How did you get on?

[Ray Roberts]

Another new stretch of river for me. A nice looking bit of river Medway. I parked near the Bridge and opted for the downstream section.

Right next to the bridge is a plaque commemorating the deaths of Thirty hop pickers whose wagon crashed through the side of the bridge and into a flooded river back in 1853. I don’t know why these stupid ideas come into my head, but I thought; “Bloody hell! Thirty in one wagon, they must have been jammed in like Pakistanis in Datsun cherry on their way to a family wedding. They are all buried up the road a bit in Hadlow. I had fished upstream of the bridge a couple of times last year. Jigging for perch on one trip and trotting on the other. The trotting was on one of the coldest days of the year and I blanked, had a few perch though in the summer.

I fancied trotting again and made my way about a field downstream. I fished tares, hemp and bread. Well there was no shortage of fish today and I caught all day. In an effort to cut down on the weight of tackle I carry I left my 15 foot float rod and closed face reel behind, which would have been a boon today, as there was a breeze that veered all over the place and I was fishing in about twelve feet of water. I set up a slider float and was in from the off. Virtually a bite a cast. The only down side was the fish weren't huge. I must have caught several hundred roach but only three needed the landing net.

I believe that it’s quite a long length and if i’m at a loose end I may take some light spinning gear and explore for perch.

 

[@Clive]

I took my old friend Wilf fishing today. Because the swims on the Charente where we went last time are overgrown I decided to try a lake session. He had found some rods in the loft that a former son-in-law had left behind that he wanted to use. Just in case they were junk I had taken a spare rod and reel. The tackle wasn't too bad on inspection although, like the England team, it needed rearranging. I paired up a graphite Daiwa 13 foot 3 piece float rod with a no name Chinese reel around 2000 size that ran smoothly and appeared to be loaded with Maxima brown line. The rod that the reel had been on was a metal ferruled fibreglass float rod that was junk. Also there was a decent no name carp rod and a Shimano 500 baitrunner that had been on the match rod. Armed with his new float rod outfit we headed to one of the big lakes.

Technically the arm of the lake that we fished is classed as the River Charente, but for all intents and purposes it is a large lake, 7 foot deep a rod length out gradually deepening to around 10 foot halfway across. There are two beaches out of sight, but within earshot that will be bedlum from tomorrow afternoon for 8 weeks. Today all was peaceful, warm and shady.

Starting out I set Wilf up with a waggler rig terminating in an 18 hook and double maggots. He reverted to holding the rod 4 inches above the butt and no amount of explanation and demonstration was going to change that.

Casting involved changing hands twice and tangles from an unattended spool. Despite this he started catching small roach and bream. Each fish was landed by winding the float to the top of the rod entailing that the fish was dangling in the air out of reach. He would put the butt down, stride over the rod rest arm of the chair then go and unhook the fish 8 foot away. As the day wore on and the fish moved up in the water his repeated journeys got longer

After unhooking his first three fish I went to my seatbox a few yards away and set up my Greys 12 ft float rod, Mitchell 440A Match reel and waggler float. We both caught steadily through the session. Initially small bream on the bottom, then an increasing number of roach. As the day went on it was necesssary to fish higher up the water column and by the end I was catching roach and bream 2 ft down in 7 ft of water. If we had stayed longer we could have ended up dry fly-fishing.

We didn't use a keepnet so the catch is a guesstimate. I reckon that we had 60 to 70 fish between us, 2/3 of them roach to around 12 oz, with a few bream reaching 8oz. All Wilf's fish were caught on red maggots. Most of mine were also on maggots, but I did get 6 or 7 on sweetcorn.

I have promised him that the next session he can use his 'loft find' carp rod and Shimano reel for barbel. I just hope that I can get him to stop pointing the rod at the fish and winding like Bob Mortimer.

