How did you get on?

[tonybull]

Last 3 sessions have been on natural waters, so went on a commercial pole only match on Sunday because I fancied a few more bites and done 164lb, beat most anglers on my bank around me, but never enough to frame in the top 4.

1st 341lb
2nd 315lb
3rd 300lb
4th 280lb

 

[symonh2000]

I went fishing on a small farm pond today, probably only about 1 acre in size and averaging 2-3 foot deep.

Managed 22 smallish carp (Biggest 9lb) and a Roach of about 12oz.

 

[binka]

...............

 

[chub_on_the_block]

No forceps?...whats this... a disgorger instead?...too much change. I was used to the forceps, even though i knew they were miniature ones.

 

[binka]

No forceps?...whats this... a disgorger instead?...too much change. I was used to the forceps, even though i knew they were miniature ones.

Forceps are so yesterday...

 

[chub_on_the_block]

Forceps are so yesterday...

Trouble with 2 inch long forceps is they must be so easy to lose...

 

[binka]

Trouble with 2 inch long forceps is they must be so easy to lose...

I couldn't possibly say, I've never used any that big...

 

[Tee-Cee]

tonybull....I've seen 100lb+ bags and it's a lot of fish, but 341lb (and that just the winner).....absolutely staggering !!

As a matter of interest, how do they retain such a bag for weighing, what I assume to be mainly, if not all, carp, of a certain size, or are they weighed in stages ? You will appreciate I have never fished a commercial of any sort so have little idea of how they operate....

....and how big is the water !!

I have to say I'd have been a little miffed to weigh in 164lb and not frame!



ps I fish a 'Farm Pond' from time to time that is stuffed with fish, but I don't think it qualifies somehow....(add a couple of smilies here I think!)

 

[tonybull]

Tee Cee

Your talking 5/6 keepnets minimum for the top weights on the day, carp up to 5/6lb and a few 7/8lb fish.

A lot of venue's have something in the region of 70lb net limits and normally state silvers seperate along with carp up to a 1lb.

But to win matches of this nature you need carp, so people don't keep the silvers.

I think the water as 24 pegs and think we had 20 fish, imagine its about 3 acres big.

I know of matches that you need 500lb + to win and 300lb+ to frame and they have a mid match weigh.

These venue's are only stocked once and every year small fry appear and grow big. I don't fish these venues regular in the warmer months, but worth ago in the winter, because you get bites and if the carp shut up, there's normally a few silvers that feed.

 

[mick b]

Tee Cee

Your talking 5/6 keepnets minimum for the top weights on the day, carp up to 5/6lb and a few 7/8lb fish.

A lot of venue's have something in the region of 70lb net limits and normally state silvers seperate along with carp up to a 1lb.

But to win matches of this nature you need carp, so people don't keep the silvers.

I think the water as 24 pegs and think we had 20 fish, imagine its about 3 acres big.

I know of matches that you need 500lb + to win and 300lb+ to frame and they have a mid match weigh.

These venue's are only stocked once and every year small fry appear and grow big. I don't fish these venues regular in the warmer months, but worth ago in the winter, because you get bites and if the carp shut up, there's normally a few silvers that feed.

Many thanks for that information it really fills in an area I have no experience in whatsoever.
Imagine leaving the UK when 'specimen hunting' was just starting to decline and returning when commerials had existed for many years.
And reading the match results in Angling Times was simply mindblowing

Ive only seen that number/weight of freshwater fish in a seine net and then it was only once, and a very mixed bag.

Im still staggered at the catch rate required if the fish were 'only' 5-8pounders

Well done all the same, and thanks again for the infill.

.

 

[barbelboi]

Fished a local river stretch from 10am-3pm today and decided to pick a swim with the option of a long trot. A lot of colour and movement after the heavy rain (also a lot of underwater branches courtesy of Bertha discovered in the first few trots) and a lively wind blowing downstream. Lots of roach, a few perch, a couple of chub, a couple of dace and some bleak on red maggot.

 

[tonybull]

Mick

Your be surprised how quick a bagging machine can put a weight together once they get the feeding right along with where the fish want to feed.

Its lot harder than people think to keep a swim/lines going and fish coming to the net on a commercial.

 

[Barrie Hicks 2]

Many thanks for that information it really fills in an area I have no experience in whatsoever.
Imagine leaving the UK when 'specimen hunting' was just starting to decline and returning when commerials had existed for many years.
And reading the match results in Angling Times was simply mindblowing

Ive only seen that number/weight of freshwater fish in a seine net and then it was only once, and a very mixed bag.

Im still staggered at the catch rate required if the fish were 'only' 5-8pounders

Well done all the same, and thanks again for the infill.

.

