How did you get on?
- Thread starter peter crabtree
- Start date
maggot_dangler
Well-known member
Club Comp in the morning , feeling like a bit of a wind up i am thinking of taking a pole along as well as my more normal rod and reel get the pole warriors worried 
chances are i wil use rod and reel as the pole makes the back sore but good for a wheeze .
Hope the tench and Crucians are in a bread mood tomorrow .
PG ...
Well the answer to the above is a resounding NO not on yer nellie pal not a snif 2 skimmers for 5oz so pulled the plug an hour early a non return not appy the water was very cold the 2 fish i had felt like they had been in the chuffin freezer , i know it went coolo last night but not that cold .. ho hummm .
chances are i wil use rod and reel as the pole makes the back sore but good for a wheeze .Hope the tench and Crucians are in a bread mood tomorrow .
PG ...
Well the answer to the above is a resounding NO not on yer nellie pal not a snif 2 skimmers for 5oz so pulled the plug an hour early a non return not appy the water was very cold the 2 fish i had felt like they had been in the chuffin freezer , i know it went coolo last night but not that cold .. ho hummm .
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The Runner
Well-known member
Fished club match today at New Farm Fishery near Maidenhead.
Anywhere from pegs 1 to 6 is generally the favoured draw here, with 3 the favourite as it's opposite a treelined bay/ cutting in the island (there's a rope across about a yard and a half into the cutting so you can't get to the back of it, I suppose as otherwise it would probably win every match)
Drew 4 so happy enough with that. Looks a bit limiting compared to a lot of other swims here as it's relatively tight to 3 to the left and also there's another rope across to the island about 8 ft to the right so can't go too far to either side but a nice easy 11.5m across so not too bothered.
Plumbed up, too shallow in the edge for a proper inside line, deepening to about 2'6" at top 2 range and then off to nearly 5 ft. Far side only inches deep tight over but straight off to full depth within three feet of the far bank. Only set up pole, 5 topkits, two white hydro, two black, one of each for dead depth and shallow, and another with a 12 solid if needed for across where the fish could be bigger and apparently a lot of roots so might not want anything too stretchy. 0.11 on the black , 0.10 on the white and 0.13 on the heavier rig, size 18 and 20 Silverfish Pellet on the hydro with a 18 B911 completing the set up.
Whistle went and put two full pots of pellet and maggot on the bottom of the drop off across and loosefed maggot with a few pellets just to left and next to rope to right both at 6m. A few quick 4 to 6oz skimmers and a couple of little carp by the rope, switched left for two more skimmers and an ide, loosefeeding all the time, but things quickly went quiet. Across at 11m found a tench about a pound , two more ide and a nice roach before that too stopped. Bounced around between the three lines just picking up the odd fish but all the while Derek on 3 was catching small carp steadily on the waggler to the rope. Gradually the far line became the only place I could catch with the occasional small carp and tench apart from a short burst of rudd shallow at 6m and with an hour and a half to go reckoned I had around 18 to 20 lb with Derek about 15 lb in front of me. Had already had a few good looks shallow over for little reward but then suddenly there were some carp there and started picking them up about 2 ft deep on double maggot. Caught well for the last hour and a bit, never needed the heavy rig as most of the fish around the pound/ pound and a quarter mark, although could have done with it for the 4 to 5lb ghostie, far bigger than anything else I had, which didn't want to come in for quite a while on white hydro.
Derek had still been catching on the wag and at the whistle I didn't think I'd done enough to catch him while he thought I was about 10 lb ahead.
Scales got to me, silvers net went 7-12, carp and tench 43-6 so 51-2 in total, top so far with a couple of high 30s next from 16 and 6.
Derek's fish went 48-9 so I was very glad of that bonus ghostie. 28lb was best in the last half dozen to weigh, so a nice win.
