How did you get on?

[Steve Arnold]

Finally got back down the river yesterday! Still got a severe Covid "hang-over" but it's fading and I have a little energy returning.

I decided on Cajarc as I could park up and fish. It's lazy fishing with plenty of time to admire the view.......

Just the one rod put out, too much like hard work to put another together. It' a waiting game here but I have had a lot of good barbel here in the last few years. There are big carp here as well, but today it was "something else"!

After a few hours with nothing showing the rod tip gave a couple of twitches. I picked up the rod to realise something had picked up my bait and was moving slowly towards me. My bait had been placed mid-river, by the time I caught up with it the fish was nearly at my feet.

The Chub 2.25 tc rod was bent double, whatever was hooked had not spooked, it just trundled along the bottom now heading upstream towards the bridge. By now I was convinced it was a big silure, something I really did not feel up to dealing with. So I increased the drag in a make-or-break attempt to stop the fish, or at least register my existence on it!

After about another minute of this a grating sensation through the rod was followed by the hook pulling. Now I was convinced that it had been a big silure as barbel size hooks often fail to penetrate their toothy pads. Really, I was quite happy!

Thank goodness for that! I really am not up for this level of excitement yet. Cast out again, sit back down and chill to the view. No more bites - Please!

 

[wetthrough]

Bit of a catch up. Had a couple of sessions since last posting. First on a club pool a week last Friday renowned for a potential blank. Nice place to fish and you can be in the shade for the hottest part of the day, the main reason for picking the venue. @mikench knows it well. Fairly slow through the day with little wind to speak of. Spent the day picking up the odd Roach and Rudd up through the day, a rather better stamp than usual for the venue netted maybe 30% of the 20 fish. Did have something bigger feeding in the swim, bubbles coming up but couldn't get a take, very frustrating. Around six others fishing, just one bream caught AFAIK.

Fished the dam last Thursday, one of the few days with half decent weather. A little cool on the east side early on and didn't exactly warm up much in the afternoon but quite tolerable. Struggled to pick much up although managed a half decent Perch just in front of the peg.

Not much doing at around 12M in around 8' so switched to the margin to my right. You can generally pick up some better Roach in the margin but not on the day, maybe it's a cold weather thing. Just small Roach but at least I was catching something. Back to the 12M rod, still nothing although I was getting a few bubbles coming up around the float. Decided to try a pellet. Pellet up with a 6mm Mainline Cell in a pellet band on a 16s LWG and fired some 4mm over the float. Not long before something big and heavy takes hold. I'm expecting Bream but if it is it's extremely grumpy. There's a fairly good head of sizeable carp in the water but AFAIK not that many 'small' ones although they'v e apparently put 100 stock fish in. Not that I'm expecting to encounter one in 13 acres of water gong to 30ft. Not long before I've got a Mirror on the bank just short of 9lb. I was so surprised, forgot to take a photo, duh. 31 fish altogether, mostly small Roach.

 

[barbelboi]

As I rarely fish during the close, mainly fishing rivers, there hasn’t been much to post for a while. Anyway, with a couple of weeks on the river and streams over the back fields, I took a few pics. I also had a day on a local gravel pit for a relaxing tench session with a couple of friends.

There’s a young heron that’s taking a liking to a couple of my favourite trotting swims – still, plenty of room for us both……

PS No early starts………………………….

 

[riverman]

after an 11th hour call from my brother last night (who doesnt fish rivers) asked if i'd like an outing on a pond instead.so i was up early and switched my gear over to stills as i was ready for a session on the river wharfe.turned out to be a decent day with 3 tench one of them around the 3lb mark a lovely ide around the 1.5lb mark and capped off with an 9lb 2oz mirror.in between plenty of silvers including roach skimmers and perch.in total around 30 fish.this venue is only a 1/4 acre pond but has some belters in.my best fish was a 17lb 10oz mirror 2 years ago but i've heard they go up into the mid 20's.

