How did you get on?
- Thread starter peter crabtree
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Pete Shears
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Back on the local canal feeder reservoir early this morning to find the level had dropped a bit since my last visit and they are still steadily running off.Settled into a roadside swim with two method feeders out hoping for tench.The southerly breeze started to pick up and swing round to the SW making it colder so up went the brolly and as the morning progressed it swung even further coming straight at me from the west and the damn thing kept trying to take off - why does that happen when the wind is blowing on the back of it? Still had a fast run resulting in a 4lb 11oz male tench,a little later a bream of around 2lb and a much better 6lb 8oz female tench.Had reed buntings flying in front of me all morning,watched two buzzards over the far bank field,an osprey visited twice and watched a crow harassing a red kite.
Worth getting up early.
Worth getting up early.
no-one in particular
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Dabs have their season down here, they can appear for a couple of months and then dissappear just as quickly. If you have any old going off bait they like that, seen plenty caught off a bit of smelly old lug. Looked like that wind was flattening the sea in the pic, it does that sometimes making it look calm. Nice sized dab in the pic, a few of them make a nice little meal, small fish-sweet meat.
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Do you know,we used to go to Southend pier regularly back in the day and fish from the far right corner,used to catch loads of dabs,my best catch was 71 if I remember correctly,to 1lb 2ozs,beautiful fish,but I've caught them as small as 2ozs where you could see the size 10 long shank hook through the underside...
theartist
Well-known member
Had a trip down the south coast yesterday that was well worth getting stuck on a m25 that was concertinaring like an accordion player in a headwind. I parked by a choppy seafront but headed inland to the shelter of a creek where I pottered about as the tide was still coming in.
I went on bread and waggler as per usual for bass or mullet but the early chances of a good fish were scuppered by the gulls and the rising tide which saw them seemingly vacate the area. The float was dipping all the time with small bites so I put on a size 18 to see what they were and as expected a few sand smelt and schoolie bass saved a blank. I also caught my first sand goby which was so small the photo was blurry as it was about an inch long, the smallest fish I have ever caught. When the tide was fully in I watched the crabs battle each other for my bread in the margins and huge shoals of fry appeared, some were an inch long some a mere centimetre and you could tell they were all different species even if they were too small to tell what they were, a wonderful sight.
I had decided to move down up to the main river when a helicopter flanked by two others buzzed past. With the D-Day ceremony just down the road I liked to think it was Trump going by as it could be the only mullet I see all day
Despite having only a handful of small fish I was thoroughly enjoying myself as I got to the quayside, nothing was visible as I chucked a few bits of bread down the side to see if anything was about but there wasn't, so I did what any self respecting angler does and munched on some cookies soaking up the scenery(other snack foods are available) as there was worse places to be. I was then surprised to see a lone mullet ghost in and mop up the bread I had put down, mullet are mad but I love them, often they will play blow football with your bread and you have to use a tiny bit of punch to outwit them, I watched this one gulp down my offering which was the size of a golf ball.
Chaos ensued as it tested my 5lb bottom to the max with snags nearby before I netted it, the bonus was it was a golden grey, the rarer of the three main uk grey mullet species, they are distinguishable by the yellow spot on the gill cover and the amount of slime they produce compared to the other mullet. At around 2lb it was a decent size for a golden grey so a new pb mind you it's only the second GG I've caught. I was damned if I was going to put the fish on the concrete to unhook so sacrificed my coat
With tide now ebbing I moved to a beach area where I could wade out and it was good to be running a float down the river, by now mullet were starting to top for the bread in the fast water and fishing doesn't get more exciting than this. I lost one before hooking another which leapt a good two metres out of the water, the angling equivalent of thrash metal another mullet was in the net, a fine looking thick lip to end the day
I went on bread and waggler as per usual for bass or mullet but the early chances of a good fish were scuppered by the gulls and the rising tide which saw them seemingly vacate the area. The float was dipping all the time with small bites so I put on a size 18 to see what they were and as expected a few sand smelt and schoolie bass saved a blank. I also caught my first sand goby which was so small the photo was blurry as it was about an inch long, the smallest fish I have ever caught. When the tide was fully in I watched the crabs battle each other for my bread in the margins and huge shoals of fry appeared, some were an inch long some a mere centimetre and you could tell they were all different species even if they were too small to tell what they were, a wonderful sight.