Not sure why the carp suddenly appeared/switched on like that, hadn't really changed the feeding at all or anything else for that matter. Got through just over three pints of maggot in total, think I could probably have fed more
Anywhere from pegs 1 to 6 is generally the favoured draw here, with 3 the favourite as it's opposite a treelined bay/ cutting in the island (there's a rope across about a yard and a half into the cutting so you can't get to the back of it, I suppose as otherwise it would probably win every match)
Drew 4 so happy enough with that. Looks a bit limiting compared to a lot of other swims here as it's relatively tight to 3 to the left and also there's another rope across to the island about 8 ft to the right so can't go too far to either side but a nice easy 11.5m across so not too bothered.
Plumbed up, too shallow in the edge for a proper inside line, deepening to about 2'6" at top 2 range and then off to nearly 5 ft. Far side only inches deep tight over but straight off to full depth within three feet of the far bank. Only set up pole, 5 topkits, two white hydro, two black, one of each for dead depth and shallow, and another with a 12 solid if needed for across where the fish could be bigger and apparently a lot of roots so might not want anything too stretchy. 0.11 on the black , 0.10 on the white and 0.13 on the heavier rig, size 18 and 20 Silverfish Pellet on the hydro with a 18 B911 completing the set up.
Whistle went and put two full pots of pellet and maggot on the bottom of the drop off across and loosefed maggot with a few pellets just to left and next to rope to right both at 6m. A few quick 4 to 6oz skimmers and a couple of little carp by the rope, switched left for two more skimmers and an ide, loosefeeding all the time, but things quickly went quiet. Across at 11m found a tench about a pound , two more ide and a nice roach before that too stopped. Bounced around between the three lines just picking up the odd fish but all the while Derek on 3 was catching small carp steadily on the waggler to the rope. Gradually the far line became the only place I could catch with the occasional small carp and tench apart from a short burst of rudd shallow at 6m and with an hour and a half to go reckoned I had around 18 to 20 lb with Derek about 15 lb in front of me. Had already had a few good looks shallow over for little reward but then suddenly there were some carp there and started picking them up about 2 ft deep on double maggot. Caught well for the last hour and a bit, never needed the heavy rig as most of the fish around the pound/ pound and a quarter mark, although could have done with it for the 4 to 5lb ghostie, far bigger than anything else I had, which didn't want to come in for quite a while on white hydro.
Derek had still been catching on the wag and at the whistle I didn't think I'd done enough to catch him while he thought I was about 10 lb ahead.
Scales got to me, silvers net went 7-12, carp and tench 43-6 so 51-2 in total, top so far with a couple of high 30s next from 16 and 6.
Derek's fish went 48-9 so I was very glad of that bonus ghostie. 28lb was best in the last half dozen to weigh, so a nice win.
Not sure why the carp suddenly appeared/switched on like that, hadn't really changed the feeding at all or anything else for that matter. Got through just over three pints of maggot in total, think I could probably have fed more
thecrow
Well-known member
Great looking rare fish from a tough water Jim, congratulations, superb pictures of proper shaped barbel
mikench
Well-known member
Another fantastic photo Jim! I know perspective is playing its part but the barrbel looks big enough to eat you! A magnificient fish!
A magnificient fish!
jon atkinson
Well-known member
My early starts are no more! Irrespective of how quietly I get up in terms of not disturbing SWMBO, the dogs are always there getting ridiculously excited because obviously I must have got up to take them for a walk mg: . This is, I'm sure, the reason for my recent decline in the catching stakes [well it's one explanation / excuse anyway!]. Blackbrook Basin looked in good nick when I arrived - gin clear, but then it nearly always is. A quick chat with a couple of guys already there confirmed what I was anticipating; fishing pretty well early doors, but had gone quiet since the sun hit the water.
High point of the day was watching a Kingfisher at work directly opposite, showing me how it should be done! Quite breathtaking watching it dive completely vertically from the upper branches of a tree & emerge successfully too! I also clocked a Heron swooping & grabbing a small silver on the wing which I've never seen before.
