How did you get on?

[nottskev]

The bloke who runs the woodland ponds on the estate - it's Byron's ancestral home - told us he'd added another pool to the ticket. I thought I'd drive out and find it just to have a look, but why not throw a bit of gear in the car? I was delighted with the place. Secluded and pretty, there's a fair size "open" section, with a little maze of backwaters around islands linked by footbridges.

I'd only taken a float rod and pin and some bread and maggots. I'd no idea what was in there. There were quite a few decent size fish cruising sub-surface and they soon homed in on some maggots. They weren't daft, though, and in two hours chasing them I got 4 bites and caught 3. In the meantime they took every maggot except the one on the hook. They spooked from the reel line, they spooked from the float, they spooked from the hook. They had the water rocking as they dived on the feed - but avoided the hookbait. I had to go down to a 20 on .10 to get a bite, but when I did catch one it was the prettiest ide I'd seen for a while

I don't think they'll give me such a runaround when I have the pole with me. Sod's law dictates that you'll hook something big just when you've scaled your tackle down, and the next fish hooked moved so quickly it seemed to be in two places at once. I wondered what it could be until the biggest trout I've ever seen cleared the water. I was disappointed but not surprised when the hook pulled. Shortly after I hooked a smaller relative and this one stayed on the hook

A bloke turned up and set up to fish for carp, and mentioned there are some tench. And bream. And barbel. It's nice to have a new place to get to know.

 

[Ray Roberts]

I fished a new to me lake today. I picked my mate Richard up at 6:45 this morning and headed off to an old ballast pit.

It looked pretty good but many of the swims were overgrown with lilies. We found a couple of swims that were pretty clear and set up. I decided to fish a float just off the pads about two rod lengths out. The day turned Into a bit of a grueller. Richard blanked and I had around twenty fish none of any great size. I lost a very good fish that tore off towards the pads and the hook length broke at the spade, which was disappointing. It was a Drennan which i have found pretty good in the past. I tie my own now but had run out of the size I wanted to use.

There were half a dozen other anglers fishing the pit and as far as I could tell they all fared as well as Richard. The obligatory robin showed up for a feed and once he had a beak full flew off to the other side of the lake leaving a few on the ground each time. I presume he had a nest nearby. A couple of kingfishers were darting back and forth for most of the day. I managed to get my landing net out of the water just before another grass snake made its way into the mesh. That’s two on consecutive trips. I think I caught the water on an off day and will definitely give it another go.

 

[Islandbear]

Well few hours bankside yesterday resulted to bream landed and 2 dropped of just before net. Lad couple swims away had it seemed a nice near 5lb bream.

On a side note is it just me or anyone else get annoyed at folks with mobile on sound hearing the notifications thing beeping and then answering or shouting at a phone call

 

[Islandbear]

Monday made up for it though
First for me Crucian...Nice slab of Bream and 9 tench banked. 1 dropped off as getting net under that was bigggggg All in all great day.
Just a couple of piccies below.

 

[nottskev]

Back to the new woodland pond. I wanted to see if I could catch with the pole the ide that had been next to impossible on rod and line. I had a walk around this time, and it looks pretty from every angle

The place is deliciously neglected and I squeezed in next to the kind of platform only a fool would step on. I don't like being perched above the water anyway.

One or two of the big ide were cruising around and I'd come better prepared this time, with a rig with a small crystal dibber, some .13 fluorocarbon and a tub of luncheon meat chopped to about 4mm as a slow-sinking bait. Like last time, they were onto the feed straightaway but still had an uncanny ability to avoid your hookbait. But with the pole it was certainly easier to induce a bite one way or another, and I upped the score from 3 last time to 8, all around this size

I also did a bit better with the trout this time as I got both the ones I hooked out. The energy these fish have is surprising and they give the elastic a good stretch

I don't know who ran this fishery before, but their stocking policy was unusual. Still, nice to find places that aren't rammed with you know what. I did actually try to catch a carp. I set up a rod with a cage feeder rig and had a couple of casts, but wherever I cast it came back smothered in soft weed and I gave up on it.

