mikench
Well-known member
And we might see you.
How did you get on?
- Thread starter peter crabtree
- Start date
@Clive
Well-known member
I had a day on one of the big lakes. A pint of dead reds from the freezer and some groundbait was all I took with me along with a Hardy Matchmaker 13 foot 'glass float rod that definitely would not make the top 100 of best looking rods. And a cane Pezon & Michel salmon spinning rod from 1944. While war ravaged Europe the rod makers in Paris were still knocking out bespoke built cane rods. There are no salmon in the Charente, but it makes a handy pike rod. I float fished a roach dead bait just to the side of the baited area.
I started out with double maggot under a quill and balsa waggler about 18 -20 yards out and started catching almost from the off. The roach here often take on the drop, but not today. They were on the bottom, 9 foot deep.If I didn't get a bite after a minute a quick turn of the ABU 506 usually resulted in the float soon disappearing. It was hard to see the float at times with the blustery wind changing direction and grey clouds all day. I fished from around 10am to 2:30pm when I made the last cast. The maggots were still OK after unhooking a roach so I had another last cast. Wilf has a habit of not changing maggots until he can see through them. It took 4 roach on the same maggots before I got to that. Altogether I probably had around 40 or 50 small roach, one rudd and a dace. Started and finished with the same hook which is unusual for me.
I started out with double maggot under a quill and balsa waggler about 18 -20 yards out and started catching almost from the off. The roach here often take on the drop, but not today. They were on the bottom, 9 foot deep.If I didn't get a bite after a minute a quick turn of the ABU 506 usually resulted in the float soon disappearing. It was hard to see the float at times with the blustery wind changing direction and grey clouds all day. I fished from around 10am to 2:30pm when I made the last cast. The maggots were still OK after unhooking a roach so I had another last cast. Wilf has a habit of not changing maggots until he can see through them. It took 4 roach on the same maggots before I got to that. Altogether I probably had around 40 or 50 small roach, one rudd and a dace. Started and finished with the same hook which is unusual for me.
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Steve Arnold
Well-known member
Why is it rivers in France can have so many small roach.........but never show the 1 lb + specimens?
Do we not have the skill to catch them? Are they all eaten by predators (or the locals!) before reaching better weights?
In England I have caught two pound roach on ledgered lobworm. Plenty over 1.5 lb on maggots, casters and even paste!!!!!! I use these baits on the Lot and cannot catch roach.....maybe a few very few small roach on maggots.....but never over 6 ounces!
I really like roach fishing, many years ago I got quite good at it, but here in France it has been very disappointing!
Guess I will (have!)settle for barbel fishing......they are easy!
@Clive
Well-known member
I have pondered the roach question too Steve. A few years before we moved to France we stayed with friends who took us to a restaurant alongside the River Charente. There was a lock and in the water between the lock and main river there were many large roach. By the time that we arrived here they had gone. I fish the area nearby regularly and haven't seen or caught one over 12oz. Same on the big lakes.
Steve Arnold
Well-known member
Brilliant afternoons sport ! ..Two stunning river Carp there Steve, what a tail on the first one, no wonder it gave you the run around. Well done !
Those two carp are the most perfect specimens I could imagine! So often the fish I catch from the Lot leaving me feeling I am living some fantastical angling dream
If I sounded a little understated it is simply that I do not have the words to truly express how lucky, grateful, blah, blah, blah absolutely astonished to find myself here catching these wonderful, wild creatures almost on a whim!
My life has included long spells of ill health where I could not fish, to have survived those bad times and still be able to fish and be here on the wonderful river Lot - well fate must be looking very kindly on me just now!
I do know just how lucky I am!
I wish everyone else the same good fortune (just find your own swims, don't crowd me!)
terry m
Well-known member
After Sunday lunch today I took a trip to local gravel pit, partly to try to catch a carp, and partly to ensure that I finish the last 50 pages of a book that seems to have dragged on for ages. The book was despatched quickly, rubbish ending, but I had to wait until 5 pm for the first bite. The tentative drop back shouted bream, thankfully the pull suggested otherwise and a rather handsome 27lb 12oz common was the result.
