How did you get on?

[Pete Shears]

Piking again this morning and a refresher course on waiting - flat calm and very mild,about a dozen great crested grebes competing with only two cormorants and four goosanders for breakfast.
Deadbaits cast out,sit back,enjoy a coffee and wait.Two kingfishers went belting past,looped round and would have perched on my rods if I had been invisible.
A lone raven 'kronked' overhead as two buzzards searched for thermals.
Eventually one of the alarms sounded and the rod started knocking,lifting the rod and feeling the line,yes something was taking the deadbait (smelt) - striking revealed nothing,the smelt was intact,must have been an old pike that could only gum it.
Recast and waited.
Watched a red kite quartering the field on the opposite bank until it disappeared over a big wood and that was it,only storm Doris to look forward to,if only we had more ,at least we could name one trooper.

 

[thames mudlarker]

What a beautiful fish, stuff of dreams for me.

---------- Post added at 17:52 ---------- Previous post was at 17:36 ----------

the past 24 hours have made me realise that it's a good job I didn't take up fishing again until I had moved from London to Kent.

Let me explain, yesterday I fished a local commie and landed over thirty carp ranging from ounces to 5lb, it was pleasant enough in lovely weather and using light tackle. I went there because the river, my only river within easy reach is in such poor condition, however the lure of the Stour was too much and I returned today with some left over maggots and fished for two hours.

My first fish after twenty minutes was a lovely chub about 3-8lb, the swim died for a while but then a few small roach and a solitary dace obliged before having to pack up to collect swmbo from her retail therapy trip in town.

That chub gave me more pleasure than all the carp in that lake and I now realise I'm falling in love with river fishing to a much greater degree than Stillwater fishing, maybe come the Summer when I'm hopefully wrestling an angry Tench away from the pads I may change my mind but the river brings so many different elements.

It's just sad that the River Stour in my neck of the woods is in such a sorry state, I read posts from you guys catching barbel, big chub and roach with more than a hint of envy.

There was no choice where we would go when leaving the smoke, my better halves parents are in Whitstable and need our care, as right as it is, it would have been a difficult decision had I discovered this passion for the river some few years earlier, the rivers of Yorkshire, Hampshire etc would have been calling me.

Well done mate on yer trip to the Stour, I know the Stour very well and fish from Canterbury through Forwich and down to Grove ferry,

Was you fishing in Canterbury town or on the Canterbury club stretches :thumbs:

---------- Post added at 21:01 ---------- Previous post was at 20:58 ----------

Got out yesterday which looks like a good move looking at the weather for the rest of the week. Following the previous posts i'll never again moan about the traffic as it's just great to get out on the bank. It was also nice that it was too warm for the heavy jacket in the morning and feeling the breeze on bare arms is almost as good as seeing big roach spin on the surface in the sun.

Managed to get amongst the redfins again with a few crackers pushing the two pound mark before getting one that just crept over. No comments on the vintage Diawa bait apron please

View image in gallery​

Nice one Rob, loverly looking roach, nothing wrong with the bait apron mate
Probably last longer than most others :thumbs:

---------- Post added at 21:13 ---------- Previous post was at 21:01 ----------

Doesn't the Kentish stour had some massive roach and dace in Canterbury ? Ive not fished it but it was on my to do list

Yea it certainly does mate, this is one of me local Kentish chalk streams that I regularly fish :thumbs: and yes the roach and dace are blimmin huge but Shhhh.....don't tell everyone

Theirs extremely good quality fish in the whole length of the Kentish stour but one really does need to do their home work as the big roach are all down to location :thumbs:

---------- Post added at 21:18 ---------- Previous post was at 21:13 ----------

I've found it with grayling more than any other species to be honest Chris, the top part of their gobs are hard as you'll know so to penetrate that boney upper mouth i've found a good strike hooks them proper. I remember using my microlite on a very productive days grayling fishing and at the beginning bumped several fish or they came off after a few seconds. I started to strike quite hard and bend into them and didn't lose any at all after that. I very rarely ever lost any when using the avenger.

That's an interesting point there tigger, never really give that much thought but totally makes sence, I'll now certainly bare this in mind when I'm next on the upper Kennet :thumbs:

 

[103841]

Yes, some fine specimen roach have been caught from the Kent Stour and as with most fishing it's all about locating them as has been said. I've already discovered in my short time since returning to fishing that some anglers are particularly secretive about their locations, guess that's fair enough but when you get to my age the clock is ticking and I'm impatient to progress.

