no-one in particular
Well-known member
I would explain it but it would take too long, the short version is I was abducted by aliens once and they left me in Australia after they had done multi experiments on me and I have never been the same since.
How did you get on?
- Thread starter peter crabtree
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Pete Shears
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Three trips this last week with not much to report:
Tuesday on the upper Soar,steady pace nice colour but very hard to get bites,just one chub 1lb 11 and a small brown trout of about 4oz on worm.
Thursday on the Wreake, level higher than the last trip with good colour - eventually had a small dace and a roach a little larger at 6oz.
Saturday with rain forecast ,a trip to the local reservoir with the spinning gear hoping for pike - the nearest I had to a bite were tiny knocks as the lure sank,probably perch but no pike at all, but it did rain.
Tuesday on the upper Soar,steady pace nice colour but very hard to get bites,just one chub 1lb 11 and a small brown trout of about 4oz on worm.
Thursday on the Wreake, level higher than the last trip with good colour - eventually had a small dace and a roach a little larger at 6oz.
Saturday with rain forecast ,a trip to the local reservoir with the spinning gear hoping for pike - the nearest I had to a bite were tiny knocks as the lure sank,probably perch but no pike at all, but it did rain.
Started 2023 with a trip tp a deep lake on the Wolds. The frost never cleared all day despite the weak sunshine. The chilly wind was in my face and by using dead frozen pinkies in water my fingers went numb.
However the roach were willing and I had 40 odd. No bites came to anything larger than a size 20 and single pinkie on the waggler.
I had 4 hours before the sun went down and my fingers started stinging.
Roll on summer.
However the roach were willing and I had 40 odd. No bites came to anything larger than a size 20 and single pinkie on the waggler.
I had 4 hours before the sun went down and my fingers started stinging.
Roll on summer.
@Clive
Well-known member
First outing of the year; the weather was mild and overcast. Little dog doesn't like going fishing so I delayed the stsrt until after an early lunch so that I could walk her at the venue and let her settle in the car while I fished.
I went to a dammed stretch of the River Vienne that is a great silvers venue to try out my new pole. After baiting up, walking the dog, plumbing the depth at each of the top 3 sections extremities I was ready to start. Initial tactics were worm fished over maggots just where there is a crease caused by a bank of marginal weed that ends just upstream. Nothing doing so changed to single maggot on an 18 to 2lb 4oz bottom. I shortened the length to five of the six sections and started catching, initially a small roach then bleak. Once I had sorted the shotting pattern out it was a fish a chuck, or swing, or ship, or whatever pole anglers call it. It was uncanny. I was hitting bites that I hadn't realised were bites until I hit them. It was like watching an older slower version of Tommy Pickering. I got three and a roach on the same maggot.
Some of the bleak were really tiny, others were 3" or more. I euthanased some to use next week as zander baits. Then the float went under and stayed under. Some of that stretchy stuff came out of the end of the pole and I had to use a net.
Not massive, but it weighed more than all the bleak combined. Then I had another roach of around 4oz and a chub a bit bigger by fishing double maggot in the slower water a pole section length closer in. Finished off with more bleak before packing up to pick up dinner on the way home.
Regards the pole; I'm not convinced that other than the few specific scenarios I envisaged it will be my tool of choice. If I had been fishing against myself using the usual outfit I use here, a light Avon and ABU 506 I reckon I would have trounced the pole. It is so much easier to adjust shotting, depth, change bait and it must be said; land fish with a rod and reel than dismantling and re-assembling a pole.
Best fish of the day? This one........
I went to a dammed stretch of the River Vienne that is a great silvers venue to try out my new pole. After baiting up, walking the dog, plumbing the depth at each of the top 3 sections extremities I was ready to start. Initial tactics were worm fished over maggots just where there is a crease caused by a bank of marginal weed that ends just upstream. Nothing doing so changed to single maggot on an 18 to 2lb 4oz bottom. I shortened the length to five of the six sections and started catching, initially a small roach then bleak. Once I had sorted the shotting pattern out it was a fish a chuck, or swing, or ship, or whatever pole anglers call it. It was uncanny. I was hitting bites that I hadn't realised were bites until I hit them. It was like watching an older slower version of Tommy Pickering. I got three and a roach on the same maggot.
