How did you get on?

[wetthrough]

Had a day on the local commercial yesterday. First thing to come out was a ca 3lb Bream, tail hooked. Heck, they don't like going backwards do they! No significant damage that I could see thankfully. A slow day generally, for everyone by all accounts. Couldn't fish where I wanted/had planned as there was a match on the 'interesting' lake. 12 fish mainly small skimmers, a couple of small Rudd, a nice Ide of about 1 1/2lb and another Bream around 3lb which put up quite a struggle for a stillwater Bream. Good to get out all the same and good weather to go with it. Took a photo but phone is telling me "Media not found", sigh...

 

[mikench]

Good to see you out and about Gordon! I hope the leg is continuing to improve!

 

[theartist]

Back on the big river and taking nearly 4hrs to get there was a new record, you can tell when the schools are back but this was soon forgotten as I saw the river looking as gorgeous as ever. The steam train thundered by like a glorious iron dragon and soon the only noise was that of the buzzard overhead and every minute of that trip was worth it, I wonder how long I can keep doing this sort of thing in my old banger what with the petrol prices increasing all the time but you got to make hay whilst the sun shines and it sure was shining bright today.

I decided to go all out for everything and anything and just run a stick through for whatever came along, I usually get tempted to go for the roach or barbel depending on the weather but today was an old skool hemp and maggot attack and all I needed to do was avoid the bleak, simple right?

Well the bleak didn’t show but everything else did with a proper mix of all the main species and keeping the chub out of the weed was a task as ever and if anything they were harder to get in than the barbel which to be fair were ‘fun sized’ with nothing much over 3lb. Perch, dace, roach and even gudgeon and a salmon parr also put in a show for variety, It was quality fishing.

Things soon went dead though and I knew what the culprit was as the roach I had on suddenly went solid and it wasn’t long before a nice looking pike was in the net once again no match for a size 18 on 3lb 7oz line, why they don’t just steam off and snap you I’ll never know but I did say I wanted to catch a mix so jinx was listening. This one wasn’t getting away and as ever the hook was in the usual spot, which happens every time. It was also the same fish I had earlier in the year in identical circumstances which I didn’t take a pic as I was on my own but as I was with the missus she took a quick snap before I returned it safely in the next swim.

The whole unhooking and photograph took less than ten seconds as it’s always handy to have someone with you, even If she did keep saying how massive it was. It’s amazing how pike capture the imagination of non anglers as she’s seen me get bigger barbel and carp. I went along with the ‘massive’ thing after all it’s not as if she ever says anything is massive when we are at home

 

[tigger]

Sounds like a nice day out Artist....good pic by you mrs .
Regarding your old banger and how long can you keep doing the trips, my old banger needs more spending on it than it's worth but having had it over 12yrs I have a bond with it.... seriously. I think I might have to have it repaired, don't know if I can face sending it to the crusher !

 

[theartist]

Sounds like a nice day out Artist....good pic by you mrs .
Regarding your old banger and how long can you keep doing the trips, my old banger needs more spending on it than it's worth but having had it over 12yrs I have a bond with it.... seriously. I think I might have to have it repaired, don't know if I can face sending it to the crusher !

Same here although a lot of my bond with the car is actually physical give the amount of glue and tape i've used on it lol. Still proud of my double sided carpet tape fix when the window came off it's runner back in the day, classic superbodge!

 

[103841]

This fishing can be so frustrating at times.

After a close encounter with a nice carp a few days back on the Canterbury Stour I decided to prebait the swim for a couple of days to encourage them to stay and feed.

Returned today in the hope someone hadn’t plotted up in the swim and sure enough it was empty. Creeping up and looking over the near side vegetation I was delighted to see a decent shoal of bream with a couple of carp amongst them, literally under the rod tip circulating in the gin clear water.

Set up quietly and dropped a free lined boilie close in to the near margin right under my tip.

