How did you get on?

[Another Dave]

Just time for an hour down the river today, 10:00 - 11:00. Fancied some mini lure fishing so off i went with the absolute essentials, i.e. a tackled up rod, forceps and my smokes. No net, no spare anything. Lure was a 5cm Salmo floating minnow with the trebles replaced. Stopped off at the 'cliff' swim, the cliff being an ugly stack of those wire cages they fill with rocks. Saw a chub chase and take my lure straight away so i began the scramble down. When i arrived at the water the fish had taken the line round overhanging twigs so in i went, up over my knees. Surprising warm water.





Pound a bit i reckon, and the 3rd chub i've caught on a floating plug ever. My cigarette papers were no longer functional after that.

The meadow swim had an idiot dog walker in it, saw a really nice perch in the parrotcage swim but no takers. Then this little fellow started chasing the Salmo with gusto:



At around 5oz that's the smallest chub i've had on a lure.

 

[thecrow]

Up early yesterday to drop my son off for his lift to London where he is working this week so before picking him up I put my tackle into the car with the intention of having another go at the Tench.

While Tench fishing despite my freebies being wrapped in a stiffish ground bait I had noticed that some of the hemp and dead reds must have been floating as there were some decent surface swirls after baiting up so with that in mind I had taken some tares thinking that if the Tench were not obliging I would have a go for the swirlers that I imagined were Roach.

As it happened the Tench were difficult with only one small one in a few hours but the swirls were there so I changed to fishing around 4ft deep with double tare a la Tee Cee, bites were confident but I missed quite a few until I connected with one of the culprits which turned out to be these.



It was a surprise to find that Bream were responsible for the swirls previously thought to be Roach even though I have caught them on surface baits before, a few more of them were caught no Roach and as it had got very warm I called it a day.

 

[tigger]

Up early yesterday to drop my son off for his lift to London where he is working this week so before picking him up I put my tackle into the car with the intention of having another go at the Tench.

While Tench fishing despite my freebies being wrapped in a stiffish ground bait I had noticed that some of the hemp and dead reds must have been floating as there were some decent surface swirls after baiting up so with that in mind I had taken some tares thinking that if the Tench were not obliging I would have a go for the swirlers that I imagined were Roach.

As it happened the Tench were difficult with only one small one in a few hours but the swirls were there so I changed to fishing around 4ft deep with double tare a la Tee Cee, bites were confident but I missed quite a few until I connected with one of the culprits which turned out to be these.



It was a surprise to find that Bream were responsible for the swirls previously thought to be Roach even though I have caught them on surface baits before, a few more of them were caught no Roach and as it had got very warm I called it a day.

Where they all that fat Graham? I'm curious as that one looks like it may have dropsy.

 

[thecrow]

Where they all that fat Graham? I'm curious as that one looks like it may have dropsy.

A lot that I have caught alongside the Tench have had spawning tubercles on them I suspect that this one is ready to get involved with some others

 

[john step]

John is it wrapped around the hooklength or the other way around?

Either. Just tie it either end of the length. If they are particularly cagey you can tie a few" fronds" long the length tying it to the hooklength.
Better be short or PC will get tetchy about going off subject.

 

[O.C.F.Disorder]

Had a "tough" but very interesting session on the warwickshire avon. Saw an eel (a first for me) and some heart stopping chub but couldnt get past the chublets with and an occasional 1 pounder. Found a beautiful spot that looked pikey so I put a chublet on a size 8 treble and cast near the lillypads. Instant hit. I struck but the hook didnt set, im sure the bait was in its mouth as it was a bloody tiny chublet. So I caught another chublet but this time i rigged it to a "gamakatzu treble 13 B" (I believe its meant to be used on soft lures but have had good success for live baiting) and cast to the same spot.. I waited 15 mins before deciding to move on and as i reeled in THWACK A nice chunky pike graced my line.

 

[peter crabtree]

Evening match tonight on the Aylesbury arm near Tring. It was very warm and humid when we started at 6pm. The grass was cut today and some pegs had big slicks of floating cuttings, luckily I had an end peg which wasn't affected..

From experience of this venue I knew the skimmers are usually down the track in the deeper water so I set up a punch rig and fished it at dead depth with punch. No4 hydro in the top kit which I find perfect for bream. Had 3 skimmers + bits on punch, I also had a look across on the far shelf with pinkie but only had tiny gudgeon.
Weighed in at 9pm and had 4lb7oz which was good enough for 2nd, winner beat me by 3oz

13 fished..

