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I can't wait to remove it! What's the point of a lovely warm cork handle covered in plastic!!!
New rod or Titan?
It's got a nice and even warmer duplon section for your hand
.
How did you get on?
- Thread starter peter crabtree
- Start date
It's got a nice and even warmer duplon section for your hand
.
I had a 21lb4oz snapper on my lake today. Popped up rudd( on the rod I made almost 50yrs ago Mikench)
Sorry for the awful photo taken in darkness. How you take photos when you are alone in darkness and get no flashback god only knows.
It had one of the most lovely vibrant markings I have seen.
View attachment 6059
)Sorry for the awful photo taken in darkness. How you take photos when you are alone in darkness and get no flashback god only knows.
It had one of the most lovely vibrant markings I have seen.
View attachment 6059
- Joined
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I got to the river at 2.50pm this avvey and was hobbling back at 4pm so had had an hour swimming the stream.....that's trotting not actually swimming .
As I looked over the bank to see my swim a cormorant popped up, it spotted me and immediately started flapping along the top of the water until it was airbourne and it flew off......baaaaaarstard !
As soon as I got down the banking I threw in a couple of handfuls of maggots and then I added my shot to the line and baited up the hook with 10 mixed red and white magg's. In went another hand full of maggots and I cast in. The float only traveled a few inches and it was pulled under by a small chub, at least the cormorant hadn't frightened them all away.
I carried on catching them like this for about half an hour when I hooked a better feeling fish, I think it was probably a chub of about 2lb's going off how it felt. Whilst I was playing it upstream I bent down to get a hand full of maggots to thow in and as I did this the chub seemed to go into a snag, but the snag started to pull back like a run away train and after a few seconds with me putting on a lot of pressure the hook came free....bu££er!
Obviously it was esox who had called in for a snack. After that the swim went dead, funny how a cormorant didn't bother the fish and yet esox appears and everyone runs off lol.
It took about ten minutes feeding before I had another bite and I kept all the fish I had in the next 15 or so minutes in my landing net head for a picture for the post.
The fish wouldn't keep still and three of the slimmey little sods flapped their way back into the river before I could get a snap of 'em. If you look at them you'll see they're muck up and that was because they just kept flopping about, as I threw 'em back I said "I hope esox is waiting for ya" lol.
Forgot to mention, check out a couple of the dace in the net, they're a lot bigger than you'd think, crappy picture doesn't do them justice.
.As I looked over the bank to see my swim a cormorant popped up, it spotted me and immediately started flapping along the top of the water until it was airbourne and it flew off......baaaaaarstard !
As soon as I got down the banking I threw in a couple of handfuls of maggots and then I added my shot to the line and baited up the hook with 10 mixed red and white magg's. In went another hand full of maggots and I cast in. The float only traveled a few inches and it was pulled under by a small chub, at least the cormorant hadn't frightened them all away.
I carried on catching them like this for about half an hour when I hooked a better feeling fish, I think it was probably a chub of about 2lb's going off how it felt. Whilst I was playing it upstream I bent down to get a hand full of maggots to thow in and as I did this the chub seemed to go into a snag, but the snag started to pull back like a run away train and after a few seconds with me putting on a lot of pressure the hook came free....bu££er!
Obviously it was esox who had called in for a snack. After that the swim went dead, funny how a cormorant didn't bother the fish and yet esox appears and everyone runs off lol.
It took about ten minutes feeding before I had another bite and I kept all the fish I had in the next 15 or so minutes in my landing net head for a picture for the post.
The fish wouldn't keep still and three of the slimmey little sods flapped their way back into the river before I could get a snap of 'em. If you look at them you'll see they're muck up and that was because they just kept flopping about, as I threw 'em back I said "I hope esox is waiting for ya" lol.
Forgot to mention, check out a couple of the dace in the net, they're a lot bigger than you'd think, crappy picture doesn't do them justice.