Last few outings I have invariably had issues with line getting tangled around the rod tip [which has prompted thoughts along the lines of "must be time for a new one"] but today the rod behaved fine - the tangles were around the back of the spool... twice :wh. I've been favouring the Shimano Aero 2500FA, largely on the grounds that the drag sounds 'nicer' than on the TDR 2508, but given that I can't remember the last time I heard it [in anger] I think I'll be switching back...
Scores on the doors for today; a dozen or so Roach up to 4oz, 1 hand sized Skimmer & a bonus Crucian of about 6oz, pretty much all on caster... I'll be back :wh
mg: . This is, I'm sure, the reason for my recent decline in the catching stakes [well it's one explanation / excuse anyway!]. Blackbrook Basin looked in good nick when I arrived - gin clear, but then it nearly always is. A quick chat with a couple of guys already there confirmed what I was anticipating; fishing pretty well early doors, but had gone quiet since the sun hit the water.High point of the day was watching a Kingfisher at work directly opposite, showing me how it should be done! Quite breathtaking watching it dive completely vertically from the upper branches of a tree & emerge successfully too! I also clocked a Heron swooping & grabbing a small silver on the wing which I've never seen before.
Last few outings I have invariably had issues with line getting tangled around the rod tip [which has prompted thoughts along the lines of "must be time for a new one"
] but today the rod behaved fine - the tangles were around the back of the spool... twice :wh. I've been favouring the Shimano Aero 2500FA, largely on the grounds that the drag sounds 'nicer' than on the TDR 2508, but given that I can't remember the last time I heard it [in anger] I think I'll be switching back...Scores on the doors for today; a dozen or so Roach up to 4oz, 1 hand sized Skimmer & a bonus Crucian of about 6oz, pretty much all on caster... I'll be back :wh
peter crabtree
AKA Simon, 1953 - 2022 (RIP)
Headed south early this morning down to Woking for a club fixture. My first visit to this very nice ( housing ) estate lake on the outskirts of the town.
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Drew down to the left hand side on the far side of the point. Peg looked interesting with the pier to my right.
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At the off I chucked 10 small cage feederfuls of gb about 40yds out in open water on the clip.
Pole set up, a maggot shallow rig and an on the deck rig tight to the concrete @11m and and during the first half hour I picked up the odd roach or small perch but neither line produced more than one or two fish before dying...
After an hour I changed to feeder rod over the pre baited areas out towards the middle with banded 4mm pellet followed by 6mm followed by worm and maggot instead.
In short I went for it hammer and tongs and got it totally wrongmg:
Overcooked the whole thing, came nowhere and got beaten off the next peg by a female angler:doh::doh::doh::doh:
Horrendous journey home on the 25 by Heathrow....
B0£££0cks.......
Drew down to the left hand side on the far side of the point. Peg looked interesting with the pier to my right.
At the off I chucked 10 small cage feederfuls of gb about 40yds out in open water on the clip.
Pole set up, a maggot shallow rig and an on the deck rig tight to the concrete @11m and and during the first half hour I picked up the odd roach or small perch but neither line produced more than one or two fish before dying...
After an hour I changed to feeder rod over the pre baited areas out towards the middle with banded 4mm pellet followed by 6mm followed by worm and maggot instead.
In short I went for it hammer and tongs and got it totally wrong
mg:Overcooked the whole thing, came nowhere and got beaten off the next peg by a female angler:doh::doh::doh::doh:
Horrendous journey home on the 25 by Heathrow....
B0£££0cks.......
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B
binka
Guest
My first outing in just over a fortnight and no big expectations, which was a good job really.
I fished a large pit with the intention of dunking a couple of newly made floats and I started off on the oversize swan quill, fishing it as a slider in thirteen feet of water and it sat surprisingly light at just over 4SSG but bulking the shot to drag bottom combatted the insane tow issue, along with a couple of no.1 droppers which were hard on the deck.
Plenty of bites on worm and worm/maggot cocktail after balling in some Sensas Lake laced with chopped worm and dead maggots with small perch giving some great lift bites which I was certain were going to be text book tincas but small perch was all I saw.
