How did you get on?

[jon atkinson]

Getting out this weekend was always looking unlikely so a grabbed a few hours in the heat & sunshine on a club water on Wednesday afternoon. I haven't fished the 'Carp pond', the water in question for about 3 years, but 'complaints' of late about 'too many Tench' and 'not enough Carp' were just the encouragement that I needed! I opted for the waggler, but a little heavier than usual just in case I did happen across a Carp... no such 'luck', indeed it was really tough from the off. Another member turned up - he had had a red letter day with Tench the last time that he fished this pond, but he couldn't buy a bite on Wednesday. I started on corn, tried bread and banded pellet, but only managed a couple of small Rudd - although it was pleasant to be out, the conditions clearly weren't helping. I decided to scale down 2 a 16 on 2.5lb hooklength and wouldn't you know, within 5 minutes, the float dipped and a Tench of 2 lb or so was soon netted. A couple more small Rudd followed but despite plenty of bubbling in the swim no more Tench... until perhaps 30 seconds before my 7 pm 'curfew', a slight lift of the float, then away it sailed. Smaller than the first, but given how the session started, I was happy with my brace!

 

[nottskev]

I gave the river a break and went to the irrigation res this afternoon. The farmer's not been pumping - no shortage of natural irrigation this summer - so the water level was high. The wind persisted all afternoon with rain from time to time. I know you fish into a warm wind and all that, but I was happy to sit with my back to it. Anything loose blew away and I put up a brolly to keep the worst of it off. I hate brollies, but the wind was the sort that sends you home early.

I started fishing as I usually do here - touch-legering and free-lining (floats are banned) meat or mussel over hemp and chopped meat feed down the steep slopes to left and right. Today I had to add a fair blob of putty on a short link so I could get hold of the line in the wind to re-bait. I couldn't get a bite for two hours over the feed or in the normal places. I've got a habit of dropping a handful of feed at my feet, literally, in this swim, just to see what comes to eat it. After a couple of carp had come and waved their tails at me, I thought I might as well fish there as I couldn't get a bite fishing properly. It was all a bit farcical, trying to hook fish that were nearer to my reel than the rod tip. I suppose I could have moved my seat back 10 feet, but my brolly was lashed to an iron post and I couldn't be bothered re-organising everything. It took a big handful of feed to get fish to come in, and I didn't have all that much bait, but the trick worked half a dozen times and these were the best three

I was disappointed that a very big white ghost carp which had made a tour of all the snags in the first pic came off at the net. I was already thinking, you'll make a nice pic, so I suppose I asked for it.

 

[Skoda]

I’ve just tried out a river/drain very close to where I now live; it’s about three miles away; I’ve walked along part of it six or seven times over the last year, never seen anyone fishing or seen any sign of fish activity. It’s affected by the tides, and I’ve seen it flow both ways; it floods in the winter. It looks pretty good for stick float fishing which the club book recommends along with groundbait feeder; I brought both. They also suggest not to be surprised if a sea trout or a flatty turned up! Oh, and the occasional seal from time to time!

The river is about twenty yards wide, and I was expecting it to be about five or six foot deep but was shocked to discover it’s about nine to eleven foot in the centre with quite steep sides.

I got to the bank expecting the tide to just be turning but it was still coming in, right to left. Drennan 12’ Matchpro, old Mordex Merlin centre-pin reel loaded with 3lb line, 5BB wire-stemmed stick float, size 16 hook and two red maggots, rather an old-school approach which I haven’t had the opportunity to try for ages.

It was near enough a bite a chuck most of the afternoon with roach between 3oz-12oz, perch 1oz-6oz, bleak, and 3 mitten crabs (two dropped off and one made it to the bank, not returned.). When the tide turned after about an hour and a half the wind became downstream, so I switched to groundbait feeder with similar results. The bites slowed up after I switched to sweetcorn for the last hour, but the quality of the fish improved. The club book says there are skimmer bream, and there must be pike and possibly Zander?