It has been tough going this season, but a mid 20 pike and an upper 20 carp in a couple of days through short sessions had been pleasing.
It has been tough going this season, but a mid 20 pike and an upper 20 carp in a couple of days through short sessions had been pleasing.
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@Clive
Well-known member
Another disappointing session. I had planned to fish off a boat platform now that the hire boats are all tied up. That plan lasted until just over half way to the River Charente when the wipers and headlights came on and heavy rain splattered the windscreen. Can't set a brolly up on a wooden platform so I drove elsewhere where I could stay dry. The forecast was for dry, overcast. Not persisting it down.
I set the Suveran quiver rod up with red maggot bait. Three fish in four casts, all small roach. Sweetcorn and 6mm banded pellets brought nothing so I put that rod away and set up a Greys 1.75lb tc quiver rod with a bigger bait. Luncheon meat got me a 2lb chub just after lunch then not a bite all afternoon. I tried boilies, Frolicks and meat in rotation without success. In the last 8 or so years this swim has been very reliable for barbel, bream and carp. This year however has been so frustrating.
I set the Suveran quiver rod up with red maggot bait. Three fish in four casts, all small roach. Sweetcorn and 6mm banded pellets brought nothing so I put that rod away and set up a Greys 1.75lb tc quiver rod with a bigger bait. Luncheon meat got me a 2lb chub just after lunch then not a bite all afternoon. I tried boilies, Frolicks and meat in rotation without success. In the last 8 or so years this swim has been very reliable for barbel, bream and carp. This year however has been so frustrating.
seth49
Well-known member
On our club water yesterday, stated fishing maggots on pole, but only catching small roach and skimmers, so changed to the left hand margin, against the irises for the carp and barbel, no barbel but hooked and lost four carp, fairly sure they were foul hooked.
had been feeding a few small dog biscuits on the surface, and after a while a few carp started taking them so changed over to surface fishing as there were some decent size ones taking of the top, tried usual soft floaters but they were very cautious of these, so tried a piece of bread of my last sandwich.
first carp a small mirror of about five pounds, then a better mirror of 14 lbs 6 ozs, which gave a good scrap as well, I then had a common carp of 12 lbs 8 ozs, both in good colour as well.
so not a bad day, it was dry all day apart from a bit of drizzle for the last hour before we packed up, mick had a few on the garlic sausage as well, so good to be out again, just spoilt by not facing my chair to were I was fishing, I still have a stiff neck this morning.
had been feeding a few small dog biscuits on the surface, and after a while a few carp started taking them so changed over to surface fishing as there were some decent size ones taking of the top, tried usual soft floaters but they were very cautious of these, so tried a piece of bread of my last sandwich.
first carp a small mirror of about five pounds, then a better mirror of 14 lbs 6 ozs, which gave a good scrap as well, I then had a common carp of 12 lbs 8 ozs, both in good colour as well.
so not a bad day, it was dry all day apart from a bit of drizzle for the last hour before we packed up, mick had a few on the garlic sausage as well, so good to be out again, just spoilt by not facing my chair to were I was fishing, I still have a stiff neck this morning.
Steve Arnold
Well-known member
Yesterday I was back down where Mortimer and Whitehouse had their camera crew pitched last Friday. A very good flow but not nearly as high as it had been then, it looked perfect for some barbel.
First cast and a couple out walking came over to chat. With my poor french I managed to convey what I was fishing for and the chap asked me about pike at this swim. The good thing about not being fluent is that everyone quickly becomes bored and moves on!
But before they left my rod buckles over and a 4lb barbel used the current to put a good bend in the rod.......
Always good when you can satisfy an audience, and their comments gave my ego a boost! I unhooked the fish in the water and released it at my new friends feet.
I took out the heavier rod and used a bait dropper to put several loads of small pellets and broken boiles in the slack water behind a landing stage.
This has worked here for me before but today it was a mistake! Quite quickly I was getting bites but no hook-up, were they small fish or crayfish?
