How did you get on?
- Thread starter peter crabtree
- Start date
Club fixture today on the Thames at Little Stoke near Wallingford.
One of my favourite venues.
Set up today was 15’ ultralight, Daiwa TDX 3012 reel and a sliding waggler. It was 10’ deep out towards the middle of the river with a slow, steady flow.
Balled it in at the start with 2kilos of dark super roach gb with half a pint of casters mixed in.
Double caster on a Drennan wide gape size 18.
Roach first chuck followed by a couple of small chub and a skimmer.
As the hours ticked by it was a bite a chuck, quality roach to 10oz mainly, all on double caster.
Halfway through I fed another kilo of gb which kick started the swim again.
It was frantic fishing, if I didn’t get a bite there was something wrong, bait off or hook hung up. The slider is so effective for deep water rivers, when you strike it goes straight through the float to the hook.
At the end (6hours) the scales arrived, it was a struggle to lift my net out on the high bank.
The scales went round twice and overshot the 20lb maximum. Had to take some out and weigh them separately...
In total I had 23lb:14oz:0 which secured a win.
]
Second had 11lb and 3rd 10lb..
10 fished.
Absolutely fantastic net of fish mate, proper fishing well done
mikench
Well-known member
See my new thread on waters I won't go back to for all you need to know.
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Haven’t posted for a while, there are only so many blank sessions spinning for bass that you can make into an interesting post.
Thought I’d try something different today, dropshotting with wrasse the target species.
I chose a mark that is known to be totally devoid of fish, that’s a challenge if ever I’ve needed one.
Fished for two hours having my ragworm nicked by crabs constantly so yes another blank, the mark living up to its reputation.
However, I did come away with new knowledge and renewed enthusiasm. There was an old boy fishing close by who had caught in that two hours, eight wrasse and three bass, all on the small side but great fish nevertheless.
I spent a good half hour chatting with him, he was only too happy to explain how he fishes the spot, he’s fished it for nearly forty years, I learnt stuff no amount of googling could match, reckon he’s the man!
I wasn’t too far away with my setup but the subtle differences he uses are the key to catching. He also told me when to fish and sadly it seems we only have another few weeks before the wrasse and bass depart til next Summer.
I’m happy for this mark to keep it’s negative reputation intact and won’t be naming it or providing photos, if only for respect to this wonderful old boy. Anybody local to me might guess the spot anyway.
I’m out to my local tackle shop in the morning to get some vital bits and hopefully will have some catch news on HDYGO from this mark before the month is out.
Out on the river Wednesday, I need to catch a fish!
Thought I’d try something different today, dropshotting with wrasse the target species.
I chose a mark that is known to be totally devoid of fish, that’s a challenge if ever I’ve needed one.
Fished for two hours having my ragworm nicked by crabs constantly so yes another blank, the mark living up to its reputation.
However, I did come away with new knowledge and renewed enthusiasm. There was an old boy fishing close by who had caught in that two hours, eight wrasse and three bass, all on the small side but great fish nevertheless.
I spent a good half hour chatting with him, he was only too happy to explain how he fishes the spot, he’s fished it for nearly forty years, I learnt stuff no amount of googling could match, reckon he’s the man!
I wasn’t too far away with my setup but the subtle differences he uses are the key to catching. He also told me when to fish and sadly it seems we only have another few weeks before the wrasse and bass depart til next Summer.
I’m happy for this mark to keep it’s negative reputation intact and won’t be naming it or providing photos, if only for respect to this wonderful old boy. Anybody local to me might guess the spot anyway.
I’m out to my local tackle shop in the morning to get some vital bits and hopefully will have some catch news on HDYGO from this mark before the month is out.
Out on the river Wednesday, I need to catch a fish!
Last edited:
rayner
Well-known member
Club fixture today on the Thames at Little Stoke near Wallingford.
One of my favourite venues.
Set up today was 15’ ultralight, Daiwa TDX 3012 reel and a sliding waggler. It was 10’ deep out towards the middle of the river with a slow, steady flow.
Balled it in at the start with 2kilos of dark super roach gb with half a pint of casters mixed in.
Double caster on a Drennan wide gape size 18.
Roach first chuck followed by a couple of small chub and a skimmer.
As the hours ticked by it was a bite a chuck, quality roach to 10oz mainly, all on double caster.
Halfway through I fed another kilo of gb which kick started the swim again.
It was frantic fishing, if I didn’t get a bite there was something wrong, bait off or hook hung up. The slider is so effective for deep water rivers, when you strike it goes straight through the float to the hook.
