How did you get on?

[Tee-Cee]

Not an easy day with wind, seemingly, coming from every direction when I arrived at 07.30. I spent some time looking at various swims, trying to gauge where my float would have the most cover, but the gusts that swept the water meant it would be hard work wherever I sat.
I decided some sort of bodied float with sunken line would be the best choice but on checking my box the only one suitable was an old Drennan Mini 2AA+ Mini Driftbeater. The next size up would've been better, but as I was fishing close in it didn't matter too much.I shotted it down to the sight bob and after a lot of messing around I managed to get the bottom shot just laying on the bottom, which, I hoped, would give me a lift bite if the fish took the bait.

Of the four roach I landed, two gave the expected 1" lift and two took the float away without any form of indication, although the mini waves running across the lake probably hid any form dip or tell tale ring around the float. I missed countless bites due to the aimless wind affecting the strike ( that's my excuse anyway ! ). I think the set up was pretty good and certainly sensitive enough as I also caught two very small perch with the float just sinking from sight......

I don't use this type of float too often and maybe I should. as ( with the correct shotting ) it is a very nice one to use when any form of wind, or indeed drift/tow, is affecting the water. Obviously it helps a lot if you take a selection of said floats with you !!

Bait was red maggot on an 18......Caster? Not a touch !

Five hours was quite enough, thank you very much..................................


ps As for size....Well, it's my opinion that size doesn't always matter................................................................................

 

[sam vimes]

The river has been well up and the wind howling for a while now. My usual weekly two pints of maggots has lasted so long that they were turning rather too well in the fridge. Watched the weather and the river levels and, as of last night things looked as good as they were going to get. There was due to be a slight lull in the wind this afternoon and the river levels had been dropping steadily.

Unfortunately, on checking the EA site this morning, there was yet another spike starting. I decided to go anyway, partly because I had an errand to run and partly because I needed to get rid of the old maggots and get some fresh.

I was hoping that the rising level wouldn't amount to much. Sadly, it did. I arrived to find the river far higher than I'd expect to be able to find any fish. I still gave it a go, though I was proved right. Plenty of leaves and twigs to make the float go under, but not a solitary sign of a fish in the three swims I tried.

If the wind and rain doesn't let up soon, I may have to resort to a stillwater or, God forbid, legering! The only real beneficiary of todays trip was the friendly swim robin that really appreciated to old maggots/casters.

 

[binka]

Oh dear mg:

Oh dear, Oh dear, Oh dear mg:

I was so looking forward to this and it all went horribly wrong very quickly this morning.

Arrived on the bank around seven and the temperature was a balmy fourteen degrees which is an incredible nineteen degree swing from the minus five of last Sunday at the same time, amazing really for six days difference in early January.

I managed to get the brolly set up and to its credit it’s weathered some good storms over the last couple of years but there was no way it could withstand what was to come… Solid power spike driven eighteen inches into the ground, two pegged points to the rear, two storm poles to the front and two guy ropes to the ribs, one either side.

Everything was fine and dandy for the first half an hour and the brolly stood up well to what seemed like a good pounding but it was nothing compared to the peak of the wind around eight o’clock and by the time it had travelled across the fields opposite and the wides of the river I reckon it can’t have been far off of 100mph as it was knocking me back when I stood up and then the inevitable sound of spokes pinging from underneath the brolly and a bent storm pole to the front signalled a very final end to a faithful old companion!

It was a gonner for sure and if the temperatures hadn’t been balmy enough already it then plummeted eight degrees in the following two hours

Without the brolly for a wind barrier that six degrees felt a damn site colder at the rate it was hitting me and feeling that I wasn’t really fishing effectively either I decided to call it a day, come home and have a good sulk!

With hindsight I only really made one mistake all morning…

Getting out of bed!

Ah well, can’t mope around…. I’ve got a new brolly to source










































Ps... Blanked!

 

[stu_the_blank]

After another break as a result of Christmas, Daughter in Law's 30th (Party over New Years Eve) my daughter getting married last week and looking after her dog while she honeymoon's (not to mention work being manic!) have arranged to get out piking next weekend and am booked in on the Test on 26th! Will have a bash at my first 2lb river roach.

Really looking forward to both trips. The Piking will be a bit of a winter social but the Test should be serious.

Fingers crossed with the weather having read Binka's tale of woe!

