How did you get on?
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Pete Shears
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Freezing fog blanketing the river Wreake this morning,with all the winter gear on and a walk across the fields-not cold at all.My usual starting swim was out as there was a massive raft of dead reeds swirling round and round in the big pool and as the level was even higher than my last visit ,it made the next pool downstream more attractive.Disturbed two white egrets clambering over the fence,settled down legering crust and manage eight chub between 8oz & 1lb.Watched a sparrowhawk sweep along the hedge line,over the river then go for about 100 yards just a foot or so above the grass,obviously in hunting mode, to the next hedge.Left about 11am to get home to wrap presents - ho ho ho !
lakhyaman
Well-known member
Had a couple of hours on my lake fishing the swim below the Jamun tree.
I fished a few feet out from the bank with a homemade straight peacock waggler in two feet of water.
The result was a beautiful Rohu of just under 10 lbs (4.5 kg) and a Mrigal of just over 4 lbs. (2 kg).
Rohu 4.5 kg
Mrigal 2 kg
The rod was a Drennan Acolyte Plus 13ft, equipped with a fly reel loaded with 15 lb mono (0.26 mm dia) with a great blob of bread paste on a size 2 hook ( a rope and a gaff did you say?)!
Yes, I know it's all wrong but I use the thicker line for greater abrasion resistance with a light drag. The Rohu whistled across to the opposite bank when I had to really put the brakes on to prevent it from getting into a tangle of submerged roots. The Acolyte Plus held its own, with a little help from the stretch in the line, and turned the fish. I have often used it thus, as I have my Ultra 13 footer, and I am glad to say both rods remain intact after 3 years of regular misuse.
Was provided with a little light avian comedy when a Shikra hawk (Accipiter badius) stooped on a Pond Heron (Ardeola grayii) flying ten feet above the water. The heron survived with a swerve and a squawk whereupon the hawk went and sat on a branch of a dead tree on the opposite bank. The giddy heron then flew back and sat on a branch, not three feet away, on the same tree, and glared at the hawk until the offender was forced to change station!
A very happy Christmas and New Year to all.
All the best
Lakhyaman
I fished a few feet out from the bank with a homemade straight peacock waggler in two feet of water.
The result was a beautiful Rohu of just under 10 lbs (4.5 kg) and a Mrigal of just over 4 lbs. (2 kg).
Rohu 4.5 kg
Mrigal 2 kg
The rod was a Drennan Acolyte Plus 13ft, equipped with a fly reel loaded with 15 lb mono (0.26 mm dia) with a great blob of bread paste on a size 2 hook ( a rope and a gaff did you say?)!
Yes, I know it's all wrong but I use the thicker line for greater abrasion resistance with a light drag. The Rohu whistled across to the opposite bank when I had to really put the brakes on to prevent it from getting into a tangle of submerged roots. The Acolyte Plus held its own, with a little help from the stretch in the line, and turned the fish. I have often used it thus, as I have my Ultra 13 footer, and I am glad to say both rods remain intact after 3 years of regular misuse.
Was provided with a little light avian comedy when a Shikra hawk (Accipiter badius) stooped on a Pond Heron (Ardeola grayii) flying ten feet above the water. The heron survived with a swerve and a squawk whereupon the hawk went and sat on a branch of a dead tree on the opposite bank. The giddy heron then flew back and sat on a branch, not three feet away, on the same tree, and glared at the hawk until the offender was forced to change station!
A very happy Christmas and New Year to all.
All the best
Lakhyaman
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maggot_dangler
Well-known member
Merry Christmas all .
Well headed out for my normal Christmas morning fishing at the club pool checklist completed all present and correct yea right .
Drove the 8 miles to the pool boots on pick everything up cross the road keys ... ?? Ah C**p wrong set of keys you total munpty now i know the padlock on the club gates and it is quite a good one althou it is old now so being a locksmith i know it was not worth trying to pick it not going to work so pack everything back into then car where shall i go tried several locations on the canals between the pool and home almost nothing doing total for the day 3 small perch 1 roach .. hacked orft or what ..
so back home to cook my christmas dinner Big pigs in blankets backed potatoes Baked beans cheese and butter bostin ..
PG ...
Well headed out for my normal Christmas morning fishing at the club pool checklist completed all present and correct yea right .
