How did you get on?

[nottskev]

Feeling a bit under the weather - and the weather wasn't great - so I didn't get to the Deep Lake until 12.30. The bailiff and his mates have impromptu matches on Thursdays- but they'd switched to Sunday this week, and there was a line of blokes on the pegs I planned to pole fish for bream. Oh well. I set up on feeder near the car-park instead. But I didn't particularly fancy it



Not a bite, to cut a long story short, so when the match blokes disappeared, much as I hate moving pegs, I hauled my stuff round to that side of the lake and had a couple of hours on the vacated pegs. I swapped to a small pellet feeder and tried various distances from the island to see where the fish were.

I had a couple of firsts: I had my EA license checked for the first time this century. And I caught a fish for the first time on a "wafter". (There were fish poking the feeder around from the word go, but not taking the hookbait, so I was trying anything I could find in the bag).



The fish didn't go crazy, and I sat through the usual downpour. I was looking at the carp angler on the far bank, thinking I can see the appeal of fishing from a little tent. 11lb 9 oz won the match from the peg I was on, and I think I had that in bream



And if you add in these two, who both gave the bream tackle a good workout, I felt I'd won a moral victory over the unofficial peg- blockers

 

[Bobnewboy]

Hi All, late again as been away from my laptop......

On Friday I went to a local commercial fishery - Apps Farm Lakes. Only the match lake is open, and not the specimen lake, but I thought 'why not' ?

I set up a match rod with a float, 8lb main line, size 16 hook to 4lb nylon, double maggot. I had the tackle set and cast it out on a peg I had been to before, then I turned to setting up my second rod - a little whip for a bit of margin fishing. As I looked up, I could see that the match rod was oddly bent round at nearly 90 degrees to my left. It took a moment or two before it registered 'bite!' in my head, and I grabbed the match rod and dropped the whip. Considering that I hadn't even set the fishing depth - just a guess - I was a bit surprised! I had a bit of a tussle with the fish, and eventually wound it into the landing net. It was a quite nice 9lb 4oz common:

After that, I set the fishing depths for both rods, and re-baited. Waited and watched, but nary even a line bite. Eventually, just as I finished my first cup of coffee, the float on the match rod twitched, and then sank gracefully. A quick strike, and a short fight, and I had landed an 8oz roach (I think )

After that there was nothing for an hour and a half. While I was eating my sarnies, I heard a fish slap on the surface in an adjacent, but unoccupied peg, the other side of a spit of land between that peg and my current one. On inspection I could see the ripples running away from a location in the water quite close to the bank on that peg.....So I thought I'd try a little stalking. I moved over with a freshly baited hook on the match rod, with my landing net in the other hand, kept low and away from the bank edge, and dobbed the tackle in at the margin. After about 3 or 4 minutes, my float smacked down into the water and I struck. The fish put up a good fight, but I managed to get it into the net, and it was another common at 5lb 10oz this time.

I weighed and took a picture of the fish, and slid it back into the water at the peg. As I did so, I could see a turn and wave in the fairly shallow water, so I dobbed in again. After maybe 15 minutes, I had another take and strike. This time, yep - you guessed it - another common, at 4lb 8oz:

I thought that it would be great if this process would go on all day, but it was not to be. I hooked a much bigger fish in the same way, and as it rolled I could see that it was a good sized mirror. However it was big and strong enough that this must have opened out the size 16 hook, and it came off as the fish approached the net.

As it seemed I had scared off the fish in the new peg, I thought that I would try something I have never done before. Simple ledgering. I replaced the whip with another match rod, and put a size 10 hook to nylon on the end of the mainline, with 3x SSGs about 8 inches back from the hook. I put a big bunch of maggots on the hook and cast it in about 15 yards from the bank. About 20 minutes later, while I was attending to the float rod, I noted the second rod jump, and then start sliding towards the water. I grabbed it and then had a quick fight with yet another common, 5lb 12oz:

I think I might try the combo of float on one rod and ledger on the other again, at my next visit

Cheers, Bob

 

[neil1970]

Last week I was away in Weymouth.
The Garfish were excellent sport on light gear.

 

[sam vimes]

View attachment 4348

Am I seeing things? Is that a Preston Carbonactive (Asaki blank) that's had sliding reel fittings retro-fitted?

 

[nottskev]

Am I seeing things? Is that a Preston Carbonactive (Asaki blank) that's had sliding reel fittings retro-fitted?

Only you could have spotted that!

It is. It was one of the original 10' Quivers, (1999, I think) and I just didn't like the spongy blob at the top of the handle, or the bright metal reel fitting. So I took it to a fellow in Bolton and had him put a proper handle and fittings on. I later took the metal eyes off the built in tips and replaced them with lined ones.

I also had a Carbonactive 15/17 float, and I had that one similarly replaced, too!