I could just see the bait whilst sitting a couple of feet back and over the next hour watched carp mouth the bait only to eject it just as they did days earlier. Switched from boilie to pellet and then meat which brought an instant response from eels who emerged from the streamers within seconds of the meat hitting the bottom.

I’d been throwing in some ground bait laced with hemp, crushed boilies and micro pellets, one lump hadn’t broken up, about the size of a conker, wasn’t long before the bigger carp in the shoal moved in and hoovered it up without hesitation. Next cunning plan, mould some of the gb around a pellet and see if that would do the trick, it did within minutes but again the fish spat it out.mg:

Even some advice from a previous Drennan champion standing on the opposite bank didn’t help.

Needless to say I shall return, try some paste next time.

 

[O.C.F.Disorder]

Yes it is but all the clubs waters are barbless only. What it does show is that even when using barbless (if they do I have never seen the bailiff check) some are cack handed, my thoughts are that not all are adhering to the barbless rule.

No matter what hook you use they are gonna end up with bad mouths when caught so often. You catch about 10 tench every time you after them.. Im sure everyone else is the same.

 

[fishplate42]

This fishing can be so frustrating at times...

...Needless to say I shall return, try some paste next time.

That's all part of the fun. I spent ages watching and pre-baiting our little river before I managed to catch those chub. The strange thing was, onec I caught one, a week or so later I caught another one.

Have you tried a smaller bait? A single maggot on a small hook after feeding a few free ones is how I eventually caught the chub. One on a short pole and then again using my small telescopic rod, casting across the river to the far bank. The strange thing was, after several visits just feeding the fish, they were not spooked by us. Even after catching one and putting it back, they were still returning to mop up free maggots. Prior to that, just being there was enough to spook them.

Strange things fish, they all seem to be different and even have personalities. Feeding them seems to train them, at least it does in our little river.

Sound like good fun to me

Keep going, when you crack it, it is the greatest feeling in the world - daft isn't it? Non fishing people just don't understand, and I can't explain why, it just is.

Ralph.

 

[O.C.F.Disorder]

Have you tried a smaller bait? A single maggot on a small hook after feeding a few free ones is how I eventually caught the chub.

That is sound advice.

 

[103841]

Thanks Ralph, I need to be very selective with the bait options, there are literally dozens of fish in the swim from minnows to large bream with just about every blooming species in between, very oddly though no chub in this area! So attempting to precisely target the carp is proving difficult . The eels are a real p in the a.

Infact during the previous visit they were spitting out maggots and worms too. Maybe the fact that they aren’t caught often (or at all) makes the even warier than their commercial greedy pig counterparts.

Frustrating but as you say, fun too, if it wasn’t I wouldn’t be returning for another attempt on Saturday.

 

[john step]

Thanks Ralph, I need to be very selective with the bait options, there are literally dozens of fish in the swim from minnows to large bream with just about every blooming species in between, very oddly though no chub in this area! So attempting to precisely target the carp is proving difficult . The eels are a real p in the a.

Infact during the previous visit they were spitting out maggots and worms too. Maybe the fact that they aren’t caught often (or at all) makes the even warier than their commercial greedy pig counterparts.

Frustrating but as you say, fun too, if it wasn’t I wouldn’t be returning for another attempt on Saturday.

I have watched carp in a shallow river spit bait out quicker than the blink of an eye like yours do. Its why carpers do the hair rig and bolt thing to catch the mouth on the ejection route of the bait.

 

[john step]

Plan A today was to start the BIG PERCH CHALLENGE off. I got to the water to find it 3 feet down and not wanting to sit 5 feet above the water I retreated to return when water levels are better. Far too dangerous.

Plan b. Luckily I had some bread in the car so I saved the day by visiting a nearby club easy water and caned the carp. There is nothing big in there so 16 fish to 8lb or so put a bend in my Avon type rod. Bread fished over slop on the centre pin.

Nice overcast day which finished up in an absolute downpour. I really appreciate having a dry garage to dry everything off.

