How did you get on?

[thecrow]

Another very enjoyable day out with Binka, fishless for me unless you count a few roach but on 6lb bottom they don't tend to fight so well.

To be honest having spent most of the previous night on the toilet I wasn't to bothered whether I fished or not and that showed in my fishing which was haphazard at best, I was content to sit and chat for most of the day, reminiscing, putting the world to rights and generally discussing all things fishy.
I realise what a boring report this is so here's a picture of some bloke standing in the river fishing



Thanks for a great day Steve, it just went to show that there really is more to fishing than catching fish.

 

[S-Kippy]

There was a time when Big Phil reckoned I could catch a barbel out of a damp sponge. I cant catch them at all now !

I had what is becoming a worryingly typical trip to the Wey yesterday. M25 up to its usual tricks, then I found every parking spot on the river taken which usually means every fishing spot is taken too. I was ready to press the "abort" button when the phone rang and it was Clarky who is trying to hunt down a particular reel for me. Had a good chat despite him taking the pi$$ out of my new Korum "handbag" and I decided that to go home was to accept defeat meekly and I'm better than that so I parked in the village and yomped back to the river.

The handbag was fine....for the first mile at least

Only available swim was the dreaded weirpool which has only patchy barbel form but very consistent brim and eel form. Its not well known for producing bundles of scart leads but somehow I managed to catch one !

Fish wise,not a touch. Not even a chub.Nothing.

Home dejected with tail between legs not helped by reading Binka's latest. Oh how I wish there was a river like that near me.

---------- Post added at 10:51 ---------- Previous post was at 08:57 ----------

I'm not sure how comfortable I am with people "liking" my latest tale of woe. There ought to be a "I know just how you feel" button.

 

[thecrow]

There ought to be a "I know just how you feel" button

My "like" was due to the absence of such a button

 

[flightliner]

Very limited opportunities to fish at the moment but at two yesterday afternoon I was given a half chance so at four pm I was making my first run down a Trent trib - with heavy float gear for a repeAt of some of last autumns Barbel. Heavy streamer weed made things hard but a search found me a clear passage thro on my nearside.
Happy with this I settled in to the task .
I was surprised that my first bite turned up a nice roach of a half lb or so, such heavy gear with a ten hook and four big red maggots doesnt usually work in this swim, finer gear yes .
Anyway they seemed up for it which suited me --- the barbs would come along sooner or later, well, thats what I thought.
The five roach I had tho were as nice as any I had seen, living in that dark streamer weed they had blended into it so well and had that gorgeous translucant quality .
Time passed and the roach had gone but a tiny perch along with a slightly better one of some twelve oz a little later signalled a run of chublets--- greedy little beggers some three/four inches long, the river is stuffed with em at the moment and they had arrived in their best pestering mode-- I was off.
A little earlier I had Seen two big chub that I had decided to try for at last light and to be honest one of the two was a belter-- rather that to be honest than a low double bb -- it was a big old fella that would take a saddle but no, nothing seemed to tempt them in the failing light but a little earlier when first trying a big perch came to the net as some compensation.
The light was almost gone, the swallows had morphed into bats, my stomach was screaming for food, tempting me for a big mac homebound but resisted just like the big chub !!.

 

[john step]

My "like" was due to the absence of such a button

Ditto to Skippy

Tales of the M25, restricted parking and best spots taken make me appreciate my adopted county.

See Binkas piece on a deserted Trent day ticket water. It looks suspiciously like one of my favourites.
If it is , I don't buy a day ticket, preferring to lash out £10 for a season ticket. Oh the expense:wh

Skippy...plenty of room here mate.

 

[binka]

a little earlier when first trying a big perch came to the net as some compensation.

It looks a belter too Mick, any guestimate on weight?

Here's Flight's big perch...



That's first prize in my book, the barbel are "also rans"

 

[flightliner]

Nice of you to say Steve but I thought "first" would have gone to my reel, nudge nudge wink wink lol.

---------- Post added at 14:24 ---------- Previous post was at 13:23 ----------

Ditto to Skippy

Tales of the M25, restricted parking and best spots taken make me appreciate my adopted county.

See Binkas piece on a deserted Trent day ticket water. It looks suspiciously like one of my favourites.
If it is , I don't buy a day ticket, preferring to lash out £10 for a season ticket. Oh the expense:wh

Skippy...plenty of room here mate.

