How did you get on?

[103841]

Today started gazing into the eyes of a pretty young lady called Lena, unfortunately less attractive was the hyperdermic needle Lena was about to pierce my gum with and fill me with novocaine It did at least numb me from the following half hour of torture from another nice lady, Debbie who has the unenviable task of deep cleaning some badly neglected teeth.

A few hours on........

The Novocaine must have affected my ability to make a rational decision, the wind was howling, the rain was lashing and the river was high, but like a magnet I was drawn and so loaded the car with the remains of yesterday's cheesepaste and liccy and headed to the Great Stour.

The tip was leading me a merry dance as the wind gusted but to my knowledge I hadn't a bite after an hour and was just about to call it a day when the tip danced a slightly different tune, a nice little jig that encouraged me to give it another few minutes and in the same swim at exactly the same time as yesterday the tip wrapped round that even a hurricane couldn't have disguised, fortunately the only thing that was different was the stamp of the fish, it seemed a lot bigger than yesterday's and I thought I had a pb, sadly it flattered to deceive but still a very nice 4-2.

My photos of a fish in the net are becoming a bore so took my chances that a passer by wouldn't make off with my phone and kindly took a snap.

A good moment to call it a day, always satisfying to have spent sweet fa on a free stretch of river barring a little petrol expense and just an hour fishing.

 

[mikench]

Great story , great fish and nice photo. It was far too windy here for fishing or it was for me

 

[barbelboi]

A cloudy, breezy mild sort of a day so it was off over the fields to a local stretch of backwater for a few hours roving/trotting for roach. Travelled light as usual with the old Titan 2000, Youngs BJ lightweight pin, net and a bag. The pin was spooled with about 30m of the old version of 3.2 Drennan FF, I’ve yet to try the new stuff that I bought recently as, using decent line, I don’t have to re-spool every five minutes.

It was mainly smaller roach and chub at first so continued moving trying various spots until I found some better quality roach in the early afternoon. Bait was trotted flake - fished from 11 – 3.30pm.

 

[dicky123]

Fishing today on my little river and took this 6lb 6oz chub on paste. Laying on with a hand made float from George. It had an huge girth but not overly long. Really gave a good account in the coloured water.

Richard.

 

[103841]

^^^^^quality.

 

[peter crabtree]

I've got some of Georges floats too ****y.....



These are from 2010, he also made me some superb peacock wagglers...

Great chub too btw...,

 

[dicky123]

George has been very kind in helping me. I'm making a few myself now as it would be wonderful to catch on once of mine. Thanks S63.

 

[john step]

Glad to see Binkas instructions worked re photos.
Smashing fish.

 

[theartist]

A short session on a nicely coloured river saw plenty of chub and roach and whilst there was nothing huge there were plenty of netters. Moving swims just before lunch saw a whole heap of dace join the chub which were quite happy to be in the fastest bit of the river. One sole perch showed but it was a chunky cracker around the 2lb mark and a nice way to finish off after lunch.

View image in gallery​

 

[103841]

A return today to the spot that had given up a two chub over the past couple of days, it seemed rude not to.

Today armed with steak and mince after discussions with fellow FMers yesterday. Within minutes the tip sprung into action and I was in, I immediately started thinking I must thank whichever member it was for the advice but within seconds elation turned sour as an eel surfaced with a huge lump of meat hanging from his evil little gob.

Just a rogue one I thought as I flung out another piece of meat but no it wasn't rogue as another soon followed, as the late and great Graham Taylor would have said "Do I not like eels".

I thought the swim would have been finished but persevered changing to the faithful cheesepaste and after half an hour it didn't disappoint with a chub of 3lb in the net.

I've only seen one other angler on the river this week and he wasn't enjoying any luck so I reckon I've had a pretty good week all in all.

The river conditions are finally improving as are my chub finding skills but the countdown to the season closing has started

 

[Pete Shears]

Another blank recorded in what seems to be an impossible task of catching pike from the reservoir, that's two in row with Wednesdays blank.
Small rivers in flood at the moment and will be getting topped up again overnight so they're out of the running so tomorrow morning will be brushing up on my waiting skills . . . again.

