How did you get on?

[theartist]

Just back from a walk down the canal, well I was getting road beers for the cup final tomorrow and just had to see if the bream were still breeding and if everything was ok. Well they were still but not as vigorously or in as many numbers it seemed.

I half expected to do a litter clean up job but to be fair to those lads there was only one item, mind you I think they only had rods and a bucket with them. One of them needs a new rod, canal bream pull pretty well and this is what happens when you don't have a net.

 

[S-Kippy]

Yesterday was not the best day I've ever had.

Firstly, I set off to go fishing but got no more than 10 yards up the road before I realised I'd left me phone behind. So I reversed back to the house to get it....and straight into the open door of the lady who does opposites garden. My back light cluster went south and the bodywork was chipped. We were both a bit shocked but I dont think there was any chance of her " losing a leg". Nobody got hurt and its only a car.

Off to the lake and barrowed my gear all the way round to the far side, started setting up only to discover I'd left me net in the boot of the car. Reload barrow, push to a carper and leave it with him while I trudged back to the car. Eventually got fishing but was pestered by bloody coot all day. Its not a deep lake and the gits can dive deep enough to get your bait. Eventually the inevitable happened and I hooked one. Bollox !

I skullhauled the feathered pirate in to unhook it and the ungrateful little sod raked me with its claws which were more like talons. I had no idea they were armed so fearsomely. Anyway...off it went squawking its head off and rather than skulking in the reeds within 5 minutes it was diving on my baits again, the barstid !

In between all this my rod ripped off and rather than the hoped for tench it was a gorgeous looking carp just shy of 15lb. Not the biggest carp in the lake by some distance but very handsome as I hope you'll agree.

I did finally manage a tench of around 4 and a half which covered me,my net and just about everything else in snot before I ran out of bait and had to stop feeding the coots.

My hand was still bleeding when I got home necessitating some alcohol wipes and antiseptic ( yee-ouch) and a rather large plaster....first aid kit being in another bag.

Like I said....not the best day I've ever had. I also need to sort my rigs out as I'm tangling far too often so the mechanics are wrong in some way. I'll sort it and I'll also find a way of defeating those bloody coots !

 

[103841]

Look on the upside Skip, no mention of the road from hell.

 

[mikench]

And no bream! A well written and amusing tale. I fully sympathise

 

[peter crabtree]

Went down to Croxley green today to see if the roach were back in their usual haunt. During the winter they disappear, it is widely believed they go into a nearby marina and enjoy the warmth under the boats.
Liquy potted in and punch on the hook I soon found a few. Some were very plump and I’m guessing they were spawn filled females? Others were rough to the touch which I presume were males.

]

 

[S-Kippy]

Further to my earlier I got the light cluster replaced today and the part alone cost £135 !!!!! Trust me to drive a car that's as common as you like except for the estate version which is what I've got !

Still working on ideas for an effective coot repellant .At the moment a heavily disguised air rifle is winning.

 

[mikench]

I have several if you wish to borrow one!

 

[Another Dave]

Disguise yourself as a giant coot and it will flee in terror.

 

[john step]

Further to my earlier I got the light cluster replaced today and the part alone cost £135 !!!!! Trust me to drive a car that's as common as you like except for the estate version which is what I've got !

Still working on ideas for an effective coot repellant .At the moment a heavily disguised air rifle is winning.

I dont know if it works in daylight but I know carpers have one of those laser pen lights thingies to scare them away from the bait.

 

[103841]

A loaf of bread strategically placed as a decoy?

 

[S-Kippy]

I dont know if it works in daylight but I know carpers have one of those laser pen lights thingies to scare them away from the bait.

Yes....the bailiff mentioned those. Do they work ?

 

[sam vimes]

Back to the same pond as yesterday for another go. This time I went with beefier float rods, but decided to mix things up a bit by using a centrepin. It wasn't difficult to get the fish feeding, but they were desperate to be in the shallowest water, really close in. Putting a float into it was a recipe for frustration. Lots of bobbing about, no hook ups. I suspected that they were also wary of the float and a line straight down from it.

Ditched the float, went straight through to a bigger hook with just a couple of SSG lightly pinched on the line. That worked like a charm for three fish. All three unweighed, but all around the 10lb mark.

 

[john step]

Yes....the bailiff mentioned those. Do they work ?

I have heard they work at night but I dont know about daylight. I dont see why not. I have just googled them and you can buy one for under a tenner. Worth a try?

 

[Keith M]

I have heard they work at night but I dont know about daylight. I dont see why not. I have just googled them and you can buy one for under a tenner. Worth a try?

I was given a gadget for practicing my golf swing which has a red laser light in the end, and which I used to tease the dog and cat with chasing a ball of light all around the living room giving them exercise while I sat in my armchair (lazy git I hear you say ) I didn’t think of using it in the way you mention. I might try it the next time I’m fishing for Carp overnight.

Keith

 

[103841]

Be careful, what I have read maybe incorrect but allegedly people have been nicked for shining lasers at wildlife.

 

[mikench]

As the wife and daughter were going to Dublin for the day and I was home alone, I decided to go fishing! A very reasonable alternative. I went to my new water but decided to fish the new and larger lake!









I tried my new 15' float rod but with a FS reel as I wanted to see how the rod would cast a float, close by, further and to infinity.

The rod was brilliant and I caught 72 fish ranging from. Gudgeon and crucians through to skimmers, commons and roach. I had several of the latter around 1lb and some of the gudgeon were clonkers! The common pictured was 9lb and put a bend in the rod! It felt strong and well up to the task! I paired it with a Stradic C14 4000 RA which is a great reel.

All in all a great day and I am having a curry watching the match!

 

[103841]

My only concern is the fact you had to make a decision to go fishing!

 

[mikench]

The decision I made John was not to go to Dublin!

 

[peter crabtree]

Today I competed in ‘Gobiomania’ on the GUC near Berkhamsted. A rod, reel and float only affair..
Started at 1:30 in sunny, windless conditions..

]

With 13 fishing either side of the bridge I got off to a good start. Some stonking gudgeon on pinkie along with plenty of small ones.
The format was to weigh in all ones fish then weigh the gudgeon on their own.
All well and good until the heavens opened big time.

With most dressed for a sunny spring day, myself included, the scalesman came round and just weighed all fish. Too much fiddling about in the downpour. Shame really as there were to be 3 categories- biggest gudgeon, the most gudgeon and overall weight of all species caught.
I did catch some nice roach and a skimmer and came 2nd ..
oh well there’s always next year.....

 

[bullet]

Nice overcast conditions tempted me out on the river, still a bit chilly,though.
River looking nice....

Not much surface activity, and a few mayfly were drifting down, completely un molested by the Trout.
Opted to fish NZ style, with a small white beaded nymph behind the dry.
Ended up with about 6 nice browns, most on the nymph.
Pick of the bunch....