 

[seth49]

on our syndicate water yesterday, but a poor day for me, all the fresh cold water from the recent heavy rainfall, must have moved the fish from the shallow end of the lodge where the spring enters, I picked this end because of the cold wind that was blowing, as it was sheltered.

so I had one tench and a skimmer all day, while mick on the swim below me in deeper water, had a great day with 14 tench and 8 F1s, ah well can’t win them all, I’ll know this for next time. and we were both fishing exactly the same methods.

 

[nottskev]

You're not the only one, Keith. I didn't like the look of the weather but I didn't fancy trudging around to the lee side of the pit. A brisk north-east wind with plenty of rain in it got up and blew straight in my face. I'd expect to catch 30-40 tench on an average evening at this time of year. I didn't get a bite in 3 hours - a first in 20 years fishing there. I've never seen the water so high at the end of May and the weed is sparse.

 

[@Clive]

On Monday when I walked the dog along the banks of a lake there was lots of predator activity along the margins. Today, I took a light lure rod and weedless frog lure only to find a high pressure, cold temperature, mist in the valleys sort of day. No activity in the margins.

I drove around to the other lake and began to fish with a pole for roach. Initially I struggled for bites and had to go out to 10m to find the fish. Shipping multiple sections to land 6oz roach isn't my idea of fun so after brunch around 10:30 I got a 'proper' rod out. 13 foot of brown fibreglass decorated with an ABU 506 and home made quill and balsa waggler.

Going out a bit further than pole range saw me catching roach between 4oz and 10oz on sweetcorn. I tried worm and caught a perch. I tried bread and caught nothing. Not surprising as when I tried it myself it tasted disgusting. Back to sweetcorn and the roach. The catch rate was slower than on caster and maggots last week, but is a good option if I haven't got time to shop for bait.

There was more noise today as the camp site, boat hire and riding school are now open. I'll put it on the back burner until autumn and hopefully fish the rivers in the high season.

 

[Islandbear]

Well new too me water delivered 3 lovely Tench 2 crucians 1 Common Carp and a new to me brown goldfish with maybe a bit of crucian in it. And a fair few rudd.
I thought the brown goldfish was a crucian till put right on a face ache group. Ya fish and learn.
A few piccies...

 

[Ray Roberts]

I was looking forwards to my trip to a new to me water today. The weather forecast was for rain and the air pressure was high and rising.

I parked in the car park and dragged my gear to the lake. I had to walk past the lake I fished last week to reach it. The lake has to be booked in advance and it is gated and fenced off from the main lake. I left my gear at the first swim and walked around the lake. Two others had beaten me to it and I stopped for a chat, then decided to fish the opposite side. As I got back to my gear it started peeing down. I have one of those older model Korum shelters with storm sides. I put that up double quick. Not a great start, I don’t like rain and mud, the wind was quite chilling and when I checked the weather app the air pressure was still rising.

I wasn’t expecting too much but I was proved wrong. I started with sweetcorn dosed with low salt and the fish were biting from the off. I had several roach and rudd but they were a bit on the small side. I doubled up on the sweetcorn and had several skimmers up to around 3.5lb . Even with two bits on the hook the smaller fish were blitzing it. Plan B, I tried pellets in various guises but the fish didn’t seem keen. Plan C, I tried punched garlic sausage and chunks of raw king prawn, that was better and I had a procession of decent tench, some better roach and rudd, a couple of carp up to 8lb and a golden tench. I lost count of the tench but had around 35/40 they were mostly about three pounds mark, with a couple of bigger ones mixed in, the best was 4lb10oz. It was great fun on a float rod and home made sarkandas reed insert float. As a bonus it stopped raining at about 5:30 pm, which meant my shelter was dry when I packed up.

 

[peterjg]

May was a mixed month for me, my fishing car (old banger) finally gave up and went to the scrap yard, now replaced with yet another old banger. This month I've caught lots of decent roach and due to having to use barbless hooks have lost just as many as I've actually landed. I don't lose many other species on barbless hooks but because roach tend to twist and turn I definitely lose too many - can anyone recommend a barbless hook to stop this???
My wife and I had a day fishing a small club lake and as per usual she beat me (again!), catching a PB perch of 2lbs 5ozs on swingtipped sweetcorn and a 2lbs 8oz crucian, I caught a couple of rudd and lost two tench in lilly pads.
I really need to sort this barbless hook problem!!!