 

[tigger]

It had got to 2pm this afternoon and it was make my mind up time...looking out the window it was appeared a little windy but not raining, looking at the bbc weather report online... "strong winds and p!$$in down"... I got my trotting gear and reluctantly set out to the tackle shop for some maggots telling myself I could just get the maggots and use them during the next few days if it started to rain before I got fishing today. Anyhow I got my maggots and arrived at the river at 2.45 but nearly turned round as the weather report was right about the wind, it was a strong gusty down stream wind and there was a few spots of rain splatting on the windscreen. I decided to go for it and after a ten minute walk I was in a swim and my float was sailing downstream but after a few trotts through nothing had materialised so I was back on Shanks's pony and hurried to the next swim. Second trott through and the float slid under the surface, a sweeping strike and I had a fish . No sooner had things started looking up fish wise and the rain started to come down sideways FFS! Anyhow I carried on fishing for about half an hour in the intermittent bouts of blustery rain and had another six chub, all small fish but better than a kick in the bollards, but not as good as being in front of the fire with a brew! Even though the temp's where about 8 degrees on the car thermometer when I arrived it felt horribly cold in that nasty wind and rain so even though I was catching I decide to wind in and make tracks home, if your not enjoying it whats the point....?
I did take a couple of pic's on the blower....

 

[dicky123]

Yes a big thanks to Steve, for the picture help.

 

[lakhyaman]

Some friends of mine decided to acquire a couple of Drennan Red Range Carp Waggler rods. So I thought I may as well get a couple in with my son in mind. He loves to fish but is not overly careful of the tackle (although getting much better as he gets older). An 11 footer and a 12 footer have duly arrived.

At the same time the Wychwood Signature Combo carp rod and reel that I won as a prize in the FM writing competition has also come through per hand of a kind friend.

With rods to test it was off to the lake.

A bolt rigged, hair rigged bait of sweetcorn yielded the fish the Wychwood combo was designed for - a carp.

Not the world's largest (7lbs) but it put a bend in the rod. I was pleased to feel the action of the rod which, though completely out gunning the little carp with its 2 3/4 lb TC., still felt very responsive and allowed the fight to be enjoyable. The reel that comes with it looks suspiciously like a Chinese made reel which I purchased locally ( a Teben Model COR500) but it works well enough (as does the Teben) and after all is part of the prize and has a different value to me. The reels probably come from the same factory in China!

The Drennan Red Range 12 ft Carp Waggler was set up with a peacock quill and the fishing was at the rod tip. It had no trouble dealing with the 16.5 lb Catla that I hooked albeit the lake allows you some space to play the fish.

My friends and I are really pleased with the rods. I have a 13ft Acolyte Ultra and a Plus and the Waggler is stiffer in the middle. We love the colour as well. Here in the Orient we consider black to be a funereal colour and bad luck. I confess that I do not choose a black rod as my first choice unless other (more pertinent) factors such as action, price and quality or a lack of choice override my prejudices. I do have a few. The mat burgundy of the Red Range is wonderful to our eyes.

All the best

Lakhyaman

 

[tigger]

I made a quick dash to the river late afternoon today....glad I only had the last hour to fish as it was pretty dire! After the heavy rain last night the river was up a foot or so which was ok but the silt it had brought with it wasn't. I don't know if it was the lack of visibility what had put the chub off feeding but something certainly had. All I caught was one solitary fish on about my fourth trott through my first swim....better than nowt I suppose..."just".
As i'd been in such a rush to get out fishing i'd grabbed a reel that i'd spooled up with 10lb berkley fireline Crystal braid (I think that's what it's called) which is supposed to be clear but it looks white to me. I tied a 6lb sensor bottom direct to the braid via a fancy knot I use . Anyhow the braid was ok to use but not as good as sensor and as far as I could see it didn't float any better than sensor.
Here's the lonely fish.....