Really enjoyed the session; a bit of trotting; plenty of bites and fish; areas to improve on, coaxing the better fish; three miles from home. What’s not to like?

Andy

 

[mikench]

Gordon and I agreed to meet up at a pool we hadn’t fished for a year. There was probably a good reason why we hadn’t rushed back. I was late as I had to wait for the windscreen chip guy from Halfords to come which he did around 9.00;am and he was finished by 9.30. Excellent service and at £40 , very reasonable . Anyway Gordon wasn’t at the pool but close. I’ll say no more but I brought some tools and we arrived at the pool together.

It’s a 1.5 acre pool with lots of big carp which cruise around oblivious of anglers and their hook baits. It was slow going with just small perch on maggot obliging us both. I was able to use two rods so set up the MAP Parabolix bomb rod and cast in near the lilies. I then set up the float road. It’s was very slow with just the odd small perch being caught.

By late afternoon we both concluded that the morning antics were the highlight of the day until I finally got a twitch on the bomb rod. I knew it was a carp immediately which had succumbed to some polish garlic sausage on a size 12 bait stop hook with a sliding link ledger of 2 ssg’s, The rod is a little cracker and turned the fish as it headed for the lilies time and again.

An unusual golden coloured mirror of Just 10lb was the result and made my day. It looked and felt far bigger but scales don’t lie or do they. An eventful day Gordon I think you will agree and an enjoyable one.

 

[nottskev]

Gordon and I agreed to meet up at a pool we hadn’t fished for a year. There was probably a good reason why we hadn’t rushed back. I was late as I had to wait for the windscreen chip guy from Halfords to come which he did around 9.00;am and he was finished by 9.30. Excellent service and at £40 , very reasonable . Anyway Gordon wasn’t at the pool but close. I’ll say no more but I brought some tools and we arrived at the pool together.

View attachment 27696
It’s a 1.5 acre pool with lots of big carp which cruise around oblivious of anglers and their hook baits. It was slow going with just small perch on maggot obliging us both. I was able to use two rods so set up the MAP Parabolix bomb rod and cast in near the lilies. I then set up the float road. It’s was very slow with just the odd small perch being caught.
View attachment 27697
By late afternoon we both concluded that the morning antics were the highlight of the day until I finally got a twitch on the bomb rod. I knew it was a carp immediately which had succumbed to some polish garlic sausage on a size 12 bait stop hook with a sliding link ledger of 2 ssg’s, The rod is a little cracker and turned the fish as it headed for the lilies time and again.
View attachment 27699
An unusual golden coloured mirror of Just 10lb was the result and made my day. It looked and felt far bigger but scales don’t lie or do they. An eventful day Gordon I think you will agree and an enjoyable one.

That carp's a lovely colour and the kind of fish that makes it a good day if you can keep it out of the lilies.. What is all that on your bait table, Mike? Is it all for the fish or for you? Is that a four-section bait box full of pasta? Whatever it is, well done.

 

[mikench]

Its all for the little fishes. Pellets, tools, various other baits , catapult, disgorgers, hooks etc. That table is my favourite bit if kit.


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[mikench]

That carp's a lovely colour and the kind of fish that makes it a good day if you can keep it out of the lilies.. What is all that on your bait table, Mike? Is it all for the fish or for you? Is that a four-section bait box full of pasta? Whatever it is, well done.

Kev I find the four section boxes perfect for my needs . One holds my Mainline cell pellets in 2, 4,6 and 8 mm sizes. Another holds the equivalent Robin Red and a third an assortment including JB dumbbells. I label each one . I used to buy the Sensas variants but found the lids hard to put on and take off. I now use Stonfo which are much better. Each contains more than enough pellets for a couple of days fishing.

ps Garbolino make a nice one with a transparent lid. As you may imagine I have one.