 

[thecrow]

No matter what hook you use they are gonna end up with bad mouths when caught so often. You catch about 10 tench every time you after them.. Im sure everyone else is the same.

Then you would be very wrong about everyone catching lots of Tench, these fish are not that easy and are not caught "so often" as you would have others believe, it has taken me a while to sort out a method that will catch me fish on a regular basis, I don't share it with others on there in fact the all the gear no idea mob look on me as a bit of an eccentric with my small amount of tackle and moving about on my mobility scooter.

A thought has just struck me that your comment ......"You catch about 10 tench every time you after them" could easily be misconstrued to be a snide way of calling my catches into question. Let me tell you that I NEVER exaggerate my catches and if that phrase was intended to mean that I take great exception to it.

I am just amazed that you can put forward such rubbish when you don't know the water, you don't know how often Tench are caught and you don't know the anglers on there.

 

[binka]

I awoke mired in my current and prolonged state of apathy this morning and it took me until eleven o'clock to finally decide to get out and give it a go on the river.

I had looked at it earlier in the week but faced with gin clear water and very low at that I decided not to bother but I couldn't have a week off work without a visit.

The conditions were no different today and so I planned to fish three or maybe four swims throughout the afternoon until dusk, freelining for Barbel or whatever else came along but I never got further than the first swim.

I'd just moulded a piece of Sainsbury's mild cheddar (perfect for the job, rubbery until kneaded when it goes like a soft putty and very oily to the touch) onto a size 6 Korda wide gape and underhanded it in to a likely looking spot before sitting down, taking out a box of Cherry Bakewells from my bag and sliding the tray out of the box.

As I studied them, trying to spot a likely looking place to start in the form of a slightly bigger cherry or a thicker looking layer of icing, I noticed the Avon tip go doink... doink... Wallop!

The 'pin was screetching out and I shot to my feet which sent Cherry Bakewells everywhere but the first fish was on and a few minutes later a nice Barbel was safely in the net.

I gathered up the Bakewells but only to find there were only five and one was missing!

I suspected a reclusive rodent but I hadn't spotted anything and despite an extensive search the sixth Bakewell had vanished without trace, which in turn prompted me to scoff the other five before they went awol too.

It was pretty constant action throughout the afternoon including a period of about a couple of hours of heavy rain which, I had spotted in the forecast and had packed the waterproofs accordingly in lieu of the brolly, and I took the best fish of the day during this period which I think would have just about made 10lb... Still in its Summer bronze but beginning to display a deep Autumn chest.

No picture of that one I'm afraid as iphones and heavy rain/wet hands aren't a good combination.

I called it a day at dusk and I'd landed eleven Barbel averaging 7lbs - 8lbs and not fed a morsel so I was quite pleased with that considering it was my first go at them in two months.

I'd also had the hook 'pop' out of the bait on the pick up without hooking up on around four occasions but it's a snaggy swim and you just have to accept it as any exposed hook, such as on a hair rig, is unlikely to be seen again.

Here's a couple of fish from a drier part of the afternoon...





I'd almost forgotten how much fun it was trying to brake a soaking wet 'pin rim when you've got a decent fish on and on the last but one put in I lost a proper lump and a half which seared off across the river, getting it all the way back only for the hook to pull when I was having to really lean in to it under the rod tip.

When I reached my car I went to change back into my shoes and as I removed my left wellie I could see something on the underside of the boot in the small gap where the heel starts and the mystery was solved...

There, stuck by the icing in almost superglue like fashion, was the missing Cherry Bakewell!

And yes...

I did briefly consider it.

And no...

I didn't! :w

 

[O.C.F.Disorder]

Then you would be very wrong about everyone catching lots of Tench, these fish are not that easy and are not caught "so often" as you would have others believe, it has taken me a while to sort out a method that will catch me fish on a regular basis, I don't share it with others on there in fact the all the gear no idea mob look on me as a bit of an eccentric with my small amount of tackle and moving about on my mobility scooter.