 

[@Clive]

I think that with barbless hooks you need more flexibility in the rig, i.e a softer actioned rod or thinner pole elastic, to stop them unhooking themselves.

 

[Badgerale]

I've had a couple of bad days trying for tench - the worst part is I think the fish were catchable but I was just fishing badly.

I just didn't have any confidence in whatever approach I took. I started with a waggler gameplan and didn't catch in the first hour, started thinking the fish were further out and rigged up a feeder, missed some bites and lost confidence in my rig so remade everything. I then started imagining I was sinking in silt or weed and ended up casting all over the swim.

Another day after setting up, I started feeling the fish were on the other side of the lake... so up sticks i go. When I get to the other side, still not catching, I notice another angler, on my original side, has been having a few good tench out.

The most frustrating thing is that I could see the mistakes i was making, but just can't seem to control my itchy fingers

 

[Islandbear]

Early doors return Sunday to the same water. 1st banked an 11.12 common carp, followed by 4 tench and another 11.08 common carp topped off by another lovely Tench. Add about 10 rudd and a really great mornings fishing. Ohh n heard the ole cuckoo.
Have to say, 5 oclock at bankside was very cool. Sure its June?

 

[Crystal Bend]

Can anyone recommend a barbless hook to stop this?

I don't know if you're looking for an eyed or spade end hook Peter but after watching Gary Etheridge's videos on YouTube (Tarquin Ole) he tweaks his hooks so they get a better hook hold. He's also used barbless hooks for donkeys years.
With a styl pincers he bends the lower part of the shank on B610 barbless spade ends so the point is pointing back towards the shank more. Making it beaked if you like. He also reverses the hook with the pincers i.e so the bend becomes offset to the shank.
For roach you could also try the Drennan Silverfish Maggot Hooks & for Hair Rigging the Middy KM-2 or spade end Middy KM-4 hooks.

Barbless Silverfish Maggot | Drennan International

Barbless Silverfish Maggot hooks are a pattern specifically designed for use when targeting silverfish with maggots. This pattern has a medium/long shank, swept crystal bend and a chemically etched long needlepoint. The Range:Size 14 (0.40mm)Size 16 (0.36mm)Size 18 (0.32mm)Size 20 (0.28mm)Size...

www.drennantackle.com

 

[peterjg]

Crystal Bend, your help is much appreciated, thank you.

 

[nottskev]

For want of a better idea I went back to where I blanked on Thursday. A mild, still evening this time, thankfully, and a couple of warm days have put a sunnier complexion on the place

Plumbing up, I was pleased to find plenty of weed, which had clearly had a spurt in growth, and the water was warmer than it has been so far this year. I'd brought last year's best baits again, chopped meat and expanders, but once again maggot proved the bait that got bites. Perhaps the other baits, and seafood options, will start to work when the level drops and the water warms up. I was relieved, after my grim Thursday outing, to get a bite first cast.

The tench were warming up to it, but still needed coaxing, twitching the bait about or dropping it down with the loose feed. But they were also a slightly bigger stamp than I often get here, and (possibly as I blanked last time) looked prettier than usual

After a fairly dismal spring, I felt like I was at last enjoying the May experience, even if it is June. A good number of perch and roach, also looking cute, to me at least, came along. I put these back to save them sharing a net with a bunch of tench

The owner came round for a chat, and some money. He couldn't change the tenner I offered him, so I let him keep it to cover the next visit. Which means I'll have to go there again. It's a tough job, but someone etc

 

[Crystal Bend]

Crystal Bend, your help is much appreciated, thank you.

You're very welcome Peter.
I hope it ups your catch rate and keep the reports coming
Tightlines, John

 

[Skoda]

After suffering three blanks on the trot at the local gravel pit (I know! I caught a few rudd on the last trip), I decided I needed a change; something of a confidence booster.