I had decided to move down up to the main river when a helicopter flanked by two others buzzed past. With the D-Day ceremony just down the road I liked to think it was Trump going by as it could be the only mullet I see all day
Despite having only a handful of small fish I was thoroughly enjoying myself as I got to the quayside, nothing was visible as I chucked a few bits of bread down the side to see if anything was about but there wasn't, so I did what any self respecting angler does and munched on some cookies soaking up the scenery(other snack foods are available) as there was worse places to be. I was then surprised to see a lone mullet ghost in and mop up the bread I had put down, mullet are mad but I love them, often they will play blow football with your bread and you have to use a tiny bit of punch to outwit them, I watched this one gulp down my offering which was the size of a golf ball.
Chaos ensued as it tested my 5lb bottom to the max with snags nearby before I netted it, the bonus was it was a golden grey, the rarer of the three main uk grey mullet species, they are distinguishable by the yellow spot on the gill cover and the amount of slime they produce compared to the other mullet. At around 2lb it was a decent size for a golden grey so a new pb mind you it's only the second GG I've caught. I was damned if I was going to put the fish on the concrete to unhook so sacrificed my coat
With tide now ebbing I moved to a beach area where I could wade out and it was good to be running a float down the river, by now mullet were starting to top for the bread in the fast water and fishing doesn't get more exciting than this. I lost one before hooking another which leapt a good two metres out of the water, the angling equivalent of thrash metal another mullet was in the net, a fine looking thick lip to end the day
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seth49
Well-known member
Back on our usual fishery yesterday, got there about seven thirty, and decided to fish the bottom pond which can be hard, but the fish are bigger usually.
Sleeper rod in right hand margin, with a method feeder on, and plumbed the right hand margin, for the pole, plus another swim out at six metres for another top kit, fed with two mm pellets, and used either six or eight mm expanders for bait.
Been using the Sonu baits expanders, the new expert ones which you just soak overnight in cold water, they are easy to prepare, and stay on the hook well, I like these and so do the fish.
First fish on the pole was this two and a half pound roach bream hybrid, fought well two.
View attachment 6839
After that a succession of bream and skimmers, up to about three pounds, a few small roach, but no tench or crucians, then I hooked a carp,which gave me the runaround for a bit till the hook pulled, it was a loverly sunny day to start with very pleasant and warm, supposed to cloud over by eleven, and then rain from four o clock.
Well it clouded over as said and then proceeded to rain as well, so back under the brolly again, rained for a couple of hours, and then cleared and was sunny again, by now I was catching bream on the method feeder meant for the carp, had a good few as well.
Then saw the reeds move in the margin, as a carp moved on to the feed, so out with the margin rig on the pole, and it took within a minute, gave me a real scrap, till it shot into the irises and shed the hook, by now it was three o clock and the sky looked black and then heard thunder, so we packed up quickly and just got the car loaded before it rained hard again.
So no carp landed but plenty of bream, not a bad day though apart from the rain,enjoyed it.
Sleeper rod in right hand margin, with a method feeder on, and plumbed the right hand margin, for the pole, plus another swim out at six metres for another top kit, fed with two mm pellets, and used either six or eight mm expanders for bait.
Been using the Sonu baits expanders, the new expert ones which you just soak overnight in cold water, they are easy to prepare, and stay on the hook well, I like these and so do the fish.
First fish on the pole was this two and a half pound roach bream hybrid, fought well two.
View attachment 6839
After that a succession of bream and skimmers, up to about three pounds, a few small roach, but no tench or crucians, then I hooked a carp,which gave me the runaround for a bit till the hook pulled, it was a loverly sunny day to start with very pleasant and warm, supposed to cloud over by eleven, and then rain from four o clock.
Well it clouded over as said and then proceeded to rain as well, so back under the brolly again, rained for a couple of hours, and then cleared and was sunny again, by now I was catching bream on the method feeder meant for the carp, had a good few as well.
Then saw the reeds move in the margin, as a carp moved on to the feed, so out with the margin rig on the pole, and it took within a minute, gave me a real scrap, till it shot into the irises and shed the hook, by now it was three o clock and the sky looked black and then heard thunder, so we packed up quickly and just got the car loaded before it rained hard again.
So no carp landed but plenty of bream, not a bad day though apart from the rain,enjoyed it.
peter crabtree
AKA Simon, 1953 - 2022 (RIP)
The miserable run continues....Yesterday’s codgers fixture turned out to be another grueller..
The GUC at Hemel looked spot on as we drew pegs, fish topping and good colour.
I got off to a promising start with 2 small skimmers on punch but as often happens that was it. I’d set up 2 rods, the other with slightly stepped up end tackle for the far bank features. There are some big chub and perch in this stretch.
After pinging maggots across for some time I have it a go. Every time my double maggot was intercepted by flipping bleak! Back on the punch close in small gudgeon were all I could muster.