Eventually I hooked one and it was about 2lbs, the size 6 hook pulled out as I drew the fish to the net, on the next cast exactly the same thing happened again. I honestly think when small fish are feeding like this that they are just holding the bait in their mouths and missing the hook point, at the surface they just let go!
I then had one about 3lbs that was big enough to get the hook as well......
Desperate to get a bigger fish I changed to a size 5 hook and 24mm boilie.......
Not going according to plan at all today, this barbel probably struggled to make 8 ounces!
Edit: I just paid a bit more attention to that last photo and can see only two whiskers, any chance this was a world record gudgeon? Full photo...
Anyway, I had a fun afternoon with little fish. Maybe I did need a rest after those carp caught on my last outing!
First cast and a couple out walking came over to chat. With my poor french I managed to convey what I was fishing for and the chap asked me about pike at this swim. The good thing about not being fluent is that everyone quickly becomes bored and moves on!
But before they left my rod buckles over and a 4lb barbel used the current to put a good bend in the rod.......
Always good when you can satisfy an audience, and their comments gave my ego a boost!
I unhooked the fish in the water and released it at my new friends feet.I took out the heavier rod and used a bait dropper to put several loads of small pellets and broken boiles in the slack water behind a landing stage.
This has worked here for me before but today it was a mistake! Quite quickly I was getting bites but no hook-up, were they small fish or crayfish?
Eventually I hooked one and it was about 2lbs, the size 6 hook pulled out as I drew the fish to the net, on the next cast exactly the same thing happened again. I honestly think when small fish are feeding like this that they are just holding the bait in their mouths and missing the hook point, at the surface they just let go!
I then had one about 3lbs that was big enough to get the hook as well......
Desperate to get a bigger fish I changed to a size 5 hook and 24mm boilie.......
Not going according to plan at all today, this barbel probably struggled to make 8 ounces!
Edit: I just paid a bit more attention to that last photo and can see only two whiskers, any chance this was a world record gudgeon? Full photo...
Anyway, I had a fun afternoon with little fish. Maybe I did need a rest after those carp caught on my last outing!
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I've hardly been fishing this last month for a number of reasons, and when I did I wished I hadn't. On Sunday I fished a pool where last time out I caught a dozen 5lb bream on the pole ... and couldn't get a bite. The time before that, I fished the Trent (literally) behind the Forest ground and caught a few bits. I planned to fish the Derwent above Derby today, until I saw on the River Levels website that both Derwent and Trent were predicted to have a sudden big spike of nearly a metre of extra water. I couldn't see where all this water was coming from, but the data is usually reliable, so expecting some kind of flash flood, I headed off to spend the afternoon at a Trent Marina. I got there around 12, leaving me about 4.5 hours to packing up before they bring the barrier down.
The day was warm and sunny, the water clear, and the level didn't rise an inch. There were fish topping as I set up - a light slider in 11' of water - and I soon found out what kind of day I was in for. A roach first cast, and when I dropped it in the net a pike of around 10lb stormed the net, snagged its teeth and shook the net furiously. There are plenty of fish here, but it's hard to make a catch when the pike can see well.
I fished maggot down the side for perch and hemp and tares, which I'd had in the freezer, 3 rods out for roach. I had no casters, which let you catch both roach and perch. There were no big fish, but it was nice to get a few bites after a series of dismal outings
I had a good few fish taken by pike, tied on quite a few hooks, and had to chase the roach around, catching them at various depths and distances with the float set anywhere between 6 and 11' deep. It was a bit of a scrappy session, but nice to sit in the sun, and definitely beats blanking as I did last time.
The day was warm and sunny, the water clear, and the level didn't rise an inch. There were fish topping as I set up - a light slider in 11' of water - and I soon found out what kind of day I was in for. A roach first cast, and when I dropped it in the net a pike of around 10lb stormed the net, snagged its teeth and shook the net furiously. There are plenty of fish here, but it's hard to make a catch when the pike can see well.
