How did you get on?

[mikench]

Since my last post on this thread I've been painting at my eldest dotter's house and entertaining her fiancé's mother. Today I went fishing and had a wonderful day. This was my peg with parasol.

View attachment 7423

It was very hot but I caught 29 fish ranging from roach and gudgeon. To carp and perch. I also caught 3 of these little lovelies which made my day. This one was about 3lb and caught on double corn.

View attachment 7424

I have noted this swim and I'm sure my GB with hemp and corn helped. A tench makes my day no matter how few and how small.

Er indoors came to pay a visit I'm sure thinking I was indulging in some kind of illicit activity. I wish! The weather was glorious and I saw kingfishers, kestrels, buzzards and dragonflies . Perfick!

 

[103841]

I’m well jel Mike, looked like a super day.

 

[peter crabtree]

Did my bit for the kids today at the Canal and river trust’s “Let’s fish” day on the GUC at Marsworth.

We set up a selection of 3 and 4m whips and small stools for the kids to sit on. Each child is allocated an adult to help them. My first customer was Isobel; who I guess was about 6 years old judging by her new front teeth?
She was well spoken and seemed quite bright until I asked her where she lived. West London was her reply. I asked her where and she didn’t know?
Hmmm.
I showed her the float and hook and a box of maggots. She didn’t want to touch them so I baited the hook. The underarm flick we all mess up at first was the next problem. I showed her but the rig either ended up in her lap or elsewhere, not in the canal. I suggested she swung it behind and cast sea fishing style, making sure to check behind first. This proved easier for her until she almost hooked a passer, then hooked her hat...
One seems to forget the kids have never fished before, I told her to lift if the float went under but when it did she did nothing.. Finally she got the idea, but lift was yank so hard the fish came out of the water and over her shoulder narrowly missing me! She caught a skimmer, 2 roach and numerous perch but after half an hour was showing no sign of wanting to stop..Luckily her gran came to my rescue, worried she was getting burnt in the by now very hot sun.

Next up was Tom, a feisty lad of about 5. He was dead keen and excited but was also squeamish when it came to touching maggots. Once again casting underarm was a fiasco so I did the cast and handed him the whip afterwards. Once again he seemed oblivious to the float diving under but after a prompt did the same massive yank which launched the fish into mid air. He suggested it would be better if he stood up which worried me, I didn’t fancy a swim..
Luckily he became bored and restless after 10 minutes and had started yawning continuously..
Fortunately that was it for me as attendance was much lower than normal so I retired into the shade.
I do quite enjoy helping out on these events once a year but that’s enough for me. Some of the others do it every weekend for the entire summer, quite how I don’t know?

 

[103841]

Good man.

Isobel maybe smarter than you think, “don’t tell strangers where you live” I’d like to think that anyway.

 

[peter crabtree]

That did cross my mind John, but I heard granny mention to someone behind me she was from Queens Park...

 

[The Runner]

Persistent N and NW winds had kept me off the North End marks for pretty much the whole of August but had strongish Southerlies for most of this week (with a lot of rain) so with a drier day forecast today had a trip up to the Aird. Had intended to try the East side for a change but when I got there, there were two vans and a car in the pullin by the picnic tables where the access is and could see two anglers walking across the slope half a mile away. Plenty room for a lot more than the assumed at least four there but decided to carry on and head to the North side again- 200 yards further on and two more anglers unloading at the road end- had a quick chat, they said they were heading for the point to the left of the big gulley (Rubha na Tragha to us locals) so I ended up where I wanted on Rubh' an t-Sailleir anyway.
Sorry no pics, low battery.
Small tide so had taken rock rod with me as reckoned might have a decent spell where could hold bottom over high water slack early afternoon, set this up in readiness and started on the usual paddletail on 10gm jighead. Nothing at all, tide slackened so went out on mackerel strip at about 60 yards. Had barely hit bottom (after a long count) tip banged and a coalie about a pound resulted. Two more the same size in the next 45 minutes and a couple of missed bites but then tide picked up again and 6oz wouldn't hold. A bit too snaggy mixed ground to let it roll so came shorter and found tiderun just as strong and a lot of kelp so back on lures. Switched to a 15gm toby and quickly had a pollack about a pound and a half and then amazingly another five anglers arrived. Have only seen a handful of others fishing anywhere on Skye in 15 months and today looks like everyone was out. Again, plenty room for us all and they spread out along the rocks and into the next bay at 30 yard intervals- the lad nearest to me had a couple of small coalies on an inline sandeel and one of them round in the bay had a good pollack around 4 lb but a lot slower than expected. I added another two coalies, only 8-12 oz each on the toby, noticed at about 3 that the two on Rubha na Tragha had called it a day so walked round there and put big strip of mackerel on a 3/0 into some very deep water just out of the tide while continued on the spinning gear. Not much dramatic, one coalie about a pound again on the bait, pollack the same size and three more smaller coalies on the toby.
No sign for me of the bigger pollack, think may be down to the small tide as wasn't ripping along the edge of the rocks like it did on previous visits. Not a touch on any soft lure either, everything on metal. Still a pleasantly busy day though.
Not much wildlife to report, only a single gannet and a bit of an argument going on on the walk in between a bunch of hooded crows and a buzzard.