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stillwater blue
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I walked a fair way to fish a deeper section of my local river, I had some interested company along the way
I was hoping for perch so took my perch rod and lures but at the last minute threw a handful of zander sized soft baits in my bag just in case :wh. The perch fishing was very slow, after 2 hours fishing and working through the content of my lure box I'd only caught a handful of wee perch. Feeling frustrated I clipped on a zander sized bait and headed back to the car planning on fishing the likely looking swims on the way back.
The penultimate swim from the car had a shelf a couple of feet from the bank and just as the jig was about to hit the base of the shelf it was hit hard, one quick strike and incredibly unspectacular fight later I was netting a fat little zander.
A few more cast proved fruitless so I moved to the last swim. As I was working the lure back across the river I got the gentlest of takes, in fact I didn't actually feel anything I just noticed my braid moving against the flow so i reeled down and struck. After a spirited fight a little Jack was quickly netted
I was hoping for perch so took my perch rod and lures but at the last minute threw a handful of zander sized soft baits in my bag just in case :wh. The perch fishing was very slow, after 2 hours fishing and working through the content of my lure box I'd only caught a handful of wee perch. Feeling frustrated I clipped on a zander sized bait and headed back to the car planning on fishing the likely looking swims on the way back.
The penultimate swim from the car had a shelf a couple of feet from the bank and just as the jig was about to hit the base of the shelf it was hit hard, one quick strike and incredibly unspectacular fight later I was netting a fat little zander.
A few more cast proved fruitless so I moved to the last swim. As I was working the lure back across the river I got the gentlest of takes, in fact I didn't actually feel anything I just noticed my braid moving against the flow so i reeled down and struck. After a spirited fight a little Jack was quickly netted
Another Dave
Well-known member
Out walking the dog with the family yesterday, the youngest and i spotted an angler fishing at the little weir so we went over to get a closer look. Young lad, maybe 12, and he was beckoning me over, using the international sign language for 'can you take a photo for me'. Turns out he had caught a beautiful wee trout, and i approved of his method which was quivertipping worm on a light link ledger. His fish welfare was great too, resting the fish in the net while he fannyed around with his phone. Top lad.
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I knew i had a slot today to take the youngest fishing, so i started tackling up for light lure fishing, thinking we might get a jack if we tried the deeper stretches downstream. But she told me she wanted to floatfish, so we tackled up a whip and headed off for the rudd pond. Proper hard fishing, nothing for the first hour but we kept the feed going in little 'n' often and changed up baits, in the end it was pieces from the middle of a sausage roll and corn and corn skins that worked. By the end we were almost getting a bite a cast.
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I knew i had a slot today to take the youngest fishing, so i started tackling up for light lure fishing, thinking we might get a jack if we tried the deeper stretches downstream. But she told me she wanted to floatfish, so we tackled up a whip and headed off for the rudd pond. Proper hard fishing, nothing for the first hour but we kept the feed going in little 'n' often and changed up baits, in the end it was pieces from the middle of a sausage roll and corn and corn skins that worked. By the end we were almost getting a bite a cast.
Tee-Cee
Senior Member
A beautiful photograph and one for the album....(Good to see a youngster out in muck and bullets!)
Anyway, I decided to go yesterday against my better judgement as the forecast for much of the week, although mild, is very wet and windy. At 07.30 I was met with a cold morning and a strong breeze coming from the north which didn't fill me with enthusiasm, but it was a chance to test my metal once more, and more importantly come up with a method that would catch a few fish!
The swirling breeze seemed to be affecting almost every swim and presentation would be difficult, so in the end I plumbed for a swim with the wind behind me and then fish close in with sunken rod tip. I opened a tin of red maggots and during the setting up process fed 3/4 maggots and a bit of hemp every five minutes. I sat well back with only 4' of the 11' ultralight over the water and this over dying/ dead vegetation, so all was set for a few fish.
I fished over depth in around 6' of water - bait a single red on a 20 - and within 15 minutes I had two roach around 8" long and all looked promising, except to say that 45 minutes later I was still waiting for the third fish! I can only think that whilst I drew the two fish from the swim as quickly as possible, it wasn't quick enough in the gin clear water and the shoal (if it ever existed) dispersed at speed.