 

[seth49]

Well yesterday turned into a disaster, arrived at fishery at 1pm, to fish till dusk had a catch up with some of the members who I hadn’t seen for a while, picked a peg and set up, just started fishing when one of committee men came walking around saying that there was a match at 4pm and we would have to leave, we usually get a text informing us of this but not yesterday, so had a word with Mick and as access to the fishery is a single width track down two fields, we didn’t want to be leaving, when the match lads were arriving, we decided to pack up and go early, so that was it, hope we have better luck on Thursday.

 

[riverman]

Well yesterday turned into a disaster, arrived at fishery at 1pm, to fish till dusk had a catch up with some of the members who I hadn’t seen for a while, picked a peg and set up, just started fishing when one of committee men came walking around saying that there was a match at 4pm and we would have to leave, we usually get a text informing us of this but not yesterday, so had a word with Mick and as access to the fishery is a single width track down two fields, we didn’t want to be leaving, when the match lads were arriving, we decided to pack up and go early, so that was it, hope we have better luck on Thursday.

hi seth there should have been a sign on a post or tree informing pleasure anglers that there was a match on at 4.00pm.i try to avoid match venues like the plague and ring up in advance and speak to owner or go on website if they have one if i do.tight lines on thurs.

 

[seth49]

Thanks its a club fishery and they only do four evening matches a year, two on each pond, we usually get a text before each one, but he forgot, I will mention if they will put a notice on the gate in future.

 

[maggot_dangler]

River for me this morning the Tern local piece by me 2 small Rainbows couple of Browns the one looked as thou someone had painted it by hand with squares in an almost digital pattern tried to get a picture but the darn phone battery died typical learn to make sure it is actually charging tonight probably back there tomorrow if it stays dry .

 

[Alan Whitty]

Well on Saturday I had my big catch of barbel day on the small river,one that puts paid to me leaving my arthritic body aching for two days,all on the stick float and pellet,apart from a few on meatballs ...
Yesterday I went to the deep Lake and sat there struggling,opting to feeder fish as the wind looked iffy(but it never happened),had two bream/skimmers around 1lb 8ozs and a roach,had a nice day out fed a family of moorhens a selection of small pieces of bread,micros,g.bait,sweetcorn etc,seven black furballs and two adults,it amazes me how diligent these parents were insuring each chick got its share,gently offering each morsel up,as the day went on there were more 'one more wafer thin mint' moments where the chicks were obviously stuffed,lol,then the family units of reed warblers dashing past(at least five),one after the other,constantly back and forth...

 

[mikench]

And it was your birthday too Alan. Spoiled you were.

 

[Alan Whitty]

Yes,we'll and truly spoiled,my autistic son looked like kicking off,so I had to cancel our booking for a meal last night,as it happens he didn't,but the risk would have spoiled the evening...

 

[nottskev]

I watched the cricket til they resumed after lunch then drove over to the river. I ended up with a longer walk than I'd intended - some swims nearer the car park had closed up impenetrably so I had to keep walking. I didn't have much to carry, though. Inspired by Aknib's barbel, I only took a float rod and some hemp and corn. Slack in front of me for 3 to 4 rods out, the river raced through outside that and an 8g float in 5' of water was just about big enough. With a big expanse of water in front and below, my couple of pints of hemp and tin of corn soon ran out. I got three bites in 4 hours. None of them weighed 13lb, but they put a bend in the float rod

 

[The Sogster]

Had a trip to the estate lake this afternoon, the winds were howling in from the south making float fishing and feeding accurately by hand difficult so I opted for a groundbait feeder.
Used dynamite red krill mixed 60/ 40 with crushed hemp hoping for some decent tench.
Hook baits were pellets, meat and corn.
Fished a deepish channel between two pads of lilies.
Hopes were high but bites few and far between. I managed seven small skimmers all around 8 to 12oz, and one small tench that if I'd bounced the net the needle might have touched 2 1/2lb.

 

[mikench]

A shy one too. Any tench is worth catching.

 

[seth49]

On our other club water yesterday for a change, it’s a lovely place but moody, it can fish well or it can be hard, and yesterday started well, and then just tailed off, fished pole all day, at top kit plus 3 sections, fishing half a worm over chopped worm and groundbait.

had three F1s plus two tench in the first couple of hours, and then not much at all, just a few perch, on worm by the lilies, and a couple of roach on the longer line, had fish bubbling in the swim when I fed, but not picking the bait up, just getting liners or small fish, it was a pleasant day to be out apart from the cold wind that was blowing, it felt decidedly chilly at times, plenty of swallows feeding over the pond, and two little egrets did a flyby in the morning, will go back when it warms up again.

