How did you get on?

[mikench]

Gordon and I met up at a familiar water which we both like despite mixed results. The omens did not look promising.

The water looked like a scene from Willy Wonka, a chocolate brown but not at all appetising. It transpired that just before Easter a dam at a nearby sand quarry, which I wasn’t aware of, had burst and millions of gallons of water escaped and because a ditch/ steam adjacent to the lake and its car park was blocked, the car park flooded and water escaped into the lake. The informant told me the lake was fishing worse than normal and he had only come to see if it had improved if only in appearance.

it hadn’t on all counts. Every time my feeder landed the water erupted like a chocolate fountain. Needless to say I caught nothing on the feeder. Gordon on the other hand fared a lot better and had several roach, bream and a lovely tench. Gordon took pity on me and gave me some maggots suggesting I reverted to a float. I set up the Acolyte but struggled for my two decent roach. The land owner is pursuing a pollution claim but nobody knew what contaminants other than sand were present.

We will give the place a miss for a while. A hard water is now even harder. Incompetence played a part but others struggled like me. At least I avoided, just, a blank. See you next week Gordon. Might I suggest Goose Green?

 

[no-one in particular]

Picked the syndicate water today, thinking it might warm up sooner than our club water, I was there just after 6 30 am, mick arrived later as he had a doctors appointment, as it was very windy and gusting from all directions, I picked a swim on the east bank, hoping it would be more sheltered, fished fairly close in at top kit plus two sections, as it was too windy to fish further out, fed my favourite ground bait at the moment, Sonu hemp and hali crush, it’s working well for me so far this year.

Tried maggots first which got me a roach, and then a 4lb common, plus an F1 and a couple more roach, but no tench, so I changed to sweetcorn and that did the trick, started catching tench between half a pound and 2lb, plus more roach and a couple of skimmers.

finished at 4 pm, with a total of 24 tench, plus the others,
so a good day, it was also dry and warm in the afternoon when the sun came out, in spite of the wind, enjoyed it, and mick caught well also.

First decent tench catch I have read so far Seth, well done and it is May 1st, very appropriate and cheered me up no end, the future looks bright, well, actually it looks wet but I wont let that dampen my optimism.

 

[Kevin Perkins]

HDYGO.??
Blanked.....but at least the scenery is nice.

 

[peterjg]

I haven't done much fishing this last month (April) due to lots of decorating and DIY - that's enough for this year. I have good river and canal fishing but have been struggling to find some decent lake roach fishing. Well I've joined another club and it looks like I may have found some! Been twice to the new water and had roach to the pound mark. Today started at dawn float fishing bread, caught two roach and a rudd then the swim went dead. Swapped to macaroni and had a flurry of bites for another six decent roach. Packed up quickly just as it started to rain.

 

[S-Kippy]

Me and the BF headed for Farmoor on Thursday both with an itch to scratch after our double blank last time. With the thunderstorms of Wed night I was a little concerned the rain might have put the trite off. It hadn’t.
We were heading round to fish Farmoor 1 but Farmoor 2 had trite rising all over and it’s not a good idea to pass feeding fish. Usual tactics except I swapped the point buzzer for another Daiwl Bach as the fish were clearly right up in the surface. By lunchtime ( 1 ish) I’d had a dozen, Phil not quite as many but was doing OK. The trite weren’t quite so obliging once the buzzer hatch petered out but we fished till about 2-30 by which time Phil’s back and my recently discovered hernia had had enough. I had 15 rainbows and Phil about the same only he included a brown. We both lost lumps as well.
After the double blank this was just what we needed but Migod it was cold and misty pretty much all day. It had warmed up slightly by the time we left but we both had fleeces and jackets on and there was no danger of them coming off….I even had a neck gaiter on.
Itch well and truly scratched.

 

[seth49]

Fished club water yesterday, not as good as Tuesday but got a few.

finished with 2 tench, 1 carp, 1 ide, 1 barbel, and 2 F1s, plus 14 skimmers.

turned out warm in the afternoon, after a cool start, still windy though. at least we got our two trips in this week, just hope the weather keeps improving.

 

[no-one in particular]

Just about managed to get in here, pretty overgrown now, bloody useless anyway, one roach from about 5 goes and its not the rod although that is getting heavier, I will persevere until I at least have one decent fish on it. but probably have to be when I can get on the river again. You would think this was perfect, overhanging bushes, lily pads and reeds, shallow about 4 ft, warmed up nicely but another blank. I have tried maggots but just stuck to brown bread this time on a 12 hook and a small float.
However, I think I did see a nightingale, bloke passing said he had heard one opposite me so something like a nightingale landed in the tree opposite, let out a few whistles and flew off. quite a few swallows about in fact two did the classic and landed on the telephone wires, so enjoyed it and not a bad place to sit watching a float for a couple of hours.
Tides better for sea fishing next week so might give that a go and then wait for the rivers and get a fish, da da!.