At the end (6hours) the scales arrived, it was a struggle to lift my net out on the high bank.
The scales went round twice and overshot the 20lb maximum. Had to take some out and weigh them separately...
In total I had 23lb:14oz:0 which secured a win.
]
Second had 11lb and 3rd 10lb..
10 fished.
Excellent.
Just the type of angling I prefer or I should say used to, quality catch, good angling.
rayner
Well-known member
KW fished poorly yesterday, at least it did for me. Couldn't estimate how the pond was fishing because I was the only one fishing.
Fished bomb and pellet again, my usual it appears these days. Bomb and pellet was a good choice for me with the wind so bad, shame the fish didn't think the same. Problem was feeding, I'm always the same. It's due to the wind, with only one usable hand I have to have my catapult fixed to the leg of my box and fire with my left hand. works fine in calm conditions but a bit of a blow and I'm spraying bait all over the venue.
Perhaps need to find a better way for feeding.
For some reason feeders don't produce enough bites to hold my interest, I think I've lost my mojo with feeders. Bomb fishing is a very active way for me to fish, it usually entices more bites so I have a leaning toward bomb.
It's expected to be even windier on Wednesday so that will be another struggle.
See how it goes I suppose.
Fished bomb and pellet again, my usual it appears these days. Bomb and pellet was a good choice for me with the wind so bad, shame the fish didn't think the same. Problem was feeding, I'm always the same. It's due to the wind, with only one usable hand I have to have my catapult fixed to the leg of my box and fire with my left hand. works fine in calm conditions but a bit of a blow and I'm spraying bait all over the venue.
Perhaps need to find a better way for feeding.
For some reason feeders don't produce enough bites to hold my interest, I think I've lost my mojo with feeders. Bomb fishing is a very active way for me to fish, it usually entices more bites so I have a leaning toward bomb.
It's expected to be even windier on Wednesday so that will be another struggle.
See how it goes I suppose.
neil1970
Well-known member
Last week I was on holiday in sunny Broadstairs.
Unfortunately I left all my bass lures at home by mistake, so spent a couple of hours in Ramsgate harbour with the LRF gear.
I wasn't expecting much but managed a few tiny rock gobies and a couple of micro bass.
Unfortunately I left all my bass lures at home by mistake, so spent a couple of hours in Ramsgate harbour with the LRF gear.
I wasn't expecting much but managed a few tiny rock gobies and a couple of micro bass.
mikench
Well-known member
I had to get out again to excorcise the demons literally and metaphorically and so my inherent lack of adventure played centre stage and I returned to a safe venue.
View attachment 7476
It was under a dark and foreboding sky that I set up and whilst there are trees it's not Sherwood Forest and the water is surrounded by fields and properties.
I started off with a couple of these to 4lb.
View attachment 7477
Then had a couple of these around a 1lb.
View attachment 7478
And ended up with around another 24 fish made up of roach, crucians and carp. I enjoyed the day and I was virtually packed up as the threatened rain arrived. My karma has been restored.
View attachment 7476
It was under a dark and foreboding sky that I set up and whilst there are trees it's not Sherwood Forest and the water is surrounded by fields and properties.
I started off with a couple of these to 4lb.
View attachment 7477
Then had a couple of these around a 1lb.
View attachment 7478
And ended up with around another 24 fish made up of roach, crucians and carp. I enjoyed the day and I was virtually packed up as the threatened rain arrived. My karma has been restored.
mikench
Well-known member
It's a super water with a wide range of fish so you never know what you are likely to catch. The Chub are very healthy and grow to 6lb and really give a good account of themselves.
peter crabtree
AKA Simon, 1953 - 2022 (RIP)
9 codgers fished today on the Aylesbury arm. Our scheduled venue was unfishable due to gin clarity.
Apart from the lilies it was quite weedy but at least it was coloured. Started on punch and soon caught some tiny roach and rudd fishing as close to the pads as possible. Not easy with a waggler.
A change to maggot improved the size of roach but still small ones. A skimmer turned up followed by a 4oz perch, what a contrast from Sunday..
In the last 5minutes I caught a 1:8 skimmer on single maggot fished just 3’ deep in 5’. This I hoped would be a match winner.
No!
Brian had been on his usual hemp and tares and had some proper roach, I was second with 2:13:0 to his 3:11:0.
The rest of the weights were under 2lb.
There are some huge bream in there somewhere but they didn’t show today...