Drove the 8 miles to the pool boots on pick everything up cross the road keys ... ?? Ah C**p wrong set of keys you total munpty now i know the padlock on the club gates and it is quite a good one althou it is old now so being a locksmith i know it was not worth trying to pick it not going to work so pack everything back into then car where shall i go tried several locations on the canals between the pool and home almost nothing doing total for the day 3 small perch 1 roach .. hacked orft or what ..
so back home to cook my christmas dinner Big pigs in blankets backed potatoes Baked beans cheese and butter bostin ..
PG ...
mikench
Well-known member
MerryChristmas Pete!
Going to the same place for the third time in a week sounds a bit unimaginative, but the mild weather and high water levels continue, and it would be a shame to waste the chance. The last time I fished there, I met up with Binka before Christmas last, and I don't think the river has been so high since. You might think I actually stayed in and watched the football, as the photos look much the same, but if you look closely you can see the level is down about 15" from my last post
Last visit I fluked a few nice perch which just turned up with the roach. Today, I decided to spend part of the session fishing for them specifically, and alongside the usual slider I set up a pole to fish worm. I might as well not have bothered - to my surprise, dollops of chopped worm in soil excited only lukewarm interest, and the whole business just cluttered up the peg and gave me more chores. Apart from the odd match - about 2 per year - I'm far too lazy as a rule to set up more than one rod or pole. I tried the chopped worm several times, and fed it in two places, in case I'd gone for the one spot perch never visit, but it didn't work.
Fortunately, the roach weren't turning up their noses at the groundbait and casters, and the stamp of fish was a bit bigger than last time I came
I've enjoyed going back to an old haunt, and I like fishing surrounded by boats - moored boats, that is. If I could freeze-frame the fleets of barges on the local T+M, I'd fish there too more often. Another ideal December afternoon - plenty of bites and not even cold hands.
Last visit I fluked a few nice perch which just turned up with the roach. Today, I decided to spend part of the session fishing for them specifically, and alongside the usual slider I set up a pole to fish worm. I might as well not have bothered - to my surprise, dollops of chopped worm in soil excited only lukewarm interest, and the whole business just cluttered up the peg and gave me more chores. Apart from the odd match - about 2 per year - I'm far too lazy as a rule to set up more than one rod or pole. I tried the chopped worm several times, and fed it in two places, in case I'd gone for the one spot perch never visit, but it didn't work.
Fortunately, the roach weren't turning up their noses at the groundbait and casters, and the stamp of fish was a bit bigger than last time I came
I've enjoyed going back to an old haunt, and I like fishing surrounded by boats - moored boats, that is. If I could freeze-frame the fleets of barges on the local T+M, I'd fish there too more often. Another ideal December afternoon - plenty of bites and not even cold hands.
mikench
Well-known member
Another net teeming with fish Kev ; I guess you had a great Boxing Day!
Another net teeming with fish Kev ; I guess you had a great Boxing Day!
It's not over yet, Mike! Football on tv and someone else cooking dinner. Have a good one yourself.
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I decided to try walking/hobbling a few hundred yards today in an attempt to get the blood flowing round my achiles tendon so thought i'd kill two birds with one stone "so to speak" and do a little trotting also .
I arrived at the river at 2.30 and had about 200yds to get to a spot I wanted to try. As soon as I got there, low and behold a effin cormorant took off!
I really wished I had a shotgun with my as I pretended to shoot it.
Anyhow, I proceeded to throw in a good few handfulls of maggots and caster some being about 8wks old and only as big as midge larve they'd shrunken so much lol. I shotted my already made up rod up with one dropper shot, a bb about 6inches from my hoook and four bb's grouped together about 10 inches above it. First cast and my friggin line caught on the reel foot and cracked of....kineeeeeel! I stood for a moment contemplateing on just going home. I took a deep breath and tied my lines back together (luckily i'd caught hold of my line before the float trundled off trailing it behind it).
I pulled my line back off the reel until the knot was in my hand and I tackled up again. As I tackled up I threw in a few handfulls of maggots every now and then. I made sure this cast worked as planned and as my float trundled off downstream I fully expected it being pulled under by a chub. My expectations didn't materialise and after 20 min's of nothing I decided to hobble off another couple of hundered yards upstream to another of my secret spots :crutch:.
After a spell of trotting in this swim and telling myself "you never know what's gonn'a take it at any moment, it might even be a barbel" I hooked and landed one small chub. At least i'd caught summot lol. I only had another couple of trotts through but I'd had enough already and decided to hobble back to the car :crutch:.
As I was passing my first swim I thought sod i'll have 5 more min's trotting while i'm here. The swim was about 4ft deep so I fished about 7ft and dragged bottom as I held my float back to prevent it going in front of my bait.