Some of the bleak were really tiny, others were 3" or more. I euthanased some to use next week as zander baits. Then the float went under and stayed under. Some of that stretchy stuff came out of the end of the pole and I had to use a net.
Not massive, but it weighed more than all the bleak combined. Then I had another roach of around 4oz and a chub a bit bigger by fishing double maggot in the slower water a pole section length closer in. Finished off with more bleak before packing up to pick up dinner on the way home.
Regards the pole; I'm not convinced that other than the few specific scenarios I envisaged it will be my tool of choice. If I had been fishing against myself using the usual outfit I use here, a light Avon and ABU 506 I reckon I would have trounced the pole. It is so much easier to adjust shotting, depth, change bait and it must be said; land fish with a rod and reel than dismantling and re-assembling a pole.
Best fish of the day? This one........
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Pete Shears
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Three trips again this week. Monday was the Wreake, a lovely morning just a touch of frost,brilliant sunshine, levels still high and a real struggle to get bites and then to connect.Eventually had a dace of about 6oz on worm
Wednesday - a deadbait piking day with a good mate on a gravel pit, blustery wind causing the alarms to bleep too often but no runs at all.
Today on the upper Soar - a bit high and quick for the fish to chase a float fished bait. legered crust accounted for three brown trout - 2lb 1,1lb 8 & 6ozish and three chub 3lb 11,3lb 9 and 1lb 11.
Wednesday - a deadbait piking day with a good mate on a gravel pit, blustery wind causing the alarms to bleep too often but no runs at all.
Today on the upper Soar - a bit high and quick for the fish to chase a float fished bait. legered crust accounted for three brown trout - 2lb 1,1lb 8 & 6ozish and three chub 3lb 11,3lb 9 and 1lb 11.
Steve Arnold
Well-known member
Yesterday fishing friend Alistair and myself went back to "the Garden Swim" that had been so productive just before Christmas. As the flow was a little less this time we decided to fish a few hundred yards further downstream to see if some bigger fish were in residence.
Well, we had great sport! The first came after about two minutes to Alistair, a barbel of about three pounds. There must have been a shoal moving around this stretch as we would take a couple, then it would go quiet for 30 minutes or so, before we would get a couple more. The fish ranged from 3 pounds to 5 pounds, nothing big.....and no carp!
I had a bigger bait on my heavy rod fished rod at long range downstream, that often picks up a carp here. It's been very mild and river temperatures are well up for January, I wonder where the carp are holed up?
This four hour session brought me 7 barbel and Alistair had four. There were bites every cast within minutes, we dropped a few fish so I suspect a lot of very small barbel were present.
My routine on this river is to have an exploratory trip most weeks, if not particularly productive for fish my next trip is to my "banker" swims to cheer myself up!
There are bigger barbel here.....I will find them! That's what I keep telling myself, anyway.
Well, we had great sport! The first came after about two minutes to Alistair, a barbel of about three pounds. There must have been a shoal moving around this stretch as we would take a couple, then it would go quiet for 30 minutes or so, before we would get a couple more. The fish ranged from 3 pounds to 5 pounds, nothing big.....and no carp!
I had a bigger bait on my heavy rod fished rod at long range downstream, that often picks up a carp here. It's been very mild and river temperatures are well up for January, I wonder where the carp are holed up?
This four hour session brought me 7 barbel and Alistair had four. There were bites every cast within minutes, we dropped a few fish so I suspect a lot of very small barbel were present.
My routine on this river is to have an exploratory trip most weeks, if not particularly productive for fish my next trip is to my "banker" swims to cheer myself up!
There are bigger barbel here.....I will find them! That's what I keep telling myself, anyway.
@Clive
Well-known member
I used to think that Steve. After 11 years and only three 9lb and a few ounces barbel to show for it I am less convinced. Location is the key to sorting out the 7lb+ fish as we have discussed before. I am now resigned to the acceptance that the occassional 8lb or rarer still 9lb fish are all that I can expect so have scaled the tackle down to make the most of the 5lb - 7lb fish that form the bulk of my catches. I am more fortunate in that the larger carp in my part of the world tend not to swim with the barbel so it is only really catfish that wreck the tackle. I can live with a few Moby D i c k encounters. They don't tend to last long.
