How did you get on?

[Philip]

Regular posters may recall I have been saying that I plan to have another crack at some big Rudd this year, well the moment finally arrived with a rare full day free and perfect conditions forecast I knew it was now or never.

100 acres for the fish to lose themselves in...

The venue itself was a bit of a challenge, a very large lake of over 100 acres. The plan was to fish mag & wag if I could find fish or feeder if I had to fish blind. I spent the first hour or so just looking around but couldn’t find anything of note, a chop on the water didn’t help matters. Eventually with the clock ticking I setup on the windward bank, put out some bait then sat down behind a feeder rod to await events. However I just couldn’t settle, I knew I was in the wrong spot. My attention was being drawn to an area on the far bank with calmer water in the lee of the wind. After 2 hours I couldn’t resist the urge anymore & despite the bait I had put out & even a couple of missed bites I upped sticks & moved. The calmer water I found on the far side coincided with a weedy shallow margin that extended for several hundred meters along the bank and most important of all, it was full of Rudd including some big ones – Bingo !

First Rudd ..2lb 6oz ..

I spent the next few hours in scorching sun creeping along the bank with polaroid’s armed with just a tub of maggots, float rod & net stalking them. One group with a biggie amongst them was in a hole in the weed literally a foot from the bank. They were very nervous so crouched low behind a bush I trickled maggots in for perhaps 20mins. Gradually they gained confidence until I had them all swooping round mopping up every maggot I threw in. Rather than drop the hook bait on their heads I over casting the spot by a long way with a large bodied waggler then slowly drew the float back over them, the maggots trailing behind. A couple of the smaller fish immediately made a dash for them and I purposely yanked the maggots away at the last second & into the path of the big one, it was heart in mouth as it turned saw them and without a second thought gulped them down. A short fight & I bundled it into the net. At 2lb 6oz I was a happy chappie. I repeated the exercise for another cracker at 2lb 1oz and also lost a third fish that was well over 2lb to a hook pull.

Second fish ..2lb 1oz ...

Super simple setup..the large float just to add weight to overcast. I was visually striking the takes.

Weedy margins and nervous Rudd ! ...

As the afternoon drew on the larger fish drifted out & despite walking literally miles up and down that margin all I could find was smaller fish. With the temperature sweltering I decided to sit back in some shade and fish in the deeper water. I put out a few pouches of pellet, corn and hemp and fished a feeder with corn over the top. Perhaps an hour or two past with nothing of note then I had a very slight bite, I took a chance and struck and the rod hooped over. As it came closer I saw in the clear water it was another good Rudd. Twice it managed to avoid being netted in the thick weed before finally succumbing. It wasn’t until I laid it on the bank and peeled the net back that I realized just how big it was, a proper whopper ! The scales confirmed what I already knew as they swung past 3 & settled at 3lb 5oz and as I am sure you will agree from the photos, an absolute stunner as well.

Target fish & the one I wanted....3lb 5oz stunner ..

Despite being sunburnt, stung & exhausted the long drive home was not a problem at all !

 

[Alan Whitty]

What a cracking session,the trouble I found with big rudd venues is that suddenly they stop producing,one season I had a massive catch of rudd,with more than twenty fish over 2lbs(the majority of them over 2-12),it was all over in four sessions,the first being monumental,I never had a single rudd from there again,and I have no idea why....so congratulations and take advantage of it while you can....

 

[mikench]

Well done Phillip. Gorgeous fish.

 

[riverman]

Regular posters may recall I have been saying that I plan to have another crack at some big Rudd this year, well the moment finally arrived with a rare full day free and perfect conditions forecast I knew it was now or never.

100 acres for the fish to lose themselves in...
View attachment 26980

The venue itself was a bit of a challenge, a very large lake of over 100 acres. The plan was to fish mag & wag if I could find fish or feeder if I had to fish blind. I spent the first hour or so just looking around but couldn’t find anything of note, a chop on the water didn’t help matters. Eventually with the clock ticking I setup on the windward bank, put out some bait then sat down behind a feeder rod to await events. However I just couldn’t settle, I knew I was in the wrong spot. My attention was being drawn to an area on the far bank with calmer water in the lee of the wind. After 2 hours I couldn’t resist the urge anymore & despite the bait I had put out & even a couple of missed bites I upped sticks & moved. The calmer water I found on the far side coincided with a weedy shallow margin that extended for several hundred meters along the bank and most important of all, it was full of Rudd including some big ones – Bingo !