At the moment I'm only fishing the free stretches of the Stour in and around Canterbury, come April I plan to join the CDAA which will open up new locations for me to explore.

 

[thames mudlarker]

Yes, some fine specimen roach have been caught from the Kent Stour and as with most fishing it's all about locating them as has been said. I've already discovered in my short time since returning to fishing that some anglers are particularly secretive about their locations, guess that's fair enough but when you get to my age the clock is ticking and I'm impatient to progress.

At the moment I'm only fishing the free stretches of the Stour in and around Canterbury, come April I plan to join the CDAA which will open up new locations for me to explore.

Hi mate,

Well I should be rejoining the Canterbury club aswell this spring and if interested during the summer can always meet up sometime,

Incidently I'll only be fishing the river from Fordwich to Grove ferry as I only fish the rivers :thumbs:

During the close season I normally rove about and fish various overgrown canals

 

[103841]

Thanks for the offer Stuart, I'm a lazy angler so Grove Ferry appeals to me with a car park close by and some decent looking swims.

 

[thames mudlarker]

Thanks for the offer Stuart, I'm a lazy angler so Grove Ferry appeals to me with a car park close by and some decent looking swims.

Ok mate, no problem, let's just see what we can arrange maybe during the summer and I can let you know when I'm heading down that way

I'm from Northfleet ( Gravesend ) and don't drive but normally travel light and travel by train up to Sturry and then walk along the river :thumbs:

Speak soon

 

[benny samways]

Well, last nights result was thanks to a nice little tip and insight from Graham Elliott on a barbel fishing thread way back in August!

I have been fixated with using long links for barbel for a while now, even when up-streaming. However, Graham explained how he up-streams with a shorter link and last night I put that info to good use landing a nice plump and rare 8lb barbel from my beloved Great Ouse.

Great fight and buzz afterwards, I do love barbel and when a plan comes together.

So, thanks Graham for adding another string to my bow (and the thinking behind it) and thanks to Fishing Magic!

I'm going go for another this evening, bring it on Brenda!!

 

[jon atkinson]

Anyway, gents. After a worse December and January than even Jurgen Klopp had managed, I knew it was time to pull my mental socks up and I hope I've now done that. I'm looking forward to a few more sessions in the near future and, particularly, to a week on the Wye in the Summer - here's to Birra Moretti, fishing till the light goes and another shot at that first double whiskers. Till the next trip out, thanks so much to those who asked after me. Very much appreciated.

Crikey Phil - I've missed your wonderfully entertaining reports & wondered where you've been but I in no way envisioned such a dramatic & frightening scenario. Great to have you back & hopefully the timing will coincide with an upturn in LFCs fortunes!

 

[mikench]

Crikey Phil - I've missed your wonderfully entertaining reports & wondered where you've been but I in no way envisioned such a dramatic & frightening scenario. Great to have you back & hopefully the timing will coincide with an upturn in LFCs fortunes!

Ditto to that Jon! We need a Tommy smith/ Graeme Souness and an Ian Rush !

Today I pressure washed the drive, paths and garden furniture! I would rather have gone fishing, particularly with what is in store weather wise tomorrow, but this was a task that needed doing. I feel happier now that all the green has gone!

 

[jon atkinson]

Headed back out to Brookfield fishery in Aughton on Sunday. There are some good Crucian & Roach here, but there are also Carp - nothing much above 10lb but they still have to be factored in to the tackle equation as they will happily take maggot, caster & any other bait intended for more specific species. That having been said, I thought that the bloke fishing a few pegs to the right of me who appeared to be fishing with a beachcaster might be overdoing it a tad

I started on maggot (as per) against a bank of reeds to my left whilst a had caster on the feeder rod beneath a tree to my right. I had a bite on the waggler seemingly within seconds; clearly not a Crucian or Roach it powered off, thankfully away from the reeds although it didn't take long for it to change its mind & had back towards them. It did make it to the reeds but I managed to put enough pressure on to persuade it not to stay.

Where to next? Why under the patform I was sat on of course! I remembered reading a thread a week or so ago about about the virtues of stage sticks & thinking nah - couldn't be bothered with that, yet as the carp swam around my extended bankstick it suddenly seemed like a splendid idea . Fortunately it found its way back out into open water & after a few more lunges a rather attractive mirror of about 4lb was finally in the net.