As early evening crept in and the wind dropped I changed over to the smallest of the set, a 3BB set to fish around eight feet deep down the nearside ledge and this accounted for even more small perch in the 4oz - 6oz bracket.
Very much two different days in one weather wise, if you were sheltered it was shorts and shirt sleeves but being on the end of the wind, as I was, saw me scuttling back to the car within the first hour for the wisely packed jeans and jumper.
An enjoyable day though and rewarding in that I didn't just reach for the easy option tip rod and it felt good to be back out… :w
I fished a large pit with the intention of dunking a couple of newly made floats and I started off on the oversize swan quill, fishing it as a slider in thirteen feet of water and it sat surprisingly light at just over 4SSG but bulking the shot to drag bottom combatted the insane tow issue, along with a couple of no.1 droppers which were hard on the deck.
Plenty of bites on worm and worm/maggot cocktail after balling in some Sensas Lake laced with chopped worm and dead maggots with small perch giving some great lift bites which I was certain were going to be text book tincas but small perch was all I saw.
As early evening crept in and the wind dropped I changed over to the smallest of the set, a 3BB set to fish around eight feet deep down the nearside ledge and this accounted for even more small perch in the 4oz - 6oz bracket.
Very much two different days in one weather wise, if you were sheltered it was shorts and shirt sleeves but being on the end of the wind, as I was, saw me scuttling back to the car within the first hour for the wisely packed jeans and jumper.
An enjoyable day though and rewarding in that I didn't just reach for the easy option tip rod and it felt good to be back out… :w
stillwater blue
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Been a while since I was last out due to this little tyke
I lost my other boxer several months ago after almost 12 years and it broke me heart. I missed having a dog so got my 4th boxer, I do love boxers they're as mad as a box of frogs but everything a dog should be.
During nap time I sneaked off for a couple of hours on the river, it's very low but still looking lovely.
Nothing was rising so I fished a wee team of spiders in the shallow fast runs and had a dozen brownies and a few grayling, nowt big but everyone brought a smile to my face
I lost my other boxer several months ago after almost 12 years and it broke me heart. I missed having a dog so got my 4th boxer, I do love boxers they're as mad as a box of frogs but everything a dog should be.
During nap time I sneaked off for a couple of hours on the river, it's very low but still looking lovely.
Nothing was rising so I fished a wee team of spiders in the shallow fast runs and had a dozen brownies and a few grayling, nowt big but everyone brought a smile to my face
jon atkinson
Well-known member
Been a while since I was last out due to this little tyke
I lost my other boxer several months ago after almost 12 years and it broke me heart. I missed having a dog so got my 4th boxer, I do love boxers they're as mad as a box of frogs but everything a dog should be.
During nap time I sneaked off for a couple of hours on the river, it's very low but still looking lovely.
Nothing was rising so I fished a wee team of spiders in the shallow fast runs and had a dozen brownies and a few grayling, nowt big but everyone brought a smile to my face
Cute as a button, I just love Boxers. Not sure if we could cope with one mind - our Springer is more than mad enough!
peter crabtree
AKA Simon, 1953 - 2022 (RIP)
Nothing was rising so I fished a wee team of spiders in the shallow fast runs and had a dozen brownies and a few grayling, nowt big but everyone brought a smile to my face
Love it....
Part 3
Last holiday fishing trip and back to the same location at the same time,but hight tide was now past 8am.
First cast a tiny LS Scorpion, which made my day as its only the third I’ve ever caught.
The fishing was so different from the day before. Flat calm conditions had apparently brought the Wrasse in and I caught a couple of small Ballans and a Corking.
I’d switched from a split shot rig to a 2g tungsten flex head alongside a small weedless hook and a 3” bit of XL pink Isome to catch these.
A Blenny and a Sand Smelt brought the overall holiday species count to 9.
Lovely place and nice holiday overall.

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Nice bit of fishing there, mate.
The micro pollack, sand smelts and blennies make cracking livebaits for Bass if that's your thing...
stillwater blue
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Puppy training finished for the day saw me on another river chasing trout again. It's been a few months since I last fished it and I was surprised how low it was.
