How did you get on?

[Tee-Cee]

Messrs Step / barbelboi / Greenie..... I hear what you're saying chaps and all comments duly noted. I went into some detail in the report in the hope it would bring forth useful suggestions that I can play with. ( it's what FM is all about, isn't it... )

To begin with I shall make use of the bigger shot near the hook as on the face of it I think it might help, so thanks for that John

As I said I was basically fishing for roach with fine tackle and as I was getting bites/ fish I didn't think about an increase in bait size, but a larger bait ( such as the 2 x corn or flake / crust ) with just crucians in mind might mean more positive indications - we shall see, but regardless I will post again after a few more trips.

Unfortunately tomorrows weather seems uncertain with overnight temps set to fall to 3 / 4 degrees ( in the early hours ) plus a N/W wind bringing cold air with it throughout the day in my area, so maybe the cru's might have a change of mind....

May have to fall back on the roach - with nice positive bites for a change !!


ps In the meantime I am putting our bread maker to good use for a nice soft loaf with medium crust. If the fish are not impressed I shall eat it myself !

Thanks for the suggestions..

 

[barbelboi]

Tony, don't forget that Fred J popularised the lift method by observing the pre-war River Lea roach fisherman in action who were also catching tench. As we know he then used it predominately for still water tench but IMO it can be deadly for catching any 'nose down' feeder.........

 

[robtherake]

A very good point about the turbulence of foraging fish - maybe this is the cause of the twitches on the float - particularly when using bulkier baits like 2 kernels of corn! Worth a thought Tee-Cee?

A crucian's mouth shape is not dissimilar to that of a tench, so maybe they have similar issues with picking up a bait. I've generally found that accuracy with depth - either dead-on depth or just off-bottom by a tiny fraction - is essential with crucians on the float. In calm conditions (and close in) I'll shot the fine-tipped float - usually a Drennan dart - until it only just sinks, then shave the locking shot with a nail file until the tip is only just held in the surface tension.

 

[barbelboi]

Good point - another way is slightly under shotting and then adding rig putty to a number eight/ten until it's just right - very easy to add and subtract as required (i.e. when surface 'muck' alters a critically balanced set up) ...........

 

[swizzle]

I braved the deluge today after some Tench on a reliable water. Even went so far as to go out yesterday evening to prebait the swim. I arrived at 7am to steady drizzle, set my first rod up with a 1Oz method feeder to 6lb main line on my 1 1/4 tc Avon quiver, 10mm richworth tutti frutti boilie on the hair. Lobbed it out 20 yards to the gravel bar, and set the float rod up with the Trudex pin I bought off the bay for £30 t'other day. 4lb line straight through with a small drennan insert wagler as bite indication and a dendra on a 14. Got the brolly up as the rain intensified and the alarm was off, low and behold, a krap of around 3lb, feeder back to the same spot, 5 minutes later away again. This time a krap of around 5lb. As I returned the fish to the water, I could here the ratchet going on the float rod, hit into it only to be dragged around the lake by another krap. The fight on the pin is spectacular if not a little nerve shredding, this fish was a lot bigger and looked to be carrying spawn. Isn't it too early for that? It went 15'4 on the scales. It was raining too hard to bother taking photos apart from one, which came on the boilie. Darn camera all misted up too.
.

All in all, I had 9 carp, 5 over 10, 2 on the float n pin arrangement and not one sniff from a tench, which is surprising as the little boilies usually do the biz for tench on this lake. Strange. Still, christened the new pin, even though I were cack as casting. Wazzed it down all day. I'll be back....