John, SHHHHHHHHHH !!.
Keep shhtum like all the other flatlanders !!.

 

[S-Kippy]

I must say all this talk of "scraper doubles" and "also rans" is most encouraging to those of us struggling to get parked let alone a bite.

To put things in perspective I had 3 fish off the Wey last year.

 

[Pete Shears]

Didn't believe the weather forecast and went to the reservoir again and spent most of the morning hanging on to the brolly in a strong gusty breeze which kept swinging from Sw to Nw.
Still first fish was a jock of about 2lb which snaffled a boilie whilst I was reeling for a recast.
Managed a bream of 3lb 8oz & a very hard fighting male tench of 4lb 4oz,if it had fell off I could have believed to be a carp the way it fought - fantastic - going back for more tomorrow.

 

[flightliner]

I must say all this talk of "scraper doubles" and "also rans" is most encouraging to those of us struggling to get parked let alone a bite.

To put things in perspective I had 3 fish off the Wey last year.

What day was that skip?.

 

[peter crabtree]

Colne's fishing it's head off here skip. No M25 needed and parking's a doddle....

 

[dorsetandchub]

What could possibly go wrong?

(Although as one of our Top Gear presenters, you'll have to do it in an M reg Ford Mondeo and with only 1 gallon of fuel...... )

 

[S-Kippy]

Colne's fishing it's head off here skip. No M25 needed and parking's a doddle....

I can do without you as well, thanks.

---------- Post added at 20:10 ---------- Previous post was at 19:39 ----------

What day was that skip?.

The day I got parked !

---------- Post added at 21:00 ---------- Previous post was at 20:10 ----------

Anybody else or are you all done ?

 

[Graham Elliott 1]

"To put things in perspective I had 3 fish off the Wey last year"

That Wey must be full of eels..

 

[peter crabtree]

Nice day on the Colne locally today. A nice shady swim with a slow flow down the middle.



13' matchpro rod, 3bb stickfloat with strung out shot and caster on a 20 hook.
Remember these anyone?



Great hooks to nylon from when Drennan made hooks on realistic size line instead of everything to 2lb or 3lb line nowadays mg:
Found them in my garage...
Nice roach first chuck....



Trickling in loose hemp and caster it was virtually fish a chuck....









Happy days.....

 

[Pete Shears]

what a change from yesterday - clear blue skies and sunshine together with very clear water at the reservoir - not the best conditions but fish never read the same articles as me.
Managed 5 skimmers to around 1lb 4oz & 2 real bream, one at 5lb 8oz and the last fish of the morning at 6lb 8oz, all on popped up plastic sweetcorn with a method feeder. The rising temperature the car smelt lovely with a still damp landing net coverd in bream slime. Saw some bullfinches in the blackthorn thickets today,made achange from counting herons,egrets kingfishers & buzzards.

 

[lambert1]

MY FIRST BARBEL!
Had my usual after work trip. Could not believe how windy it had got after a scorching day! The conditions were not easy, but I managed to get my first Barbel and I am over the moon. I gave some oozing spicy sausage pellets a try with a paste wrapping. It was not massive but at 3lb 3oz it gave a good scrap and I was so chuffed when I saw it surface. It was the only fish of the session but that does not bother me at all. I took extra care to make sure it was properly revived before letting it swim off again. It was the same swim that I fished last week and another club member had told me there were Barbel in it. I had planned my tactics all week and for once it came off Good luck to all those out this weekend.

 

[Tee-Cee]

Nice fishing lambert1 and congratulations ! Lots of folk would be very happy with a 3lb + fish, I think..

Maybe a Loddon fish - yes, or no answer will do fine. ( add a winky smilie here )

 

[binka]

MY FIRST BARBEL!

Congratulations, I'm well chuffed for ya!

 

[lambert1]

Thanks Steve

---------- Post added at 13:53 ---------- Previous post was at 13:50 ----------

Nice fishing lambert1 and congratulations ! Lots of folk would be very happy with a 3lb + fish, I think..

Maybe a Loddon fish - yes, or no answer will do fine. ( add a winky smilie here )

Blackwater Tony. Thanks for your kind message.