 

[seth49]

Early start again yesterday mick had an hospital appointment, so up at four loaded car, and on the fishery for five decided to fish my favourite pond today, most of the fish in here are bigger than the rest of the ponds.
Tackled up my thirteen ft Korum power float, with a aerodex pin, six pound line, with a four pound hook length and a size fourteen hook, baits were six mm expander pellets, corn, and maggots.
Started catching some good bream fairly quickly, two pounds up to the biggest which weighed four pounds twelve ounces.
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Also catching some nice roach, best one weighed one pound two ounces.
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Good to see this pond fishing well again, there are some good fish in here, expander pellets worked best again, just small perch on maggots, and slow on corn, the bream were scrapping a bit too, especially the odd ones I foul hooked, they really scrapped, one jumped clean out of the water, and pulled a bit to, no tench though I’d hoped I might get one today, but still to catch one this year.
As usual I was throwing a few dog biscuits in, to see if the carp were interested and did get one taking them, so had a go for it and caught it first cast, same fish I caught a few times last year from this peg.its easy to recognise as it unfortunately has a badly torn mouth.
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It was a pleasant day sunny first thing and cloudy later, nice and warm but not to hot with light winds, all the fish on the float were hooked only a foot from the bankside vegetation, close in as usual, they really like the margins here, lots of birds singing and there were lots of these blue tailed damsel flies about.
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Back again Thursday, it’s a good forecast and micks free as well, apart from the rain this morning it’s supposed to be dry for a while to nice to have some good weather for a change.
Good day I enjoyed it ?

 

[103841]

When I flicked through this page quickly on my iPad, I thought I spotted a pic of a blue topped float with a piece of sweet corn by its side.mg:

Must go to Specsavers.

 

[wetthrough]

Tuesday: WA club water Rixton Clay Pits. Arrived earlier than usual at around 4am. Fair walk to where I planned to fish near the north top end. Lots of steps to negotiate which proved too much for my trolley. Didn't realize 'til I got to the peg but one careless drop down a step with a trailing trolley sheared the stay hinge screw. When I undid the strap holding everything on the whole lot just collapsed with the tackle box rolling over onto it's side. Groan, it's going to be a right mess in there. As luck would have it it looked just as it normally does, just rearranged a bit Unpacked to find that careless drop had smashed my flask.

Plumbed up with a long straight unloaded waggler at about 3 1/2 rod lengths in 4' of water. Switched to the Glow Tip antenna to shot up and promptly got an overhand knot in my hook length - it's going to be one of those days is it, sigh. Managed to get the knot out without much trouble, shotted and ready to go, laying on about 3:4".

I'm fancying a drink by this time and the more I think about that flask the thirstier I get. Desperate times require desperate measures. I wrap my fried luncheon meat in kitchen towel so used it to filter the by now stone cold coffee - gross but wet, who needs Latte when you can have filter coffee but I only get one cup as I've nothing big to filter it into.

Perfect day for waggler fishing shallowish waters. Not to hot, overcast and just the gentlest of breezes coming towards me. One ball of loose groundbait and a couple of solid balls, maggot on the hook. Small Roach straight away and from then on a bite a chuck but all small. Tried caster, corn and meat to winkle something bigger out but no interest. Also getting regular visits from what I think were Tufted Ducks. Mallard sized but these things are divers - pita but they don't like having landing nets waved at them

Lot's of these and this was one of the bigger ones! At least they're in nice condition.



The bites die off at about 5:45am which I wasn't expecting. On the offchance that something bigger had moved in I put a piece of corn on and got one of these:



2lb8oz. I thought it was going to weigh a lot more as it didn't look much smaller than the one from the Trafford ecology park. It just shows how difficult it is to guess fish weights. Carried on with the corn to no avail and went back to maggot and picking up small Roach. Casting another rod length out got me some better Roach:



Tired and getting really thirsty I packed up around 2:30 and set off for home knowing I'm going to have to pay that stupid Warburton Bridge toll on the way back. It doesn't start 'til 7am so I only have to pay on the way back. But no, some wicked person has torched the toll booth - made my day

 

[mikench]

Sounds like an eventful day Gordon! If your needs for a new trolley have to be brought forward just let me know! I have a day planned for tomorrow at the specimen lake at goose green in my continual search for tench and large ones at that ! I have a plan!

However with a forecast of sunny intervals and breezy for today I slipped out early to Dunham and was the first there! I have a problem when I can pick any peg I want as I cannot decide which! Anyway I chose a peg I hadn't tried before on the bend ! It was dull and blowing a gale! So much so that the pole guys who arrived later packed up early although one used his long pole with a method feeder and caught a few F1's!

The dark foreboding sky suggested rain and it duly arrived and I got soaked in my shorts, crocs and short sleeved shirt! I then felt cold so came home early!

What about the fish I hear you cry! Well I had 8 F1's and several of these with the biggest around 2lb ide say!!!

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[barbelboi]

I took a walk across the fields for a couple of short early season sessions on two of the local streams for a bit of chub trotting. Just the old Titan2000. Pin, bag and some reds I had a fair idea where some fish would be located as I seem to have spent more time ‘stream watching’ during the close than fishing the ponds. Fished between 10am and 2pm both sessions........

 

[Pete Shears]

At the reservoir by 5.30-ish this morning facing a strong but warm westerly breeze,out with the method feeders with plastic corn and a pink pop-up boilie on the other.Dropped both of them in a channel in the weedbeds.Several liners and odd single bleeps but no tench at home.On recasting dropped the pink boilie in very close in about 2ft of water and off it went.Thought it was a tench to start with but ended up netting a bream of 4lb 11oz which turned out to be the only bite all morning.Two carpers,or campers as I call them,on the far bank didn't seem to be pestered by anything.Just a quick look at other swims for Saturday and then home.