 

[theartist]

Think they were sand gobys,similar in colour to gudgeon,but looking similar to an elongated bullhead,some had a line of orangy yellow along the top of what looks like a spiny dorsal fin,though not spiny,caught quite a lot of those,as for photos I have a couple but my ability to download due to extreme technphobia is legendary. The best bit for me was my youngest son(16)was interested in catching some,so I showed him what to do(haha)and went to wipe my hands after putting a fish back when I heard an 'oh,oh,hobby' and he had a Ballan about 8oz or so which he got in a right panic over,so good to see him get a snippet of the thrills we get through fishing.

Sand Gobies are usually tiny, barely and inch and a half long if that, sounds like could be the Common Goby Alan. Wrasse are fun for the kids make sure to point out all their amazing colours to your lad. You guys do know about Weaver fish? Now they have spines to watch out for

Edit Goby not Blenny

 

[108831]

Yes,I've caught weavers on the east coast,whilst dabbing and as for the wrasse he was amazed,they really are beautiful fish,we actually caught a couple that were almost as green as the one on Neil's video...

 

[103841]

Another double header, watched the sunrise at sea and watched the sunset too with some amazing cricket to watch inbetween.

First stop just down the road from me is Seasalter, a bit quieter than Whitstable, it’s amazing that even in the early hours there are swimmers doing their daily routines.

I had the local priest for company, guess his prayers weren’t answered as like me he failed to find the bass.



A stunning morning with the heat coming through by 8am and thoughts turning to breakfast.





With temperatures hitting 33 degrees I was happy to stay indoors for a few hours totally glued to the tv not missing a ball at Headingly.

Still very warm when I headed out again at 6-30pm, this time to Westgate in Sea, yet another blank session with other anglers experiencing the same. There are parts of the UK coastline fishing really well but sadly not Kent. The sunset was as glorious as the sunrise, makes it all worthwhile.



Try, try, try again, out for another go in the morning.

 

[john step]

Stunning photos.

 

[108831]

Hold the back page Rob,I found a mini-species page and these fish were rock gobys,to top that most of the wrasse were corkwings,some ballans,plus I had a goldsinny,an even better result as the species caught was greater....

 

[theartist]

Hold the back page Rob,I found a mini-species page and these fish were rock gobys,to top that most of the erased were corkwings,some ballans,plus I had a goldsinny,an even better result as the species caught was greater....

Excellento, btw I edited my post yesterday as meant to say Goby not Blenny, I still find them hard to tell apart especially the goby species

 

[theartist]

Went out yesterday to try the River Cam as Waterbeach. If you remember a while back a chap came on promoting Waterbeach AC so with the thoughts of big rudd I set off with 'er outdoors to try it.

Trouble was it was seriously hot as you all know so after setting up under a tree I stayed under a tree as any thoughts of walking a few miles weren't instantly hit by a defiant wall of heat. I will look forward to exploring further but it would have to be another time.

It was a nice few hours fishing, listening to the cricket and flicking a waggler out into the shade. I had over 80 fish and whilst nothing huge there was a good mix of species, roach, perch, dace, gudgeon, small chub and bream plus bleak but not too many to get bleaked out. No rudd but I was just below a weir and it was fun watching nice roach spin on the surface in the dark water silhouetted by the sun.

'Er outdoors took a stealth shot and as you can see it was a lazy summer fishing day, under the rod tip,in the cool shade

 

[rayner]

I had a lovely day at Kiveton Waters this time using a sodafloat with 4mm pellets for feed and a 4mm expander on the hook.
Loads of fish 2 to 5lb, very busy day. just the way I like it. highlight of the day was a disaster, I caught the smallest Crucian I've ever seen on an expander, must have weighed at least 2oz.

 

[mikench]

I escaped talk of weddings and other such and left the house at 6.45 amid mist and dew but very pleasantly cool. I returned to the same peg on the same venue( what a surprise) and carried on where I left off?

I started with an opened ended feeder filled with my concoction of frenzied hemp gb, hemp, crushed boilies and corn. It worked and I caught 29 fish ranging from 2 tench to carp and a dozen
Of the following.

View attachment 7427

I had hoped it would break 2lb but it was just under.