After my 5 min's were about up my float dipped under about 50yds downstream on a bend. The fish pulled back extrmely hard for a chub and I thought it had got into the bank round the corner so held my arm up high and struggled along the very steep slippy bank carrying my landing net under one arm and trying to wind in as I moved along in order to keep the line taut. Anyhow, as I go closer to the fish it was pulling back and in the centre of the river. I knew then it wasn't a chub, it had to be my favourite fish :rockon:. The fish put up a fantastic fight and eventually the accolyte and sensor tamed it down enough to net. I gave it several min's in the net head and rested my leg before clambering up a steep bank to take a pic of it on the field above.
That was it, i'd had my buzz and it was a nice crimbo prezzie n'all and off I hobbled back to the car :crutch:
.I arrived at the river at 2.30 and had about 200yds to get to a spot I wanted to try. As soon as I got there, low and behold a effin cormorant took off!
I really wished I had a shotgun with my as I pretended to shoot it.
Anyhow, I proceeded to throw in a good few handfulls of maggots and caster some being about 8wks old and only as big as midge larve they'd shrunken so much lol. I shotted my already made up rod up with one dropper shot, a bb about 6inches from my hoook and four bb's grouped together about 10 inches above it. First cast and my friggin line caught on the reel foot and cracked of....kineeeeeel! I stood for a moment contemplateing on just going home. I took a deep breath and tied my lines back together (luckily i'd caught hold of my line before the float trundled off trailing it behind it).
I pulled my line back off the reel until the knot was in my hand and I tackled up again. As I tackled up I threw in a few handfulls of maggots every now and then. I made sure this cast worked as planned and as my float trundled off downstream I fully expected it being pulled under by a chub. My expectations didn't materialise and after 20 min's of nothing I decided to hobble off another couple of hundered yards upstream to another of my secret spots :crutch:.
After a spell of trotting in this swim and telling myself "you never know what's gonn'a take it at any moment, it might even be a barbel" I hooked and landed one small chub. At least i'd caught summot lol. I only had another couple of trotts through but I'd had enough already and decided to hobble back to the car :crutch:.
As I was passing my first swim I thought sod i'll have 5 more min's trotting while i'm here. The swim was about 4ft deep so I fished about 7ft and dragged bottom as I held my float back to prevent it going in front of my bait.
After my 5 min's were about up my float dipped under about 50yds downstream on a bend. The fish pulled back extrmely hard for a chub and I thought it had got into the bank round the corner so held my arm up high and struggled along the very steep slippy bank carrying my landing net under one arm and trying to wind in as I moved along in order to keep the line taut. Anyhow, as I go closer to the fish it was pulling back and in the centre of the river. I knew then it wasn't a chub, it had to be my favourite fish :rockon:. The fish put up a fantastic fight and eventually the accolyte and sensor
tamed it down enough to net. I gave it several min's in the net head and rested my leg before clambering up a steep bank to take a pic of it on the field above. That was it, i'd had my buzz and it was a nice crimbo prezzie n'all
and off I hobbled back to the car :crutch:
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Out this morning for a few hours, finally got a bit of time as most of She's Christmas social events have thankfully finished.
Very pleasant day, with no wind and a nice bit of sunshine after the mist burnt off.
The river was in good shape, a little high, maybe, but the best it's been in a few weeks.
The Chub were obliging, but none of much size...this was probably the best
Then a real bonus, hardly ever catch these, and easily the best I've had from this stretch....
Very pleasant day, with no wind and a nice bit of sunshine after the mist burnt off.
The river was in good shape, a little high, maybe, but the best it's been in a few weeks.
The Chub were obliging, but none of much size...this was probably the best
Then a real bonus, hardly ever catch these, and easily the best I've had from this stretch....
maggot_dangler
Well-known member
Made it to the club pool today ( with the correct keys)
very unusually there was another member there fishing as well , Unfortunately he was on the peg i had planned to occupy so had to move round one only problem with it was there is some bamboo growing to the one side of it in dire need of surgery and a Laural the other side in the same need between them they make getting a good cast out very difficult more of a short sharp underarm flick .
took white maggots and micro pellets a few pouches of pellets and some maggots got things going nicely did not use a keep net but a good collection of decent sized roach to around 1lb +- a bit a few small perch the larger perch did not seems to want to come out to play today and a few bream from smallest of skimmers to just about 4lb .
Not a bad afternoons fishing finally packed up at 15:30 with it going dark and cooling down .
