How did you get on?

[jon atkinson]

Picked up my 2018 St Helens card plus some reds & caster yesterday on my way into work. It was my plan to fish Blackbrook Basin today but on examination of the permit, it appears that St Helens has recently acquired the rights to 3/4 mile stretch of the Dee just outside Wrexham - prime grayling territory plus chub, dace & barbel... apparently. Unfortunately the directions / map are rather vague & there is nothing on the website yet, so I played safe & went to the basin, but I will definitely be giving the Dee a go sooner rather than later as had been looking at day ticket stretches anyway.

Anyway, hard going at the basin & it felt colder than the thermometer would have you believe. A small roach on red maggot, a few better ones on single caster, not a sniff on bread punch. There were 3 others fishing when I arrived, all on lures after pike, but I didn't see any joy for them either. Forecast for the coming week looks bl**dy dire, rain-wise, so that Dee trip might have to wait a bit .

 

[ian g]

Headed to the Severn for the first time this year. Late start again . I just can't get my self sorted fishing wise . Two young lads on , a lad I had met in the summer and his cousin fishing the first two pegs . I went down to the swim below the outflow , all looked good as I slipped on my butt down the bank luckily stopping before the edge . Not much to report fish wise , couldn't buy a bite on maggot . Around 12.30 I move up to peg 3 and put out a worm which quickly brought a bite from a chub around 3.5 lb . Slow day so I ditched around 3.30 and got back to watch the match, much more exciting

 

[Neil Maidment]

Almost 7 hours stood in the Stour on a cold breezy day last week proved my new thermals work very well indeed I chose a different section of Throop, this time quite a fair way downstream.

A game of two halves with a weird episode in mid afternoon!

I started to catch quite steadily although I had to trot a prodigious distance to find them. Maybe they were just sat down there but try as I might I couldn't tempt them to move up any nearer. I began with some pristine chub between 3lbs and 4lbs and then it went very quiet.

Eventually I struck into another which turned out to be a much better stamp. As I was playing it an Otter surfaced just downstream and about 2/3rds the way across. It stuck its head up again as I netted the chub, both times looking across to me. I thought that would be it and wasn't expecting any more chub for a while. But next trot down produced another good chub.... no sign of the Otter.... and then another.

I had a couple more as the afternoon progressed, all a very good average size including one that was almost picture perfect. Probably quite a young fish, already specimen size, I hope our paths cross in the future

 

[sam vimes]

Back to the roach again. Light rod, light lines, small hooks and, fingers crossed, avoiding the big gatecrashers. A fairly bitty sort of day, the odd flurry of fish but couldn't get them to settle on feed with any consistency. Spent a fair amount of time chasing fish round the peg. Ended up with fifty one roach. Giving them a fairly conservative average of six ounces, that would give me a net of just shy of twenty pounds. The best fish would have topped the pound mark, five or so in total would have been there or thereabouts. A thoroughly enjoyable day.

 

[peter crabtree]

7 old codgers braved the icy windchill blowing straight down the middle of the Aylesbury arm of the GUC today. Blue sky and sunshine everywhere but on the shady towpath..

Tap water clear again and no boat movements to colour it up meant fishing deep down the middle. My first bite on pinkie produced the smallest perch of the day..

I went on to catch a couple more slightly bigger, around 15 tiny gudgeon and a solitary roach last knockings at 2pm for 6oz....

The wind was relentless but all 7 of us stayed the distance with the winner amassing a fine net of roach, perch and gudgeon for 4lb9oz.
2nd and 3rd had a bream apiece.. 2:11 and 2:7.

 

[sam vimes]

Simon,
I can only admire the fortitude of you and your comrades. However, I occasionally wonder which establishment is letting you all out on day release.

 

[108831]

7 old codgers braved the icy windchill blowing straight down the middle of the Aylesbury arm of the GUC today. Blue sky and sunshine everywhere but on the shady towpath..

Tap water clear again and no boat movements to colour it up meant fishing deep down the middle. My first bite on pinkie produced the smallest perch of the day..

I went on to catch a couple more slightly bigger, around 15 tiny gudgeon and a solitary roach last knockings at 2pm for 6oz....

The wind was relentless but all 7 of us stayed the distance with the winner amassing a fine net of roach, perch and gudgeon for 4lb9oz.
2nd and 3rd had a bream apiece.. 2:11 and 2:7.

Simon,having not fished the cut for years,has all the towpath been given up to boats,having walked north of Three Locks last winter I couldn't believe the amount of moored boats.

 

[peter crabtree]

There has been a big increase in the amount of residential boats on all stretches of the canals around Greater London and the Home Counties. Some stretches are so full, like my local stretch, there's little or no room to fish. Hardly surprising however with the mad house prices around here..