 

[seth49]

On my own yesterday as mick had a hospital appointment, so went back to the big tench pond, did a bit of raking and removed some of the irises which were taking over the swim, and had a nice clean area to fish over, after I’d tackled up and prepared the pellets and ground bait, the water had cleared and as the sun had come it was like looking into an aquarium, small perch and roach and a jack pike which positioned itself just of the groundbait, it’s done this before I thought, now because of the weed and irises etc I’d brought my 12 ft greys barbel rod with the Avon tip fitted, 20 lb braid and 9lb reflo hooklenghth with a drennan weighted insert waggler fishing corn for bait.

now the pike proved to be a right pain in the proverbials, it kept attacking the small roach which were coming to the ground bait, so I put a worm on dropped it in front of it which it took, fought for a few seconds and then bit me off, and shot off so I hoped that was the end of that, but no like Arnie it was soon back, decided that every roach I hooked was it’s next meal.

did get one tench and lost another later, before it grabbed a small roach I’d hooked and somehow it transferred the hook to the corner of its jaw, so I managed to land it after a scrap, it even went airborne a couple of times, it disappeared after that, and I had to leave at three to pick my wife up to go for our new tele, so a different day as I haven’t had a pike for years, enjoyed it though.

 

[wetthrough]

I'm always pleased to see @mikench but never more so than yesterday. It's more than a year since we fished the venue and I couldn't remember the details of the final part of the journey. Got most of the way, saw the gate (or what I thought was the gate). Put the code in the combi lock, went through and like a good member locked the gate behind me. went about 1/4 mile down the track and realised I was in the wrong place. Back to the gate. Would it unlock? would it hell. Oh damn said I. Stuck in a field a very long way from civilization at around 6:30am. Mike was set to come later anyway due to a windscreen repair in the morning. The only way out of this that I can see is to take the gate off its hinge. The only thing stopping the hinge coming off is a split pin. Managed to bend the split pin back with my shot pliers but couldn't get it straight enough to come out without a hammer. Dropped him a line to tell him my tale of woe. After what seemed like forever Mike arrives with a hacksaw and various tools. Once the split pin bent bits were sawn off it knocked through with a bit of twisting and turning. Duh. Despite that and the fishing being less than sparkling it ended up and enjoyable day.

Mike's picture doesn't do the Mirror he caught justice. A stunning fish in the flesh.

 

[Ray Roberts]

I had a really nice day fishing with my youngest granddaughter today. We went to a club water and although I have taken her before, it was her first time fishing with a running line. She was a natural, she caught 42 tench up to three pounds and a cracking crucian carp. After a couple of hours tuition she was fishing by herself and caught, netted and unhooked most of the fish on her own. I didn’t do too shabbily myself, in between teaching her and undoing tangles, I had 70 tench to just over 3.5lb and one crucian. My granddaughter was over the moon as she managed to catch more than her sister had when I took her earlier in the year.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Steve Arnold]

I made the mistake of fishing an afternoon session two days ago. It was forecast to be cloudy with a high chance of a thunderstorm, during this heatwave period I would welcome a storm bringing some rain!

But the cloud cleared, no sign of rain, the temperature remained around 38c. There were holiday carpist in the wooded swim next to me, every so often it sounded as if the bottle bank was being emptied, so I wondered if they would be disruptive morons. Happy Days, Doh!!!

About 6pm I had a bite and reeled in a 2lb barbel, maybe the evening would be cooler and the fish more responsive? That did not happen, but the mosquitoes liked the humidity and added injury to climate insult. Double Doh!!!

I heard a pheasants alarm call and a rustling in the woodland. Then a lady walking her dog got very verbal (in french, of course!), oh the joys of the river during the french holidays! A few minutes later two youths and a buxom wench with a dog, all clad in summer swimming gear, appeared from the woods.......one lad carried a hefty cock pheasant, "we don't know what to do with this, do you want it?" At first that was said in french, he quickly assessed my confusion and spoke to me in very good English.

Anyway, the trio turned out well mannered and not noticeably drunk. They left the pheasant with me and I called across to Alistair who was fishing nearby. He is of the English shooting class so I presumed he would be an able "pheasant-plucker". I loaned him a sharp knife and he got two very plump breasts off the bird.