Over the course of the next four hours it was a case casting around the swim (I'd minimally fed other parts of the swim) going from bottom fishing to up in the water and although I caught more fish it was never more than one or two, and all on the small size. Hook size went down to a 22 and the shotting adjusted ad infinitum but bites continued to fade away as quickly as they'd started........
At one point I shallowed up to 2' and cast the waggler some three rods out over a sprinkle of reds. Twice the line between rod tip and float straightened in a flash as a good roach took on the drop, but twice the fish came off on tightening. I can only think the 22 was too small as fishing this way with a 20 or 18 is usually successful. Either way, the lost fish did it for the swim despite flogging away for another half an hour.
In hindsight I didn't have a bad morning considering the conditions so I shouldn't be too hard on myself, but losing two good fish..................
If the weather man has it slightly wrong and Wed/Thurs show mild conditions (without the heavy rain) I shall venture out again, but at this moment in time conditions in central southern England looks to be dire until Friday.
ps I did have three fish of no size on large hemp fished over standard stuff. Punched bread over minimal slop produced ziltch.
It's getting harder....
Anyway, I decided to go yesterday against my better judgement as the forecast for much of the week, although mild, is very wet and windy. At 07.30 I was met with a cold morning and a strong breeze coming from the north which didn't fill me with enthusiasm, but it was a chance to test my metal once more, and more importantly come up with a method that would catch a few fish!
The swirling breeze seemed to be affecting almost every swim and presentation would be difficult, so in the end I plumbed for a swim with the wind behind me and then fish close in with sunken rod tip. I opened a tin of red maggots and during the setting up process fed 3/4 maggots and a bit of hemp every five minutes. I sat well back with only 4' of the 11' ultralight over the water and this over dying/ dead vegetation, so all was set for a few fish.
I fished over depth in around 6' of water - bait a single red on a 20 - and within 15 minutes I had two roach around 8" long and all looked promising, except to say that 45 minutes later I was still waiting for the third fish! I can only think that whilst I drew the two fish from the swim as quickly as possible, it wasn't quick enough in the gin clear water and the shoal (if it ever existed) dispersed at speed.
Over the course of the next four hours it was a case casting around the swim (I'd minimally fed other parts of the swim) going from bottom fishing to up in the water and although I caught more fish it was never more than one or two, and all on the small size. Hook size went down to a 22 and the shotting adjusted ad infinitum but bites continued to fade away as quickly as they'd started........
At one point I shallowed up to 2' and cast the waggler some three rods out over a sprinkle of reds. Twice the line between rod tip and float straightened in a flash as a good roach took on the drop, but twice the fish came off on tightening. I can only think the 22 was too small as fishing this way with a 20 or 18 is usually successful. Either way, the lost fish did it for the swim despite flogging away for another half an hour.
In hindsight I didn't have a bad morning considering the conditions so I shouldn't be too hard on myself, but losing two good fish..................
If the weather man has it slightly wrong and Wed/Thurs show mild conditions (without the heavy rain) I shall venture out again, but at this moment in time conditions in central southern England looks to be dire until Friday.
ps I did have three fish of no size on large hemp fished over standard stuff. Punched bread over minimal slop produced ziltch.
It's getting harder....
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mikench
Well-known member
A lovely pike John! I'll be more than happy with his little brother or even his grandson!!!!
Do you fancy making another rod? Well it is nearly Christmas!!!!
Do you fancy making another rod? Well it is nearly Christmas!!!!
Jim Crosskey 2
Well-known member
d3ba18f7-c031-4871-aec8-6c65fd113b7d_zpsdyanojpz.jpg Photo by jimcrosskey2 | Photobucket
Spent a very enjoyable day yesterday on my local river Cherwell, trotting maggots for the most part for anything that would come along. I only saw one bleak all day (hurrah!) whilst a series of hand-filling (and slightly bigger) perch, chub, roach and dace came to the bank. I roved along and fished a number of pools where the deeper water tends to hold all the species mentioned. Typically, working the float through the faster water tended to produce the chub and dace; deeper slower runs contained roach; and the perch tended to inhabit the slacks and eddies on the edge.