 

[flightliner]

I fished a small Nottinghamshire river today.
On arrival I was a little dissappointed to see that a tree had fallen into the river in a spot where I've had some decant chub in the past so I had a walk up and downstream to choose another swim, it was upstream.
I had taken both lure tackle and one set up for floating crust, so, as the swim was so shallow I choose the crust set up.
Placing a few crusty pieces midriver I was encouraged to see chub taking the odd piece as they neared the fallen tree so mine went in to follew them down, second run i had a take with a good chub swirling at the bait, striking I felt the chub giving its best to free itself in the near margins but the hook held ok and it slid into my net.
In all I lost one, missed another then landed one more, smaller by about 2lbs but two fish in such shallow water is unusual and afterwards it fell quite.
So, having my secouturs handy i went in the river (with my waders) to cut the tree of some of its thinner branches.

 

[terry m]

I spent yesterday afternoon and evening sat behind 2 carp rods, doing very little other than chilling and watching the water. Nothing happened until about 10.30 pm, one run resulted in an epic battle and eventually a 27lb 8oz Common on the mat. Rather chuffed.

 

[nottskev]

A case of deja vu today. My book and key for the river 2 miles down the road arrived in the post, but earlier than I expected and I'd been too lazy to sort out my stick and waggler gear. So rather than rush things, I went back, fishing 3pm to 7pm, to the woodland pond. The estate was hosting some kind of rock concert, so I had to explain to a succession of security bods that I was going fishing way off the track in the woods. The afternoon was turning brighter and hotter, and it's great to be under the shade of the trees

The idea of fishing for bream was starting to feel like a mistake though. As I was setting up, I looked out and a couple of dozen bream were sunbathing at the surface. I looked at them, they looked at me, then they swam off round the corner. With the water clear and not a breath of wind I put on the lightest float - 3 no 10 in 5' of water - and opted to fish a bit further out than usual. Baiting was softly softly and I cupped in some loose groundbait, a few dead maggots and a few bits of meat. I bought some Robin Red powder a couple of years ago, and dusted this on the meat

I wasn't really expecting to catch, so it was a pleasant surprise when the float dipped after 15 mins

Last time I was here, I lost 3 bream off the hook. Things like that bother me, so I'd adjusted my elastic and tied on a different hook pattern - I didn't want to lose another 3. And I didn't. This time, 5 came off. That kind of thing can be fatal for your chances as bream can be spooked by escapees, but today luck was on my side and I finished, serenaded by distant headbanging music, with a dozen, 3 more than last time.

Last time out, I came home to find the football hadn't recorded, but today it has and I'm about to watch Spain v Germany when the sausage and chick pea casserole has heated up. Sorry, that's a different thread.

 

[mikench]

Gordon and I arrived at our venue, chosen for its proximity and easy fishing. We had switched from Thursday to Friday because of the forecast . On arrival our decision didn’t look clever as rain began to fall.

It looked like rain and felt chilly. We could park right behind our pegs so brollies were close and we could pack away quickly if the heavens opened. We needn’t have worried because by 11 or so it was very hot in the sun and I was glad I was in my shorts and crocs. Even Gordon discarded his winter coat.
Fishing however was slow and for the first time in a long time I actually outfished the master on size and number of fish caught. Gordon had to be content with roach , skimmers and the odd Rudd whereas I managed 7 carp and 3 large skimmers on the feeder and pellet. This was the pick of the bunch at just under double figures.

It gave a good account of itself. I had to be home for 4 so I left before Gordon so he might have had a net full after I left. It was a really nice day out and we had a good chat and made friends with another chap who invited me to apply to another local club. I told him I had done so around 2017 asking for the chance to look at the waters on offer( 4 very close together) and all within a mile of home. The then secretary emailed me to ask why I wanted to inspect them.. I didn’t pursue the matter further. I have enough clubs without adding another. Cheers Gordon and I’ll see in a few weeks.

 

[Notts Michael.]

Mike, I like the look of the rod rest in the 2nd to last pic, can I ask what make it is? looks ideal for the wooden planked platforms at a place I fish.

