How did you get on?

[beardno1]

Finally got around to fishing my local River Dearne yesterday for the first time, moved over to Barnsley a few years back from Sheffield and a few of the locals have told me about this river and iv been meaning to fish it for a while.
Was very impressed when i got to the river looked gorgous with plenty of nice steady runs that looked really inviting and fishy although the main part of the river was pretty weeded up with not much flow.
Found a nice bend in the river that had a good bit of flow around the far bank and a nice depth to it,was trotting a small chubber with a few number 8s down the line and was catching straight away small chub and dace around the 6-12oz mark that keapt me entertained for a good couple of hours.
Moved a little further down stream to a steadier swim where the crease ran down from the corner and managed a few better chub upto around the 3lb mark and a few nice brown trout around 2lbish.
All in an enjoyable day on a gem of a river.

 

[oyster]

Thursday - on the way home the traffic was terrible, so I stopped off on the Coventry canal, with just 1 small tin of sweetcorn. Had a decent chub and a hybrid in the first 10 minutes, then it went dead. But much better than sitting in traffic!

This morning got up early and tried the Coventry again before the boats start to murk up the water. Different section this time - had a decent bag of Roach topped by a canal PB roach of 1lb7oz just 3oz short of my all time. Still searching for the 2! but really chuffed with this one.

Later when the boats started in earnest, I had a go using a small plug. The coventry is known for its Zander and I thought I had one chasing a fish I was bringing in the other week. I have rarely tried lures and to be honest I am clueless with them but managed to fool my first Zander - a small one but a first for me.

 

[itsfishingnotcatching]

Back to the Severn with another planmg: Set up the feeder with some luncheon meat as a sleeper and perchance a first Barbel of the season. Trot castor over hemp for, hopefully, some better Roach/Dace/Chub and avoid the bleak and minnow. Third trot produced...........a small Roach, had I cracked it?...........................NO. A few Bleak, couple of Perch around 4oz, some Chublets, Minnows and a solitary Gudgeon. As for the feeder, not a twitch.

Decided to try pellet on the feeder and maggot on the float, unusually, except for some tiny bites, the maggot was proving worse than castor and just when I was beginning to "abandon hope" got a beep on the alarm and a six inch twitch on the rod tip, thought it was a smallish Chub turned out to be a very decent Roach that went 1.12 and a P.B. to boot, (weighed the fish twice and the net three times but couldn't get it to the magic 2lb mark). Had another couple of good Roach, one just under the pound and one that almost made one and a half.

So, finished up a good session, just got to work out why decent Roach ignore maggot and castor on light line and hooklengths but take 8mm halibut pellets on 10lb line and 9lb hooklength. Sometimes it seems the more I fish, the less I understand

Curiously, the Roach came from the same swim (and within a yard) of the 5lb Chub I caught just into the season, anyone else got a lucky peg?

 

[wes79]

Report for yesterday, 1 Chub upper 3lb, a pb 3lb Brown Trout which gave a right good scrap, only wish I had caught it on a lighter action rod and line fought like a good Chub with enhanced endurance, also new Barbel PB of 11lb 12oz graced the net, my first double of the season, good season so far

Cheers and Beers

 

[john step]

1. Someone (wes 79??) gave the heads up about Aldi stuff from today. I went and although I didn't buy a bag I came away with a pair of size 11 thermal field boots for the extortionate price of £12.99 !!! Thanks

2. Thanks also to the person who flagged up about the "Bivvie Doll" under must have latest bivvie accessory. NO I didn't buy one but for my curiosity I am now being reminded by ebay that there are only a few left.mg:

You lot obviously bought a lot:wh

 

[wes79]

1. Someone (wes 79??) gave the heads up about Aldi stuff from today. I went and although I didn't buy a bag I came away with a pair of size 11 thermal field boots for the extortionate price of £12.99 !!! Thanks

2. Thanks also to the person who flagged up about the "Bivvie Doll" under must have latest bivvie accessory. NO I didn't buy one but for my curiosity I am now being reminded by ebay that there are only a few left.mg:

You lot obviously bought a lot:wh

I can't take all the credit for that excellent thread, got another LED hat, couldn't quite convince the mrs to get the chair (bills haven't gone out yet GRRRRrrrrr)....can you imagine being outbid by someone from here for the bivvy doll hahahaha! make a good comedy sketch.