I would have liked to connect with something just a little bigger, we should have decent fishing through to the end of the season now so a few months to really sort out the larger fish. Yesterday was all about bites and they were thick and fast pretty much everywhere I tried. The chub here was around the pound mark and will do as an example of one of the better fish of the day.
I might have had an even better day if my line hadn't kept misbehaving - something I'm going to start a separate thread on.
Spent a very enjoyable day yesterday on my local river Cherwell, trotting maggots for the most part for anything that would come along. I only saw one bleak all day (hurrah!) whilst a series of hand-filling (and slightly bigger) perch, chub, roach and dace came to the bank. I roved along and fished a number of pools where the deeper water tends to hold all the species mentioned. Typically, working the float through the faster water tended to produce the chub and dace; deeper slower runs contained roach; and the perch tended to inhabit the slacks and eddies on the edge.
I would have liked to connect with something just a little bigger, we should have decent fishing through to the end of the season now so a few months to really sort out the larger fish. Yesterday was all about bites and they were thick and fast pretty much everywhere I tried. The chub here was around the pound mark and will do as an example of one of the better fish of the day.
I might have had an even better day if my line hadn't kept misbehaving - something I'm going to start a separate thread on.
peter crabtree
AKA Simon, 1953 - 2022 (RIP)
8 codgers turned up at our chosen venue this morning to find it almost devoid of water.. someone may have left the paddles open on the lock or it’s sprung a leak?
We all drove a mile down the road to the next pound down, the same one I fished last Friday..
Conditions were perfect to start with but deteriorated around lunchtime, horribly wet for the last 3 hours.
I fished the other side of the bridge from last week, waggler and pinkie over groundbait on the far shelf. Roach were very obliging for the whole 5 hours. None bigger than 4oz but plenty of them.
I ended up with 5lb of them for 3rd overall.
Winner had a bream and bits for 6:8. 2nd 5:4.
We all drove a mile down the road to the next pound down, the same one I fished last Friday..
Conditions were perfect to start with but deteriorated around lunchtime, horribly wet for the last 3 hours.
I fished the other side of the bridge from last week, waggler and pinkie over groundbait on the far shelf. Roach were very obliging for the whole 5 hours. None bigger than 4oz but plenty of them.
I ended up with 5lb of them for 3rd overall.
Winner had a bream and bits for 6:8. 2nd 5:4.
peter crabtree
AKA Simon, 1953 - 2022 (RIP)
You'd be surprised how quickly the fish populations are restored in previously drained pounds John.
Tee-Cee
Senior Member
Yesterday was something of a red letter day.......
At 6am I looked outside and all seemed well with very mild conditions (9 degrees) and no rain. By 6.45 when I was ready to go and went to pack the car it was absolutely thrashing down, and standing by the front door I really had to ask myself if it was worth going, but go I did and some 45 minutes later I was parked up by the still water. In that time the heavy rain had ceased and developed into gentle, soaking drizzle, so I was quickly out of the car and stumbling along the bank in very quick time!
Up went the brolly to keep the gear dry(ish) but I got a little damp in trying to thread line through the the minute rings on the 11' Ultralight in the dark, gloomy conditions. Even at 8am it was still dark, taking an age to fix size 8 and 6 to the line, and it was at this time the heavens opened up again and the gentle breeze turned into something more substantial, so I doubt I made my first cast until 8.15 or so. Again I questioned my sanity....
Eventually the rain ceased and once I settled down I could see the conditions on offer were pretty much ideal for roach fishing. I started just off bottom and managed a few fish to around 8/9" before they did the usual vanishing trick. Casting around I had a few more and it was in doing this that I found I was picking up better fish some 2 rod lengths out fishing shallow but I was missing more than I was catching. Bites were vicious at times as fish took on the drop...