Alistair was fishing a new swim that has recently been cleared. Like me he caught just one small barbel.

After the holiday season I will give this swim a good try. The weed bed has one channel through it, I had spotted carp here but the undergrowth had been far too dense to get near. Looking forward to the Autumn fishing now, had enough of the heat, flies....and tourists!

I only picked up a couple of more bites, but from mosquitoes, time to go home!

 

[Alan Whitty]

Well, the fishing on the Stour is even harder than I expected with only 2 more chub to report, odd liners in certain swims, the mosquito population have been getting a good feed however, my autistic son had a major meltdown last night and was pulling my shoulders from the rear seat of the motor,had to stop to ease the risk of an accident, we rang 999 and asked for police(as we have been told to do) they said it wasn't police's remit(protecting the wife and I ????) so called an ambulance, we were sat in a retail car park with a screaming, angry young man with a vixen watching us from about 7 yards away, after two phone calls from a paramedic and an hour later it was decided they weren't coming out, what a bloody surprise...

 

[nottskev]

Well, the fishing on the Stour is even harder than I expected with only 2 more chub to report, odd liners in certain swims, the mosquito population have been getting a good feed however, my autistic son had a major meltdown last night and was pulling my shoulders from the rear seat of the motor,had to stop to ease the risk of an accident, we rang 999 and asked for police(as we have been told to do) they said it wasn't police's remit(protecting the wife and I ????) so called an ambulance, we were sat in a retail car park with a screaming, angry young man with a vixen watching us from about 7 yards away, after two phone calls from a paramedic and an hour later it was decided they weren't coming out, what a bloody surprise...

My thumbs up emoji looks wrong there, but there isn't one for flippin' heck ....

 

[seth49]

I'm always pleased to see @mikench but never more so than yesterday. It's more than a year since we fished the venue and I couldn't remember the details of the final part of the journey. Got most of the way, saw the gate (or what I thought was the gate). Put the code in the combi lock, went through and like a good member locked the gate behind me. went about 1/4 mile down the track and realised I was in the wrong place. Back to the gate. Would it unlock? would it hell. Oh damn said I. Stuck in a field a very long way from civilization at around 6:30am. Mike was set to come later anyway due to a windscreen repair in the morning. The only way out of this that I can see is to take the gate off its hinge. The only thing stopping the hinge coming off is a split pin. Managed to bend the split pin back with my shot pliers but couldn't get it straight enough to come out without a hammer. Dropped him a line to tell him my tale of woe. After what seemed like forever Mike arrives with a hacksaw and various tools. Once the split pin bent bits were sawn off it knocked through with a bit of twisting and turning. Duh. Despite that and the fishing being less than sparkling it ended up and enjoyable day.

Mike's picture doesn't do the Mirror he caught justice. A stunning fish in the flesh.

If it happens again it may be the lock is like some combination locks I’ve come across, where you have to to squeeze the lock together before it will open after entering the combination.

 

[@Clive]

Had a day on the Charente. I had set my mind on float fishing for roach and whatever else came along so I had packed my 13' fibreglass match rod and ABU 506 reel along with a cane Wallis Wizard and old centrepin. I needed shade and had a swim in mind. It was a 300 yd + walk from the car so I took the one rod, seat box and the net along with bait and rod rests intending to fish for 2 hours then walk back and have a late lunch at the car.

After plumbing, baiting, shotting it was 12:30 and I bumped a fish off first cast with maggot on a waggler then had no bites for well over an hour. Not even bleak! I was fishing about 4 rod lengths out in what can be a prime spot, but today

Then I wound in and fished half a rod length out which was still 12 ' deep. After about ten minutes I landed a roach of about 6oz. A short time later I missed another bite, but as the maggot bait came to hand I saw a small chub in front of me. The maggot hook bait was dropped in front of it and I had my second fish in seconds. I then fluked another roach on the orininal line. Two hours for 3 fish wasn't good so I went back to the car and drove elsewhere.

