How did you get on?

[flightliner]

For your washing Mick?

Lol,

 

[tigger]

Superb breakfast prepared by binka followed by an equally superb dinner and a great day of stories and laughs and a fabulous gift form binka made it a very enjoyable day, looking forward to our next trip which will hopefully be a threesome

Cheers Steve.

Who needs fish anyhow :w

 

[Neil Maidment]

The midweek overnight/daily mild temperatures saw me heading to the Dorset Stour for my first proper fix of trotting for chub. The only downside was the discovery of a very low and clear river which was going to make it a challenge. The first two hours confirmed that as I only had brief contact with two fish before losing them.

Seriously considered moving or even chucking a feeder out there but fortunately I finally felt considerable resistance way down the end of the swim. That eventually turned out to be a fine chub and was soon followed by a couple more. All was well down on the Stour!

Had I taken a keepnet it would have been a shedful of chub all between 4lbs and 5lbs+. I had to scale down to a single maggot on a #20 to keep them coming. Then I ran out of maggot so scaled back up to flake on a #10. That worked well but then the bread ran out!

Just for the record, I only got through 2 pints of red and 1 small Warburton's :wh

Proper trotting!

View image in gallery

View image in gallery​

 

[Tee-Cee]

After what has been a very good week, I went today and fished in what might be called 'ideal conditions'. The water looked good and I expected some quality fishing to look back on over the weekend. I chose a swim rarely fished, but one that has yielded the occasional good fish in bags of thirty upward, particularly at this time of year.
After an hour without a touch I went and spoke to a pal fishing along the bank and he too had failed to get any interest. Another hour passed without a bite, let alone a fish, and things were starting to get serious, so I gathered the gear together and moved to a 'banker' swim 150m away, where I had done well only two days ago.

I won't bore you with mundane detail so suffice to say the move proved hopeless as I sat for another three hours, also with so much as a touch - not even a dip of the float!

I'm still in shock to be honest ( and the confidence dented!) as I don't expect to blank on this water, and I cannot recall the last one, but a long, long time ago. As I've said the weather was settled, it was very mild and overcast with white cloud - in other words, perfect roaching conditions if you read any book on the subject, yet I failed to get a single bite in over six hours.

I'm doing other things over the weekend, so it will be Monday before I go again, and I am definitely going back to the same water, simply because I have to!!

Very, very strange, but good for the soul in some ways. It brings one down to earth with a bang, that's for sure!!

........................................but the conditions were PERFECT......

 

[mikench]

At least I know that even the experts fail sometimes! it reassures me when I am unsuccessful that I am not necessarily the plonker I sometimes think I am.

I would love to catch Chub like that Neil!

 

[tigger]

it reassures me when I am unsuccessful that I am not necessarily the plonker I sometimes think I am.

Sorry Mike, but you are right bud....your deff'o a plonker....a right plonker n'all for going out fishing in that weather recently mg:

 

[Pete Shears]

Back on the upper Soar this morning - the milder weather seemed to have woken every minnow in the river,sail away bites on the float,quivertip never settling,striking at fresh air more often than not until I hit a bite on legered flake - a beautiful 6oz roach - that many colours on it ,it appeared to be a rainbow,silver scales,blood red anal fin,orange pectorals,a tinge of yellow & orange mid flank and flashes of blue along its back - beautiful.
Was sidetracked watching a buzzard attempting to hover like a kestrel,wasn't doing a bad job until a crow dive bombed it.
Followed that with a manic brown trout of around 12oz on the float again to flake.
Moved to Wednesdays hotspot and the minnows were just as prolific until I contacted the first chub - 1lb 15oz. a few casts later hit another brute of a chub which weighed in at 4lb 1oz, both on legered flake.
That seemed to kill the swim so another move to a bend in the river,legering flake again resulted in a brown trout of 1lb 11oz whose crazy antics killed that swim.
Tried two other spots but h no more fish - all this from a river barely 12ft wide on average - brilliant.

 

[S-Kippy]

Day started well. Early jobs done, Mrs S dodged and weather forecast good. Loaded the car and set off for Bury Hill and my first zander trip of the year.

Started going South from then onwards ! First the M25 was moving which you might think is good but that means Kenny thinks it's the Nurburgring and you have to watch out for him slaloming through the traffic. But before I got that far I found myself an unwilling participant in " Drive Your Tractor to Work Day" so the writing was on the wall before I'd even reached Chertsey..

Then the sun came out......and bloody stayed out. Rather than the murky day the Met Office promised I found myself bankside in blazing sun. The water was very clear, it was very bright and the barometer was rising. The odds of a fish were lengthening by the minute. I then seemed to win a prize in the RSPB "Adopt a Goose " Prize Draw despite not buying a ticket as within 15 mins of arriving every goose in the lake had descended upon me munging for food. This is going to be a grueller I thought...... and so it was.

