How did you get on?

[binka]

After two back to back blanks on the zander I desperately needed a few bites, I was sorely tempted to get on a lake and go for a few silvers but the prospect of a rising river proved just too strong an allure.

Setting up just before dawn in what I knew to be a fairly deep swim at around 10' I chose the 15’ float rod and the ‘pin loaded with 8lb line, one of Mr Harrell’s finest wire stem sticks was rigged down to a .15/5.14 Preston Reflo Power hooklink, a size 18 B911X spade end completed the set up.

It took a couple of hours of running the float through on single and double red maggot to get the first bite and it was a change of tactic which brought that having added some depth before laying on right beside the rod tip…





I had stuffed four maggots on the size 18 just to see and shortly afterwards the float gently melted away below the surface and it turned out to be nice perch…





No need to trouble the scales but a lovely river fish in peak winter condition and not far shy of a couple of pounds.

Along with the maggots which it coughed up I was also graced with its earlier breakfast…





Hey I caught it fair and square, that’s two fish to the good now!


Before rebaiting I changed up the hook size to a size 14 in the same pattern and dropped back in, nothing immediate happened and so I put in a couple of balls of groundbait to accompany the loose fed maggots which had been going in regularly and I would say it was around half an hour later that I had the next bite.

It needed hitting too, the float was reasonably well dotted down and even then it only gave a couple of slight blips before sinking slightly.

I struck and immediately thought I had hooked bottom until it began to move out in a very casual but meaningful way towards mid-river and there wasn’t a great deal I could do about it, I already knew it was going to be a decent fish but this was bordering on arrogant as it just hung in the flow whilst we played tug of war for the next few minutes.

Eventually I got the net under her and she was cracking looking porker who came in at 11lbs 13ozs…





It was pretty much open season after that with a couple more barbel and a good run of chub in the 1 ½ - 2lb range…











By the end of the afternoon even the dace were snaffling five maggots on the size 14…





A great day’s river fishing… :w

 

[Chefster]

After two back to back blanks on the zander I desperately needed a few bites, I was sorely tempted to get on a lake and go for a few silvers but the prospect of a rising river proved just too strong an allure.

Setting up just before dawn in what I knew to be a fairly deep swim at around 10' I chose the 15’ float rod and the ‘pin loaded with 8lb line, one of Mr Harrell’s finest wire stem sticks was rigged down to a .15/5.14 Preston Reflo Power hooklink, a size 18 B911X spade end completed the set up.

It took a couple of hours of running the float through on single and double red maggot to get the first bite and it was a change of tactic which brought that having added some depth before laying on right beside the rod tip…





I had stuffed four maggots on the size 18 just to see and shortly afterwards the float gently melted away below the surface and it turned out to be nice perch…





No need to trouble the scales but a lovely river fish in peak winter condition and not far shy of a couple of pounds.

Along with the maggots which it coughed up I was also graced with its earlier breakfast…





Hey I caught it fair and square, that’s two fish to the good now!


Before rebaiting I changed up the hook size to a size 14 in the same pattern and dropped back in, nothing immediate happened and so I put in a couple of balls of groundbait to accompany the loose fed maggots which had been going in regularly and I would say it was around half an hour later that I had the next bite.

It needed hitting too, the float was reasonably well dotted down and even then it only gave a couple of slight blips before sinking slightly.

I struck and immediately thought I had hooked bottom until it began to move out in a very casual but meaningful way towards mid-river and there wasn’t a great deal I could do about it, I already knew it was going to be a decent fish but this was bordering on arrogant as it just hung in the flow whilst we played tug of war for the next few minutes.

Eventually I got the net under her and she was cracking looking porker who came in at 11lbs 13ozs…





It was pretty much open season after that with a couple more barbel and a good run of chub in the 1 ½ - 2lb range…











By the end of the afternoon even the dace were snaffling five maggots on the size 14…





A great day’s river fishing… :w

An amazing winters day,s fishing mate,nice one Steve:

 

[Graham Elliott 1]

Brilliant Binka. Great fishing.

 

[mikench]

Wow Steve you make my paltry few roach look well .... paltry!

Well done on all fronts , the endeavour , the results, the photos and the recounting of the experience! Can't you break a leg or something!

 

[robtherake]

Wow Steve you make my paltry few roach look well .... paltry!

Well done on all fronts , the endeavour , the results, the photos and the recounting of the experience! Can't you break a leg or something!

He breaks everything else, Mike.

 

[binka]

you make my paltry few roach look well .... paltry!

Never knock it though Mike, I'm trying to find a quiet time to get on my local town centre mill pool to do the annual reliving of my misspent youth and a handful of small roach will make my day if I manage to catch a few

 

[mikench]

But that will no doubt involve copious quantities of alcohol and ladies of a dubious disposition Steve! stick to fishing you know it makes sense!

 

[maggot_dangler]

Down my normal hiding hole pool today tried out in the deeper water no luck poked around all over the place not a bite to be had .