 

[Chefster]

Final Match of the week for me,The Friday Flyer open on Bottom pool af TBF..A good draw put me on peg 14,one of the flyers
First hour went well,caught F1,s steady at 11m to island,then the wheels came off,i hooked a mirror which snagged on a tethered feeder,from the island and it came off,as i had to pull for a break,after that nearly every fish i hooked seemed to catch the line and come off
so i abandoned the island swim and started a track line,at 6m,had a few F1,s and skimmers,then the fish were up and down and everywhere,and i got linered to death,despite trying different feeding patterns,i had to abandon this line as well...I then fished top kit to the right and left..with corn and pellet,the left produced 1 mirror,and the right produced 2 mirrors,2 common and an F1,i also lost 4 munters,when the hook pulled..In the end i managed a modest 55lb,which helped me to a section win,but was way off the mark..the results were Alex Harper(Mossella) 84lb,Dave James(Mossella) 81lb,and Ronnie Biggs(OHMS)61lb.....still a decent day,stayed relatively dry,and a few bites,Next week im on Extension pool(MONDAY) and New Pool(Tuesday)...Tight lines ,Gazza

 

[robtherake]

Final Match of the week for me,The Friday Flyer open on Bottom pool af TBF..A good draw put me on peg 14,one of the flyers
First hour went well,caught F1,s steady at 11m to island,then the wheels came off,i hooked a mirror which snagged on a tethered feeder,from the island and it came off,as i had to pull for a break,after that nearly every fish i hooked seemed to catch the line and come off
so i abandoned the island swim and started a track line,at 6m,had a few F1,s and skimmers,then the fish were up and down and everywhere,and i got linered to death,despite trying different feeding patterns,i had to abandon this line as well...I then fished top kit to the right and left..with corn and pellet,the left produced 1 mirror,and the right produced 2 mirrors,2 common and an F1,i also lost 4 munters,when the hook pulled..In the end i managed a modest 55lb,which helped me to a section win,but was way off the mark..the results were Alex Harper(Mossella) 84lb,Dave James(Mossella) 81lb,and Ronnie Biggs(OHMS)61lb.....still a decent day,stayed relatively dry,and a few bites,Next week im on Extension pool(MONDAY) and New Pool(Tuesday)...Tight lines ,Gazza

Tough luck, Gaz, but apart from the mishaps you seem to be in a good vein of form. I enjoy reading your match reports, mate: very entertaining.

 

[Chefster]

Tough luck, Gaz, but apart from the mishaps you seem to be in a good vein of form. I enjoy reading your match reports, mate: very entertaining.

Cheers Rob,i,m glad you like them,its been a good week,basically because i,m putting more time in,by june i,m hoping to be on top form

 

[robtherake]

As I returned the fish to the water, I could here the ratchet going on the float rod, hit into it only to be dragged around the lake by another krap. The fight on the pin is spectacular if not a little nerve shredding, this fish was a lot bigger and looked to be carrying spawn. Isn't it too early fo.

Fighting a big fish in the rain on a pin can provide unexpected excitement when your wrinkly-wet thumb grabs the edge of the spool, providing an alarming application of extra friction at just the wrong moment. Glad you enjoyed it.

 

[Graham Elliott 1]

I was going fishing today but the huge snow flakes have been falling steadily for the last hour! !!

Global warming I guess.....

 

[binka]

I was going fishing today but the huge snow flakes have been falling steadily for the last hour! !!

Global warming I guess.....

I too was hoping to get out today but due to a really dire forecast I have put off until tomorrow.

Sleet, rain and cold was the forecast... But it's currently sunny and rather pleasant

 

[Tee-Cee]

Yes, my planned trip also put off until tomorrow as it is very wet and cold ( 4 degrees ) in South Bucks and breezy as well....Not pleasant at all !! ' They ' did say some sleety stuff might hit the Chilterns later.

However not too bad for walking with my wife in the surrounding valleys and this will be followed by coffee and cake at a very nice café type establishment in a place called Stonor, not a million miles from Henley, where we can also pick up some decent cheese and olives for later.

Almost better than fishing and far more civilised..............


ps In a moment of weakness I also volunteered to give the bathroom a spring clean..

 

[maggot_dangler]

Well snow has all but gone here now but it's Saturday so it's shopping so not much fishing for me today neither tommorow as the Luke Reid cup comps start for the junior golfers so muggins has got to be there ho humm just hope it's better Wednesday ..

PG ...

 

[barbelboi]

It's quite calm and cloudy here however, unless it was a fish'in I wouldn't dream of fishing at the weekend - still a bit early in the day anyway..............