Two pounds downstream, accessed via a farm track is a very tight swim with plenty of shade, but not much headroom. The 11' Wizard was set up with a sliding float to fish a 10' deep swim a rod length out. The banking is about 4' above the water level. Standard tactics are to fish it float ledger in winter and tripping the bottom in low flow conditions. I put in some bait then had my late lunch. First cast returned a bream of around 2lb and another followed about half an hour later before the swim died. By 4:30pm I was ready for packing up and as I leaned forward to put the lid on the maggot box I noticed that there was a shoal of bream in front of me! They were tucked up next to the bank in about 8' of water under my rod. I lifted the float and tackle, slid the stop knot down and with the rod held almost vertical the worm was lowered into the swim. Eureka! Another bream. Forty minutes later the same thing happened. I looked down, saw the bream and dropped another worm on their heads. Three went for it and I hooked the middle one.

And that was enough for me. A slow day made better by a spot of good luck. At 7pm it was 33C on the car's display.

 

[nottskev]

I was busy til 4pm but I fancied a couple of hours on the irrigation res. On Monday I fluked a few fish that, with the level so high, came to feed where I'd normally put my box. I wondered how I could fish so tight to the bank more properly, so today I fished from where this pic was taken - normally, I like to get my toes in the water.

There's a little shelf about 18" deep right in front of the slabs, and that was the only place I could get a bite last time. They'd only come up the slope if you fed them enough, and I soon ran out of bait, so today I was better prepared with 4 or 5 pints of hemp, chopped meat and pellets.
The late arrival suited too, as I find the place only comes alive at tea time.

The first fish to turn up was my pet ide. It seems to follow me around, nosing around for scraps at my feet. It's looking a bit old and tired, and I try not to catch it - I lifted the bait out of its reach several times - but it managed to get caught. The owner tells me ide around the 8lb record have come out, and it's true they are abnormally large

I walked a few swims away to put it back. After feeding for a while, a few carp came in, and this was interesting. I don't usually get to see what's happening, but I could see how the fish were behaving quite clearly. My efforts to fish under the bank "properly" included keeping out of sight behind the bushes, making sure the rod didn't protrude over the water, burying the hook in the meat bait, and using blobs of putty to make sure all the line was nailed to the bottom. Even so, I still caught only a tiny fraction of the fish that came into the swim. I was shocked to see how may good fish came in, saw something they didn't like and bolted. And to see how many came, scoffed as much of the feed as they liked, and left the hookbait untouched. If one fish rejected the bait, that was the kiss of death and no other fish would go near it. Chastening, and plenty of food for thought. If a fish did pick the bait up, I had to be quick to the front of the swim to stop it diving into snag city round the corner, and I had a couple of hook-pulls trying to stop them.

Here's a sample of the ones that did slip up

I came home plotting how to get more bites and avoid spooking so many fish.

 

[seth49]

Back on our syndicate water yesterday, it started well with 3 tench and 2 crucians, and then it went quiet after that, pestered with small perch on the worm and just a few bites on corn or expander pellets, the margin which produced all the roach last week was quiet as well.

did get a few roach and a couple of F1s later, but it was very slow, in fact by 2pm we decided we had enough and packed up to go home, mick blamed the east wind maybe he was right.
for some reason I can’t add photos.

 

[seth49]

And now I can?.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

Lovely fish, like two bars of gold.

 

[mikench]

Another little excursion for Gordon and I hoping for a tench or two. We met up at a lovely but temperamental water which we have visited before.

This was at 7.30 am after setting up.

The maestro a little later as cloud cover rolled in. It rained on and off for a few hours but not heavy and with little wind , we were not put out. Gordon started catching on the float from the off and had a dozen or so respectable roach and Rudd. I managed 3 tench of which this was the biggest at around 3lb.

I also managed 3 common of which this at 9:13 was the biggest.

It was a chunky fish which fought like stink on my bomb rod. I love this rod( MAP Parabolix) and it was an enjoyable day all round with honours even. Cheers Gordon and let’s hope we can manage another trip on Thursday.