After 3 hours alternating between the the 2 lines, with one better skimmer I decided to go all out for the bleak. I shallowed up my rig and pushed the shot up for a slow falling effect. Sure enough the bleak obliged until not long after a boat came through and stirred the water to chocolate..
That put paid to that idea...
After that I kind of gave up.
Weights were poor with roach absent once more.
It really was skimmers or bust and even they were thin on the ground.
Fishing the hotspot behind B and Q a local angler won the match with just 3:7:8...
Once again I came nowhere.
The GUC at Hemel looked spot on as we drew pegs, fish topping and good colour.
I got off to a promising start with 2 small skimmers on punch but as often happens that was it. I’d set up 2 rods, the other with slightly stepped up end tackle for the far bank features. There are some big chub and perch in this stretch.
After pinging maggots across for some time I have it a go. Every time my double maggot was intercepted by flipping bleak! Back on the punch close in small gudgeon were all I could muster.
After 3 hours alternating between the the 2 lines, with one better skimmer I decided to go all out for the bleak. I shallowed up my rig and pushed the shot up for a slow falling effect. Sure enough the bleak obliged until not long after a boat came through and stirred the water to chocolate..
That put paid to that idea...
After that I kind of gave up.
Weights were poor with roach absent once more.
It really was skimmers or bust and even they were thin on the ground.
Fishing the hotspot behind B and Q a local angler won the match with just 3:7:8...
Once again I came nowhere.
Roger Johnson 2
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Evening session back at the lake fished among the lilies this time, managed to forget landing net, ( forgot rod earlier this week,when all I needed was a rod, bait and net!) managed a few Rudd and roach on corn, best nearly a pound. Still no carp spotted, must try an early session. Molly says “next time that bobbin moves, I’m gonna nail it”
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peter crabtree
AKA Simon, 1953 - 2022 (RIP)
I was up at 5am and disappointed to find it was raining hard. I waited until 9:30 for it to stop. Got some pole rigs tied meantime.
Decided to stay fairly local so it was Croxley green, a 10min drive from home. This spot has a long bend so it’s easy to get out of the wind, which today was very blustery. The only drawback was the floating leaves which collect in sheltered spots.
11’ ultralight, a 3BB Stillwater blue to a 20 b511, my go to roach set up. I started feeding hemp and maggots across to the boat opposite, first cast with single maggot saw my float bury and roach no1 was in the net.
The water was a lot more coloured than it was on my last visit here, that and the low air pressure had the roach on the feed all day. It was a real bonanza, roach to 14oz and some hard fighting hybrids on casters which I found among my maggots.
Decided to stay fairly local so it was Croxley green, a 10min drive from home. This spot has a long bend so it’s easy to get out of the wind, which today was very blustery. The only drawback was the floating leaves which collect in sheltered spots.
11’ ultralight, a 3BB Stillwater blue to a 20 b511, my go to roach set up. I started feeding hemp and maggots across to the boat opposite, first cast with single maggot saw my float bury and roach no1 was in the net.
The water was a lot more coloured than it was on my last visit here, that and the low air pressure had the roach on the feed all day. It was a real bonanza, roach to 14oz and some hard fighting hybrids on casters which I found among my maggots.
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S-Kippy
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Evening session back at the lake fished among the lilies this time, managed to forget landing net, ( forgot rod earlier this week,when all I needed was a rod, bait and net!) managed a few Rudd and roach on corn, best nearly a pound. Still no carp spotted, must try an early session. Molly says “next time that bobbin moves, I’m gonna nail it”
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Why is Molly wearing a pair of underpants ?
mikench
Well-known member
She is a member of the gilet rose.
Been today for the first time in weeks,went to the deep lake,whilst setting up I fed some meat and pellet into the margins,I had just put a float on and saw some bubbles on my feed,two small tench later to 2lbs and it went dead,went on the slider and caught 18 roach between 4 and 12oz and a break about 2lbs,itch scratched.
Roger Johnson 2
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After I’d fallen in, I had to put them somewhere to dry out. I couldn’t leave them hanging in a tree, someone might have seen them.
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A day off work, I headed to the Leeds Liverpool Canal, after taking the kids to school.
The morning was warm, but ominous clouds promised the forecasted downpours would be making an appearance. Travelling light and staying mobile was the order of the day; six foot drop shot rod, small reel loaded with 6lb braid and minimal tackle in a little bag.
I've NEVER caught using any artificial lure, today was going to be the day! I've landed a fair few jacks and little perch drop shotting lobworms since my return to fishing, but those soft plastic lures that everyone on YouTube hauls out dozens of fish on every session? Nope, not me!
Four hours of varying retrieves with numerous little lures on a micro jig head, interspersed with drop shotting around numerous swims that screamed PERCH LIVE HERE.....not a sniff of a fish!