 

[Alan Whitty]

Been three times since my last post to the club lake after the crucians, out of those I've had 5 over 2lbs, biggest 2lbs 4ozs 8dms, 6 tench, three of which were over 3lbs, didn't post after each session as it seems a bit boring in text, certainly not in the doing of it....

 

[Skoda]

Went last week to complete a hat-trick of blanks at the local gravel pit. It's about four miles from where I live now. We moved house a couple of years ago and fishing has taken a bit of a back seat.

First trip in late November to start my winter roach campaign. If I say so myself, I fished really well (for me): never had a bite!

Second trip about three or four weeks ago in a mild spell; great conditions: never had a bite!

Third visit last week, another nice day. Fished maggot feeder on a bite alarm sleeper rod. Set up my float rod and fished maggot two rod-lengths out in about 11’ of water: never had a bite until 5 o’clock late afternoon.

By this time I’d swapped the bite alarm arrangement for swim feeder and sidewinder, fishing maggot at first then moved over to an 8mm Robin red pellet.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw the sidewinder move into the rod. I was so surprised I was very late striking but there was nothing there.

Over the next ninety minutes I had three more, good, positive bites with line pulled off the baitrunner. Timely strike but, frustratingly, nothing was there.

I had to pack up at 7.00pm puzzling over what I ought to do. I’m going again tomorrow afternoon and staying until dusk to try and work it out.

Will report back.


Andy

 

[Ray Roberts]

Went last week to complete a hat-trick of blanks at the local gravel pit. It's about four miles from where I live now. We moved house a couple of years ago and fishing has taken a bit of a back seat.

First trip in late November to start my winter roach campaign. If I say so myself, I fished really well (for me): never had a bite!

Second trip about three or four weeks ago in a mild spell; great conditions: never had a bite!

Third visit last week, another nice day. Fished maggot feeder on a bite alarm sleeper rod. Set up my float rod and fished maggot two rod-lengths out in about 11’ of water: never had a bite until 5 o’clock late afternoon.

View attachment 30102

By this time I’d swapped the bite alarm arrangement for swim feeder and sidewinder, fishing maggot at first then moved over to an 8mm Robin red pellet.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw the sidewinder move into the rod. I was so surprised I was very late striking but there was nothing there.

Over the next ninety minutes I had three more, good, positive bites with line pulled off the baitrunner. Timely strike but, frustratingly, nothing was there.

I had to pack up at 7.00pm puzzling over what I ought to do. I’m going again tomorrow afternoon and staying until dusk to try and work it out.

Will report back.


Andy

May have been liners. Could have tried fishing a bit closer, you will never know, lol.

 

[Skoda]

Probably Ray, but I wasn't that far out. On the same line as float fishing, a couple of rod lengths. Anyway, should be fishing in an hour so it's fingers crossed.
Cheers.

 

[Keith M]

May have been liners. Could have tried fishing a bit closer, you will never know, lol.

Probably Ray, but I wasn't that far out. On the same line as float fishing, a couple of rod lengths. Anyway, should be fishing in an hour so it's fingers crossed.
Cheers.

I remember (back in the days of the Embassy Pairs matches) winning a Barnet AC pairs match on a lake not far from Reading with over 60lb of very small Tench and Crucians together with a few Roach and Rudd; all caught within around 8 feet of the bank and under our feet right in front of us; with the other top weights in the match all being caught very close in too; with competitors who were fishing further than a rod length out failing to get many bites at all.

I know that this isn’t that common; but it does happen on the very occasional venue so it’s allways worth trying very close in.

Keith

 

[no-one in particular]

Funny coincidence this Keith but did exactly that this afternoon, started about 2 rod lengths out and then switched to just next to that bush on my right in about 4 ft of water just a couple of foot from the edge. Had 3 bream, 2lb-ish and two 5lb ish. Just a quill with a ten hook and some brown bread, tried some luncheon meat but just nibbles on that.
Rod has been christened, actually quite pleased the way it handle the big bream, both tried to make break for it but the rod acted well, softer than I thought it would be, shame it breaks your wrist trying to cast with it .
Camera packed up after the first bream so no pictures of the big ones, took the battery out later and its working again.
I don't actually like fishing here and haven't for a very long time, park lake, dogs and rats but needs must, 5 blanks in a row on a dodgy bit of canal had to be broken.
Nice day, weather good at last, robin for company and lake to myself. I was going sea fishing originally but glad I changed my mind.

 

[Alan Whitty]

A very strange day on the crucian lake yesterday, having to leave home after 8.30am means the school run and rush hour(s) come into the equation, anyway upon eventually arriving just before 10am I selected a swim I'd never fished before with a very large weeping willow with the intention of pole fishing under its branches for shade, so I sorted out a winder with a rig I'd made and plumbed the depth under them, as I edged it along I snagged, pulled this way and that and bang the main line snapped about a foot below the connection, so I could see the float so I put a weed cutter on and cut it off as near to the bottom as I could and recovered the float, so I remade the rig, knocking my tackle box containing weights, bombs etc onto the platform I was sitting on, took bloody ages to pick them all up.
Anyway onto the fishing, baited with a small pot with micros and a few 4mm pellets and missed a bite after twenty minutes, then had crucian just under a pound, I quickly rattled along to four biggest 2lbs 1ozs 8drms, then it slowed, with odd missed bite, then a tench around 2lb 8ozs, then another 3lbs, then a gap and a 2lber, I ended the day at around 4.30pm with 6 crucians, 6 tench(biggest a 4lb+ male) two carp, best about 8 or 9 pounds and surprisingly only one skimmer around a pound and a half, expected at least a dozen...because the crucians are so finicky I find using 0.10mm hooklengths imperative so carp are a handful, lol.