I had him put the rings back on the other side, so the rather garish decals disappeared out of sight. I was a bit fussy about these things then. They're both still like new, and come out when there's a good chance of carp gatecrashing.

 

[iain t]

Friday was a total disaster. 5 hours with Corn, Maggots, Hemp and not even a line knock. Bloody Cormorants diving into the water. Saturday was totally different. 4 hour in a beautiful, quite natural Stillwater. Thinking to myself even if i blank at least am in Eden. Anyway set up, threw 7 or maggots in and sat there for a while sipping tea and just watching the water. In the closed season, i prefer to float fish, mainly with 6lb due to some large Carp in the Clubs waters. This time i had freshly loaded 4lb Maxima in ultragreen. 2 Maggots on a Drennan 16 hook cast in and bang a nice sized Rudd, this water has a lot of Rudd.
The second cast, bang again a large Rudd. This happened cast after cast. By this time my arm was starting to ache. Cast in again and worked out i had time to pour a cupper but no, my line was wizzing of the spool, my tip swung right over. Thinking this is a bit powerful for even the biggest Rudd, i started to wind in. By now the mid section of the blank was bending. Starting to think i should have stuck with the norm 6lb. For 5 minutes i was winding in and back winding. Eventually got it to the back and on to the mat. A beautiful Common weighing 12.7lb. The next cast was another Common of 8.4lb. In total, i had 54 Rudd and 2 Carp.
All this makes me think why i was worried about using lower than 6lb line before.

 

[103841]

A 4 hour session on the estate was a carbon copy of Saurdays visit, well almost.

The roach were first on the scene.


Predictably it wasn't long before the slabs muscled in.


Within minutes of the same time on Saturday I finally made contact with a nice tench.


Had the lake to myself again until one of the owners turned up for a short session , I chose a different swim to the usual spot, on Sunday the first Cru was caught since they were stocked a few weeks earlier, hoping they were still there set up in the same spot.
.

No such luck for me today with a Cru.Another difference from Saturday's session was the fact I decided to use the whip, with roach and Bream still dominating until the water warms up I thought I might as well get as much pleasure catching them as the intended target of tench, and fun it was, the tench was quite challenging but good to know they can be mastered on the whip.

 

[peter crabtree]

6 old codgers turned out this morning at Aylesbury on the GUC Aylesbury arm in the town centre. I was a little perturbed by the olive green tinge to the water as historically it has always fished hard when that colour.





The other thing I didn't like much was the new path, there used to be reeds all along the edge which for some reason they've been removed?

Rod, reel and float only as usual in these fixtures, I set up a waggler.
First chuck with punch on a 20 to 0:06 I hooked a lump, I played it very gingerly and as I reached for my landing net handle the wind blew it to the ground. It was a good bream and I was thrashing about on the surface, I willed it not to come off. Luckily a couple of dog walkers came along and I asked them to pick my net up which they did and the fish was safely landed.



From that moment on I didn't get a single bite, 5 and 3quarter hours!
The others didn't do very well either, 2 packed up early and left.
My bream weighed in at 4:8 which sealed victory for me.
Second weight was 1:3 and 3rd 1:0.

 

[103841]

With the cancellation of domestic taxi duties I was on the estate by lunchtime for another few hours on the whip. With a stiff breeze I chose the far end of the lake, a lot shallower and home to the carp that reside in the lake, fortunately they hang out on the far side amongst the reeds rarely troubling the anglers fishing light, always the exception from time to time though.


Bites and fish were fewer than yesterday but those that were caught, a better stamp of fish with four tench ranging from 2 to 4 lb.

The smallest of the four put up the most spirited fight creating a nice bend in the whip.


Might just have a go at those carp on Thursday, must swap the whip for something a little more substantial.

 

[mikench]

Like a rod! Did you land it John?

 

[103841]

But of course dear Michael. Actually a good question, I seem to lose far fewer fish on the whip than I do with rod and reel.

 

[seth49]

View attachment 4388
The above bream was the biggest fish of the day, had another couple of skimmers, and quite a few small roach, and some small perch, it was very windy and light rain most of the day, I clicked a total of twenty seven fish on my counter.

The larger fish don’t seem to be showing yet, just one bream, no tench or carp, had a sleeper rod out for these but not a touch, mick fished the next peg to me with similar results, it still felt cold today no sign of any warmer weather yet.

Supposed to warm up up tomorrow, if it does we’ll be back on Thursday, will try one of the shallower ponds, might be better, at least the modifications to my side tray worked ok.