Nice day though, ducklings, tadpoles and a hovering sparrow hawk for company. It's good to be back on the bank again.
The morning was warm, but ominous clouds promised the forecasted downpours would be making an appearance. Travelling light and staying mobile was the order of the day; six foot drop shot rod, small reel loaded with 6lb braid and minimal tackle in a little bag.
I've NEVER caught using any artificial lure, today was going to be the day! I've landed a fair few jacks and little perch drop shotting lobworms since my return to fishing, but those soft plastic lures that everyone on YouTube hauls out dozens of fish on every session? Nope, not me!
Four hours of varying retrieves with numerous little lures on a micro jig head, interspersed with drop shotting around numerous swims that screamed PERCH LIVE HERE.....not a sniff of a fish!
Nice day though, ducklings, tadpoles and a hovering sparrow hawk for company. It's good to be back on the bank again.
peter crabtree
AKA Simon, 1953 - 2022 (RIP)
Fished a club fixture Sunday on a farm lake which was formerly used to drive a watermill. Maximum depth was 3’ and luckily it was coloured for a change. I drew a peg which is known as a perch haunt, with this in mind I potted chopped worm across by the hanging branch.
Sure enough the perch obliged taking small worm sections on a 20 b511. Unfortunately they were all the same size, around 3oz apiece. I found that if they didn’t take on the drop, a static bait would be ignored. So lift and drop or pull side to side was the best way to induce a bite.
I also tried punch for the roach but although there’s a good head of them here they weren’t having it? There are bream, tench and chub present too and to stand a chance framing I needed one or more to build a weight.
It didn’t happen.
Weighed in 2lb5oz for nowhere. Winner had 2 bream + bits for 9lb.
Sure enough the perch obliged taking small worm sections on a 20 b511. Unfortunately they were all the same size, around 3oz apiece. I found that if they didn’t take on the drop, a static bait would be ignored. So lift and drop or pull side to side was the best way to induce a bite.
I also tried punch for the roach but although there’s a good head of them here they weren’t having it? There are bream, tench and chub present too and to stand a chance framing I needed one or more to build a weight.
It didn’t happen.
Weighed in 2lb5oz for nowhere. Winner had 2 bream + bits for 9lb.
One of the things I love about rivers is the way the pools can change from year to year.
My local stretch has changed quite a bit over the winter, and thankfully the fish seem to prefer most of the changes.
One pool in particular is holding a lot of Trout, including some nice ones, whereas before all i seemed to be able muster were a few small Grayling. The reason seems to be that a few years back the farmer chucked in a load of old concrete fence posts in a futile attempt to stop his bank eroding, which have now washed out and created some lovely lies for the fish.
I fill my coarse closed season time fishing for Trout, and this season I've had quite a few nice Chub which were sitting in amongst the trout, so it's looking good for next week when i should be able to get out with the proper gear.
The Browns in here are deep and very strong, and spend a lot of time in the air,don't really want to hook one of these on the float!
My local stretch has changed quite a bit over the winter, and thankfully the fish seem to prefer most of the changes.
One pool in particular is holding a lot of Trout, including some nice ones, whereas before all i seemed to be able muster were a few small Grayling. The reason seems to be that a few years back the farmer chucked in a load of old concrete fence posts in a futile attempt to stop his bank eroding, which have now washed out and created some lovely lies for the fish.
I fill my coarse closed season time fishing for Trout, and this season I've had quite a few nice Chub which were sitting in amongst the trout, so it's looking good for next week when i should be able to get out with the proper gear.
The Browns in here are deep and very strong, and spend a lot of time in the air,don't really want to hook one of these on the float!
wetthrough
Well-known member
Been fitting sessions around the weather seeing as the prospects aren't too good.
Thursday: Thursday isn't a good day for me on account of Wednesday night excesses. Excess being about 3 pints these days. Still got up at 5:30 albeit a little bleary eyed. Fished the Bridgwater nr Lymm. GB on the far shelf and left it for a while while fishing the bottom of the near drop off. A couple of nice Roach quite quickly, around the 9oz mark but slowed down to picking up the odd one here and there. Switched to the far shelf thinking they'd have had enough time to get settled. Ha, I should be so lucky. Carried on picking the odd Roach up here and there and a couple of Perch around 3:4oz which makes a nice change. One Bream of 1.5:2lb which couldn't have made a more timely arrival. Right on cue as a group of impressionable kids were passing 23 fish altogether from memory.