Have a look at this then!

Record match catch tops 700lb!

 

[tonybull]

Have a look at this then!

Record match catch tops 700lb!

A mate of mine beat that Sunday with 936lb mg:

 

[sam vimes]

I had a pint of casters and the remnants of a tin of corn that needed using asap. Unfortunately, I also have a distinct aversion to fishing in windy conditions. I have been watching the weather forecasts and saw that the wind was likely to drop as the afternoon passed. I'd also been keeping tabs on the river levels and knew the river was up but running off nicely.

I bit the bullet and set off for the river at about four. I went to a similar area as recent river excursions but picked a swim with a high bank where I knew the wind would be blowing over the top of the swim. For the first hour or so, I got nothing but minnows, regardless of using corn, caster or maggot. I was seriously tempted to move on or pack up when a half decent grayling put in an appearance, closely followed by a decent dace. From then on it was a steady stream of minnows with dace, chublets and grayling thrown in. In amongst the bits, I hooked something that set off like a train to the other side of the river. Just as I was beginning to think it might be one of the elusive (and very thin on the ground) barbel and starting to worry that my two pound hooklink might be in jeopardy, it pretty much gave up until it got back to the nearside bank.

A very hollow, but very welcome, 3lb 8oz chub. After that the wind started to drop a little and swing to a downstreamer, making trotting quite awkward. Then it decided to bucket down for about an hour. Only a few more dace and loads of minnows came along during and after the rain.

Thirty five dace and chublets, four grayling, one proper chub a host of minnows and an absolute soaking for the pleasure.

 

[sam vimes]

Popped out at four for a quick session. The main reason for going was to dry out some of the kit that got soaked last night. The wind was bob on for that job, but hopeless for the fishing, a horrible, swirly downstreamer. I really should have taken a feeder rod! The fact that the water is well on the way back to normal summer levels meant that I suspected that the minnows would be present in big numbers. Struggling with the wind and hordes of minnows, I managed just ten dace, four chublets and a manic brownie of about a pound and a half.

 

[cal_sutt]

Fished the River Idle today as per usual, fished in a spot that hasn't produced much for me this season as a mate had a 10lb barbel out last week. I took the carp rod with me as it's all I've got that's suited to a swim as snaggy as this - there's a weedbed about 5ft wide by 8ft long then a 3ft or 4ft gap (of very fast water) then it slacks off a little bit towards the back where there are about 5 sunken branches, all of this is under a very low hanging tree.

I rigged up at home so I was ready to fish when I got there. 12lb mainline straight through, 2oz lead for the fast flow and a size 8 Kamasan barbel hook. A simple rig that usually produces. For bait I had some out-of-date luncheon meat and some emergency sweetcorn, I baited up with a few handfulls of chunks of meat (around 4mm in size) followed by a dozen or so larger chunks. I left the swim for a little while then got cast in, nothing bit for a good hour, lots of weed coming down so I had to keep re-casting. After removing some weed, I re-cast and literally seconds after I put the rod down it ripped off, I hit into it then all hell was let loose! I knew it was a barbel straight away and definitely a big one, it ran to the far bank and was inches away from the snags. The clutch gave in and it managed to get into the snags, I knew it was bigger than others I've caught and I was not losing it. So into the river I went, emptying my pockets out onto the bank as I waded further down, I reeled up tight to it and gave it some stick, it wasn't budging! My heart was racing, I thought I had lost it and all of a sudden it raced out of the snag pulling about 3 chunks of the snag with it on the lead and the line and it ran upstream. "Phew!" The fight was back on and I started stepping back up the bank, I got it up on the surface just as I was half way up the bank, it was inches away from the net and it whizzed off downstream. I thought "F*ck it I'm already wet" and walked briskly downstream after it, tightening up as I got closer, it was in open water and away from the snags! I pulled it up on the surface again and managed to net it! Once I'd seen it I knew 7lb 2oz would no longer be my PB!

We got it on the mat and weighed it - 8lbs 10oz! I was over the moon! Followed it up with a couple of small 3 or 4 pounders and ended the day with a massive smile on my face!



What a beauty!

Just had to stay in the water while it recovered...


-- Shall have to start taking my camera with me when I go fishing. The 6 year old phone doesn't take the best photos!

 

[binka]

What a cracking fish, and fight... Well done! :thumbs:

 

[cal_sutt]

What a cracking fish, and fight... Well done! :thumbs:

Thank you my friend!

It was certainly interesting and well worth it! It even put the carp rod to a test trying to keep it out the snags! I've just bagged myself a barbel rod this afternoon so I shall be doing a hell of a lot more barbel fishing.

 

[bennygesserit]

Cal really enjoyed that mate , lovely fish.