PG ...
very unusually there was another member there fishing as well , Unfortunately he was on the peg i had planned to occupy so had to move round one only problem with it was there is some bamboo growing to the one side of it in dire need of surgery and a Laural the other side in the same need between them they make getting a good cast out very difficult more of a short sharp underarm flick .
took white maggots and micro pellets a few pouches of pellets and some maggots got things going nicely did not use a keep net but a good collection of decent sized roach to around 1lb +- a bit a few small perch the larger perch did not seems to want to come out to play today and a few bream from smallest of skimmers to just about 4lb .
Not a bad afternoons fishing finally packed up at 15:30 with it going dark and cooling down .
PG ...
Pete Shears
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The upper Soar this morning was nearly two feet lower than my last visit with a bit of colour and a steady pace but very difficult to get a bite.Eventually I had a dace of about 10oz on trotted bread,followed by a small brown trout.Nothing on the quivertip,moved and tried three other swims but no definite bites at all but plenty of wildlife - two white egrets,blue,great and long tailed tits and robins along with all the usual - magpies all 6 of them,crows gulls etc.
Tee-Cee
Senior Member
I had a four hour session this morning and if the catch was anything to go by, I can only think the fish were suffering from a Christmas hangover.....Hard to believe I had that very productive session five days ago in the same swim, in almost identical conditions, as today all I could manage was 8 or maybe 9 roach all under 10" long and most closer to 8"!
If I think back over the last few days the temperature has been pretty constant, not a drop of rain, and the wind almost non existent, so why the fish wouldn't feed today is beyond me. Everything else that I can control such as tackle, presentation and quality of bait etc. was spot on...I tried all sorts of variations to the one I deem standard for catching me a few fish, even dropping to a small red on a 22 at one point, but I may as well used a size 2 for what difference it made!
A couple of hours into the session saw me raking through the bait bag for an additive (it produced one fish first cast, then nothing) so in desperation I turned to hemp, normally okay as a change bait this time of year, but the fish didn't fancy that either........
My wife was very disappointed for me, so she has persuaded me to have another try tomorrow, although I have to say I didn't need much persuading!!
Looking forward to putting things to rights - I hope!
If I think back over the last few days the temperature has been pretty constant, not a drop of rain, and the wind almost non existent, so why the fish wouldn't feed today is beyond me. Everything else that I can control such as tackle, presentation and quality of bait etc. was spot on...I tried all sorts of variations to the one I deem standard for catching me a few fish, even dropping to a small red on a 22 at one point, but I may as well used a size 2 for what difference it made!
A couple of hours into the session saw me raking through the bait bag for an additive (it produced one fish first cast, then nothing) so in desperation I turned to hemp, normally okay as a change bait this time of year, but the fish didn't fancy that either........
My wife was very disappointed for me, so she has persuaded me to have another try tomorrow, although I have to say I didn't need much persuading!!
Looking forward to putting things to rights - I hope!
maggot_dangler
Well-known member
Well what i was supposed to be doing today did not happen as no one would answer the phones so off i trotted back to the club pool (via a callout to some Euro cylinders en route)
Got there just after mid day water was like a mirror apart from the odd waves made by our resident moorhens once again someone on the peg i wanted to fish so back to the same peg i fished yesterday 13ft shakespere rod 507 reel one of those newer5 Drenan waggler floats the 1g one to a size 20 guru lgw white maggot with some light coloured line cant remember what it was but after 45 mins and no takers it a case of thats it enough so chnage the line to some 4lb Maxima Chameleon evfery thing else the same bites started almost instantly so i believe they saw the line and got spooked any how had 7 nice perch biggest one just over 3lb a few small skimmers and a micro perch how the heck theyn get a hook and maggot in that tiny gob i will never know .
I was sort of hoping the Crucians would be on parade but no show few carp topping but not taking anything so come 15:00 thats me packing up to head home .. next trip i hope Sunday when i May try to get on the Stour at Stourton Castle see what i can extract from there ..
PG ...
Got there just after mid day water was like a mirror apart from the odd waves made by our resident moorhens once again someone on the peg i wanted to fish so back to the same peg i fished yesterday 13ft shakespere rod 507 reel one of those newer5 Drenan waggler floats the 1g one to a size 20 guru lgw white maggot with some light coloured line cant remember what it was but after 45 mins and no takers it a case of thats it enough so chnage the line to some 4lb Maxima Chameleon evfery thing else the same bites started almost instantly so i believe they saw the line and got spooked any how had 7 nice perch biggest one just over 3lb a few small skimmers and a micro perch how the heck theyn get a hook and maggot in that tiny gob i will never know .