 

[peter crabtree]

Club match today on the delightful river Thame near Thame. My peg was a high bank on the outside of a bend in the river.


Plumbed up the slack in front of me and it was 8ft deep! It was the same right across by the reeds. Stick float and maggot out in the sluggish flow bought dace and roach. Decided to try a static bait so out on the pole @11m holding back a 1g pole float in the flow and barely a touch.. After a while I got out the 13m section and went across to the far reeds and had a few roach , gudgeon and dace. Best roach a humble 5oz which along with my other bits weighed in 2lb:3oz...




Winner had 2 bream and bits for 11+lb.on the waggler..
8 fished.....

 

[tigger]

I got out yesterday and had eight chub uo to 5lb, quite a few tiddler chub and dace, some trout but no barbel....couple of chub pic's from the session....

 

[The Runner]

Club match on the Slough Arm at Langley Boats was called off on Friday as still very heavily weeded and we didn't think the occupants of the houseboats would appreciate being woken at eight on a Sunday morning by fifteen blokes chucking weed drags around. Personally would like to have seen it switched to the other end of the Arm behind Farlows and Little Britain which can be good at this time of year but was probably in a minority.
Anyway, ended up with a pleasure session on the Colne for the afternoon, first visit in a month or so, river desperately low and clear, at least 9 inches down on where it should be and can see every twig and bit of gravel on the bottom . Only took a float rod and gave the first two swims an hour and a half each for about a dozen perch and a couple of little chub. Moved to the backstream for the last two hours, twenty or so fish again mostly perch but with a few reasonable roach and a couple of dace. No sign of any better chub at all , presumably all tucked under the streamer weed along with the barbel and not coming out for anything, although our only (we think) carp , a common about 12 lb, was in its normal inaccessible spot...

 

[neil1970]

I fished 3 different waters today - river , backwater and canal.

I wanted to try out a few different lures and found that the slightly better fish came to the lures that looked the least like fish

The best of the bunch came from the canal.

Good fun.

 

[mike47]

Quite a day, Managed two pb's on my local lake. Caught a 4lb bream on feeder and capped things off with a 11lb+ mirror carp taken in the margins on pellet waggler. Fantastic day!!

 

[john step]

What a river the Trent is! Every one moaning about lack of flow and "its not fishing". Bright sunny day today and over 20 degrees, I chucked cut down boilies into a deep section and had 4 barbel. 10lb, 2x7lb and a 5lb.
All in the afternoon.

 

[greenie62]

Had a few hours dace-bashing on the stick last afternoon/evening - very difficult with a blustery wind - changing strength and direction every other minute. Just ready to pack-up when I hooked something a bit better:

Earlier attempts with the feeder were frustrated by odd bits of weed giving 2Ft twitches - but at least something liked the feeder mix!

I was besieged by them - counted 17 crawling all over my peg - all aiming for the damp mix - except for the albino ones trying to see what I'd got at Lidl!

Anyone got any ideas for a slug bait box? - to stop them becoming an unspeakable mess of a slimy slug-fest! - enabling them to be used easily for the chubbies.

 

[theartist]

Just got back from a camping trip on the south coast near Arundel. Mullet are a big enough tease without having to counter the wind, a couple of swans and the falling tide taking them away from my precarious fishing position. A blankety blank on the Arun for me on the first day but I still love chasing Mullet.

2nd day was again the Arun but in Littlehampton where I tried for bass on a varied assortment of lures. As I rarely do lure fishing anyway and only recently started sea fishing I was over the moon to catch a bass. At around 5 inches it wasn't the biggest but it was my first ever bass and was beautiful.

 

[stu_the_blank]

Managed to get away from work yesterday, so a trip to the Syndicate Lake. Had the place to myself when I got there. Set up a plug rod and went around the lake trying to get a feel for the best place to set up. That’s the downside to having the place to yourself, spoilt for choice!

Caught a bonus jack and decided to set up under the ‘willow’. It’s exactly what it says on the tin! There are two gaps, one either side otherwise you are inside the canopy. One side gives a shortish backhand chuck to a reed line, the other alongside overhanging bushes.