 

[maggot_dangler]

After the mornings Domestic Chores (shopping and bills :wh) decieded to make the best of the days weather so headed for the local Canal for a few hours ,
plenty of small Bream Perch and roach then an improvement in the roach department 5 in a row decent fish to around 10 -12oz each .

View image in gallery​

Not huge but nice fish cant get over just how bright red the tail and pecs were then it all got ruined by a pair of muppets on barges that ame off top locak at factory bridge way too fast so could not make the turn then spent ages doing to to & Fro shuffle at the obligatory full throttle totally screwing the fishing up for the next hour had a few more small skimmers and perch after that but packed up and headed home .

one other thing a few of you may remember i had a rod trashed by a pedalista a few week ago well replaced the rod today with another the same an 11/13 ft JW Avon Quiver so i not have 2 one with a broken avon top now i also now have an 11-13-or 15 foot rod as i now have 2 2 foot extensions that are parrelle so turned out ok there the broken Avon top will be repaired i will loose about 7 inches off it but better than total loss .


PG ...

 

[peter crabtree]

Re: How did you get on?m

View image in gallery​

Not huge but nice fish cant get over just how bright red the tail and pecs were
PG ...

Not pi$$ing on your parade MD but that looks more like a rudd to me?

 

[S-Kippy]

Re: How did you get on?m

Yes...I was thinking that too. Nice fish either way.

 

[maggot_dangler]

Re: How did you get on?m

Not pi$$ing on your parade MD but that looks more like a rudd to me?

Hi , I had thought that as well but did quite a bit of comparrison of pictures of both Roach and Rudd i thought more roach than Rudd Rudd normally have a green sheen to them but yes i know what you are saying it is probably a hybrid so has features of both . without DNA testing who knows .

I have had some absolute Stonking true Rudd out of that canal huge things well over 2lbs so there are big Rudd in there .



PG ...

 

[Tee-Cee]

Re: How did you get on?m

Rudd should have a slightly protruding bottom lip which a true roach doesn't have so this may help in deciding on species. Obviously colour/fin/sheen colour also significant....

Having said that, I caught a lot of rudd from a south coast lake many years ago and I never could see the prodruding lip so maybe roach/rudd hybrids??


Oh yes, I forgot to mention yesterdays soon to be forgotten outing to a still water. I went well prepared with quality bait hoping for a nice quiet session, but this was spoilt, to some extent, by another angler turning up and deciding, with a dozens of swims to choose from, to plonk himself in the swim next to me!! Worse, he made so much noise what with dragging his tackle bag across the ground and walking around that I was tense before it reached 8.30. His swim was away from mine but seating position less than 15'. Why he though I needed a running commentary on the state of the Thames and it's level is beyond me!
Anyway, he (and I) eventually settled down and it was quiet for the next hour with me concentrating on the barely visible dotted down float. At around 10.30 the float dipped with a first bite and then sailed away in true big roach fashion, except the strike was met with zero resistance (or almost!) and a magnificent perch around the length of my fore finger popped to the surface. It was a truly lovely bite and worthy of something better....
I wish I could say matters improved over the next three hours, but apart from my neighbouring angler deciding to move to another swim, I have to say I never had another touch. All the usual tactics were tried in turn along with baits various but nothing moved so I decided to call it a day as the rugby was a far better option.
Mid morning offered some weak sunshine which I didn't think would offer much warmth but sitting in its glare was more than pleasant although it did nothing for the fishing - even up in the water, where I thought the odd roach might linger. I thought I saw some surface activity some way out at one point with small rings appearing and this raised enthusiasm for a while, but all to no avail.

Water temperature was at 43 degrees (at all depths down to 10') and ambient close to 50 in the 'sun'...............

Not a blank if I count the perch, and I did fish harder after its capture, but.......

No more fishing this coming week with house stuff crowding in, which is a pity, but perhaps the promised cold spell will ease the disappointment. Roll on next weekend!!