Not a touch for 3 hours. The cloud the MO had promised refused to show up and hung tantalisingly on the horizon. Buqqer I thought....if this cloud doesn't arrive I'm going to get mooned off. It didn't and I was.

Around half 3 out of nowhere the bobbin on the Lh rod slammed into the butt ring. I was so startled I grabbed the rod and struck without winding down....thump, thump and off. Bollox ! An hour later exactly the same happened on the Rh rod...bobbin flew up, I was about a week late and didn't even feel the fish. I'm now 2 -0 down ! It's now getting dark and I'm away on the lh rod agsin but a proper slow, jerky, typical zander run. This one I converted but it was a sprat of about 2.5lb. Still....as Phil would say " That's the Serge (Blanco) avoided ".

Then the moon rose and such activity as there was simply stopped. It was like this for about 90 mins when it suddenly got darker as the cloud finally arrived. This had the desired effect as 10 mins later I'm away on the lh rod again with another proper run but for some reason fail to connect. In my defence I would say that they do get a bit picky on a rising barometer...little lifts and not really taking the bait properly. If that sounds like me making up an excuse for my second airshot of the day you're probably right.

Then the moon returned. I stuck it out hoping that the 10 to 8 mugfish would show up but it didn't. In desperation I dropped one bait right in the edge as i was packing away the other rod and had a pick up,hold and drop. Thats really typical of the OBH zander once the mercury gets over 1020....which it was today. Yes...that was another excuse .

So......4 runs and a pick up for one scratty zander albeit my first of the year. Lot of apps running in the background today. I think. It was one of those days we all suffer from time to time when it really ought to fish but just doesn't. Roach heads or nothing today it seems...mostly nothing.

I'd have taken a decent brace before I set out...sadly just wasn't my day. The 2 "flyers" I had were most unusual.The OBH zander just dont do that......whenever that's happened before the culprit hs been either a pike or a carp...never a zander.

OK....that's another excuse albeit a for real one.

 

[rubio]

I find most fish don't read the same books as me too.

Had a lean time of it lately. Very few opportunities and only a few small roach here and there. Now weather has switched again I'm gonna have to start finding 'em again I erckon.

 

[103841]

Flushed with success after a few recent good chub captures i headed to my local big perch lake brimming with confidence, 8 hours later, not as much as a touch, the lake was eerily quiet with very little sign of fish present. Oddly the water was very clear, unknown on this lake in the time I've been fishing it. Even the resident kingfishers were knowhere to be seen.

For me this has been a difficult year with a very different weather pattern compared with previous years.

 

[S-Kippy]

Based on others peoples experiences clearly the fish know something we don't. I think it's because they sense the weather is on the turn, which it is.

That said...today it is damp, dark and drizzly and I'd back meself to winkle a zander or two out no matter what the weather's about to do. Still a bit hacked off about yesterday...I virtually had the lake to meself, just a couple of members of the Dorking Hillbillies AS there carping. One of them engaged me in conversation which was rather challenging for me as my Surrey Cajun is a little rusty. I'm probably being rather unfair but I wouldn't have been surprised if this guy's name was Cletus.....and if it wasn't it ought to have been.

Surprised I didn't get a Crabtree for my double airshot too !

 

[peter crabtree]

Skip, I've just reread your account and can't really see any justification for a gong?

When I used to fish OBH on the opens, zander were often caught on worm or maggots on the method...They didn't count though...

 

[S-Kippy]

Yes....Cletus told me he'd had a 7 pounder on a cell boilie and a big un came out a couple of years ago on a donkey choker. I'll stick with me roach I think.....less chance of a random brim.

 

[Graham Elliott 1]

Along with others with the exception of GB Neil yesterday looked good for a few fish so off I headed to the Warks Avon for my first barbel session for a month.

But....after 6 hours, fishing, not Skippys standard journey time, not a bite.... Even more strange my pal trotting maggots had managed a 2oz roach.!

Finally, the rod jagged around with half an hour of time left ( until 4.56) and a fiesty 6lb barbel came to the net.

Today. With the forecast of heavy rain all day i wasn't really wanting to bother to try a new Wye bit.
However my pal wanted to go.
I chose an area to fish with a fairly flat area to sit.
It was a very wet muddy slippery slidey day.

After the first hour a couple of chubby taps the rod bent over and a barbel made a fast run downstream with the clutch singing. Into the net a six pounder still fighting like hell.
We had seen an ottered barbel on the bank downstream when we arrived.....suddenly a barbel leapt out of the water in my swim and then a silvered salmon the same. No sign of vermin or tell tale bubbles but the swim just died?