 

[Alan Whitty]

Sorry Simon(for going off piste),but to explain to Steve Arnold,my autistic son,if he goes on one with his behaviours it is a full on battle,normally he would be brilliant,but on the evening when we started getting ready we had signs of the onset of problems,so we cancelled(it would ruin others evenings as well as our own),we had a pleasant evening at home with the bonus that he didn't kick off,this booking mullarkey doesn't allow for families with problems like ours...and there are plenty out there muddling through...

 

[mikench]

You have my utmost sympathy Alan. I doubt I would cope.
Anyway Gordon and I met up at a favoured venue in the hope of some tench. The weather was perfect if a little too warm and windy but it was just nice to get out and enjoy the countryside.

The maestro can be seen in his new hat doing what he does best- float fishing. I brought Gordon some mussels and prawns and Gordon Supplied the maggots. It’s a shame the fish couldn’t be bothered to show appreciation for the cornucopia of goodies we offered them.

The sun shone and Gordon knocked me into a cocked hat with 23 assorted roach and perch and none were tiddlers. I was preparing to accept a blank when I managed a roach on the maggot feeder . I then had a nice tench of around 1. 5 lb which made my day. The fishing was disappointing but the day was enjoyable with buzzards galore. Kestrels hovering, oyster catchers, geese, ducks and swallows making us feel at one with nature . Cheers Gordon and let’s hope the fish are more grateful next week.

 

[Alan Whitty]

Don't think I'm coping at times Mike...

 

[Ray Roberts]

I made some tares ready last night for today’s attempt at catching some roach on the Medway.

It’s the first time I’ve fished this particular stretch. I spotted it when I was lure fishing the adjacent lake during the winter, then it was whooshing through as it was in flood. Today it was much slower and there was an awkward wind that started suddenly and that veered all over the place.

Not only did the wind blow the float the wrong way at times, it ran every bit of detritus floating on the surface back and forth for much of the day. I had a good day regardless and put a nice bag of roach together. I tried a variety of baits but tares out-fished them all. The best was this one that went 1lb 4oz.

It’s good when a plan comes together. I have applied for membership of this club, but it hadn’t come through yet, so it was a tenner well spent on a day ticket for a good day’s sport. I’m just packing up now, as I want the traffic on the M25 to calm down a bit.


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[Philip]

With the sun beaming down and temperatures into the 30s I doubt many people would consider going Zander fishing but past experience showed that these could be ideal conditions on a local river so off I shot for a quick dabble. Rigs were dead simple running leads and indication was the rod top. Bait was small bleak and roach that I caught with a whip I took with me.

With the sun blazing the water sports enthusiasts were out in force with jet skis & water skiers churning the water to froath and one particularly irritating speed boat that insisted on continuously doing massive roaring turns right in front of me while dragging two huge inflatable tyres behind it with whooping screaming people hanging on. Add to the mix giant barges every few minutes and even a stupidly massive floating hotel ploughing its way down river meant it was not exactly relaxing as I was having to redo the rods every few minutes as the wash would drag them all out of position.

Ideal conditions for Zander ? ..

However I persevered and was rewarded with a big drop back on the rod fishing the tail end of a dead Roach. Hitting into it I was not certain anything was on as the line was strewn with weed detached by the boats however as it came closer I felt a kick..there was a fish on there somewhere and it didn’t feel like a Catfish. As it came closer it rose in the water and I saw the shape of a good Zander, they are not the best fighters so the netting went without hiccup.

Any Zander is a result !

It wasn’t a monster, maybe pushing 8 pounds but it didn’t matter..as any Zed angler will tell you, they are such contrary fish that any Zander is a result ! As evening set in I started to get multiple rod knocks and landed a small Wels, it was my signal to pack up.

Water skiers, jets skies, speed boats, barges & this stupidly massive thing dont make for a relaxing days fishing !