Apart from the lilies it was quite weedy but at least it was coloured. Started on punch and soon caught some tiny roach and rudd fishing as close to the pads as possible. Not easy with a waggler.
A change to maggot improved the size of roach but still small ones. A skimmer turned up followed by a 4oz perch, what a contrast from Sunday..
In the last 5minutes I caught a 1:8 skimmer on single maggot fished just 3’ deep in 5’. This I hoped would be a match winner.
No!
Brian had been on his usual hemp and tares and had some proper roach, I was second with 2:13:0 to his 3:11:0.
The rest of the weights were under 2lb.
There are some huge bream in there somewhere but they didn’t show today...
Another Dave
Well-known member
I'm too distracted by how much you're varying the extension on your rod rest to pay attention to the match results.
no-one in particular
Well-known member
Well I went to a club lake I'm not keen on particularly,too many small roach imo,but it looks lovely and we can drive right behind the swims,I'd heard there had been good catches of bream coming out,well,the colour had dropped out a little and slowed them,but I got there and mini spodded some mixed pellet out and soon had fish fishing on it,but apart from line bites it was difficult and I ended with a common about ten pounds(that someone had ripped its top lip off when younger,grrrr)and two break between 3-5lbs,not bad,not good,but a pleasant day out in the countryside...
flightliner
Well-known member
The Trent roach have had me looking for one of the better ones over the last couple of weeks. Not easy by any means , especially with the river so low and clear and some awkwardly timed tides on the occasions I've been able to go, Mother Nature can be a hard mistress!
Catches have , on the whole been pretty limited with big baits that any roach less than twelve ounces would have a hard job to get into its mouth.
I've changed areas as my first attempts had been frustratrated by the constant attention of Bream , nice but not right now but the areas have been noted for another day.
My best day was yesterday with three roach, a day from 10am until 6pm with a split tide in between.
Overnighters not an option and packing away before the witching hour of dusk being a little more than frustrating I thought the three fish were a pretty decant result, all three on and above a lb and has nice a trio of roach as you could wish to see anywhere.
Here's the best tho of my fledgling campaign , a 1-9 roach taken last week.
<a href='https://postimg.cc/K4tFw5q7' target='_blank'><img src='https://i.postimg.cc/NGzMyJRn/IMG-5372.jpg' border='0' alt='IMG-5372'/></a>
Catches have , on the whole been pretty limited with big baits that any roach less than twelve ounces would have a hard job to get into its mouth.
I've changed areas as my first attempts had been frustratrated by the constant attention of Bream , nice but not right now but the areas have been noted for another day.
My best day was yesterday with three roach, a day from 10am until 6pm with a split tide in between.
Overnighters not an option and packing away before the witching hour of dusk being a little more than frustrating I thought the three fish were a pretty decant result, all three on and above a lb and has nice a trio of roach as you could wish to see anywhere.
Here's the best tho of my fledgling campaign , a 1-9 roach taken last week.
<a href='https://postimg.cc/K4tFw5q7' target='_blank'><img src='https://i.postimg.cc/NGzMyJRn/IMG-5372.jpg' border='0' alt='IMG-5372'/></a>
mikench
Well-known member
Your pic isn't opening Mick but a nice post nontheless and I'm glad your plans are beginning to come to fruition.
seth49
Well-known member
First on fishery for a change, so went back on the peg I had 20 carp off, a few weeks ago, different today though, fish were coming into swim, but very edgy, they spooked very easily, even with a slack line, and a big shot three ft above feeder, I was getting line bites, and kept seeing a big swirl and a bow wave out of swim.
And then to makes things worse this cormorant turned up at six fifteen.
And it proceeded to hunt all the pond, that really quietened things down, it came up in my swim twice, did get a few pellets from my catapult but didn’t seem to bothered.
Did manage three carp, but it was hard work, will have to rethink methods, they did seem to be spooking of the method feeder, which has been very successful these last few months, will try bomb and pellet, or small pva bags of pellets next time.
And then to makes things worse this cormorant turned up at six fifteen.
And it proceeded to hunt all the pond, that really quietened things down, it came up in my swim twice, did get a few pellets from my catapult but didn’t seem to bothered.
Did manage three carp, but it was hard work, will have to rethink methods, they did seem to be spooking of the method feeder, which has been very successful these last few months, will try bomb and pellet, or small pva bags of pellets next time.
flightliner
Well-known member
Hope this shows better than the last attempt.
Here goes---
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Hope this shows better than the last attempt.
Here goes---
What a beauty, I’m fishing for them on Friday, unfortunately they go about a quarter of the weight.