How did you get on?

[maggot_dangler]

Had the afternoon on the local cut today after the morning chores .

Went Drop shotting for Perch water was silly clear but still managed a few Perch to around 1.5lb .
Not sure if i got the setup quite right yet but out again tomorrow to try and improve on the days catch , Was looking for some small Jig Heads 1.5 Gram or so but could not find any today always next week if it get time to look round .

PG ...

 

[Aussie Bob]

Col winds in Oz mate???

yep very wet with cold winds all through winter and spring , Ballarat would be one of the colder cities in mainland australia .Only forecast to be 12c degrees top tomorrow! supposed to be 27c on wednesday / thursday so hopefully we can get a decent spell of warm weather.....been raining all day today as well 10+mm ..

 

[theartist]

Had a short session on a local river Thursday, the weather was sunny but windy and there was threatening dark clouds around so I took a chance of a soaking as it was a rod and reel job and I left the brolly at home, I just wanted to stretch my legs more than anything.
Expecting the river to be up following the rain I was disappointed to hear an old fella who had packed up saying how low and clear it was and that he had blanked. Despite this I was confident of a few roach and dace as I settled in a deeper spot leaving out the shallows for a change as I had plenty of chub last time.
The dace action was instant and with the first one just under a pound I was optimistic i'd catch more as they are hardly targeted and I knew there were even bigger ones about. Many more dace followed and they were of a nice mixed age range meaning a couple more tonkers but nothing topping the magic pound barrier.
It was the roach that took over and this time of year they really are magical. like the dace these ranged from tiny ounce jobs to scale perfect big'uns. With four nicely over a pound plus the one that always outgrows the shoal I was more than happy to get my first 2lb'er of the season.

 

[wawaw1867]

Well after setting the alarm for 6.15am to get to Bradley's ponds for 7, I turned it off and next I knew it was 8.43. Off to a flyer already then I thought. Got ready in double quick time made the flask then loaded van up ready for 9am. All ready I started the engine rolled down the drive and on to road - foot down i got no more than a snails pace out of it. Gets out too see a completely flat tyre on the back. Oh, I said to myself or unrepeatable words to that effect, remembering I'd broken my wheel brace last time I had to phone the AA. An hour later I was on my way thinking I've missed the best time of day for action but I'll still go. End result was 30 odd roach to 1lb a few small perch then hit a shoal of bream last half hour 6 to 1.5lbs...... Funny day lol

 

[binka]

A much improved picture on the river again today with regards to flow and colour, so much so that parts of the bank which were dry during the long walk through the dark to my swim this morning were actually underwater for the walk back at dusk.

Nicely set up just before dawn and enjoying a cup of tea whilst staring into the bucket of mashed bread which I’d prepared yesterday, a couple of soggy handfuls went in to what was a classic flood swim with a distinct crease that held deep, slack water to the inside of a fast main flow and as soon as it was light enough to bait up I unwrapped the small farmhouse loaf which was going to provide the day’s bait.

As simple as it gets with the rig, the Ultralite bomb rod which was rigged to the upper limits of it’s rating with a 6+main line through to the ‘pin and a 5+ bottom, 3SSG link leger and a size 4 Drennan Super Specialist which held a large pinch of flake.

A very gentle underarm swing sent the whole lot into the swim with a plop and I followed it down to the deck with the rod tip and settled back to wait, occasionally topping up with more mashed bread.

It wasn’t long before the first plucks and trembles began and then the soft tip pulled round quite steadily as the strike was met with a small but lively chub…





That was pretty much the opening whistle for a steady stream of fish throughout the morning, noticeably smaller than the stamp which the afternoon eventually brought but all of a nice size and general condition…





Despite it being a nice day it was cold, a couple of rounds of creature comforts fended that off for the main part and provided a welcoming sight…





Towards the end of the afternoon I was starting to pick up a better stamp of fish along with two barbel to around 8lb but it didn’t all go my way…





Oh dear! mg:

All in all a really good day and the one I’ve pretty much been waiting for once the river got on what I think will be an irreversible turn, for the next few months at least.

Plenty more pictures from the day but some were just a bit too dark as the light levels dropped during the afternoon, with freshly frozen bait from last week’s session and the river set to hold its colour I reckon it could be the first zander outing of the campaign next week.

I’m happy with that… :w

 

[mikench]

Great photos and super fish Steve! I like the last one demonstrating a nice rule of thirds positioning on the fish, the net and the rod and pin; very artistic if I may say.

Is the pin an Okuma?

 

[binka]

Great photos and super fish Steve! I like the last one demonstrating a nice rule of thirds positioning on the fish, the net and the rod and pin; very artistic if I may say.

Is the pin an Okuma?

Lol... Cheers Mike

The 'pin is the Hardy Conquest mate.

 

[103841]

Your report and photos Steve are as always first class and this post is no exception, I do however have a gripe, no details on the grub, looked dam tasty!

 

[robtherake]

Your report and photos Steve are as always first class and this post is no exception, I do however have a gripe, no details on the grub, looked dam tasty!