First Rudd ..2lb 6oz ..
View attachment 26976

I spent the next few hours in scorching sun creeping along the bank with polaroid’s armed with just a tub of maggots, float rod & net stalking them. One group with a biggie amongst them was in a hole in the weed literally a foot from the bank. They were very nervous so crouched low behind a bush I trickled maggots in for perhaps 20mins. Gradually they gained confidence until I had them all swooping round mopping up every maggot I threw in. Rather than drop the hook bait on their heads I over casting the spot by a long way with a large bodied waggler then slowly drew the float back over them, the maggots trailing behind. A couple of the smaller fish immediately made a dash for them and I purposely yanked the maggots away at the last second & into the path of the big one, it was heart in mouth as it turned saw them and without a second thought gulped them down. A short fight & I bundled it into the net. At 2lb 6oz I was a happy chappie. I repeated the exercise for another cracker at 2lb 1oz and also lost a third fish that was well over 2lb to a hook pull.

Second fish ..2lb 1oz ...
View attachment 26977


Super simple setup..the large float just to add weight to overcast. I was visually striking the takes.
View attachment 26979

Weedy margins and nervous Rudd ! ...
View attachment 26981
As the afternoon drew on the larger fish drifted out & despite walking literally miles up and down that margin all I could find was smaller fish. With the temperature sweltering I decided to sit back in some shade and fish in the deeper water. I put out a few pouches of pellet, corn and hemp and fished a feeder with corn over the top. Perhaps an hour or two past with nothing of note then I had a very slight bite, I took a chance and struck and the rod hooped over. As it came closer I saw in the clear water it was another good Rudd. Twice it managed to avoid being netted in the thick weed before finally succumbing. It wasn’t until I laid it on the bank and peeled the net back that I realized just how big it was, a proper whopper ! The scales confirmed what I already knew as they swung past 3 & settled at 3lb 5oz and as I am sure you will agree from the photos, an absolute stunner as well.

Target fish & the one I wanted....3lb 5oz stunner ..
View attachment 26978

Despite being sunburnt, stung & exhausted the long drive home was not a problem at all !

some cracking rudd their philip well done sir.

 

[The Runner]

Lovely catch of Rudd…beautiful fish .

As for me, decided it was time to have another look to see if the spurdogs have turned up yet- had a go here a few weeks ago but biteless. Headed to one of the usual spots on Loch Dunvegan between the castle and Claigan, perfect tide for it, arriving an hour and a bit before low and then just over three hours of the flood before I would have to retreat to avoid being cut off.
Lovely view over inner L Dunvegan on the way there

Set up usual running ledger, mackerel strip on a 1/0 to 80lb mono, and a 5oz grip lead. No issues today with crab pot lines, so got onto the lowest rocks at the end , where I wanted to be. Out about 60 yards, no need to go any further here, really deep water with a mostly clean bottom but a few small reefs and ledges here and there can occasionally eat some end tackle.
Nothing had happened in an hour, so set up lure rod as well. Not that good a pollack mark, would expect it to be better given that it’s at least 30 ft deep two yards out but probably the lack of weed ( only the odd patch of kelp) and rocks is the reason. Only ever had two pollack over two pounds here and they both took mackerel strip on the retrieve, with only smaller fish on lures. And no change to that today. Kept watching the tip of the big rod while I worked various lures close in to either side , one pollack about 8 inches long on a small inline sandeel - If I’d known it was to be the only fish of the day I might have taken a photo…
Lost one proper one on a paddle tail though which threw the hook right at the net , looked to be getting on for 4lb but only had one other knock on the lures apart from this.
And the tip of the big rod stayed resolutely unmoving. Retrieved and changed the bait every 20 minutes or so, completely untouched every time. Thought there might be activity as the tide rose as it was running quite hard now but no.
Gave it best about half an hour before I needed to as didn’t want to break into another mackerel for probably no reward.
View looking S and N from where I stood

A few cuckoos calling on the moor behind me and oystercatchers along the rocks but that was about it on the wildlife front. The recent warm and sunny spell seems to have made the lone Whooper Swan that had been on Loch Suardal about half a mile away decide to join its friends in Iceland after all. The other five left in early April but one, presumably the same bird that hung around all last summer, had stayed behind until at least last week.

Will leave it another few weeks before I try here again. Odd though, apparently there’s plenty of spurdog being caught from Lochs Etive and Hourn and have been for a while. Hope that “mine” haven’t just been hoovered up by a supertrawler wherever they go for the winter….

 

[The Sogster]

Against my better judgement i decided to have a few hours at the estate lake again today.
The north easterly wind was putting me off, with thoughts of it in my face off the cold water.