 

[flightliner]

A few short hours today on a small day ticket water, two rods out on the old trusty optoniks that never registered a single bleep until one o -clock or thereabouts, a nice roach was the culprit followed by another one almost identical in size , I began to feel I was in for a good net of fish but no,a continuous screamer wailed its urgent note calling for me to lift into the fish.
A carp (again ) that just ran and ran towards the far side of the venue.
It turned right and out came the hook, it was a long wind in back to the bank , clipped up it was fifty one turns on the reel but after the loss it was almost twice that.It would have been nice to just see it at least the once.
That was it save for what I thought were two liners but the roach were enough considering my decision to go was on a whim but two or three more would have been well received.

 

[103841]

How did I get on?.......I didn't!

My better half wanted a day out in the sunshine, riverside walks were ruled out as were visits to various lakes. A cycle ride along various bays in Thanet culminating in a cold beer on the sun deck in The Ramsgate Pavillion (highly recommended) went down a treat.

I made full use of the day by doing a reconnaissance of potential swims.......sorry that's "marks" for some intended lure fishing in the coming months.

This isn't one of them.

 

[nottskev]

A bit of "careful what you wish for" today. Hot sun and a bright blue sky were a welcome first this year, but the fishing was poor, with the fish on the Tench Lake feeding in fits and starts and only the smaller ones seemed up for it.

Last time I was there, the photo could just as easily have been black and white; very different today, and probably the first day when it was a mistake to turn up at 12.30



Since I was sitting on a narrow ledge of dry mud, with no grass around, I dispensed with the catch pic, which would have shown a couple of dozen of these plus some roach and perch



The best bit of the day was actually someone else's catch. As I was setting up, a bloke was carrying a distinctly smaller collection of gear to the peg next door - garden chair, rod and reel, two tupperware boxes.
I went over to say hello, and he told me it was his first session coarse fishing in decades. He was armed with a fibreglass Sealey Blue Match - coincidentally, the first proper rod I ever bought in 1973, and I'll be surprised if even Sam knows the spec - a quill float, a handful of redworms and a few slices of bread. I wandered back after an hour: no bites so far. After checking that he didn't mind me sticking my nose in, we did a bit more plumbing, cast the quill out a bit further and deeper, fed a bit of my groundbait and a few maggots, and within a minute he was playing a tench. He finished the afternoon with 7 or 8, and a definite plan to try the lake again. I spent a fair bit of the time sitting with this chap and his two old dogs, and eased up on the usual mission to catch as much as possible. Who cares if it was more sunbathing than fishing.

 

[mikench]

I remember that view Kev and even that tench looks familiar!! Wishful thinking????? Oh to have a tench lake!:thumbs:

 

[nottskev]

I remember that view Kev and even that tench looks familiar!! Wishful thinking????? Oh to have a tench lake!:thumbs:

The chap was in your swim, Mike, as it happens. As indeed you can be, any time you fancy coming down.

 

[103841]

A bit of "careful what you wish for" today. Hot sun and a bright blue sky were a welcome first this year, but the fishing was poor, with the fish on the Tench Lake feeding in fits and starts and only the smaller ones seemed up for it.

Last time I was there, the photo could just as easily have been black and white; very different today, and probably the first day when it was a mistake to turn up at 12.30

View attachment 4390

Since I was sitting on a narrow ledge of dry mud, with no grass around, I dispensed with the catch pic, which would have shown a couple of dozen of these plus some roach and perch

View attachment 4391

The best bit of the day was actually someone else's catch. As I was setting up, a bloke was carrying a distinctly smaller collection of gear to the peg next door - garden chair, rod and reel, two tupperware boxes.
I went over to say hello, and he told me it was his first session coarse fishing in decades. He was armed with a fibreglass Sealey Blue Match - coincidentally, the first proper rod I ever bought in 1973, and I'll be surprised if even Sam knows the spec - a quill float, a handful of redworms and a few slices of bread. I wandered back after an hour: no bites so far. After checking that he didn't mind me sticking my nose in, we did a bit more plumbing, cast the quill out a bit further and deeper, fed a bit of my groundbait and a few maggots, and within a minute he was playing a tench. He finished the afternoon with 7 or 8, and a definite plan to try the lake again. I spent a fair bit of the time sitting with this chap and his two old dogs, and eased up on the usual mission to catch as much as possible. Who cares if it was more sunbathing than fishing.

Can there be a better way to return after decades of absence, nice one Kev.

 

[sam vimes]

Five letter colloquial variation of a common swear word. Rhymes with light. Not a touch, no positive signs of fish whatsoever. At least the weather was reasonable. However, we didn't get the sun that much of the country enjoyed until mid afternoon.

 

[mikench]

Had a long unproductive day yesterday - fishing! 5 carp was all I had to show for 8 hours of effort, well sitting in the sun,chatting with fellow anglers and generally messin'! Needless to say I was after tench and the water was supposed to be stuffed full with them but I couldn't locate any! I had one lump on( the 5 were around the 4-5 lb Mark) which snagged me on an island but no tench!

Perhaps they have an aversion to me; understandable!!!