Then tried right in close like about 18 inches to 2ft and bingo the bites came thich and fast perch to just over 1lb roach to about 8oz plus other bits 42 fish in all so worth the trip river on Wednesday i thinkMaybe Stour at Stourton maybe farther afield depends what time i get up .


PG ...

 

[Graham Elliott 1]

River Wye pushing with good colour.

Decided on a whim to pop down for a few hours and try out a new carparking area close to club waters.

Well...its basically a thick muddy track cul de sac.

Worried about getting stuck so gingerly drove to the end and parked. Ooooops. Forgot the landing net head!!!
Trouble with quick decision.
Walked with tackle to the river to see if anywhere safe to slide them to hand. Too dodgy on the slippery banks.
Along with this nagging doubt that I might get stuck in the dark.

Back to car...reload tackle and reversed out 200 yards with mud half way up the alloys without a problem.
Message to idiot self.

Check gear before you leave.
Audi Quattro cars are fantastic.

 

[Tee-Cee]

it was 3 degrees (cue for a song) when I left home this morning at 7am. By the time I reached Reading it was drizzling and much worse when I reached the lake. It was a case of 'do I, or don't I' make a dash for my swim, but in the end common sense prevailed and I legged it down the bank - quickly!
Years of practice in the art saw me set up and ready to go in 15 minutes, with only the hook/shot to add. In the gloom this, and fixing the size 10 shot, probably took me almost as long, but at least I was fiddling about in the confines of the brolly.

By this time the rain which started as the fine, soak you to the skin variety, came on in earnest and I had bouncing off the surface stuff for roughly an hour and this, along with a facing breeze, made conditions very uncomfortable.

I admit to casting and letting the float just sit for a period as I took comfort in several cups of tea and warm gloves(Yes, I wore gloves!) trying to get my core temperature up, but this resulted in my first bit of interest as the float dipped twice. It didn't develop though....

The next hour saw three roach of average size ( so no blank, then!!)come to the net. Not big, but big enough on a 22 to 1,5lb bottom! A lull in sport and the consumption of more tea finally saw the float slide away in a fashion suggesting bigger roach, but it turned out to be a carp, which after a tour around the adjacent swims eventually came to the net and weighed just shy of 6lbs. The hook was close to straight when I unhooked it.
It gave the 12' Ultralight a good work out but with no pads or weed to contend with it was only a matter of time...(!)

More hard work produced two more roach around 12ozs when I decide to call it a day during a break in the squally showers. Unfortunately, I didn't make the car before the heavy stuff came on again so not nice when loading the car, and even worse when attempting to dry everything on reaching home!

I'm thinking about tomorrow but this will depend on how heavy the forecasted rain might be, so I will decide later this evening..................

Not a bad day all told and I was pleased I'd made the effort - rain or no!!

 

[Neil Maidment]

Couldn't resist the Dorset Stour today as it was again so mild and conditions were nigh on perfect (apart from the low levels).

Took a while to find the chub but eventually settled in a swim that looked spot on. Shallow and pacey but just a little too much patchy weed that occasionally interrupted the trot through.

They didn't take too long to find the loose fed maggot and I eventually had them coming at very regular intervals throughout the afternoon. Every now and then they were clearly there in numbers and I would hook, land/lose several in a row. Three times I had one in the net resting whilst playing another :wh

Mostly in and around 5lbs with the occasional bigger framed fish that will surely be well into the 6's in a few weeks.

View image in gallery

View image in gallery​

 

[Chefster]

Tunnel Barn Farm monday open was held on Jennys pool,quite a few top anglers on it as well!!,ive drawn peg 2,an end peg,13m wide,a good peg,but not shown any recent form...TBF young gun,and rising superstar-Alex Harper on peg 3 for company...Its been another struggle,caught mostly at 10m into the deep water,only one across in 3ft..
started on pellet,but this was quickly dispensed with and changed to maggot..going into the last hour,Alex and i were both on 9 f1,s each,plus a few silvers.i felt sure the fish would drop into the deep water,last hour,but it didnt happen,and i only added another 6 F1,s last hour,Alex added another 10 to his total,by fishing down his edge to the next platform,a line i didnt even consider,due to it being so cold and shallow
I ended up weighing 31-10-0,for nowhere,and a thanks for coming!!!..Alex had 40-0-0,to win our section...Pete Hancox(Legend) won with 55-0-0,from peg 14,Bad H 2nd from peg 20 with 42-6-0,and John Khan 3rd with 42-0-0,from peg 24......Not back until next monday,then Xmas eve,then the 27th....Tight lines,Gazza

 

[flightliner]