I needed to try something different so after a bit of thought I raked through my floats and found an old 8"porcupine quill, the intention being to flat float fish and watch the float move across the surface before striking. I set the depth at 3' with just two No 8 shot down the line and a No 3 under the float and with a pinkie on a 22 I was able to underarm cast and keep the terminal tackle in a straight line, more or less. I did have a slight breeze to contend with but is was from behind so not a major problem...
In the next three hours I had somewhere between 35 and 40 roach all over 9ozs with some at 12 and four around the 16oz mark. At the time it seemed as though I was catching a fish a cast but I know I missed many' dead cert' bites which might have meant more than 50 fish had I connected every time.
Basically, it was cast, tighten to the float with line floating and then waiting for the float to shoot away. Almost all fish I felt though the rod top before l actually lifted into the fish such was the take and almost like fly fishing in some ways. On occasion the float had barely hit the water before zipping away, yet I could see no surface activity at all and to all intense and purposes it was a fishless area.
On one strike I found myself connected to a carp which took some 15 minutes to land. By this time I was on a 20 hook and a 2lb bottom so it toured the lake before i managed to thread it into the 16" pan landing net. It weighed just under 9lbs and a beautifully conditioned common. Happily I didn't lose my float, but the ned tackle was a mess.
At around 1pm the bites gradually became snatches and this caused by much smaller fish so in a dry spell I hurriedly packed up and headed home dead chuffed with my mornings fishing.
It took time to dry all the gear, but I didn't give a jot.................
Out again Friday when conditions will enentirely different, I shouldn't wonder!
ps I really must make an effort to shorten these reports!!
At 6am I looked outside and all seemed well with very mild conditions (9 degrees) and no rain. By 6.45 when I was ready to go and went to pack the car it was absolutely thrashing down, and standing by the front door I really had to ask myself if it was worth going, but go I did and some 45 minutes later I was parked up by the still water. In that time the heavy rain had ceased and developed into gentle, soaking drizzle, so I was quickly out of the car and stumbling along the bank in very quick time!
Up went the brolly to keep the gear dry(ish) but I got a little damp in trying to thread line through the the minute rings on the 11' Ultralight in the dark, gloomy conditions. Even at 8am it was still dark, taking an age to fix size 8 and 6 to the line, and it was at this time the heavens opened up again and the gentle breeze turned into something more substantial, so I doubt I made my first cast until 8.15 or so. Again I questioned my sanity....
Eventually the rain ceased and once I settled down I could see the conditions on offer were pretty much ideal for roach fishing. I started just off bottom and managed a few fish to around 8/9" before they did the usual vanishing trick. Casting around I had a few more and it was in doing this that I found I was picking up better fish some 2 rod lengths out fishing shallow but I was missing more than I was catching. Bites were vicious at times as fish took on the drop...
I needed to try something different so after a bit of thought I raked through my floats and found an old 8"porcupine quill, the intention being to flat float fish and watch the float move across the surface before striking. I set the depth at 3' with just two No 8 shot down the line and a No 3 under the float and with a pinkie on a 22 I was able to underarm cast and keep the terminal tackle in a straight line, more or less. I did have a slight breeze to contend with but is was from behind so not a major problem...
In the next three hours I had somewhere between 35 and 40 roach all over 9ozs with some at 12 and four around the 16oz mark. At the time it seemed as though I was catching a fish a cast but I know I missed many' dead cert' bites which might have meant more than 50 fish had I connected every time.
Basically, it was cast, tighten to the float with line floating and then waiting for the float to shoot away. Almost all fish I felt though the rod top before l actually lifted into the fish such was the take and almost like fly fishing in some ways. On occasion the float had barely hit the water before zipping away, yet I could see no surface activity at all and to all intense and purposes it was a fishless area.
On one strike I found myself connected to a carp which took some 15 minutes to land. By this time I was on a 20 hook and a 2lb bottom so it toured the lake before i managed to thread it into the 16" pan landing net. It weighed just under 9lbs and a beautifully conditioned common. Happily I didn't lose my float, but the ned tackle was a mess.