Arriving at the fishery (a mature commercial, not stocked since the last century), I was greeted by a large sign saying that the one side of the lake I intended to fish was having its swims cleaned up: there’s always something! This entailed a chainsaw and a three-sixty which shattered my hope for a quiet day’s fishing.

A few years ago, I had my first trip to the River Wye with an old FM contact, Mark Williams. On the last day I ended up ledgering off a stone salmon groyne into fast water and caught a couple of barbel and two eels. I returned home thinking “Wouldn’t it be great to float fish that swim” resulting in an eBay purchase of a Fox Specialist Float 13’ rod (£££) that I’ve hardly ever used. Today the plan is to float fish with it in the near margins with 8mm Robin Reds, centre-pin reel loaded with six-pound line to see how it copes with any bigger fish that might come along. I have a 1.75tc rod in the hold-all but hope that I won’t have to use it.

Fishing into 8 feet of water, a rod length out, banded 8mm Robin Red on a 12, to 5lb Drennan hook length I didn’t have to wait long, the float just slowly sliding under, I struck into decent fish and the rod hooped over alarmingly. “I’m glad this isn’t a seven-pound barbel in fast water!” I thought, the rod didn’t seem to have much power. The fish was giving a good account of itself, I was playing it carefully, using my thumb as a drag (joy!), finally landing a five- or six-pound mirror.

Fifteen minutes later another bite and the rod arced over again this time into a bigger fish which took a lot of landing. It was a big common at 9lb14oz. Doubts in my head about the six-pound line and 5lb hook length still lingering. (The centre pin is a cheap one I acquired after I had all my tackle stolen about fifteen years ago. Sadly, it’s the only one that fits this rod. My three Vintage Mordex Merlins’ reel-foot is too big.)

After a few more medium sized carp I hooked a wriggly little beggar I thought might be a tench which turned out to be an F1, which although only a pound or two never seem to give up; I don’t think I’ve knowingly caught one before.

I stopped fishing for lunch, it was a lovely overcast day, the cold northerly wind had stopped, tranquillity until the second chainsaw started a couple of hundred yards away. I now had them in stereo!

After lunch a few nice roach fell to 8mm RR’s, it was a busy day, another six or seven carp and F1s. I began to realise I was getting tired; I couldn’t actually manage a whole day’s fishing anymore; this getting old is no fun. I’d told Sue I might be home late, but I decided to pack up just before four o’clock. As the chainsaws stopped serenity prevailed – until a model aeroplane club started up at the local rugby practice ground a few hundred yards away! What a racket, high pitched whining, high frequency buzzing. Where do you go to get peace and quiet in this day and age?

Not sure about the power of the rod, not one for tight swims, I think.

 

[nottskev]

I cut all the grass this morning so I felt I'd earned a bit of fishing this afternoon. I'd parked up near the new woodland pond. The ide were cruising around but I found I wasn't in the mood for the fishing equivalent of herding cats and I got back in the car and drove another mile into the estate.

This pond is a moody place where it's possible to blank. You have to pole fish really, too, as the stream that runs through it pushes the whole body of water, which rotates around an island, and float fishing with a rod means your bait trotting through til it comes to rest near your bank..

I started on maggot, but got pestered by little perch, so I swapped to the 4mm chopped meat I'd intended for the ide. I'd never fished this bait on here, or seen it used, but the fish liked it, and first put in resulted in this

It was only in the last couple of years that I started to use pullers and hybrid elastics where you might get bigger fish, and It's been great to find what you can get out with them on light lines and small hooks, in this case a 16 on .12. With fixed solid elastics, fish like this would leave you with no hook saying, wow, what was that? The next fish was a bit bigger

Bream are the target on this pond, and a couple of balls of groundbait with maggots and meat fed over it got a bite from the first one after half an hour

A few more followed, every one caught on tiny cubes of meat. Meanwhile, the woods were alive with birdsong. I must get one of those apps on my phone that identify the singers. I stand a chance if I can see them ( I was in the Young Ornithologist Club as a teenager) but I can't recognise their songs.