Steve Arnold
Well-known member
Hi Clive, I think you are right about the barbel topping under 10lb. But I did see a photo last year of a Lot barbel that I was told weighed a lot more, so I keep trying!
I only had that photo in my hand for about 20 seconds, and photos can be deceptive. Arms just a little outstretched, wide angle lens and it can double the perceived size quite easily! I did not have the time to analyse that photo with my reasonably experienced eye.
Here is a chub of under 5lbs. I think the fairly wide angle lens setting and my hold adds to it's "weight" quite considerably.
As for the "zoo creatures" occasionally hooked, I think all of mine have been carp. I have never yet caught a silure on a boilie, all of mine have been on prawn or worms. None were bigger than 20lbs so barbel tackle took them easily enough, nothing like the fight from a double figure river carp!
My most recent tackle buy is a Korum Big Water 2.75 TC 13' 3-piece rod, it's proving to be very suitable for this river. Perhaps a little overkill for the smaller barbel, but the tip shows bites from any species well and it has genuine power lower down. Matched with a Shimano OC BR 8000 and good 30 lb braid it should cope with the occasional outsize fish as well.
Many will think this way OTT for river fishing, but those carp are the best fight anyone can get on river tackle. I compare the power and runs of river carp with the shark I have caught on light tackle. But here you have boulders and sunken trees to contend with!
I think that Big Water rod may be pressed into sea use one day, 90gr weights fly to the horizon (well, 100yds+) with ease. It will make a great summer light surf rod!
@Clive
Well-known member
Our techniques differ though Steve. My preferred method involves a near bank outside bend especially where there there is a choke point to concentrate the flow. Other than when I fished with you and at at Bouzies the following day I didn't cast more than two rod lengths out when barbel fishing last year. There are two swims on the Vienne where I might have to stretch to 30 metres, but that is as far as I chuck for barbel. A 60g lead or 50g feeder is as much as I need. As such a 2lb tc quiver rod is as heavy as I go when casting those weights up to 30 metres. Normally a 1.5lb tc is adequate.
I agree that photos can be deceptive, but if you trawl the Internet for gros barbeaux there is nothing to get excited about. A 7lb fish has made the local papers. There will be double figure fish in the northern rivers, the Seine and Rhone systems that historically were connected to the Thames and Yorkshire Ouse systems. If there were 10lb barbel in the southern rivers the carp staycation brigade would have caught one and broadcast it.
As for the carp turning up, it is quite rare in my barbel swims. This was caught on the 1.5lb tc rod with a 14 to 4lb hook link.
I agree that photos can be deceptive, but if you trawl the Internet for gros barbeaux there is nothing to get excited about. A 7lb fish has made the local papers. There will be double figure fish in the northern rivers, the Seine and Rhone systems that historically were connected to the Thames and Yorkshire Ouse systems. If there were 10lb barbel in the southern rivers the carp staycation brigade would have caught one and broadcast it.
As for the carp turning up, it is quite rare in my barbel swims. This was caught on the 1.5lb tc rod with a 14 to 4lb hook link.
Its something I have mentioned on here a few times that a double Barbel is still a very good fish indeed in France. There is often the assumption, you only have to turn up to have monsters crawling up your rods in France but its simply not the case for many species...Chub are another example, if I wanted a 6 pounder I would be heading to the UK not France.
Double figure Barbel do exist but they are few and far between & tend to fall to anglers fishing for Carp. Even less fall to anglers specifically fishing for Barbel. As for anglers who have caught Doubles in both England and France whilst intentionally targeting them, you can literally count those on one hand…well actually I can count the ones I know on one finger
Double figure Barbel do exist but they are few and far between & tend to fall to anglers fishing for Carp. Even less fall to anglers specifically fishing for Barbel. As for anglers who have caught Doubles in both England and France whilst intentionally targeting them, you can literally count those on one hand…well actually I can count the ones I know on one finger
Steve Arnold
Well-known member
Hi Clive,most of my swims on the river Lot are inside bend stance, casting to the main flow between 50 metres to 80 metres across the river. Nearly all the outside bend swims are impossible to get to on foot, often vertical cliffs down to the water.