 

[mikench]

Michael that was invented and made by Gordon and it’s brilliant for all wooden platforms with gaps between the planks. There is a metal bracket to raise it and a knurled knob to raise it further or to lower it. The rod rest itself is a Drennan one although Gordon did supply one. Mine was the prototype and kindly donated to me by Gordon. He has a a Mark11 which is slightly different. It is patented and I’m sure would have been a great success if it had been manufactured. It’s well thought out and made and I would not be without it. The flat part of the rest is fixed into position by using one of several spring loaded pegs which slide through a slit and between the planks when depressed and which, when turned 90 degrees , grip the underside of the platform. It’s a brilliant bit of kit. Clever man that Gordon.

 

[Notts Michael.]

Sounds great, he needs to get it on Dragon's Den and get it into production!

 

[mikench]

I’m sure he considered it.

 

[riverman]

well yesterdays session was less productive than i thought it would be,no carp showed all day and neither did any of the large bin lids that are present,went to thorpe underwood meadows in north yorkshire as it was another 1st time visit for my mate.ended up with a mixed bag of roach and perch on the waggler with maggots and 3 eels on the leger with mussels.the weather was sunny am but heavy showers in the afternoon.very peaceful venue this and a nice looking large lake but can fish hard at times.

 

[wetthrough]

I’m sure he considered it.

It was a registered design (expired) not patented. Probably not patentable as there are so many ways of achieving the same purpose. Additionally it would need redesigning for production.

 

[terry m]

I fancied a wander down the Avon yesterday afternoon so I took a net and a lure rod to give me some purpose. Only one take on my 6” Salmo slider and a nice condition 7/8 lb female pike was the result. Unusually not a single touch on the topwater lures that are normally so deadly in the warmer months.

 

[no-one in particular]

Not my best place but the rain forecast was a bit dodgy so I thought at least I can duck under the Bridge if it poured. Usually small fish here, funny to think I can get 4lb+ chub, 5lb+ bream, 1lb plus roach and even a carp just 200 yds up the river. But, here usually just small roach and skimmers. Same today, about 6 roach, one or two about hand size so put a bend in the light rod, all on sweetcorn today. Enjoyable nevertheless, plenty of bites and no wind and just a slight drizzle here and there so no problem. I like my little hand painted wooden float, cant think were I got it from but does the job. Sorry the pics a bit iffy.

View attachment 30775

 

[Aknib]

I'll start with an apology and that's never a good start!

I'm way behind on the forum posts again but I will catch up so please bare with me, for my part life is beginning to return to normal (whatever the Hell that is!) following six months and more juggling two jobs and extensive home improvements but we're done, the last stroke of the paintbrush occurred yesterday after many false finishes and i've actually managed two river sessions since the start of the season.

The first session promised so much yet delivered so little having taken a Barbel on the very first trot through, I was rubbing my hands at the prospect of what must surely come but the curse of the first cast cut deep and I was packing up three hours later with only the one bite to show for it bar a Chublet which wriggled its way off shortly before the swing in.

Today was very different.

I'd planned to rove a few runs with a combination of float and lead gear but after a promising start in the initial run I decided to stay put and it it paid off, taking nine quality Barbel and a few decent Chub.

The fluke of it all was that I had planned to fish early afternoon into evening but the body clock went off well before 4am and so I was off and it proved a good decision, when I packed up early afternoon and the sun had moved around the river changed from one looking to be carrying a nice tinge of colour in the shade to one where I could pick out every grain of gravel on the riverbed in front of me but i'd done the business by then...

 

[nottskev]

I keep crossing the bridge on the Trent 3 minutes from my door and spending hours driving all over the place to fish. The book to fish it is cheap enough and there's a lot to be said for fishing on your doorstep. And I noticed last winter that one of the local hot shots was posting pic's of big chub and even grayling off it. I blew the cobwebs off some bits of unused gear (waders, 8m whip) and fished 3 hours from 4pm to 7 pm.

I'm pretty fussy about where I fish as a rule. The fish don't have to be big but the place has to be good for the soul. First impressions on this stretch are not so great.