 

[mikench]

I admire fortitude! In the last half hour amidst temperatures of 2 c we have had snow, sleet, hail and high winds ! I just cannot be bothered venturing out to fish!

 

[nottskev]

I admire fortitude! In the last half hour amidst temperatures of 2 c we have had snow, sleet, hail and high winds ! I just cannot be bothered venturing out to fish!

I'll second that, Mike. I made some bread mash today for the chub in my little brook. But it's gone in the freezer and they won't be fed til the icey wind desists.

 

[Graham Elliott 1]

I ventured out to the car 3 times today with my pike rod and Herrings.
And 3 times I walked back to the house after seeing the dark clouds approaching. Just as well as sideways rainy sleet came after each walk.

 

[flightliner]

I ventured out to the car 3 times today with my pike rod and Herrings.
And 3 times I walked back to the house after seeing the dark clouds approaching. Just as well as sideways rainy sleet came after each walk.

I did the same twice Graham, made the riverbank on the third but one look at the Don had me scurrying into fishing republik for an hours window shopping before going home in driving sleet mg:

 

[john step]

S*ds Law today. Same for me weather wise. Just finished decorating and the chance to get back on the bank and what happens...Its settling the white stuff here with the joy of gales forecast for tomorrow.

 

[peterjg]

I was going fishing today but chickened out when I saw the white coating of frozen hail on the ground. The trouble is that enthusiasm and not commonsense normally gets the better of me. On Monday I caught 4 trout to 3lbs (while roach fishing) from the Kennet, I'll go on Friday.

Last week I fished the Kennet (parked my car in a nearby car park) where a narrow lane runs directly behind the river, a car was half blocking the narrow lane. Had an odd conversation that went something like this .....

I was fishing quite happily when this old fart said in a very loud posh voice "are you going to be here all day!"
I replied "yes I am"
Old fart "will you move that car!?"
I replied "no I won't"
Old fart "it's blocking the road!"
I replied "yes I suppose it is"
Old fart (by now he was getting a bit agitated) "WELL WHY WON'T YOU MOVE IT!!!?"
I replied "it's not my car"

I chuckled all day, caught several grayling and trout and one dace.

 

[mikench]

Still feel rough and have a horrible cough but packed the car anyway! It's blowing hard and black clouds are gathering with the forecast of sleet and snow!

Desperate or not discretion is the better part of valour! My maggots will keep!

 

[john step]

Old fart (by now he was getting a bit agitated) "WELL WHY WON'T YOU MOVE IT!!!?"
I replied "it's not my car"

I had a similar experience, but regarding a dog in the park just outside Buxton.
A rather nice Alsatian was running around and making very amorous moves towards a little dog on a lead being held by a very well dressed lady.

She got quite cross with me as I walked past as she wanted me to control my dog.

I informed her it wasn't my dog and if she was a local perhaps she could do something about it to find the owner.

Humph!!!!mg:

OH DEAR!! SORRY PETER C. I FORGOT THIS WAS ON HDYGO AND PRESUMED IT WAS IN ANOTHER THREAD. HAND SLAPPED FOR OFF THREAD.

 

[Graham Elliott 1]

Well I did go out today, sheltered a bit and hoping the extra couple of foot would mirror the level of a good session last week.

5 hours of steady trotting with a pike rod also on the inside, produced a single bite for a chub of 2lb+. Disappointing.

The Wye is a naughty girl this last week.

 

[108831]

I admire fortitude! In the last half hour amidst temperatures of 2 c we have had snow, sleet, hail and high winds ! I just cannot be bothered venturing out to fish!

Man or mouse,its lovely...as long as your wrapped up against the cold.
As an aside,no digs are meant to those with health problems,my above comments were meant tongue in cheek and my inadequacy within the written word has reared its ugly head,again....

 

[Aussie Bob]

Heatwave again ...38c yesterday and supposed to be pushing 40c degrees today . Didnt sleep well and woke up early so thought i might as well go down the lake with the fly rod. Took a look around then decided to see how hot the water is it was like a warm bath! Decided to not bother even if i caught anything it would more than likely go belly up ...its 8am and its already 27 degrees ! Cool change supposed to come through tonight....at least i am working this afternoon so someone else can pay for the air con.

 

[john step]

Heatwave again ...38c yesterday and supposed to be pushing 40c degrees today . Didnt sleep well and woke up early so thought i might as well go down the lake with the fly rod. Took a look around then decided to see how hot the water is it was like a warm bath! Decided to not bother even if i caught anything it would more than likely go belly up ...its 8am and its already 27 degrees ! Cool change supposed to come through tonight....at least i am working this afternoon so someone else can pay for the air con.

You are rubbing it in We had a similar heat wave here today. 2 degrees ABOVE freezing:wh