That's one of the smaller cliffs, some are 300'+.
The ability to cast distance with accuracy is often paramount to success. Another reason for the powerful tackle is at the weirs - they are not neat structures but more often just boulders. These boulders are moved downstream many metres from the main weir, great cover for the fish but a nightmare for the angler.
I had a 13lb carp from a weir swim on a Greys Prodigy 1.5lb TC rod - but that was after losing two carp on the previous casts. As I had planned for barbel it was the only rod I had taken with me, since then I pack a telescopic pike rod as a backup rod for when the carp move in. It paid off last year as I had a 38.5lb carp from that exact same eddy - on the pike rod!
The abilty to cast up to 5 ozs is great for fishing upstream against the strong flow. Many of these weirs are impossible to get close to on foot, a long cast upstream and you are in with a chance of fish not many anglers will get anywhere near.
Clive, I am sure my techniques would not suit your rivers. Hopefully I will get up to your area and have a try, but I will be a "learner" again!
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@Clive
Well-known member
Yes, those bends are carved out of the sheer granit rock faces. I can understand that access to those areas would be at best very difficult. But it makes for very beautiful and dramatic scenery. I think that your experiences with the large river carp are probably as a result of fishing the inside of bends, whereas for barbel I mostly fish the outside. The Vienne is in some ways similar to the Lot except that it is much shallower. There are huge rocks, some as big as houses that have the effect of creating deeper channels and that is where I concentrate my efforts. Access can be a problem. The Charente is totally different. Deep, weedy, lots of locks and associated weirs, and a towpath. You would enjoy the fishing in the Chateauneuf area as it is just like the Mr. Crabtree swims. Hopefully this year you will get the oppertunity.
terry m
Well-known member
The Avon has been kind to me this winter with lots of pike including 3 upper 20’s, however since Christmas I have not been able to buy a bite. Same today, but after a couple of hours I retired to a small local club lake that I haven’t fished for many years. Just a couple of hours threw up a 12lb minter, and a ~5lb Jack. So returned home rather pleased.
@Clive
Well-known member
I postponed from yesterday to take advantage of a rain free forecast and it was worse today than yesterday. And I didn't take a brolly.
The Charente isn't as affected by rain as the Vienne given that it is a chalk river for much of its length. Despite that it was barrelling down and coloured. I found a boat channel to a lock that offered respite to the fish. Five minutes with Lucky Ducky and I knew that the depth varied from 1.7m to 2.5m with the depth being greater at the far side and the 100m channel got deeper towards the lock end than the river end. I started at the river end fishing lobworm on a two hook rig, tripping the bottom on one rod, and a float ledgered sardine dead bait on the second. Maggots were catapulted in every 15 minutes. I sheltered under the tailgate of the car, but still got eet through.
After two hours with just a couple of dips of the worm float to show I went to the lock end. The sardine was swapped for a bleak and the huge lobworm made way for half a lob on a single hook. Same result.
The Charente isn't as affected by rain as the Vienne given that it is a chalk river for much of its length. Despite that it was barrelling down and coloured. I found a boat channel to a lock that offered respite to the fish. Five minutes with Lucky Ducky and I knew that the depth varied from 1.7m to 2.5m with the depth being greater at the far side and the 100m channel got deeper towards the lock end than the river end. I started at the river end fishing lobworm on a two hook rig, tripping the bottom on one rod, and a float ledgered sardine dead bait on the second. Maggots were catapulted in every 15 minutes. I sheltered under the tailgate of the car, but still got eet through.