I fished maggot down the side for perch and hemp and tares, which I'd had in the freezer, 3 rods out for roach. I had no casters, which let you catch both roach and perch. There were no big fish, but it was nice to get a few bites after a series of dismal outings
I had a good few fish taken by pike, tied on quite a few hooks, and had to chase the roach around, catching them at various depths and distances with the float set anywhere between 6 and 11' deep. It was a bit of a scrappy session, but nice to sit in the sun, and definitely beats blanking as I did last time.
terry m
Well-known member
A morning trip down the Avon watching deadbait floats proved slow, but just before 11 am the paternostered smelt started jigging away and a very clean pike of about 6 1/2 pounds was the result. Not colossal, but after a couple of blanks it was very welcome.
With fishing opportunities severely restricted during the spring & summer I was determined to try and make something of the Autumn. However, even that appeared to be slipping out of reach as a series of baiting campaigns on the rivers were undermined by rising levels messing things up. Its soul destroying making all the effort to locate & prebait swims but then have days on end of torrential rain turn them into unfishable churning mud baths.
To try and salvage something I turned my attention to a gravel pit within striking distance that has some nice fish in it, however it’s not an easy nut to crack. It’s a public water so open to all and around 20 acres in size. Fishing is restricted to days only & access to the majority of the lake involves a bit of a hike across fields & the weed is rampant. Its rare to see other anglers other than the odd lure angler & the stock is something of a mystery however despite the challenges the offer of solitude and a bit of the unknown is a draw for me
Spot the Coypu ...
I decided to concentrate on a stretch of overgrown bank where despite getting torn up by brambles I knew from previous plumbing had some nice little areas where the weed was a bit more manageable. Over the course of a couple of weeks I baited a couple of spots close in but deep enough to be swan proof. From about the third baiting trip a dozen or so ducks & swans would be waiting for me and descend on the swim like an air squadron when I turned up. The bird life was clearly on the bait, I hoped the fish would follow!
My angling time was limited to short sessions of an hour or two each trip so I kept gear to a minimum & rigs were simple running leads with long links & flattened leads that would settle gently onto any weed. Bait was a bolie or pellet on one rod & a dog biscuit on the other. As I was hedging my bets for Carp or Tench I used compromise tackle of 1.75tc rods and 10pound line which given the weed may appear light but if the tackle is balanced you can do surprising things.
Dinner time..
The first couple of trips yielded absolutely nothing however the third trip I had a liner which was enough to get my hopes up. The following trip I followed my usual routine of quietly flicking out two rods underarm and then maneuvering the line to sink round the marginal weed so it settled better. Usually, I don’t put out any bait until I am leaving however on this occasion I decided to put just a handful of bait over the top. The Reaction of the ducks was instant & in seconds they came crashing into the swim churning it to froth. With hindsight this may well have acted in my favor, like a dinner gong to the fish as less than 15mins later, I had a tentative take, the rod top knocking gently before it screamed off ! The fish shot off to the left on a long run so I jumped into the margins to get past the marginal trees & held the rod high to try and keep the fish from burying itself too far into the weeds. It finally slowed & I started the long pump back towards me. A lot of weed had built up on the line but I managed to flick it off as best I could. Steady pressure got the fish close in & I thankfully managed to net it without incident. The swim was very tight with a steep bank so I cut the line and heaved the net & fish up to the mat & extracted the size 6 from a cracking looking common, a dark handsome fish that pulled the scales a few ounces past 40lb.
I was chuffed as this is not an easy lake and as anyone who has experience of them knows, fish from Public open waters like this are a whole different ball game to catching from some of the private overstocked pay lakes. It can be a slog but I have the place to myself & its exciting to wonder what else could be hiding in there.
To try and salvage something I turned my attention to a gravel pit within striking distance that has some nice fish in it, however it’s not an easy nut to crack. It’s a public water so open to all and around 20 acres in size. Fishing is restricted to days only & access to the majority of the lake involves a bit of a hike across fields & the weed is rampant. Its rare to see other anglers other than the odd lure angler & the stock is something of a mystery however despite the challenges the offer of solitude and a bit of the unknown is a draw for me
Spot the Coypu ...
I decided to concentrate on a stretch of overgrown bank where despite getting torn up by brambles I knew from previous plumbing had some nice little areas where the weed was a bit more manageable. Over the course of a couple of weeks I baited a couple of spots close in but deep enough to be swan proof. From about the third baiting trip a dozen or so ducks & swans would be waiting for me and descend on the swim like an air squadron when I turned up. The bird life was clearly on the bait, I hoped the fish would follow!