Stu

 

[peter crabtree]

View image in gallery​

Club match today on the GUC near Tring. Frosty start but brightened up later.
Being in a deep cutting the wind didn't affect us at all. Fished pole and punch hard across for 13oz of small roach in 6 long hours....
Enjoyed it as ever.
Winner 6lb+.
2nd and 3rd 5lb+...
11 fished.

 

[sam vimes]

A quick couple of hours on a slightly high river in a howling gale produced a single grayling. More than I was expecting, so it wasn't so bad.

 

[jimlad]

After last nights low temps, I was unsure whether to fish or not today but had a feeling the water would be a degree or two up due to the fair few feet of water in. It wasn't easy fishing, wind was heavy still, and it was a case of roving about searching out the slacks. I had barbel on the mind (as I've said before, this year I'm really targeting barbel, carp and tench as I haven't given them enough time previously).

After four or five swims, spending half an hour in each one, the rod hooped over and I played what was obviously a barbel, it just hung determined in the current and was dictating where it was going. Eventually over the net, I was a happy man with a pb and January caught barbel of 9lb 4oz.

First fish of 2015....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[lambert1]

Had an afternoon session yesterday and it was a case of I fought the wind and the wind won! Still great to be out and had the river to myself until early evening when a few others braved the weather. I had bites, but nothing I could lift into and I suspect that Ronnie and Reggie were the culprits as the hook came back clean each time. The river was higher, but certainly fishable, but the wind was something else, even in the soft south:wh

 

[S-Kippy]

Bury Hill after the zander on Friday and nearly got blown away. A few Carpers unsportingly spread about meant I couldn't get any where near my favoured areas so ended up heads on into the hooligan in an area with little form that I've never really done any good from......and still haven't! Zander first chuck was promising but they had their silly heads on and from maybe 8-9 pickups I managed one one more fish with one other zed lost and a chuffin bream on a chunk of mackerel. Still....the tailwind knocked 10 mins off the journey home.

Couple of hours dropshotting down the cut this afternoon resulted in precisely no takes ,freezin cold hands and a rather unpleasant boot after stepping in some ginger mud. Dirty *******s !

 

[nicepix]

I envy you all who managed to get out this weekend. I was with you in spirit if not in body.

 

[The Runner]

Club match on Slough Arm at Langley. Drew two up from the marina so a nice long walk but fancied my chances as this is more often than not the better end and a midweek knock up had seen a couple of double figure weights in the area with roach to over a pound. Not today...
Started at 5m on punch but after 20 minutes had only had half a dozen tiny roach while Don and Richard either side of me had the same number of fish but all netters (or "match-netters" anyway). Refed a bit and went further over on pinkie over groundbait but this died rapidly after a quick flurry of ounce fish and came back on the punch line where if anything the roach had got smaller. Total of 20 fish after an hour and a half at which point things died completely (as they did for Richard on end peg) Started to get a few little perch by dragging bits of worm around close in in the last hour but never going anywhere with that and ended up with 33 fish for 1-14. 2-9 on the end peg and Don on my left got third with 4-6, only a couple more fish than me but much better quality.
5-14 won it from the other end peg back towards the gate with 4-12 second, 4-6 and 3-12 making up the frame and a couple more 3s after that
Can't get my head round this bit of canal this year, not doing well at all.
Definitely think was a bit over defensive with the punch, as those that caught well on it all fed quite heavily from the off. At least I didnt waste money on blood and joker- a few people had it with them today but for some reason they barely even caught on it.

 

[peter crabtree]

Definitely think was a bit over defensive with the punch, as those that caught well on it all fed quite heavily from the off.

Yep! I have always been "defensive" when feeding liquy at this time of year.
However Goaty Dave was piling it in and came 4th...

 

[S-Kippy]

I envy you all who managed to get out this weekend. I was with you in spirit if not in body.

I envy those that didn't bother and as a consequence will not be scraping tom tit out of the cleats of their boots ! Its hard enough as it is without having to keep a wary eye out for random towpath richards !

 

[The Runner]

Yep! I have always been "defensive" when feeding liquy at this time of year.
However Goaty Dave was piling it in and came 4th...

Same as.... Don Wilkinson got through a loaf and a halfs worth of likki today and often feeds more. Must be a Watford thing....

 

[nicepix]

I envy those that didn't bother and as a consequence will not be scraping tom tit out of the cleats of their boots ! Its hard enough as it is without having to keep a wary eye out for random towpath richards !

I find that a walk through long grass cleans boots as good as anything.

Anyway, I missed the last window of opportunity but Thursday is forecast to be much the same. And so if I don't buy either of the two vans I'll be looking at on Wednesday I shall be braving the wind, rain and any ginger dirt encountered. If I do manage to buy a van then I'll be braving the insurance agents and arranging collection. This retirement thing isn't what I expected it to be.