I then switched to the float rod and a controller float offering bread and had 14 carp to 10lb.

View attachment 7428

In truth I alternated between the two methods throughout the day which proved to be a day of two halves ; cool, misty and cloudy in the morning and very hot and sunny in the afternoon. It was also a very enjoyable one which is the whole point of going fishing.

 

[sam vimes]

I should have been out earlier, but a trip out for bait and a walk around a deeply uninspiring gravel pit in the heat put me off. At about six I got my arse in gear, readying a single bag, rod and landing net. I was fishing for about 1830. I was all done by 2030 after fourteen dace, four grayling, three trout and the usual horde of minnows.

 

[no-one in particular]

The sea has looked inviting, very clear and like a millpond; should be some Mackeral about but wrong high tides at 7/8am, I would have to get up at 2am just to get moving by then so went to my local park lake, maybe some sea fishing later in the week.
Have not been to this park lake for a long time, rats put me off but I had a nice couple of hours under a tree in the shade for 3 very nice plump roach and one small bream hybrid. Used my little 8ft split cane fly rod fitted with a small centerpin dug out of my old pile of tat, with a small quill, one bb, soft pellets and bread for bait.
Very nice using that set up for some plump roach, tempted to use it when I go mackeraling, be interesting catching mini tuna or maybe a Garfish on that; if the sea stays calm might give it a go.

 

[peter crabtree]

10 codgers fished today on the Aylesbury arm near Tring.
5 below the lock and 5 above. I was on the lower pound which is fairly short, deep down the middle and 2’ deep in the far margin.

Set up was 11’ ultralight with 2bb Stillwater blue waggler to a 20 b511 to 0:07 ..
The canal is quite narrow so I purposely selected a float which would only just get across, less chance of snagging in the brambles etc. Punch to start with found a couple of roach then some small skimmers. I fed another line across with hemp based gb which I left to settle.

A couple of boats came through which sent the water rushing back and forth for a while so I waited until it settled before attempting another cast.
Stuck on a single red maggot and cast over to the gb area, skimmers had obviously found my bait and it was one a chuck. Every so often it would go quiet which resulted most times with a perch.
After topping up with more gb and pinging a few casters I had a run of bigger skimmers, biggest around 2lb. I could see Brian in the next peg down was catching roach, and just beyond him Andy was getting small skimmers from a protruding bush.
My bites only dwindled in the final hour and I sensed I’d frame after hearing the upper pound had not fished well.
At the scales I had 11lb:1oz:0 which was enough to win the fixture by a fair margin...(pun unintentional)
Andy had 7:4:8 for second and Brian 6:12:0 (all roach) on his legendary hemp and tares.

Brian weighing me in...

 

[Pete Shears]

This morning saw another trip to the local canal feeder reservoir. Last Thursday, before it was seriously hot, six bream between 2lb & 4lb were landed but this morning, as I expected, it was much ,much slower with only three bream around the two pound mark and one fell off.Kingfishers zooming eveywhere to lcate the fry,three herons squabbling,a female sparrowhawk spotted three times and three jays which I have never seen there.The surprise was seeing butterflies on the wing just after 6am with it being warm together with darters and dragonflies but there is one cormorant which turned up recently and is getting too comfortable,a group of eight flew over today and another group of three.
I thought the latest official line to get anglers to accept their presence was to inform us it was mass winter migration to escape brutal winter temperatures,with this heatwave,I don't think so.Wish it would cool a bit,fed up with sticking to everything.

 

[nottskev]

Sunday afternoon featured scorching sunshine, brilliant blue skies, and a procession of boats. But I'll go to some lengths to avoid seeing Man City on tv, so I flogged away, trotting my float down a promising barbel swim, thinking if I just kept feeding, something will come onto it. I got one bite, and this was it



I was actually pleased to see my first eel in about 15 years. But I'd have liked to catch something else, too.

Monday might have been a repeat, but luckily, just as I was about to embark on some hopeless quest, someone phoned and suggested we meet in a pub, so that took care of that.

Today looked much the same, in terms of weather and temperature, but I'd recovered from Sunday and decided to chance a couple of hours in the evening. The river was low and clear, but hope springs eternal and all that. A bit of punched meat and a few swanshot on a link, bounced down to the overhanging trees soon got a bite



and a few baitdroppers of hemp and 4mm pellets pulled in another



After that, I was struggling to raise another bite. A bit of clumsy casting that put me up a tree was a blessing in disguise. I was tempted to pack in, having lost all the terminal tackle, but decided, what the hell, to stick a float on and see what happens. That produced a few more, of which this was the first



and this was the biggest



It weighed 13lb 4oz but I have to knock a bit off for the net.