But you don't have to go too far to get a prettier backdrop. You do need a head for heights though. And I always take a rope and dog-spike on this river. I get jealous when I see pics and videos of blokes fishing rivers (usually in the south) from banks that are tidier and flatter than my garden

Once you get set up in the water it's ok. I made the mistake today of deciding how to fish at home. I fancied fishing the whip and set it up. But my swim - a comfy nest, once you got down there - was on a bump in the bank that made the flow run out and across as well as down. And it was a pacey flow. This meant you ran out of line quickly; stick or waggler would have been more sensible. I had to put on an extra section and feed it out, then take it off to swing in a fish, and stick it, to stop it falling in the water, down the top of my waders.

This all got a bit farcical and I caught a lot less than I might have. Although I still caught 50-odd dace, roach, perch and chublets for about 10 or 11b with a few snaffled by pike. Thankfully, I didn't hook any of the pike. And no catch shot. I could barely get back up the bank without a keepnet full of fish

Leaving the fishery, having gone though and locked the gate, en route to feed my sister's cat, I looked at the bunches of keys on the car passenger seat, There were my fisher gate keys - a jailer's bunch. There were the keys to my sister's house. But where were my house keys? Fcuk. I checked all my pockets. I checked the fishing box and bags, I looked under car seats. I debated whether to unlock the gate and put the car back in the car park, but I was too impatient to mess around with that, so I walked back up the river as fast as I could ( which is not fast) and found them in the grass at the top of my peg. At least it was a short drive home.

 

[Alan Whitty]

My bunch of keys are the same Steve, people ask what the hell they are all for, lol....

 

[mikench]

And mine. If they are not all together I am bound to leave an important one behind. The keys to fishing venues are left in the car.

 

[Kevin Perkins]

HWIGO (How will I get on?)
A slightly different spin in that this is the tale of my attempt to find a different approach to a new water.

I did visit this venue for the first time a couple of weeks ago

Very pleasant surroundings, and I had heard that this was a fishery that it was impossible to blank at. This will be a test of my proudly held reputation of being able to blank anywhere....!.

Anyway, the claim of non-blanking proved to be true, in that carp, tench and roach all threw themselves onto my hooks, almost lemming like at times. And this was my problem. On casting out, you could see the feeder being attacked by small carp as soon as it hit the water. Getting a bait down on the bottom, and hopefully to some of the larger tench purported to be in the lake was problematical.

So, a very productive day's fishing in terms of numbers of fish caught was had, but there were still questions...

Therefore, in the manner of those on the 'Sexy Beast ' tv series, I did a bit of 'Finking, finking, finking' which lead to a need for 'Preparation, preparation, preparation' before my next visit.

And so, yesterday, bank on the bank and cunning plan put into action. Loaded method feeder as per last visit

But with safety net of a girdle of pva mesh

to give the bait a chance to get to the bottom without being mullered by the pastie carp. (I know some of you will be shouting 'pva bag' at the screen, but I didn't have any available before this session)

So, this was one line of attack, whilst still continuing with last sessions' method of 20g cage feeder/meat combo which produced fish of this stamp:

Now, you are wondering how I got on with my 'Finking' attack, well, here's the result:

Some lean, mean fighting machines, and one very happy bunny that my cunning plan actually worked....!

 

[Kevin Perkins]

Just a small P.s to the above, in that my recently purchased Lidl baitrunners performed faultlessly during this session.

And slightly off topic and more in line with HWIGO, since moving to Norfolk, I have been slightly disappointed with the seming lack of pike fishing local to me.
The lakes I visited in the report are said to be devoid of them (?) and the various other day ticket venues are predominantly either platform/match (£8 per day) or syndicate lakes (£300 pa+) waters, which is a bit steep for a poor pensioner like me

However, a chance overheard remark in a tackle shop where the talk was of a local 18 acre lake and the possible 50lb carp therein, which didn't register with me until a throwaway line of 'the 20lb + pike in there as well' grabbed my attention!

A check online showed season tickets were available, and for a poor impoverished pensioner like me, the charge was £37 - I'll have some of that!!!

I look forward to posting a report on my adventures there come the Autumn