I arrived about 11.30am to find only one other angler there, seems the wind had put a few others off as well. The northern Bank is usually quite busy.

Anyway I set up on the southern bank to target the tench using float tactics.
I plumbed up and selected my spot before introducing some bait. As soon as the pellets etc hit the water two coots and five hungry chicks shot out of the nearby reeds and proceeded to dive with gay abandon hoovering up my offerings.
Fortunately I was saved by a grebe which must have been nesting nearby and chased the coots off.

It was then that the wind decided to change from a slightly annoying breeze to something of near gale proportions, I had to change from a 2AAA waggler to a 6 gramme loaded bodied waggler taking 5bb shot just to punch it out 3 to 4 rodlengths.
This of course made it difficult to feed accurately and tightly as I would've preferred.

Despite this I did manage five tench, one pristine 12oz roach and a small bream of around the same size. Before packing up at around 4.30pm chilled to the bone.

I enjoyed watching two buzzards being mobbed in the air by a murder of crows virtually over my head that spectacle alone was worth it.

Below is my best fish today.

 

[peterjg]

Yesterday I fished a different lake (to Wednesday) with my wife. My wife likes swingtipping and caught 3 carp to 12lbs 3ozs, a tench about 2lbs and several small roach mainly on flavoured sweetcorn. I float-legered and had a similar catch but no tench, bait was pellets. A really enjoyable relaxed days fishing with the boss who makes me laugh!

 

[wetthrough]

Had a day on a small Cheshire club water yesterday. Chosen to give @mikench a bit of a pick me up after a rather lack lustre Tuesday. You can usually bank on a reasonable bag. Unfortunately he couldn't make it, tradesman woes. Went anyway arriving around 6.45. Bad start. Leaned over the peg only for my e-cig to fly out of my top pocket into the pond. Scraped around with the net for 15min to no avail. Can't fish without my dummy so off to the nearby garage for a temporary fix. One other wriived just as I'd finished setting up, setting up behind me at the end of a long spit which almost divides the pool in two. Picked up some bits early on but it was by no means frantic fishing. A small common graced ~3lb the net followed by a small mirror, maybe 2.5lb. Ended up with 23 2 mirrors, three commons the rest being Roach of no great size. The best looking got its picture took:

Packed up around 2.30 as it had slowed right down ad was getting uncomfortably hot. Not much else pulled out. Three other anglers grumbling about it being a slow day.

 

[Ray Roberts]

I visited a strangely pretty water yesterday. It’s called Burnt Pit, it’s on my club books and has to be booked on line. The pond is a little further from Edenbridge than most of their other waters and that is probably why on this and the other three occasions I have fished it I have had it to myself. Well myself and our bailiff Brian that is, who has managed to find me on every visit. The old chap was telling me that a couple of months ago he had fallen on the bank and thought he had twisted his ankle, but he had in fact broken his leg and three toes. He managed to get back to his car and then drive to the local A&E. Well that put my bloody gout into perspective alright.

I really don’t know why this water isn’t more popular. I only blanked once and that was lure fishing for perch after a very sudden frost and a rapid temperature drop. The banks are quite steep but each peg has paved steps down to the water and at least four big slabs to fit a chair or box on. Everything is kept very Spick and span. There are three large dead tree’s protruding from the water and if night fishing was allowed it would be very atmospheric.

Unfortunately, the fishing was productive in as much as I caught several hundred fish, but most weren’t of the calibre I was looking for. I had amongst the smaller fish, around half a dozen roach around the pound mark and some rudd about the same size. All in all it was a pleasant way to while away a day.

 

[mikench]

I’m all set for next week Gordon wherever you fancy. At least you caught

 

[mikench]

Your clicker must be worn out Ray.

 

[Ray Roberts]

Your clicker must be worn out Ray.

In the afternoon I switched to an in line feeder from the float I had been using earlier. As soon as the feeder touched down I had a bite. I didn’t usually wait for the tip to bend as the line was tightening almost immediately. I will try a different approach next time. I may give a method feeder and wafters or hard pellets a try to weed out the smaller fish.


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[The Runner]

Decided on a keep fit day today , E bike ride over the hill road from Portree to Struan ( 10 miles) plus an extra two miles to Bracadale Point, rods on the back of the bike. ( actually ended up probably health neutral at best as twenty minutes from home at 8 45 got a “fancy a pint ? “ phone call and only just got in at midnight…)
Anyway , lovely morning ride over a quiet hill road , here’s the view from 3/4 of the way along at the start of a long freewheel to the sea or rather to the main road next to it.