Sunday: Woke up around 7am to a bright sunny day. I'd put what was left of my bait from Friday in the fridge and really fancied a session on my local club pool. It was set to rain around 11am but I could grab a few dry hours. Started fishing about 8am loose feeding what was left of my maggots the few of which i had were rapidly dwindling on account of this little fellow:
The tranquility only disturbed by a Squirrel that fell in frantically making its way back to the bank.
Picked up some nice Roach and Crucians, mostly Crucians, about 80:20, Roach mostly to caster, Crucians, quite small, between 4 and 6oz mostly to flake. Surprisingly little interest with maggot on the hook.
Looking again at the pic, could it be a Rudd/Roach? The dorsal looks a little to the rear of the pelvics.
3bb Glow Tip antenna to 3lb and 18s with about 3" laid on. Wrapped up at eleven just as it started to rain. 16 all told.
Monday: The rest of the week is looking a bit grim weather wise so set off around 6am to fish the Dam. Same aproach as before, 5ssg slider at around 32M, 3lb to 16s and 2.75g Glow Tip Antenna, 3lb to 18s at about 12M. GB in the near swim while I set up the slider which seems to take me forever. Once I'd got the slider set up, fed the swim and started fishing the 12M swim.
Flat calm early on and no tow to speak of, perfect but fishing was relatively slow, picking up the odd Roach here and there. Switching to the slider around 10am produced even less. Back to the near swim and it's still sparse and mostly small, just one or two for the net. Apparently the Grebe weren't doing much better according to a passer by who'd been watching them for some time, a fellow angler out for a walk. Back to the slider around 12 and started picking up a few better Roach and just one sub 2lb Bream. Mr Pike came crashing out after one of my better Roach on the slider only just missing it. I'd taken some Pike gear but as I was catching on the slider decided not to have a go for it. Not a bad day if a little slow. It rained a bit later and the wind picked up but thankfully the predicted downpour didn't happen. Packed up at 4pm to a count of 35.
Just noticed that the Robin has taken all the white maggots and left the red!
Thursday: Thursday isn't a good day for me on account of Wednesday night excesses. Excess being about 3 pints these days. Still got up at 5:30 albeit a little bleary eyed. Fished the Bridgwater nr Lymm. GB on the far shelf and left it for a while while fishing the bottom of the near drop off. A couple of nice Roach quite quickly, around the 9oz mark but slowed down to picking up the odd one here and there. Switched to the far shelf thinking they'd have had enough time to get settled. Ha, I should be so lucky. Carried on picking the odd Roach up here and there and a couple of Perch around 3:4oz which makes a nice change. One Bream of 1.5:2lb which couldn't have made a more timely arrival. Right on cue as a group of impressionable kids were passing
23 fish altogether from memory. Sunday: Woke up around 7am to a bright sunny day. I'd put what was left of my bait from Friday in the fridge and really fancied a session on my local club pool. It was set to rain around 11am but I could grab a few dry hours. Started fishing about 8am loose feeding what was left of my maggots the few of which i had were rapidly dwindling on account of this little fellow:
The tranquility only disturbed by a Squirrel that fell in frantically making its way back to the bank.
Picked up some nice Roach and Crucians, mostly Crucians, about 80:20, Roach mostly to caster, Crucians, quite small, between 4 and 6oz mostly to flake. Surprisingly little interest with maggot on the hook.
Looking again at the pic, could it be a Rudd/Roach? The dorsal looks a little to the rear of the pelvics.
3bb Glow Tip antenna to 3lb and 18s with about 3" laid on. Wrapped up at eleven just as it started to rain. 16 all told.
Monday: The rest of the week is looking a bit grim weather wise so set off around 6am to fish the Dam. Same aproach as before, 5ssg slider at around 32M, 3lb to 16s and 2.75g Glow Tip Antenna, 3lb to 18s at about 12M. GB in the near swim while I set up the slider which seems to take me forever. Once I'd got the slider set up, fed the swim and started fishing the 12M swim.
Flat calm early on and no tow to speak of, perfect but fishing was relatively slow, picking up the odd Roach here and there. Switching to the slider around 10am produced even less. Back to the near swim and it's still sparse and mostly small, just one or two for the net. Apparently the Grebe weren't doing much better according to a passer by who'd been watching them for some time, a fellow angler out for a walk. Back to the slider around 12 and started picking up a few better Roach and just one sub 2lb Bream. Mr Pike came crashing out after one of my better Roach on the slider only just missing it. I'd taken some Pike gear but as I was catching on the slider decided not to have a go for it. Not a bad day if a little slow. It rained a bit later and the wind picked up but thankfully the predicted downpour didn't happen. Packed up at 4pm to a count of 35.
Just noticed that the Robin has taken all the white maggots and left the red!
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