 

[itsfishingnotcatching]

Managed a three hour session Thursday late afternoon, fished a council pond which, after a day down in Old London Town, is only about five minutes drive from home. Mag & Wag on an 18 to 2.5lb hooklength in about 2'0 of water. A couple of reasonable Carp splashing around on the top (Are they getting ready to spawn already?). Slow going, timid bites and knocks, only caught five fish but nothing really small, couple of Roach about 4 & 6 oz, a Perch pushing a pound and a couple of Rudd @ 8 & 12oz. The heavy showers kept the idiots indoors and even the bailiff failed to show. One of those places where I need a little more patience and wait for a positive bite. Last two visits to pools have gone far better than anticipated

 

[binka]

Not a bad weekend at all, all things considered.

I had originally planned a session for yesterday and don’t often change my plans for the weather but for the sake of a day and the contrast in the forecast it was a bit of a no brainer and so today it was.

Having said that yesterday wasn’t anywhere near as bad as the forecast had originally made out although it was a fine line, we had a deluge for the whole of Friday night but it was otherwise fine yesterday except for a near biblical hail storm in the afternoon.

The fact that I also wanted to listen to the Stags doing the double over Notts County and thrashing the asses off ‘em 5-0 along with the small matter of a birthday made it an even easier decision and that birthday money doesn’t spend itself y’know.

To which affect I’m now the proud owner of a best in test Nash Polar Cool Bag to complete my overnight kit and I will no longer have to double up with the insulated deadbait bag for food items

I kid you not mg:

Anyway, this morning finally came around with not too bad a hangover and I was out for just gone six, it was -1 and there was a hard frost which didn’t do too much for the optimism and so it proved after a day’s perching on a local lake where I managed to get plagued out with small perch and skimmers on the lobworm rod and not a sniff on the prawn rod.

My mate struggled too taking only three skimmers and I reckon he fished it really well but it just wasn’t going to be, it was as always good to be out.

Only working one day next week so time to enjoy a bit of milder weather before the next low sweeps in right on next weekend

It will change by then...

It WILL change by then...

:w

 

[itsfishingnotcatching]

Back to my new found pool this morning with rods set up to handle the Carp that eluded me last week. Ended up Gudgeon bashing on 8lb line mg: they're lovely fish and not as common as I remember them BUT after 40+ the novelty ends Never saw or connected with a Carp, in addition to the Gobos, had three Roach, six small Perch and a Skimmer from the island peg that was recommended to me last week. As I walked back to the car, a little disenchanted, there must have been 30 Carp sunning themselves a stones throw from the car park, they seemed to be smiling! :wh

Only Sunday dinner saved the day

 

[peter crabtree]

A chilly start this morning when I set off up the M40. A hard frost and bright sun before it warmed up a bit. Boddington reservior looked calm with the NW wind blowing on our backs.





My last 2 visits here were totally different with a strong SW blowing broadside so this was a lot easier.
Set up pole @11m in 9ft of water, top 4 rig strung out for a gentle fall through the layers in order to find out where the fish were. Started at dead depth with single maggot over a few balls of dark roach groundbait. Bites straight away with some quality roach to 12oz. By halfway through (3hrs) I ran out of groundbait which proved to be a mistake in my preparation and ended up costing me. They really wanted it and others were bagging around memg:
Stuck with it to the end but the bigger roach had deserted me.
Weighed in 10lb 4oz for nowhere.



Not sure of the exact weights but a few were 30lb+ with follow ups in the high 20's...
I estimate 350 to 400lb of roach were landed by 24 anglers today...

If Carlsberg made roach venues......

 

[greenie62]

... By halfway through (3hrs) I ran out of groundbait which proved to be a mistake in my preparation and ended up costing me. They really wanted it and others were bagging around memg:
...

mg:Simon - aren't you going to award yourself a 'Bad Angling Award' for that lapse? mg:

P.S. What weight of groundbait should you have taken?

 

[peter crabtree]

Bad angling indeed. I'll award myself later....