I cast back out & pulled in a few small roach & then nothing. Nothing on the feeder either. I pulled both back in & switched to flake on the feeder & caster on the waggler. The caster was still dropping through the water when it was grabbed powerfully followed very swiftly by 'ping' . The hook had straightened so I re-tied, loosened the drag a little more & cast out again. Had a few more small roach. Then another aggressive take... & another 'ping'! Fair enough, I switched from F1 size 18 to a B911 size 18, but the presentation suffered & the bites dried up.

Time to switch to bread (& not before time); I pinched some flake on the same 911 & it was grabbed within seconds of hitting the water. A similar fight to the earlier mirror & a few minutes later the same earlier mirror was back in my landing net!

Still nothing on the feeder so I pulled it in again & switched to worm. I carried on with bread on the waggler, but had no further bites, so I switched back to maggots which bought a series of twitches but nothing I thought I could hit. Finally the float dipped under - another small roach. Cast back out...snagged - the rig finally came back in minus hook & that seemed an appropriate sign to call it a day. A quieter day than I had hoped for, and odd that there had been nothing on the feeder, which often outperforms the float here. Still, after January's run of blanks I really can't complain. :w

---------- Post added at 16:03 ---------- Previous post was at 15:52 ----------

Ditto to that Jon! We need a Tommy smith/ Graeme Souness and an Ian Rush !

Today I pressure washed the drive, paths and garden furniture! I would rather have gone fishing, particularly with what is in store weather wise tomorrow, but this was a task that needed doing. I feel happier now that all the green has gone!

Not to mention a Robbie Fowler, an Alan Kennedy & a Ray Clemence! Tomorrow's weather really doesn't look great does it? Anyone crazy enough to be venturing out?

 

[mikench]

Lets go the whole hog and have a Ron Yeats, an Ian Callaghan or even a Tommy Lawrence

 

[jon atkinson]

Lets go the whole hog and have a Ron Yeats, an Ian Callaghan or even a Tommy Lawrence

I like your thinking - at risk of going completely 'off thread', putting together a team à la 'Bill & Ted's excellent adventure' using a time machine... problems solved

 

[maggot_dangler]

After the Purchase of a new umbrella to make up for the lost curtin from the other one Brought an Advanta flatbottom job have to say it is a nice piece of kit for the money the pole can be removed and repostioned to put it out the way .

Finally got to fishing about 11:45 straight in to roach perch and skimmers , then the fun started using a 4bb peacock quill cast out flot would set fine then rise then vanish slowly and no matter how i hit the take all i got was chewed maggot tried bigger and smaller hooks tried chaninmg the position and size of the teltale shot .
I must have spent best part of an hour faffing around finally hit one a nice perch of around 1.5lbs but must have had top side of 100 of those lift and slideaways for very little to show even changed to a waggler float same result completely comfusticated with it gave up and came home around 15:30 had enough playing around love to know wht they were .


PG ...

 

[103841]

I spoke yesterday of my deepening love fishing the river. The merest hint of bad weather and I'm normally holed up warm and snug in the comfort of my home, but that seems to be changing.

Another trip to my local Stour seemed more inviting than a day indoors, regardless of what the weathermen tell me.

1-10pm set up at yesterday's swim and had a small roach first cast, looking good.

1-20pm adjusting my feet to give more stability as the winds try and push me in the drink.

1-25pm a small chublet woofs down my single caster.

1-35pm not exactly rain but a very heavy drizzle proceeds to soak me aided by the gusting wind.....the fish are biting better than I can remember.

1-45pm visual contact becoming an issue as glasses do not have wipers.

1-50pm abandon ship we are taking in too much water

A short ride home, hung up the wet stuff and took comfort in tea and a toasted tea cake. Doris is due to arrive in full force tomorrow, hopefully the casters will be fresh enough to do it all over again Friday.

 

[thames mudlarker]

I spoke yesterday of my deepening love fishing the river. The merest hint of bad weather and I'm normally holed up warm and snug in the comfort of my home, but that seems to be changing.

Another trip to my local Stour seemed more inviting than a day indoors, regardless of what the weathermen tell me.

1-10pm set up at yesterday's swim and had a small roach first cast, looking good.

1-20pm adjusting my feet to give more stability as the winds try and push me in the drink.

1-25pm a small chublet woofs down my single caster.

1-35pm not exactly rain but a very heavy drizzle proceeds to soak me aided by the gusting wind.....the fish are biting better than I can remember.