 

[john step]

A day facing a strong warm westerly on my syndicate reservoir. I had about 30 roach mostly this size, some perch and rudd and a bonus rare crucian about a pound. Bread/worm/expanders/paste. I have been using the B911s recently and I think they are bees knees.

OK I give up. Two of the photos are old ones and the roach today is with my blue fleece sleeve in the photo. The other two are old and mistake3s put down to eyesight. It will not let me edit the oldphotos off. DERRRRR!!!!

 

[thames mudlarker]

I took a walk across the fields for a couple of short early season sessions on two of the local streams for a bit of chub trotting. Just the old Titan2000. Pin, bag and some reds I had a fair idea where some fish would be located as I seem to have spent more time ‘stream watching’ during the close than fishing the ponds. Fished between 10am and 2pm both sessions........
View attachment 5013
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Very nice section of river you've got there, nice chub too, well done to yer :thumbs:

 

[thames mudlarker]

A day facing a strong warm westerly on my syndicate reservoir. I had about 30 roach mostly this size, some perch and rudd and a bonus rare crucian about a pound. Bread/worm/expanders/paste. I have been using the B911s recently and I think they are bees knees.

OK I give up. Two of the photos are old ones and the roach today is with my blue fleece sleeve in the photo. The other two are old and mistake3s put down to eyesight. It will not let me edit the oldphotos off. DERRRRR!!!!

Nice one John, some nice looking roach there, well done to yer :thumbs:

 

[thecrow]

Intended to fish a swim this morning that the wind normally pushes into, its one that I have never seen another angler fish, that went by the board when I got there and felt how keen the wind was so it was one that was out of the wind that I set up knowing I would be in the sun all morning.

Loose feeding only today no ground bait just to see if it made any difference, hemp, corn and meat were put in on a very little and often basis as I didn't want the fish up in the water although I suspect that some of it never reached the lake bed due to it being around 10ft deep a rod length out. I must get some of the black stuff that has been recommended to me by Steve to try to ensure it all gets down there.

The loose feeding attracted some decent Roach of around 8/10 ounces which was a change from when I used ground bait but it might just have been the swim I was in.

Had 15 Roach interspersed with 5 Tench and a couple of the Crucians that I keep getting told have disappeared since being stocked, only small but lovely little fish that should grow on.

This is the largest of the Tench which I guesstimated to be about 4 to 4 and a half.

 

[mikench]

My plans were thwarted! Arrived early and picked my swim but boy was it cold and windy! I had the wind almost to my back but I had to put on a fleece and an outer coat! To keep within the spirit of the World Cup the results were as follows;

Roach 0 Rudd 0 ; neither turned up despite a great deal of support!

Carp 0 Restof the World( coarse) 0 . Despite support and a multitude of different snacks and refreshments neither side were interested one jot! Very disappointing and deserving of red cards!

Tench 0 Bream 7. What a turn up for the books( not) and it was a game of two halves! The tench were very unsporting and couldn't even be bothered to try the refreshments! They were only 1 nil down by lunch so plenty of time for a comeback but in the second half those slimy bream came on strong! This was their centre back but they were all the same sizr( 4lb ish)

View attachment 5034

They played like Spain taking the bait bit by bit and then dropping back then moving forward then dropping back and so on! Back to you tippy tappy etc etc! The seventh was a cracker and a dead ringer for a carp such was the ferocity of the tackle er take but then it reverted to type and came meekly to the net! Goal!!!

It was fate! Those pesky tench!!!

 

[103841]

“Would you take me shopping ? “Her ladyship asked over breakfast this morning.

“Of course dear, you go shopping and I’ll go shotting”. Within a few moments I’d gathered the essentials and loaded the car, net, rod, reel, lures and a second rod if I fancied a jig too.



When we arrived in Canterbury it was music to my ears when swmbo announced she’d get the bus back as not sure how long the therapy was needed.

No rush now, a nice amble along the river which started at my regular beat and was surprised at the absence of chub, the season only a few days in with just a few lines having been cast in but enough to send them into hiding. The perch were obliging though and it wasn’t long before the tremors were transported through the braid as they attacked the lure.

Reached the weirpool which has for so long been a raging torrent with all sluice gates open but now they’ve been closed and the pool is shallow and looking a bit sorry.




Did manage couple of perch, much to the amusement of some Japanese tourists looking on.

At this point I normally double back on myself but today I carried on through the formal gardens heading upstream towards Toddlers cove at Thanington.



Found a lovely swim beneath a willow and had one perch after another, competing furiously for whatever plastic lure I offered them.



Felt like I’d walked miles, all in lovely sunshine with plenty of perch, 27 in total ranging from three to ten ounces without the need for a net and one lost pike, was hoping to spot some trout along this stretch, maybe another time.



Lovely way to spend a few hours. Not so lovely is spending an age trying to bring you this report, c’mon admin sort this site out please.

 

[mikench]

rod if I fancied a jig too.

Ooh you are awful but I like you!