I was sort of hoping the Crucians would be on parade but no show few carp topping but not taking anything so come 15:00 thats me packing up to head home .. next trip i hope Sunday when i May try to get on the Stour at Stourton Castle see what i can extract from there ..
PG ...
wetthrough
Well-known member
Nice day on Lymm Dam yesterday. Very light breeze at 10am when I arrived, perfect waggler weather. It's about 9'7" deep about 4 rod lengths out which is about where the drop off starts. Not sure how deep it is further out but not feeling like setting a slider up decided to fish bank side of it. Despite only being a slight breeze from my right side it made right handed casting hairy with all that line hanging down and there were trees/branches to my left. Time to give the Robbins cast a try. Robbins because James Robbins is the only person I've seen doing it although it could be quite common for all I know. It's where you hold the hook length with your left hand (if you're right handed) and pass it over your left shoulder as you swing the rod back over to the right, let go of the line then cast. It's useful if you're fishing fairly deep with the wind coming from your right and have restricted space. I can locate the video of Robbins doing it if my description isn't good enough. Haven't mastered it yet but better than my first attempt when I forgot to open the bail arm
13' Greys with 4lb Supplex to a 1.7lb DecoBob hooklength to a 20s lwg and 5bb antenna. The DecoBob was an experiment. To save you looking it up it's sewing thread, 80wt cottonized polyester which happens to break at around 1.7lb. Most monofilament is kind of wiry in nature, I just wondered how the thread would perform as it's extremely supple. Anyway, it lasted the day and broke at 1.5lb when I tested it this morning which is comparable to nylon although sadly it didn't have much to do! and it's 90p for 135M!
Small ball of reblended GB and loose feeding a few pinkies and hemp. Started fishing expecting to catch in the top half of the water or on the drop but nothing happening there. Spent the rest of the day on the bottom for a total of 8 small Roach the biggest of which was probably around 3.5oz to either bread punch or pinkie. Nice day all the same and not at all cold, almost warm in fact. Missed a couple of bites early on and lost one that I'd connected with through striking into the trees to my leftmg:
Not the best time of year for a picture but this is the view from my peg - what's not to like It doesn't look that big in the picture but it's about 100M to the far bank from where I'm sat.
13' Greys with 4lb Supplex to a 1.7lb DecoBob hooklength to a 20s lwg and 5bb antenna. The DecoBob was an experiment. To save you looking it up it's sewing thread, 80wt cottonized polyester which happens to break at around 1.7lb. Most monofilament is kind of wiry in nature, I just wondered how the thread would perform as it's extremely supple. Anyway, it lasted the day and broke at 1.5lb when I tested it this morning which is comparable to nylon although sadly it didn't have much to do! and it's 90p for 135M!
Small ball of reblended GB and loose feeding a few pinkies and hemp. Started fishing expecting to catch in the top half of the water or on the drop but nothing happening there. Spent the rest of the day on the bottom for a total of 8 small Roach the biggest of which was probably around 3.5oz to either bread punch or pinkie. Nice day all the same and not at all cold, almost warm in fact. Missed a couple of bites early on and lost one that I'd connected with through striking into the trees to my left
mg: Not the best time of year for a picture but this is the view from my peg - what's not to like
It doesn't look that big in the picture but it's about 100M to the far bank from where I'm sat.
mikench
Well-known member
Good to see you back fishing again Gordon under your own steam! I have never fished Lymm Dam even though it's on my card! I might try it for pike as it supposedly contains quite a few!!!
wetthrough
Well-known member
There were more anglers on yesterday than I've ever seen and mostly after Pike. None of the ones I spoke to had had anything at all. The water was quite coloured for the time of the year which might not be conducive to Pike fishing.
The river level had dropped considerably, so time to leave the marina alone. When the water clears and the predators can see properly, it all gets a bit too shark-infested. So it was back to the Old Lake, where four of us met up and sat in a row. The forecast was for temperatures between 8 -11c, but I don't think it got above 5 or 6c, and a chilly wind swirled around.
The fishing was slow and needed working at, but everyone caught plenty of roach, plus some kind of bonus. For the others, that varied from a 3lb tench to a 1lb+ perch. In my case, the only change from roach came in the shape of a tiny tench with a big tail
and a gudgeon
The fishing was slow and needed working at, but everyone caught plenty of roach, plus some kind of bonus. For the others, that varied from a 3lb tench to a 1lb+ perch. In my case, the only change from roach came in the shape of a tiny tench with a big tail
and a gudgeon
mikench
Well-known member
Lovely little tench Kev!! They really are a beautiful fish!