 

[Tee-Cee]

The weather forecast told me todays session might be quite short , but it didn't seem likely at 8am as the sky cleared and the sun broke over the trees. The significant rain yesterday, which was still falling at 11pm, did little for my confidence as it seemed to give the lake that 'hard' look, but it was mild and with the weak sunshine it seemed a nice day just to be out.
The tactics, much the same as previous posts, only required a lighter float as I would be fishing very close in and it only needed 'dropping' into position rather than making any form of underarm cast. I fished red maggot 6" or so over depth and loose fed a dozen maggots on the first cast.
I always hold the rod from the off anyway ( having arranged my gear around me with everything to hand ) but particularly on this water, as invariably the float will often slide away immediately. Today was no exception and within minutes a very nice roach ( weighing 1lb 1oz ) slide into the net. I could easily have started to dream of 'red letter days' but this was soon shattered as the next few fish barely reached the 8oz mark. I then hooked something different as everything went solid on the strike so I knew it wasn't a roach (fat chance !) but within seconds the line went slack....
Several more better roach followed before another strike again met with solid resistance but this time I managed put the net under a perch of 1lb 4ozs and this closely followed by another of around the 1lb mark. Not big by most standards but on light tackle and a fine wire 18 hook it was lovely fishing.

The day was now very pleasant and with some sun on the water I decided to give hemp a try. First cast and a 12oz roach, only to be followed by an hour without a touch !
Back on maggot and the perch came quickly but nothing over 12ozs.

Come midday and a pal fishing along from me pointed out that the distant sky was starting to look extremely dark. Not 20 minutes later and another look skyward showed something that looked more like a scene from the movie ' The Day after Tomorrow ' ....a black, black ridge of cloud with clear white below it.........

I'm pleased to say the well practiced 'speedy pack up' went into overdrive and within 10 minutes the gear was being loaded into the car, and not before time as the heavens opened. Very heavy rain turned into hailstones and this followed me home where I sat in the car for 15 minutes waiting for a reduction in downpour......

All in all a lovely day and I was well pleased with my catch...

I wish I could say I will be out tomorrow, or even Wednesday, but the forecast doesn't sound too promising with some white stuff promised over the Chilterns.

We shall see..........................

 

[flightliner]

Bored ----less in the house as on my own so on a whim pact some lite lure gear into the carboot and made my way to a local res for the last two hours of daylight.
A few casts in and I had to pull for a break causing me to lose a well liked fox micro runt lure.
B----r B----r B----r!
A change to a four inch rubber shad produced a take almost immediately that turned up my smallest pike
for a couple of years.
No sign of rain up here- Tee Cee must have killed a robin!!

 

[mike47]

Fished yesterday in beautiful sunshine (much like today) on my local lake. The float fishing was excellent sport as I used maggot fished right up against the lily pads. Caught my first carp of the year (a small common 1lb approx) and some healthy looking roach and hybrids around the 1/2lb mark. The feeder was untouched all session, but it has been like that for a while now. Thank goodness for the silvers. Was visited by my little friendly robin as usual who enjoyed a free meal of maggots from my unhooking mat. Isn't nature marvelous!

 

[neil1970]

Fished a backwater today. 9am-3pm.

I put a sleeper rod with a variety of baits out upstream for most of the day, which allowed me to concentrate on the stick float.

Two tiny roach were the result on the float.
First fish of the year, and a nice day out.

 

[flightliner]

Decided to have a walk around my local commie late this afternoon, god it was nithering 4°c is pretty borderline even more so with the wind in your face.
As espected my well respected local angler/ nieghbour was there fishing the whip in the near margins taking some nice stamp roach .
We chatted for a little while then standing up said I could have ten minutes with his gear while he had a cup of coffee and a furtive relief giving unowhat pee behind a bush.
Settling down to the task I began to take fish and was really enjoying myself.
Coffee finnished I offered my nieghbour his gear back but the cold had got to him and he said to carry on for a bit longer.
An hour later I had taken more fish than was decant-- all small roach with maybe three exceptions but not being kitted out with thick warm gear the chill got to me so ended it.
A really nice hour or so, enjoyable to say the least.
Back home I reflected on my mini session and decided that I,ve found the way to go--- no gear, no cost, no tickets, little or no travel expenses --- just rock up and fish. Ahem!
ps- I will return the favour--- honest :wh