I had a bucketful of hemp and maize with some boilies. I put in a fair amount, intending to top up if necessary.

Swung the rods out and waited. Woodpeckers in the trees, a Buzzard circling overhead, a sparrow hawk working the hedgerow, a whoosh behind me, I turned to see a handsome fallow stag running across the field with a hind following. I should do this more often!

Off goes the rod on the reed line, I’ve cranked up the tension on the bait runner so as the fish takes it kites away from trouble (don’t you just love it when a plan works!) 10 mins or so later a 28-03 Mirror is laying on the mat. A couple of photo’s and gently put it back. Sit back and savour. Rod out again.

John, the syndicate secretary, arrives with a very passable bottle of plonk, perfect to toast the evening and the fish. While we are supping and reminiscing, off goes the other rod. No real trouble this side so a screaming ‘one toner’! Reel engaged, rod takes up its battle curve and I am attached to a very angry ‘lump’. Another 10 mins and a 23-02 Mirror is in the net.

An hour later and the same happens, this time a 22-03.
Great evening.

Stu

 

[binka]

Managed to get away from work yesterday, so a trip to the Syndicate Lake. Had the place to myself when I got there. Set up a plug rod and went around the lake trying to get a feel for the best place to set up. That’s the downside to having the place to yourself, spoilt for choice!

Caught a bonus jack and decided to set up under the ‘willow’. It’s exactly what it says on the tin! There are two gaps, one either side otherwise you are inside the canopy. One side gives a shortish backhand chuck to a reed line, the other alongside overhanging bushes.

I had a bucketful of hemp and maize with some boilies. I put in a fair amount, intending to top up if necessary.

Swung the rods out and waited. Woodpeckers in the trees, a Buzzard circling overhead, a sparrow hawk working the hedgerow, a whoosh behind me, I turned to see a handsome fallow stag running across the field with a hind following. I should do this more often!

Off goes the rod on the reed line, I’ve cranked up the tension on the bait runner so as the fish takes it kites away from trouble (don’t you just love it when a plan works!) 10 mins or so later a 28-03 Mirror is laying on the mat. A couple of photo’s and gently put it back. Sit back and savour. Rod out again.

John, the syndicate secretary, arrives with a very passable bottle of plonk, perfect to toast the evening and the fish. While we are supping and reminiscing, off goes the other rod. No real trouble this side so a screaming ‘one toner’! Reel engaged, rod takes up its battle curve and I am attached to a very angry ‘lump’. Another 10 mins and a 23-02 Mirror is in the net.

An hour later and the same happens, this time a 22-03.
Great evening.

Stu

Brilliant!

Well done Stu :w

 

[greenie62]

....An hour later and the same happens, this time a 22-03.
Great evening.

Sounds wonderful that Stu,
Had it all really happened when you woke up?:wh:w
Seriously - well done, that man! :thumbs:

 

[neil1970]

Nice relaxing afternoon with Simon.

Stick float and maggots caught us plenty; although it died off towards the end and the wind didn't help.

 

[sumtime]

Buzzards, sparrowhawk's, woodpeckers, deer? Sod the fishing, Stu, what a day.

 

[stu_the_blank]

Had it all really happened when you woke up?

Still pinching myself!

Thanks for the kind words. Fishing as in all things has a habit of evening itself out, so, rain, wind and blanks for the rest of the year!

Stu

---------- Post added at 19:25 ---------- Previous post was at 19:19 ----------

Buzzards, sparrowhawk's, woodpeckers, deer? Sod the fishing, Stu, what a day.

Quite!

I don't know if you've found the same but I find that if the world is 'alive' the fish are too. Those days when you wonder if you are the last living thing on earth are usually very hard!

The only thing missing is that there are rumours of Red Kites in the area but I haven't seen one there yet. As for 'The Beast of the Forest' a supposed big cat, maybe that's what the deer were running from! Not sorry I've missed that!

Stu

---------- Post added at 19:26 ---------- Previous post was at 19:25 ----------

Brilliant!

Well done Stu

Cheers mate, be a while to match this.

Stu