Then as usual with barbus barbus an hour before dark another two of over 8lb fighting like only wye barbel do.....fast and powerful.

We only just managed to get the van out of the mud to make our soaked and mudied tackle and selfs home.
Looking forward to more barbel this coming week with top conditions.
Good fishing all.

 

[Chefster]

Tunnel Barn Farm winter league round 5 yesterday,Captain Bad H has given me peg 22 on Extension,a decent peg normally,1 off of the flier,but usually good for a few fish....Arrived at my peg,there were f1,s topping all around "the Bowl"(pegs 7,9,19,21)
It started raining,and never stopped all day!!,Basically weve all struggled for most of the match,some caught early on dobbed bread...Ive had 2 f1,s going into the last hour,nothing i tried was working,i fished 6m pellet,11m maggot,13m maggot and pellet.Last hour ive managed another 8 F1,s at 11m in the deep water on maggot,but it was too little, too latehno: Ive weighed in 16-5-0,for terrible section points,weights have been low on our pool,but i needed a few more fish
Not sure of team results ,or winners,will find out tomorrow,when im fishing the open,not sure what pool,but deffo "must try harder"!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tight lines,Gazza

 

[rayner]

After a couple of weeks forced rest because of a few minor hospital procedures.
Being bone idle I had no bread done in my freezer so decided on pinkies for a change.
I had a few hours fishing my normal swim for roach, disaster is all I can say.
I fished 4hrs for 18 tiny roach, I bumped far more than I caught as they weren't able to stretch my 3 elastic.
I did get a few friends in the way of a few birds, they had a great time scoffing my pinkies. What few I had left were placed on the platform for them to finish off.
Next week I'll be back to bread.

 

[Graham Elliott 1]

I know we shouldn't but......

The last couple of days as its near Chrimbo I've sucumbed.

The runty cygnet thats been well pecked by Dad as it wont or can't get away like the bigger mottled brownie youngsters.
The head cocked towards you and the eyes apparently pleading for some grub after the recent freeze.

Ok. Just a few pellets....then a couple of boilies.

The runty struggles up the bank and sits nearby, still apparently showering you with love for the few morsals that you have shared.

Why not? A few more pellets and then half of your last sandwich. As you pack up the bait remains are fed again.

Suddenly your tip wacks around in the twilight. And you strike into thin air...but not quite as your line has wrapped around the bloody scruffy duck with the twisted wing that swam by causing the rod to move. Thats the one that you fed last session that has now caught your line !!!

Never again. You say...

 

[mikench]

Good to "see" you back Rayner!

 

[The Runner]

No fishing for me this weekend as work overload at the moment and had to bring half a dozen files home with me. Finished what I had to do by lunchtime so took a walk up the Slough Arm to see how the club match was going for its last couple of hours. Walked up the whole of the Arm from the junction to the Boats thinking back to when I used to run 100+ peg opens on it....All far clearer that it used to be and the dreaded Pennywort is appearing in places, lots of fish between Thorney Lane and the motorway and a few blimpers topping halfway up the Wilderness but otherwise saw only a few tiny perch in the edge. Got to the Boats section, match pegged from Langley Bridge to the gate and first two I came to just through the gate were really struggling, blank and four fish respectively. A lot better further up though although by the time I got there nearly everyone was on waggler across to the boats as inside and middle had dried up. First couple of swims towards the bridge end finding it hard going as well although there were some BIG roach moving around, clearly visible but no catching them in the clear water. Three of them swimming around together were mistaken for chub until people got a better view.
Tight result in the end, everyone thought it would be a close one between Brian and Ian, next to each other, and it was, 13-13 to 13-11, but Bob three pegs further down had been getting a better stamp of fish after a blank first 90 minutes and weighed 14-10. Two other double figure weights, not bad for a tapwater clear canal in December.
Going back to those big roach, one of these matches someone's just going to sit it out on a big piece of flake overdepth and do something dramatic, but I suspect we will need a bit of colour in first.

 

[peter crabtree]

Today I was a guest on another clubs Christmas match held on a S. Bucks venue with 2 small lakes...Due to the high turnout both lakes were used and I drew the 2nd lake which I've fished a few times before, good for silvers...
Caught roach, perch and skimmers and a small carp switching between bomb and pole, both hampered by the sun blazing down on the water in front of me all day.mg:
Small baits like single red maggot or double pinkie were the order of the day with tiny amounts of gb laced with squatts. Weighed in 4lb 11 for fourth on my lake and one off the frame....



Hard work all round today on a lake which during warmer months can produce silvers nets of 40+lb..