 

[no-one in particular]

Nice catch Alan, I was after tench and/or crucian yesterday and ended up with bream, lucky me, not really I like a nice bream and these were deep and scaly with bronzed almost black bodies and they fought well. Just an added note on the fishing close in, when I started I was fishing further out in the lake which is very deep, up to 16ft and I noticed how cold the water felt and thought the fish are more likely to be close in the margins where the water was warmer in about 4ft and the sun on it. So, at least I did get some fish, always worth thinking about the margins, A lady angler taught me that, she always fished close in, more often with just float fished worm, and she always got more fish than anyone else including some nice carp.

 

[seth49]

Back on our syndicate water yesterday for the tench etc, did find out there had been a match the day before, which usually spoils the fishing a bit due to the amount of bait that goes in.

still we didn’t do to bad, although the bites weren’t as good more delicate than usual, started on the pole at two sections plus top kit, using sweetcorn like last time, slow to start mainly skimmers and roach, till it warmed up a bit, then started to catch a few tench, I’d decided that if I caught ten on the pole I’d swap to my 13 foot float rod and an old aerial centrepin for a change.

so that’s what I did good fun as well, the tench in here really scrap, a lot harder than our other fishery for some reason, maybe it’s the better water clarity and they can see where they are going, so I got to 18 tench and mick said he was going as it was getting hot, so I said I’ll try and catch two more and pack up if I get to 20.

which I did plus 5 F1s, 1carp, and nine skimmers and roach, so another good day here.
which was spoilt by roadworks on the way home, took me half an hour longer to get through them, temporary lights on and nobody working as usual, not even traffic management monitoring the traffic and adjusting the lights either, will have to detour around this for the next three weeks.

 

[Skoda]

My trip yesterday didn’t quite turn out as I’d hoped. Arrived about 2.00pm and made a bit of a pig’s breakfast of setting up my maggot feeder rod and my pellet method feeder rig but the less said about that the better.

Eventually settled down to fish. The forecast had been for light winds and temperatures up to 18 degrees but in fact it was a cool breeze and I was getting cold in the shade. After an hour and a half, I picked up some very small rudd on the maggot feeder. Whilst I was disgorging one of those I got the only run of the day on the pellet rig and missed it: I'm no good fishing with two rods.

There was a disturbance on the adjacent bank, loud eastern European voices during the afternoon which was a bit disconcerting. It would kick-off every half hour or so and sounded a bit unsavoury. Later on, I thought I’d nip around to the chap in the swim next to me to have a word, but he’d packed up. I thought I was the last one other than the noisy lot. I was feeling a bit uncomfortable so packed up myself an hour and a half earlier than I was expecting.

At least I didn't blank

Andy

 

[mikench]

Just back home after an enjoyable day with Gordon . The weather was lovely and warm with a gentle breeze. By early afternoon I was in short shirt sleeves to go with my shorts and crocs. What a relief not having to dress like Nanook of the North. Even Gordon forsook his salopettes for jeans. I’ll work on the shorts.

We had this lot for company most of the day and they were not afraid of us one bit.

So how did we get on. Gordon outfished me as usual with a lovely tench around 4lb, a couple of chub and at least a dozen roach. I managed 3 tench and 3 roach with this being the biggest.

it was a lovely day despite struggling on the fishing front and great to be out . I might just try the float next time.

 

[no-one in particular]

Funny old game isn't it, went back to the park lake, a bit later, hoping to get a tench, same rod, same method, same baits, same everything apart I was fishing one swim along from the one yesterday but still fishing the margin just beside a bush and completely blanked, the float didn't move for 3 hours. maybe the canal jinx is catching up with me again-nevermind, sunny day and peaceful and didn't see a rat or a dog.

 

[Mark Wintle]

Just back home after an enjoyable day with Gordon . The weather was lovely and warm with a gentle breeze. By early afternoon I was in short shirt sleeves to go with my shorts and crocs. What a relief not having to dress like Nanook of the North. Even Gordon forsook his salopettes for jeans. I’ll work on the shorts.

View attachment 30112
We had this lot for company most of the day and they were not afraid of us one bit.

View attachment 30113
View attachment 30114
So how did we get on. Gordon outfished me as usual with a lovely tench around 4lb, a couple of chub and at least a dozen roach. I managed 3 tench and 3 roach with this being the biggest.

View attachment 30115
it was a lovely day despite struggling on the fishing front and great to be out . I might just try the float next time.

If that's a roach I'm a Dutchman; it's an ide.