After two hours with just a couple of dips of the worm float to show I went to the lock end. The sardine was swapped for a bleak and the huge lobworm made way for half a lob on a single hook. Same result.
todays session was better than i thought it would be despite the weather.3 carp on the leger with sokolov (polish garlic sausage) biggest around the 5lb mark.plenty of silvers on the pole with maggots roach perch skimmers and gudgeon keeping me busy.fished from 08.00 till 15.30.nice peg and was nice to get out again.
mikench
Well-known member
The forecast today looked reasonable set against the rest of the week and next so I decided to go fishing. I arrived at my favourite water around 8.45 to find nobody there. The field I would have to trudge across looked like the Louisiana swamps with large areas of surface water and thick mud everywhere. I could easily have gone home but decided I would at least walk to a peg to have a look and I might as well take a barrow load with me.
Curiously my favourite peg was the most accessible even though my chair was in water. All the other pegs were underwater.
The front rest is normally in hard ground but the levels were at least 2’ higher than normal. I wasn’t confident and the forecast was soon discovered to be a hoax with gale force winds and rain. I was regretting my decision already. However 5 of these saved a blank.
And 6 of these made up ( just) for all the thick mud everywhere.
I have never seen as much saturated ground at this venue churned into mud. This last 5 months has seen the lowest and highest levels ever. At least it wasn’t cold and it was good to be in the fresh air and on my own. On balance it was worth the effort just. I might think differently tomorrow as I clean all my gear.
Curiously my favourite peg was the most accessible even though my chair was in water. All the other pegs were underwater.
The front rest is normally in hard ground but the levels were at least 2’ higher than normal. I wasn’t confident and the forecast was soon discovered to be a hoax with gale force winds and rain. I was regretting my decision already. However 5 of these saved a blank.
And 6 of these made up ( just) for all the thick mud everywhere.
I have never seen as much saturated ground at this venue churned into mud. This last 5 months has seen the lowest and highest levels ever. At least it wasn’t cold and it was good to be in the fresh air and on my own. On balance it was worth the effort just. I might think differently tomorrow as I clean all my gear.
Steve Arnold
Well-known member
Well, I blanked two days ago! First time for a little while, so today I had a short walk at a campsite stretch of river where I have caught big chub a few years ago.
The campsite had been abandoned for some time and the bankside was totally overgrown. But this last year the municipality has shown interest in it again so hedges have been cut and a start made on the banks.
The campsite is only ten minutes down the hill from my home, so I will certainly be back there at some time this summer.
There are huge carp in this section as well. Silure, chub, bream, carp all grow to good sizes - hope the campsite plans on some fishing stages being constructed!
My best chub from here, 5lb 12ozs if my memory is correct......
edit: I thought you all might enjoy this link I found on the campsite website......
I wander around the Lot in awe! Occasionally my wife and I holiday further afield, but when we return our thinking is how wonderful it is here - why do we go anywhere else? Apart from peak holiday periods the locals have this valley very much to themselves!
The campsite had been abandoned for some time and the bankside was totally overgrown. But this last year the municipality has shown interest in it again so hedges have been cut and a start made on the banks.
The campsite is only ten minutes down the hill from my home, so I will certainly be back there at some time this summer.
There are huge carp in this section as well. Silure, chub, bream, carp all grow to good sizes - hope the campsite plans on some fishing stages being constructed!
My best chub from here, 5lb 12ozs if my memory is correct......
edit: I thought you all might enjoy this link I found on the campsite website......
I wander around the Lot in awe! Occasionally my wife and I holiday further afield, but when we return our thinking is how wonderful it is here - why do we go anywhere else? Apart from peak holiday periods the locals have this valley very much to themselves!
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barbelboi
Well-known member
With the weather being somewhat warmish for January I took a couple of visits over the back fields for some trotting for roach and dace. The dace were a bit hard to locate as they tend to leave their usual warmer weather locations late October/early November then they’re back again for early season. The roach are usually a bit easier to locate, especially when you’re familiar with the river.
@Clive
Well-known member
Today has got to be the worst day's fishing I've had for a long time. The weather forecast last night predicted 12C and cloud cover. What I got was everything else except snow! Driving to the venue I could see that the clear blue sky was going to spoil my planned assault on perch and zander in an arm of the Charente just off a giant mill pool the looks like a salmon fishing location. So, I headed for a tree lined stretch and trotted worm down to a tree raft for two bites that I failed to connect with.