I spent the first hour fishing #18 f-flies and grey dusters and didn't have a single take, swapped over to a #12 klink figuring if they're not interested in small stuff offer them a meal. The last hour produced a handful of grayling around 20-25cm
I spent the first hour fishing #18 f-flies and grey dusters and didn't have a single take, swapped over to a #12 klink figuring if they're not interested in small stuff offer them a meal. The last hour produced a handful of grayling around 20-25cm
robtherake
Well-known member
The family trip to Skegness Water Leisure Park seems to have turned into an annual - and sometimes biannual - pilgrimage. The number of visitors was swollen with quite a number of children, but the quietude of what is a big ol' site was hardly affected. It did mean that there were more than a few young beginners and improvers, however, and I'd guess that schooling some of them took up perhaps a quarter of my fishing time, but the results were definitely worth it. One dad and lad had arrived with a Matt Hayes play set, no net, no rod rests and no clue how to get started. Although the Alcedo brand rod and reel were passable, the pre-loaded (under-loaded) line was a disgrace: like strimmer cord. The accessories were pound shop standard. Well, I was only walking the dog, but something had to be done. Came back with my bag of tricks, re-spooled the reel with quality mono, showing them the right technique, taught them a couple of knots and some of the basics, got both of them casting passably, supplied some banksticks/rests and then - three hours later than planned - dropped in the peg next door so I could keep an eye on them and net any fish they caught. By the time they left for home, several days later, both had caught well and they had all the fevered enthusiasm of the newly-afflicted. Job done.:thumbs:
My own fishing went more-or-less to plan, save the first couple of days, when a cold wind came straight off the sea and upset the fish a tad. As the weather improved and the stiff wind pushed wavelets onto the eastern bank , so did the fishing, with evening margin catches of double-figure carp of up to 10 fish a session. Best was a common of 20-2, played on a 'pin in front of a growing - and rather impressed - non-angling crowd. It came in as meek as a lamb then thoroughly misbehaved on the mat, the little bounder! It's a funny thing, but non-anglers and dog-walkers are utterly fascinated by the spinning pin (a TFG Classic) and often show more interest than the anglers do. Had a 20-minute, arm-aching battle with a 17-pounder, foul-hooked in the tail, followed swiftly by another extended fight with one of similar size, hooked in the root of its pectoral.mg: Most effective bait was gravied meatballs, believe it or not.
All in all, quite a fun week.
Well, I was only walking the dog, but something had to be done. Came back with my bag of tricks, re-spooled the reel with quality mono, showing them the right technique, taught them a couple of knots and some of the basics, got both of them casting passably, supplied some banksticks/rests and then - three hours later than planned - dropped in the peg next door so I could keep an eye on them and net any fish they caught. By the time they left for home, several days later, both had caught well and they had all the fevered enthusiasm of the newly-afflicted. Job done.:thumbs:My own fishing went more-or-less to plan, save the first couple of days, when a cold wind came straight off the sea and upset the fish a tad. As the weather improved and the stiff wind pushed wavelets onto the eastern bank , so did the fishing, with evening margin catches of double-figure carp of up to 10 fish a session. Best was a common of 20-2, played on a 'pin in front of a growing - and rather impressed - non-angling crowd. It came in as meek as a lamb then thoroughly misbehaved on the mat, the little bounder! It's a funny thing, but non-anglers and dog-walkers are utterly fascinated by the spinning pin (a TFG Classic) and often show more interest than the anglers do. Had a 20-minute, arm-aching battle with a 17-pounder, foul-hooked in the tail, followed swiftly by another extended fight with one of similar size, hooked in the root of its pectoral.
mg: Most effective bait was gravied meatballs, believe it or not.All in all, quite a fun week.
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mikench
Well-known member
You cannot beat a tin of Campbells Rob! It sound like you had a good time and passed on some good skills to new anglers. You deserved that common!