At around 1pm the bites gradually became snatches and this caused by much smaller fish so in a dry spell I hurriedly packed up and headed home dead chuffed with my mornings fishing.
It took time to dry all the gear, but I didn't give a jot.................
Out again Friday when conditions will enentirely different, I shouldn't wonder!
ps I really must make an effort to shorten these reports!!
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mikench
Well-known member
Well done Tony! Your enthusiasm and stoicism were well rewarded! Tomorrow does indeed promise to be a much improved day weather wise!
peter crabtree
AKA Simon, 1953 - 2022 (RIP)
It was blowing a hooly this morning but wasn’t raining so I drove the short distance to the canal. I hoped being in the valley I may have dodged the wind but I didn’t.
Got going at 11:30 on waggler and maggot, small chublets were taking on the drop so I took a bb shot off the base of the waggler and put 2 no6’s down with the droppers.
Didn’t make a blind bit of difference!
At one point I saw the resident big perch following a chublet in and for a while my bait got to the bottom unhindered. The little buggers were soon back and I’d had enough, packed up at 2:30.
Got going at 11:30 on waggler and maggot, small chublets were taking on the drop so I took a bb shot off the base of the waggler and put 2 no6’s down with the droppers.
Didn’t make a blind bit of difference!
At one point I saw the resident big perch following a chublet in and for a while my bait got to the bottom unhindered. The little buggers were soon back and I’d had enough, packed up at 2:30.
mikench
Well-known member
An unexciting day made pleasant by a days fishing in a beautiful location and, for the most part, sunny and dry!
I tried to upload a pic but it exceeded some allowance ! Is this for a particular photo or is the allowance cumulative!!
I digress! 3 carp to 9lb and 3 bream but the highlight of the day was seeing what I believe was a male hen harrier in flight! I didn't think there were any in Cheshire but the male is so distinctive I cannot think what else it could have been!
It was just good to be out!
I tried to upload a pic but it exceeded some allowance ! Is this for a particular photo or is the allowance cumulative!!
I digress! 3 carp to 9lb and 3 bream but the highlight of the day was seeing what I believe was a male hen harrier in flight! I didn't think there were any in Cheshire but the male is so distinctive I cannot think what else it could have been!
It was just good to be out!
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peter crabtree
AKA Simon, 1953 - 2022 (RIP)
I also started getting the message re photos a while back. It is final and will not change.
I now use postimage.
I now use postimage.
mikench
Well-known member
If this works the image is of the venue today after the sun had gone!
It does ! Thanks Peter!
It does ! Thanks Peter!
The forecast was overcast and mild, 10c or so with a light wind. In fact, it was bright and cold with a gusty wind. I'd met up with a friend at the Old Lake, and we both ended up searching our cars for extra layers. of clothing. The colour of the sky tells the story
I'd been surprised, last time I came, to find I could only get a bite on maggot, so I optimistically fed hemp and caster on one line and hemp and maggot on another. I don't know what these fish have got against caster this winter, but it had to be maggot again. At least there were bites to be had if you were prepared to coax them and vary how you put the bait to them. Pleasant surprises included a gudgeon measuring a good 4 inches, and a small crucian. A few decent roach and perch were welcome. My friend on the next peg had more fish but they were generally a bit smaller, maybe because he fed only maggot.
It didn't rain, and we had a few bites, so that's not a bad result for the last day of November.
I'd been surprised, last time I came, to find I could only get a bite on maggot, so I optimistically fed hemp and caster on one line and hemp and maggot on another. I don't know what these fish have got against caster this winter, but it had to be maggot again. At least there were bites to be had if you were prepared to coax them and vary how you put the bait to them. Pleasant surprises included a gudgeon measuring a good 4 inches, and a small crucian. A few decent roach and perch were welcome. My friend on the next peg had more fish but they were generally a bit smaller, maybe because he fed only maggot.
It didn't rain, and we had a few bites, so that's not a bad result for the last day of November.