Didn't feel the love for that swim so went to the original planned swim and found it too exposed to the bright sun and two boats each with two lure anglers in them right where I intended dead baiting.
Drove down the riverside track that becomes a grassy track and is quite narrow in places. The car coped on the mud until we came to the narrowest part which was now even narrower after the farmer had pinched an extra metre in his ploughing. On my left was a 5 foot drop into 12 foot of water and the banks are undercut by current and coypu. To my right a one foot drop into the gulley created by the plough and only just a car width beteen them. At one point there was a gradient down to my right and the car slid into the gulley. Despite driving with full left lock it wouldn't climb out. After some long reverses followed by even longer forwards the car climbed out and ended up 90 degrees to the track with the river in front and the gulley behind
Got out of gaol with that and managed to get to my swim. The problem being that I usually exit the way I had come in as the only other way out involves a long stretch over muddy rutted tracks with an uphill gradient. Oh! And three 90 degree bends with ploughed fields either side
Hooked a fish first trot down, probably a chub, never saw it, bumped off. Then, all of a sudden a squall arrived. Gale force wind, horizontal monsoon like rain and a huge gunmetal grey cloud overhead. Rain was hitting my back and running down forming a puddle in my chair. The maggot box was uncovered so they got wet and started the great escape. I had no waterproofs on, just fleece and a padded waistcoat over normal cotton / poly trousers.
That lasted around fifteen minutes. I moved to a more sheltered spot in the same swim and tried stret pegging. Still hadn't had the dead bait rod out of its sleeve. Half an hour later someone switched the lights out and another squall arrived. I dashed to the car just before everythjng got peppered with 5mm hailstones. That turned to rain and the already muddy track was now slime.
Packed up less than 3 hours after starting and only just managed to drive out of the zig-zag track that had been heavily rutted by a tractor with liquid mud in the wheelings. After climbing the limestone reinforced incline to the road I patted the instrument binnacle and said a thank you to Mr. Honda. That is the end of that venue until April at least. It is going to get much worse before it gets better.
Didn't feel the love for that swim so went to the original planned swim and found it too exposed to the bright sun and two boats each with two lure anglers in them right where I intended dead baiting.
Drove down the riverside track that becomes a grassy track and is quite narrow in places. The car coped on the mud until we came to the narrowest part which was now even narrower after the farmer had pinched an extra metre in his ploughing. On my left was a 5 foot drop into 12 foot of water and the banks are undercut by current and coypu. To my right a one foot drop into the gulley created by the plough and only just a car width beteen them. At one point there was a gradient down to my right and the car slid into the gulley. Despite driving with full left lock it wouldn't climb out. After some long reverses followed by even longer forwards the car climbed out and ended up 90 degrees to the track with the river in front and the gulley behind
Got out of gaol with that and managed to get to my swim. The problem being that I usually exit the way I had come in as the only other way out involves a long stretch over muddy rutted tracks with an uphill gradient. Oh! And three 90 degree bends with ploughed fields either side
Hooked a fish first trot down, probably a chub, never saw it, bumped off. Then, all of a sudden a squall arrived. Gale force wind, horizontal monsoon like rain and a huge gunmetal grey cloud overhead. Rain was hitting my back and running down forming a puddle in my chair. The maggot box was uncovered so they got wet and started the great escape. I had no waterproofs on, just fleece and a padded waistcoat over normal cotton / poly trousers.
That lasted around fifteen minutes. I moved to a more sheltered spot in the same swim and tried stret pegging. Still hadn't had the dead bait rod out of its sleeve. Half an hour later someone switched the lights out and another squall arrived. I dashed to the car just before everythjng got peppered with 5mm hailstones. That turned to rain and the already muddy track was now slime.
Packed up less than 3 hours after starting and only just managed to drive out of the zig-zag track that had been heavily rutted by a tractor with liquid mud in the wheelings. After climbing the limestone reinforced incline to the road I patted the instrument binnacle and said a thank you to Mr. Honda. That is the end of that venue until April at least. It is going to get much worse before it gets better.
I admire your tenacity Clive.