1-45pm visual contact becoming an issue as glasses do not have wipers.

1-50pm abandon ship we are taking in too much water

A short ride home, hung up the wet stuff and took comfort in tea and a toasted tea cake. Doris is due to arrive in full force tomorrow, hopefully the casters will be fresh enough to do it all over again Friday.

Arh well nothermind mate, at least you got out and give it a quick go and had a couple of fish :thumbs:

Hopefully next time will be better for yer

Speak soon

 

[flightliner]

A spur of the moment decision early this afternoon to go local with some lures saw me fishing by three thirty.
Nice to be out but a strong wind coming off a big expanse of water took any warmth away on my first choice windward bank where a very lucky mini pike shed the twin tail silicon lure that I was bouncing along the bottom.
A trip to the lakes far side with the wind on my back and a thick tree line that brought on the gloom of early evening had me hoping for a decant perch.
An unseen , below surface tree stump cost me my twin tail but another, smaller one brought me my second take that prooved to be a small pike of some twelve inches long.
That was it, end of, nice not to blank. By dark I was on my way home.

 

[Graham Elliott 1]

Well a day of two halves.

9.30 to 2.30 was spent on the Warks Avon. Looked good colour and pushing through a fair bit.

First tap after an hour
Next tap after another hour
After another hour slack line bite and a 4lb brim scented the net.
Another couple of hours biteless made me forget my promise to sit it out and I relocated to the Wye. Bit of water starting to come in. And the swim was suprisingly wind free down the bank.

First cast a small barbel. Second cast another similar.
In the next 2 hours seven more barbel most 6-8lb. Great fit hard fighting fish. As the light started to fade a couple of chub 3lbish and then just two more bites and good barbel 8lb/9lb ish. Before packing up 6.20.

Only one coffee managed with fear of losing the rod.
The Wye is a giving river....somedays.

Sam. Thank you. Its nice to get feedback. So often advice is given and not even acknowledged.

I'm turning Sagalout into a barbel fisher now, as a rhank you for giving me a pole fishing day.
I'm worried f1 carp will never be the same again for him!

 

[Neil Maidment]

Very glad to see you back Phil and very much hope you continue your recovery.

I knew home was going to be full of toddlers and younger today so despite my raging man-flu I went off to target Dorset Chub

Started at 12:30pm and had four nice examples by 1:30pm. Then they effectively shut up shop as I didn't get another sniff. All became very clear when there was a very large swirl of water just a few yards below me which I first thought was a pike or similar. But a trail of bubbles out to mid river followed by a sleek wet head of a big Otter popping up. He seemed to snort at me and then headed to the far bank. A smaller version then appeared and they both messed around above me for while.

An hour or so later after gentle loose feeding I finally hit another chub. Went on to have 5 or 6 others with a couple approaching mid 5's.

The chub were definitely unsettled by the Otters presence but I don't think they moved away too far. Close to a dozen excellent chub between 4lbs and 5lbs+ all on trotted single red maggot and loose feeding about 2 pints.

 

[S-Kippy]

And so it goes on.....The Comedy of Errors that is my annus ( or ****) horribilis.

Bury Hill for a zander today. I should have smelt a rat when I flew round the M25 without the slightest hint of a jam. Quelle Horreur ! It's Wednesday you Muppet and the pole gnomes are out in force again. Howl , howl and howl again. So... its the trans Himalayan trek for you again Skippy my boy. Arrived at chosen spot which is just about as far from where I wanted to be as is possible.

Howl ! I thought that chair looked a bit odd. It's the little river chair not the zander recliner. Once set up the rod butts are roughly level with my hat ! No fun sitting with your knees round your earholes. Right..... time for a cuppa.

Howl and double howl ! Forgot the milk !mg:

Come on....It's warm, cloudy and there's a blow on. It's got to fish.

At 4-15 I had a beep beep 2 inch lift and that was the only indication I had . I didn't even bother waiting for the 10 to 8 mugfish as by then I think I had more chance of catching a newt than a zander.

That's 4 trips for 1 fish......Phil's average is slightly better at 3 trips for 1 fish.

Should have gone crucian fishing !

Oh... and naturally it rained and equally naturally I didn't take an umbrella or coat .

 

[tigger]

Should have gone crucian fishing !

I think you should have, i've heard it's full of 'em round those parts...big un's n'all :wh