My angling time was limited to short sessions of an hour or two each trip so I kept gear to a minimum & rigs were simple running leads with long links & flattened leads that would settle gently onto any weed. Bait was a bolie or pellet on one rod & a dog biscuit on the other. As I was hedging my bets for Carp or Tench I used compromise tackle of 1.75tc rods and 10pound line which given the weed may appear light but if the tackle is balanced you can do surprising things.
Dinner time..
The first couple of trips yielded absolutely nothing however the third trip I had a liner which was enough to get my hopes up. The following trip I followed my usual routine of quietly flicking out two rods underarm and then maneuvering the line to sink round the marginal weed so it settled better. Usually, I don’t put out any bait until I am leaving however on this occasion I decided to put just a handful of bait over the top. The Reaction of the ducks was instant & in seconds they came crashing into the swim churning it to froth. With hindsight this may well have acted in my favor, like a dinner gong to the fish as less than 15mins later, I had a tentative take, the rod top knocking gently before it screamed off ! The fish shot off to the left on a long run so I jumped into the margins to get past the marginal trees & held the rod high to try and keep the fish from burying itself too far into the weeds. It finally slowed & I started the long pump back towards me. A lot of weed had built up on the line but I managed to flick it off as best I could. Steady pressure got the fish close in & I thankfully managed to net it without incident. The swim was very tight with a steep bank so I cut the line and heaved the net & fish up to the mat & extracted the size 6 from a cracking looking common, a dark handsome fish that pulled the scales a few ounces past 40lb.
I was chuffed as this is not an easy lake and as anyone who has experience of them knows, fish from Public open waters like this are a whole different ball game to catching from some of the private overstocked pay lakes. It can be a slog but I have the place to myself & its exciting to wonder what else could be hiding in there.
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Steve Arnold
Well-known member
Every time you plan to fish that lake from now on you will be feeling great excitement. The anticipation of the unknown leviathans in a wild water is what keeps us going! Well done on that magnificent carp!
Steve Arnold
Well-known member
My friend Alistair has had a very bad summers fishing, partly his fault as he really does not put the effort in. He tags along with me and casts out his two rods with weights that are usually too light for the river conditions and his baits will be boilies of unknown vintage!
Fortunately the river is now in good form and Autumn is when the barbel feed best. I remembered a swim we had checked out in the summer and I thought the higher river levels now would make it a good bet.
I took half a bucket of groundbait, being confident that Alistair would not think that far. Lots of pellets in with the groundbait, if we did not have fish in the swim at the start I was confident this would draw the fish to us. I was right, Alistair had not brought groundbait but at least he has a catapult to launch some broken boilies in. Sure I did sense his discomfort at giving the fish a free feed of those "expensive" boilies!
The first hour was fishless but the scenery made up for that, a lovely spot to spend a fine Autumn afternoon.....
The river was still carrying some colour but the groundbait did eventually draw some barbel in. I took three over the next hour whilst poor Alistair looked on. Eventually his rod pulled over and he had his first fish for months.......
I was relieved! Always good to see a friend smile, if he had been using a swimfeeder or PVA bags of bait he would have caught many more I am sure.
I fished one rod with the feeder and one with PVA mesh tubes of broken boilies and pellets. Both tactics worked, I finished with 5 barbel landed and another cut me off, Alistair managed 2 barbel.
Perhaps Alistair will realise he needs to do a little more than anchor a boilie somewhere near my groundbait, but I have been on his case about this for years.
So a total of seven barbel ,all about 2kg to 2.5kg from a shared swim. It all made for a fine afternoon on the river Lot.
Fortunately the river is now in good form and Autumn is when the barbel feed best. I remembered a swim we had checked out in the summer and I thought the higher river levels now would make it a good bet.