Binka's culinary delights were previewed on another post: http://www.fishingmagic.com/forums/1398538-post1407.html

 

[mikench]

I wondered what the grub was- mature cheddar and diced chorizo omelette !

Do you subscribe to Deliveroo Steve!

 

[rubio]

Thankfully a few bites and a few fish today. Nothing of any great note but all sizes welcome after recent blanks. A brace of perch got me started followed by dace, and later roach. All were to maggot on a long line and tiny waggler on the whip. I put out a pike rod later and got some interest but no connection on the strike. Spent as much time wandering up and down seeing what's what as fishing. The river is flowing but still could handle a lot more rain. Not in one go tho please!

 

[peter crabtree]

Not sure why but that omelette got me humming a tune....
After a while I recognised it as the old Johnny Cash number....Ring of fire...

No idea why?

 

[The Runner]

Fished club match on the Colne at Uxbridge, which wasn't quite the horrorshow it would have been without yesterdays rain. Still below normal level at the start although a lot of pace and with some colour on the main river, less on the backstream, which gradually fell out over the day as the river dropped back three or four inches.
Drew peg 44 aka The Apple Tree, known barbel swim with the occasional dog chub but generally not much else other than perch. Deep (by Colne standards, about 5ft at present) hole straight in front shallowing up gradually downstream with a couple of stumps in the water on the inside and a horrible snag about 10 yards down and across in the slower water. A bit late setting up as gave one of the old boys a hand with his gear to the non-trolleyable peg 53 on the backstream, so set up maggot feeder and 6 no 4stick rod, 0.15 and 0.13 hooklengths respectively and an 18 B911 on both. Whistle went and dropped feeder a few yards down to the end of the deepest water and kept an eye on tip while set up 2gm flat float for chopped worm in front. 10 minutes and an ominous lack of movement of tip, usually get an immediate reaction here if any small fish around. Switch to stick and after another ten minutes had a dace but quarter of an hour later it was obvious it wasn't going to go.
Went over a dropper full of chop on pole at 5m without any real confidence, which wasn't misplaced, so after an hour it was feeder time. Went for a walk mid match when sun got right on water, some small fish from the backstream before the sun killed it in the shallow water and apart from end peg 47 who was getting little roach, my dace was top on the main river..
A very loud rude word from peg 39 signalled a lost barbel, peg 42 above me saved his blank with a minute roach and a few runs through where I'd been loosefeeding down the swim next to the stump found me an ounce roach and lost me a few hooks. Stayed on the feeder for the rest of the match, one tiny unhittable dink on the tip with an hour to go and that was all. 3 ounces....
Dave on peg 39 landed the second barbel he hooked which along with a few minnows gave him 8 lb exactly and a clear win,5-1, 4-2 and 4-1 made up the frame, all with perch and little roach. A few 3s after that and no blanks (me and Matt with half an ounce on 42 were the only two not to break a pound ) so not too bad in the end compared to what could have been. Lack of chub these days is making the main river hard work though as we've always relied on them there in late autumn and winter

 

[maggot_dangler]

Out again today .

Made the mistake of trying a venue i have only fished once before and then only had small roach and perch nothing over a few ounces .

Paid the Price total BLANK first one for a good while not appy not even a sniff nothing mg:

PG ...

 

[mickrigney]

Binka
How do you manage to catch Bream with no snot on them? Are they your own strain/

 

[john step]

I put out a pike rod later and got some interest but no connection on the strike.

I get this sometimes. I cannot prove it but I suspect perch and eels.

 

[mikench]

Bream clean themselves up for the chance to appear on one of Binkas' photos!

 

[binka]

Binka
How do you manage to catch Bream with no snot on them? Are they your own strain/

I take 'em up to the main road and wipe 'em on the tarmac

It never seems to be such a problem with the Trent bream, maybe it's a river thing in general and the snot can't cling as easily?

 

[itsfishingnotcatching]

The 'pin is the Hardy Conquest mate.

Don't let S-Kippy know Steve, the three handles on Hardy pins are another of his "No-Nos", bit like twin handled Shimmies

Forgot which thread I was on then mg: Five hours on the Teme yesterday produced four Grayling, biggest around the half pound mark, more Minnows than I could be @rsed to count and a similar number of leaves and other tree debris. Skippy and I may not agree on reels, but I'm coming round to his way of thinking where leaves are concerned . No real depth but too much flow for my small feeders so it was a case of sticking with the float in the slacker, shallower water or pack in. As a warm up for the Itchen bit of a waste of time.

 

[S-Kippy]

Don't let S-Kippy know Steve, the three handles on Hardy pins are another of his "No-Nos", bit like twin handled Shimmies

Quite so. Three handles on a pin are almost [note almost] as daft as double handles on a f/s reel. Pish and Tosh I say and don't give me any of your old nonsense about "balance" and "cranking power".....tis nobbut a marketing gimmick and I'm not having any of it.

Actually...I can see one application for 3 handles on a pin. Laid on its side it would make a useful mug holder.