I was well on the way south on the A1early ish today when the first signs of a rising sun burnt vivid red in the east. It bothered me a little as I was looking for a trent zed and clear bright conditions were the last thing I wanted but my worries were unfounded as by nine am the sky was a dead leadened grey that gave me hope that things would be more condusive to the zeds feeding behaviour.
Steam from one of the tidal reaches power stations was rising vertically, no wind would allow that -- perfect for a day on the stick??? --- maybe, but the zeds were calling-- so I pressed on with my hopes, mainly underpinned with a few nice sized bleak saved for the occasion earlier in the summer.A mid river section near Newark looked spot on when I put my gear together in a swim that nestled in a wide sweeping bend with a large slack that I cast my bottom rod towards in the hope that any prey fish would be congregated on the crease of with, hopefully, a zed or two lurking in the background.
Three hours in and my bottom rod dropoff fell beside the bankstick.
Sadly the culprit was a small jack pike of about four pound but no matter, still time.
Some little time later the top rod indicator started to fise and fall in jerky little lifts before line started to pull away from between my fingers -- zander?. Sadly not as the resulting strike hit thin air but inspection of the bait prooved it was a fish having two deep gashes along its flank--- #~《"@*% s!!!!.
That was it, nothing. Then a little before dusk it started raining heavily and with tha car some way off decided to give it best.
Nice day tho, I enjoyed being out, lots to see, comorants, plenty of wild birds and a lovely to see herd of deer beside the A1 on the way down.

 

[S-Kippy]

Oh the benefit of hindsight !

With a murky and mild 14 degrees I should have got me barbel gear out or given me new rod a work out on the Wey Chub. What I did was to barrel off to Bury Hill for another go at the zander. Surely they'd be having it in conditions like this ?Er.....no they weren't .

I felt rather pleased with meself having done all me chores and snuck out of the house before Herr Flick got in from work. M25 a breeze and I had the lake to meself. Spollt for choice I was going to drop on a deep water hole that's been good to me in the past but the prevailing winds had pushed a great raft of leaf into it. No matter I went further up to another area where I've done well. I was mild, dark and I was very confident.

3 hours later I'd had 2 single bleeps and a half hearted 2" lift. Rubbish !

I don't like moving after dark but I will do it if I think I've got no fish in front of me. And I did think that as I was convinced they'd feed in these conditions. So I moved 100 yards up the bank to another " banker" area. Nothing for 90 minute and then a double bleep. 10 minutes later a nice slow rise on the Rh rod ...I did nothing wrong but didn't connect. Bum ! This might have been the 10 to 8 mugfish a few minutes early I thought but no...bang on 7-50 the Lh rod went half way up....and then dropped back. Ar$e !
As if to rub it in the Rh indicator then jerked up 2 Ins....and dropped back.

I gave it best. They are impossible when they have their silly heads on and for some reason the silly heads were on today. Not really feeding...just nudging the bait or picking it up with their noses. I doubt the hook was even inside the mouth on the run I missed. I can only put it down to the barometer again as it's still 1020 and too often have I seen this sort of behaviour when it's that high...even when it's been like that for days. Why they should b so sensitive I don't know but I am convinced of it.

They're just not interested at the moment and after 2 trips like that neither will I be afore very much longer.

Still...it beats working but I did get a rather fierce look when I got home. Can't think why ?

 

[Graham Elliott 1]

Skips.
Rivers too high Dorset?

You are welcome to do the long trip this way if you want a barbel or WA or Severn zander try. Or both.

 

[S-Kippy]

Skips.
Rivers too high Dorset?

You are welcome to do the long trip this way if you want a barbel or WA or Severn zander try. Or both.

Graham

Yes...up & coloured so postponed. Re the rest I would love to but I've no spare time off now until January. And those slippery banks sound a bit lively too !

Skippy

 

[maggot_dangler]

pool again today but an earlier start than normal .

decieded to rtry a slightly different approach today so in went a decent amount of 5 mm blood worm and Halibut pellets followed by a couple of handfulls of Corn Hempand other mixed seeds then red maggots .

Single red maggot on a 18 stillwater hook on 3lb line 1g pre weighted float .

into fish on the first cast lots of small stuff but something woke the roach up had a sucsession of nice roach to close on 1 3/4lb few perch and a halfway decent bream of i would say around 2.5 to 3lb so not a bad day , So much for the bite forcasts they were saying poor to average .


PG ...

 

[Pete Shears]

On the river Wreake again this morning,wonderfully mild & bright.Level still up a bit after last weekends deluge but fish of all sizes swirling on the surface.Quivertip with bread, it was never still for long,minnows I think were hitting the bread flake all the while,had to wait until there was a definite pull to strike,fresh air more often than not.Eventually had four chub to 2lb & three lovely roach - 14oz and 1lb 2oz and one tiddler.Also managed to drag out a one clawed signal crayfish which took a liking to the bread.Nothing on floatfished prawn having fed the big back eddy with it for a couple of hours,try again next week.

 

[john step]

[/[URL=http://s50.photobucket.com/user/peterjohnstep/media/DSCF0724_zpsksunu1hk.jpg.html] URL]

HA HA A while ago I posted that zander were my bogy fish on the Trent.
Well today I winkled out two.
One at 5lb 8ozs and the other at 8lb 7ozs.

Sorry about the poor photo quality. How on earth do you photo reflective zander in the dark?

Any way pleased as punch:w

 

[rayner]

After a pinkies disaster last time out I got back to bread and had a lot better day.
42 Roach to around 6oz and 17 Skimmers to 10oz, also had a small Crucian.
All in all well worth the effort on a nice day with me and one other chap fishing.