I took half a bucket of groundbait, being confident that Alistair would not think that far. Lots of pellets in with the groundbait, if we did not have fish in the swim at the start I was confident this would draw the fish to us. I was right, Alistair had not brought groundbait but at least he has a catapult to launch some broken boilies in. Sure I did sense his discomfort at giving the fish a free feed of those "expensive" boilies!
The first hour was fishless but the scenery made up for that, a lovely spot to spend a fine Autumn afternoon.....
The river was still carrying some colour but the groundbait did eventually draw some barbel in. I took three over the next hour whilst poor Alistair looked on. Eventually his rod pulled over and he had his first fish for months.......
I was relieved! Always good to see a friend smile, if he had been using a swimfeeder or PVA bags of bait he would have caught many more I am sure.
I fished one rod with the feeder and one with PVA mesh tubes of broken boilies and pellets. Both tactics worked, I finished with 5 barbel landed and another cut me off, Alistair managed 2 barbel.
Perhaps Alistair will realise he needs to do a little more than anchor a boilie somewhere near my groundbait, but I have been on his case about this for years.
So a total of seven barbel ,all about 2kg to 2.5kg from a shared swim. It all made for a fine afternoon on the river Lot.
Aknib
Well-known member
What an absolute thing of beauty that really is. A stunning fish and a very well done.
terry m
Well-known member
Indeed, that is one handsome creature. Well fished.
mikench
Well-known member
Gordon and I revisited a water which I loved 8 years ago and which we fished a few years back . We were unimpressed. I had a look yesterday as the club proclaimed maintenance work had been carried and pegs were made accessible. That bit was true. We arrived in semi darkness, loaded our gear on barrows and trudged 200 m across a field. On arrival at the pool we selected pegs and set up. The forecast predicted, no rain, strong winds and complete sunshine. Well the Met office got 2 out of 3 right. It was very windy , dry but totally overcast and the brooding skies looked ominous.
It did not rain but the sun only made an appearance in the afternoon and fleetingly.
Gordon can be seen on the left. Fishing was excruciatingly slow with just 8 fish for Gordon and most on red maggot and a size 18 hook to a 2lb hook length. There was little sign of fish. I swapped my usual feeder for a smaller variant and a size 16 hook. It was to no avail and I blanked. It was really cold out of the sun so much so we both wore gloves. That SE wind was very chilly. We have now added this water to our list of waters not worth the effort and we doubt the large head of tench exist.
It was good to see Gordon again who still isn’t fully recovered from a bout of Covid and flu. We chatted about many things as the pegs, whilst useless from a fishing perspective, were close enough for normal conversation. It’s such a shame about this water but we reckon the cormorants have emptied it. Cheers Gordon and let’s have a better day next week.
It did not rain but the sun only made an appearance in the afternoon and fleetingly.
Gordon can be seen on the left. Fishing was excruciatingly slow with just 8 fish for Gordon and most on red maggot and a size 18 hook to a 2lb hook length. There was little sign of fish. I swapped my usual feeder for a smaller variant and a size 16 hook. It was to no avail and I blanked. It was really cold out of the sun so much so we both wore gloves. That SE wind was very chilly. We have now added this water to our list of waters not worth the effort and we doubt the large head of tench exist.
It was good to see Gordon again who still isn’t fully recovered from a bout of Covid and flu. We chatted about many things as the pegs, whilst useless from a fishing perspective, were close enough for normal conversation. It’s such a shame about this water but we reckon the cormorants have emptied it. Cheers Gordon and let’s have a better day next week.
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A bit of urban fishing today. I like a bit of canal fishing. I'm squeamish about fishing solo in town but I was happy to give it a go with a friend who also fancied it. This canal is really a 4 mile loop off the Trent taking boats around a weir and shallows. Unlike most canals, it's running water, varying in pace from a leisurely walk to a brisk walk according to conditions. You can fish it "static" - flat floats on the pole work well - but it's nice to fish a 5 or 6m whip and run your float, in this case a 4x18 job, through your swim. This swim is equidistant from the Forest ground, the County ground and Trent Bridge cricket ground.