Stopped for a coffee at the very lovely Bog Myrtle Cafe and then did the last mile and a bit to the usual parking spot.

Got to the mark about two hours before low tide, generally fishes best last two hours of the ebb and first three of the flood. Target was Thornbacks, it’s about 25 to 30 ft deep at low water where you want to be fishing , bog standard rig , running ledger with a 4 ft tail and a 4oz grip lead, mackerel strip on a 1/0. Second cast got a dogfish , then missed three good bites in a row in the next hour. Upped the hook size to a 2/0 which seemed to work but still only doggies on the end.
Set up lure rod more in hope than anything else,
it’s my go-to place for mackerel to keep the bait supply topped up but thought it would be a bit too early. Nope, odd ones showing and all a decent size so spent the next four hours watching the tip of the big rod while throwing a small Dexter wedge about. Not in any way fast or furious but ended up with nine or ten doggies and the same number of mackerel which are now in the bait freezer apart from the one that’s going on the grill for breakfast. As it got past half tide up things gradually slowed down as it always seems to here, don’t think I’ve ever caught here over the top of the tide on bait. Mackerel had disappeared as well but found a couple of pollack about a pound each close in on a Super Sprat
Dogfish as always of identical size. Think I’ve said before that I don’t share a lot of sea anglers dislike of them. Yes I’d sooner have had a couple of rays as my target species but as nuisance fish go, they’re massively preferable to bleak or micro-rudd…

Usual view shots ,sure I’ve posted before from here but it doesnt get any worse for repetition…

Looking out to sea, Gob na Hoe (sp?) headland on the L and Oronsay island R.

And across the Loch to Portnalong village, Black Cuillins behind and Ardtreck Lighthouse to the R. And also a very annoying gull which spent most of the day sitting about 20 yards short of my casting distance and trying to intercept the bait as it approached and hit the water…

Loads of oystercatchers about, couple of red throated divers further out on the loch and a group of four red breasted mergansers back and forwards a few times over the day. And had skylarks singing my way home most of the way back.

Lovely day out.

 

[@Clive]

I stopped off for a litre of maggots on route to the River Charente intending to trot for roach, but when I got to the river there was barely any flow. The overnight rain storms had caused the river to be milky green, not crystal clear as usual. So, no Avon float today, a waggler was the preferred option. I put in some maggots and mixed cereals in a bait dropper then added more by a regulated bait dropper set at half depth. The swim was 15 foot deep at the rod end so I wanted to get the loose feed through the six foot of bleak and down to the roach. I failed! Every cast with maggots brought bleak even using a 2.5g olivette just above the hook link. Changing to sweetcorn and pigeon peas beat the bleak at the expense of no bites at all. The roach, bream and carassins were elsewhere. After an hour and a half I gave up and drove to the next pound downstream where I have never caught a bleak.

For once the plan worked. I fished a top and bottom slider in 10 feet of water and had a small barbel of around 3lb, a roach and the inevitable bream in the first hour. Then nothing for another hour before the bream came back. They were all around 3lb to 4lb and fought differently to how they usually do. No head shaking and kiting, probably because there was no current to speak of. Instead they ran towards mid stream. All the fish came to maggots. Couldn't get a bite on Robin Red flavoured sweetcorn or pigeon peas.

While I was changing hook links I noticed a vole almost between my feet, feeding on the spilled cereals. It stayed unconcerned while I tied a spade end hook and swapped hook links. Once it scarpered it paid frequent short visits back so I put some grains in a quiet spot where it could feed in peace.

30C on the dial when I got back to the car at just after 5pm.

 

[Ray Roberts]

I went to a club water called Burnt Pit. It was a spur of the moment trip and I only took light spinning gear. Although it was mid morning, I was the first one there. Not for long though as the bailiff arrived before I locked the gate behind me, as did another member. This was about the fourth or fifth visit and the only time anyone else has fished while I was there. I was the perfect gentleman and let the other two set up shop before working my way around the lake.

I only had a mili-second of excitement when I snicked a carp and reeled in a solitary scale. The other two packed up after a couple of hours, while I persevered until around seven thirty, with only a couple of tentative plucks at a jelly worm. This is the second time I have lure fished the lake. The first time it was sub zero following a sudden frost and yesterday it was very warm and sunny. I have heard of some large perch from here in years gone by (3lb+) and it may be the larger specimens have died out. There have been cormorants, but there is still a more than decent small fish stock, as I discovered just the other day.