Sat evening I took advantage of having a telescopic rod in the car and a handful of leftover sweetcorn which turned out to be enough to tempt a run of crucians up to a pound. A few roach early on but mercifully just the one bream.
Gotta get myself chance to try for mullet before there gone. I think they feed better on bait just prior to departure. Maybe less natural stuff around?
Gotta get myself chance to try for mullet before there gone. I think they feed better on bait just prior to departure. Maybe less natural stuff around?
peter crabtree
AKA Simon, 1953 - 2022 (RIP)
Another midweek old codgers match today on the GUC. A balmy humidity in the air and virtually no wind to speak of.. My peg was down by the marina where I fished a week or two ago so I knew the form. Quite shallow with abundant weed but good for a few fish.
Last time I used 5m whip and caster but today was rod, reel and float only so I used my 15' ultralight and waggler. Bites were slow at first, mainly small perch and gudgeon. I started pinging hemp and changed to single red maggot and eventually the roach turned up. Still catching plenty of gudgeon and some were clonkers. After a few hours I rearranged my shot to a slow sinking affair and had a run of small Rudd and bleak. With 2 hours to go I could see I was beating the two anglers to my left but the one to my right had been netting a few. The other ten were above the lock to my left and I couldn't see them...?
Lost a decent skimmer and things went quiet for a while so I bulked my shot again and set the float 6" deeper and laid on a caster, a tiny lift on the float and I struck into a better fish, a roach around 12oz... Caught steadily until the whistle at 1:30 and the scalesman walked down. Matey to my right had 5lb:2oz, could I match it? Yes, 6lb:and half a dram. 2 to my left were around the 2lb mark.
It was too early for me to pack up so I continued fishing and after a while I got a text from Son of Meldrew saying I hadn't won
Next thing, he's walking down again and handed me a a few fivers and some shrapnel, I'd come second, beaten by 2lb by someone who found a couple of bream amongst their bits...Matey who was on my right came 3rd...
14 fished...
Me in the foreground. The perspective is not at all realistic, we were 20yds apart...
Last time I used 5m whip and caster but today was rod, reel and float only so I used my 15' ultralight and waggler. Bites were slow at first, mainly small perch and gudgeon. I started pinging hemp and changed to single red maggot and eventually the roach turned up. Still catching plenty of gudgeon and some were clonkers. After a few hours I rearranged my shot to a slow sinking affair and had a run of small Rudd and bleak. With 2 hours to go I could see I was beating the two anglers to my left but the one to my right had been netting a few. The other ten were above the lock to my left and I couldn't see them...?
Lost a decent skimmer and things went quiet for a while so I bulked my shot again and set the float 6" deeper and laid on a caster, a tiny lift on the float and I struck into a better fish, a roach around 12oz... Caught steadily until the whistle at 1:30 and the scalesman walked down. Matey to my right had 5lb:2oz, could I match it? Yes, 6lb:and half a dram. 2 to my left were around the 2lb mark.
It was too early for me to pack up so I continued fishing and after a while I got a text from Son of Meldrew saying I hadn't won
Next thing, he's walking down again and handed me a a few fivers and some shrapnel, I'd come second, beaten by 2lb by someone who found a couple of bream amongst their bits...Matey who was on my right came 3rd...
14 fished...
Me in the foreground. The perspective is not at all realistic, we were 20yds apart...
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barbelboi
Well-known member
Today it was a stroll over the fields to a backwater that I’m quite fond of loaded up with the old Titan 2000, pin, bag and some bread/hemp. I’d spotted some more half decent roach recently so it was (due to the lack of flow) more a stalk and lower down between the ‘vegetables’ where I could see them rather than any resemblance to a trot.
Fished from 10.30am – 3pm for four roach from seven sightings covering approximately one mile of water.
Fished from 10.30am – 3pm for four roach from seven sightings covering approximately one mile of water.
mikench
Well-known member
Mullet ( red and grey) beckons over the coming weeks ! If I feel any photos and fish bear comparison with yours Neil I will post! As you are not likely to hear further , fear the worst! At least the wine will compensate!