This kind of fishing isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I'm happy to fish for barbel one day and small fish the next, and I like the delicacy of canal fishing. Feeding a few maggots and a bit of hemp I struggled to keep the fish coming but ended up after 4 hours with around 50 fish - roach, perch, skimmers - for 9 or 10lbs. I'd set up a wand and tried for a big perch or bream against the far bank with worm on the hook, but didn't get a bite. I didn't think a photo was needed, and who wants to lay a keepnet on a hard bank. I have to say I appreciated a dry towpath as an alternative to sliding around in mud and I might well be back here.
This kind of fishing isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I'm happy to fish for barbel one day and small fish the next, and I like the delicacy of canal fishing. Feeding a few maggots and a bit of hemp I struggled to keep the fish coming but ended up after 4 hours with around 50 fish - roach, perch, skimmers - for 9 or 10lbs. I'd set up a wand and tried for a big perch or bream against the far bank with worm on the hook, but didn't get a bite. I didn't think a photo was needed, and who wants to lay a keepnet on a hard bank. I have to say I appreciated a dry towpath as an alternative to sliding around in mud and I might well be back here.
@Clive
Well-known member
I had an afternoon on the River Charente. The forecast was for a cloudy morning and light rain in the afternoon. What I got was heavy rain from first thing to packing up. As such plans were changed (again) from fishing off a platform where a brolly can't be used to fishing a few miles upstream where I could stay dry-ish. The swim I fished in is quite tight, not even a brolly width.
It is four feet above the water line and has a crease about 12 foot out where coincidentally the drop off is from around 8 feet to over 14 feet. The tree canopy is OK for an 11 foot rod so I used my Allcocks Wallis Avon, sliding 6g float and 4.4lb hook link to a size 12 Jack Hilton carp hook to fish the seam with luncheon meat and sweetcorn baits. Groundbait and loose cereals were put in before I tackled up under the hatchback of the car.
After about forty minutes the float slid away and I got a nice bend in the old rod. Landing it required all four limbs. I have the 3 metre pole fully extended and before the fish was nearly ready to net I have to hold the net in place with my feet around the pole. Once it is in netting range I can take the pole in my left hand and lift the net. Then it is a case of backing out between the two trees with net and rod. Once unhooked the fish was rested & returned in a clear part just upstream.
It was slow going and I only had two more bites just before 4pm. Both were quick snatches that removed the sweetcorn that I had been using as a bait stop along with small pieces of luncheon meat. Suspecting the culprit was a roach I considered quickly changing my hook link to a much finer hook and line, dotting the float down and shallowing up to trot through the swim. I shook that idea from my head and decided to just put the biggest grain of sweetcorn in the tin on the same rig and lob it out to the same spot. Plan B got me another barbel slightly smaller than the first, but not what I would have been confident of landing on a size 16 spade to 0.10.
The tackle is now spread out in the basement drying out.
It is four feet above the water line and has a crease about 12 foot out where coincidentally the drop off is from around 8 feet to over 14 feet. The tree canopy is OK for an 11 foot rod so I used my Allcocks Wallis Avon, sliding 6g float and 4.4lb hook link to a size 12 Jack Hilton carp hook to fish the seam with luncheon meat and sweetcorn baits. Groundbait and loose cereals were put in before I tackled up under the hatchback of the car.
After about forty minutes the float slid away and I got a nice bend in the old rod. Landing it required all four limbs. I have the 3 metre pole fully extended and before the fish was nearly ready to net I have to hold the net in place with my feet around the pole. Once it is in netting range I can take the pole in my left hand and lift the net. Then it is a case of backing out between the two trees with net and rod. Once unhooked the fish was rested & returned in a clear part just upstream.
It was slow going and I only had two more bites just before 4pm. Both were quick snatches that removed the sweetcorn that I had been using as a bait stop along with small pieces of luncheon meat. Suspecting the culprit was a roach I considered quickly changing my hook link to a much finer hook and line, dotting the float down and shallowing up to trot through the swim. I shook that idea from my head and decided to just put the biggest grain of sweetcorn in the tin on the same rig and lob it out to the same spot. Plan B got me another barbel slightly smaller than the first, but not what I would have been confident of landing on a size 16 spade to 0.10.
The tackle is now spread out in the basement drying out.