishing. Beats scratching around for small roach and chub.

 

[Steve Arnold]

December 10th and it's been frosty nights all week. My first thought for a days fishing was to grab some deadbaits from the freezer and try for a pike. But plans can change.....

As I was driving down the Lot valley I decided to look at a swim I call "The Garden". Everywhere else I had passed had looked dead with no flow, but the garden was shallow and the remnants of water let out of the Cajarc dam in the morning were still draining away. So with a trickle of flow left and some boilies in my backpack I decided barbel might still be feeding.

I checked the river temperature and was surprised it was still 9c, there was a chance!

Not so scenic on a dull December day.....

But I had the place to myself, no tourists, no dog-walkers.....and no other anglers!

I fished the quivertip rod upstream at the edge of a mid-stream crease and the heavy rod downstream near the far bank.

The downstream rod brought the first barbel a few minutes after casting. The following four barbel all on the paste wrapped boilie fished upstream.

All the barbel were between 4-5 pounds and fought well in the shallow river.

Very happy with catching mid-December barbel. The bites stopped as the water level dropped, when I got back to the car the air temperature was just 1c. I guess the barbel were getting cold too!