My next plan of attack may be large lob worms fished near the dead sunken trees, which are marked with white tipped canes at either end of the trunks. I have a cunning plan, lol.


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[mikench]

Gordon and I met up again for a days fishing. We chose a water which whilst moody/ difficult , does offer shade against the heat of the sun. As the forecast said warm and sunny with a SSE breeze later on it seemed a perfect choice.

Gordon can just be seen wearing his cold weather gear. Muggins wearing shorts soon donned a jacket as the very cold NE wind picked up velocity and made it feel like February.

There were about 7 others fishing by 11.0 am. This is one of only a few waters where 2 rods are allowed so I set up a feeder rod on a buzzer and fished the float for roach and Rudd.. Gordon stuck to the float and was soon catching small roach and Rudd to about 6 oz. I did the same and we both ended up with over 20 bits and had two tench apiece . My two came on the feeder and this was the best at bang on 5lb.

We are both very content when we catch our favourite fish. The other 3 were around the 1.5 to 2lb mark. It became apparent that the other anglers hadn’t caught much so we were clearly doing something right. It was really cold in the wind and many packed up early. I made a complete horlicks of fishing two rods by getting into an awful and insurmountable tangle. I had to cut my lines so packed up a little early. My float line drifted across the submerged feeder line and with a fish on became a monumental tangle and a loss of the fish.
All in all it was an enjoyable day and a reasonably successful one. Cheers Gordon and here’s to next week ; your choice of water.

 

[Alan Whitty]

Went yesterday,felt rough for most of the session but blundered through,lol,fished a club lake where very big tench are present,sadly I couldn't be there early as the previous afternoon the pump which allows enough pressure for a decent shower started leaking,so I had to wait till just after 8am for him,so after a god awful journey because of traffic I arrived at after 9am,found a beautifully shaded swim I had never fished and quickly set up a pole for cupping feed tufties haven't sussed my plan,lol,and a float rod,plumbed up and it was slightly shallower than I expected,some 6-7ft,which in clear water might not be good in the bright conditions,anyway I fed some bread mash,wheat and a few cockles into the chosen area and put two cockles on,the float settled and went straight under,5oz perch,uh oh I thought,out again another,and another,so on with a piece of breadflake,10oz rudd,a lovely looking fish,then another couple of perch,where I couldn't get more bites on the bappy,then it went quiet,with an odd bite now and again all with similar results,later on I strolled to the portaloo,had a chat with another angler and returned and had several fish one after the other until one was grabbed by a suicidal pike which eventually cut me off and led to my packing up...

 

[Ray Roberts]

A last go at the perch in Burnt Pit tomorrow. I’ve had no luck on lures after two goes. Tomorrow I’m bait fishing. I have loads of lovely lobs, maggots and raw king prawns that are soaking in predator additive. I’ve also bought some worm/fish meal ground bait. If I fail tomorrow I’ll give it up as a bad job.


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[Ray Roberts]

Well my trip after perch was sort of successful, in as much as I caught some. Unfortunately they were all small. I did have some decent roach and rudd on raw king prawn soaked in predator additive. I also had what must be the ugliest tench I’ve ever had the misfortune to catch.

The tench had a fin missing and a face only a mother could love. It’s the only damaged fish I’ve had from this water. The rest have all been mint.


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[@Clive]

Today I went in search of new swims located on google earth, but instead went in search of shade as it was 30C by mid morning. I tried a new to me stretch of the Charente and then discovered that I had been here before. Most of you will have seen this bridge on tv or the cinema, but few will recognise it.

There is a small monument that explains it;

This was where Blondie Hasler and Bill Sparks the only two survivors of the Cockleshell Heroes met the Resistance who spirited them back to England via Spain.

I found a swim in shade just downstream of a tributary that looked promising. The Wizard and Aerial found a new life lobbing feeders 30 metres out in about 1.7 metres of water. Bait initially was double maggot, but they got shredded by the millions of fry that were all over the river. Worm brought a succession of small bream of between 1lb and 2lb. A change to maggot feeder and a bunch of 4 red gozzers on a 12 Drennan Super Specialist resulted in a good bite that I thought I had missed only to find a 3 inch dace fairly hooked.

After about 2 hours the sun got to me so a move was made a short distance upstream, the other side of the tributary where it was shady. It was also deeper closer in so the Wizard and Aerial got changed into more customary float fishing gear. I put a load of grains and maggots in then fished red worm with a BB shot holding the bottom. First cast got me this bream and then another four of the same size;

Other than this opportunist and a few cyclists I never saw a soul all day.