A thought has just struck me that your comment ......"You catch about 10 tench every time you after them" could easily be misconstrued to be a snide way of calling my catches into question. Let me tell you that I NEVER exaggerate my catches and if that phrase was intended to mean that I take great exception to it.

I am just amazed that you can put forward such rubbish when you don't know the water, you don't know how often Tench are caught and you don't know the anglers on there.

I in no way meant to refute your ability as an angler or your word. In fact I have enjoyed your hdygo posts very much (as im sure you are aware?) It was not an attack on you.. I was just touching on the old barb less VS barbed debate.

As for assuming everyone catches loads of tench from your venue, my bad. Assumption is the mother of all mistakes.:sorry:

 

[thecrow]

I was just touching on the old barb less VS barbed debate.

This thread is not the place for that imo this thread is being used far to often for things that should be elsewhere :focus:

 

[108831]

Arrived late after having to visit a tackle shop for maggots and a replacement rod rest,one car there,I walked up and when I reached the swim a guy was standing there with his gear still not set up,having a chat with him he said he was of a good mind to go as the river was so weedy,I slowly meandered upstream looking back to see him go,I went back and fed a fair few handfuls of hemp and regular doses of maggot,after an hour I stopped feeding and crept to a vantage point and watched,nothing.......after half an hour a few small chub came out,after an hour I saw a barbel right under the far bank,not to be seen again for another hour,I went upstream and fed another swim with hemp and lowered a feeder full of maggot,a gudgeon bite a cast followed which resulted in me packing and walking back to the original swim,I fed ten 10mms boilies into the swim and watched to see the results,well,after three quarters of an hour four chub and a barbel were spookily venturing onto the gravel,,a little longer two barbel were at the tail end of the gravel so I got my rod out of the holdall and placed it three quarters of the way down the run and waited,then all hell broke loose a canoe hurtled through spooking all the fish,I say there hoping they'd return when he came back,ffs,off home I went after another hour and a half with no fish caring to come out.

Just to give a conclusion to the above I turned up yesterday morning into the swim,cast a small pva bag with six whole 10-12mm boilies,two half baits and a single on the hair,twenty minutes later a 9-14 barbel lay in the net,so with swim spooked I left the other two lumps to recover for a later session and went to another venue and blanked...which I'm quite proficient at.

 

[no-one in particular]

Thanks Ralph, I need to be very selective with the bait options, there are literally dozens of fish in the swim from minnows to large bream with just about every blooming species in between, very oddly though no chub in this area! So attempting to precisely target the carp is proving difficult . The eels are a real p in the a.

Infact during the previous visit they were spitting out maggots and worms too. Maybe the fact that they aren’t caught often (or at all) makes the even warier than their commercial greedy pig counterparts.

Frustrating but as you say, fun too, if it wasn’t I wouldn’t be returning for another attempt on Saturday.

I have a problem with eels, anything meaty or fishy and they are on it ,which pretty much restricts me to bread and sweetcorn. They will take these very occasionally but a lot less than say luncheon meat, maggots etc.

 

[no-one in particular]

A few hours on a incoming tide, float fishing a couple of sand eels by this groyne in a perfect sea for such fishing, not a bite and later an hour on the jetty and not a bite there either. I did see one fish turn and flash in the shallow water, maybe a small bass or mullet but that was it. The feather guys had no mackerel either which I thought would be around in this sea
I got snagged and lost my float which you can just see in the picture which was my favorite float.
Apologies for another me sea fishing and no fish post which must be boring and its not hard to understand why people give up sea fishing but I still love it; rather be there and no fish than stuck at home on a lovely day.

 

[peter crabtree]

I also went out yesterday in search of a big perch, I know a lad has had some whoppers from this venue on dropshots down the edge.
Likewise I fished worm down the edge on my worm pole rig attached to rod and line.

Every time the float buried I imagined lifting into a giant perch but it didn't happen.. Loads of perch, gudgeon and ruff took my worms, there were a couple of false alarms too, which turned out to be skimmers...