How did you get on?

[103841]

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve blanked when lure fishing but when you do hook up it’s a great buzz. There are times I don’t have time to prepare and fish bait methods, this is when a short drop shotting walk along the river is perfect.

I like the precise measurement of that milestone to Leeds!

 

[d.owens]

It's not just the blanks, I've had plenty of them with bait! I just don't find it an enjoyable form of fishing. I like the roving with minimal tackle approach, but can do that with a tub of worms or maggots.
I really wanted to get into it but would be much happier chucking chopped worms around my float tip. Each to their own.

 

[tonybull]

With no scheduled fixture on the list we decided to have a knock up yesterday on the GUC at Marsworth. A dry and mild day with very little wind which was favourable but the water was rather clear.
With limited set up time I opted for pole and 2 topkits. One a positive rig with a .60g float and 16 hook for whole Dendra and one light rig with a .25gr float and 20 for punch or pinkie.
I started by potting in some chopped worm and casters at 11m, roughly two thirds across and some liquy at 8m down the middle. The punch line produced nothing during the first half hour so half a worm went out on the other spot. Almost instantly I had 3 bites, all of which I missed... The 4th time I hooked it, a big crayfish!
Still fishless after 2hours I tried the light rig instead on the 11m line with single pinkie and a small section of worm, this payed off with a skimmer in the net soon afterwards. My nearest angler had prepared groundbait which I told him was probably the kiss of death in clear water but he persisted in piling it in. He didn’t get a single bite and packed up early. I remained frugal with my loose feed and reaped the benefits with 6 more skimmers and 9lb14 in the net at the end which won the match....
Second had 7:15:0 and 3rd 4:6:0.
14 fished.

Simon

Quality fishing, your posts are always a joy to read.

 

[john step]

PC. That looked a nice dry calm place to fish. My day today was a bit different. I made a bad decision. I fancied a barbel as the Trent has dropped down to be within its banks.
I parked up away from the bank and barrowed my clobber across a sodden field. Unfortunately the surface water in the meadow was deeper than it looked. Half way through the new lake I just continued ploughing through as there was no point in turning back.
I found a high spot to set up but the edge was a quagmire of slippery mud and pain! I only managed a solitary bream and packed up a couple of hours after dark to repeat the process of barrow watersports.
Everything is now drying in the garage.
Such is life I guess.mg:

 

[rich66]

Back on the Soar today I’ve covered 2 odd miles today, drizzle and mist followed by heavy rain, but not overly cold. I’d drawn a blank over the 2 1/2 hours of fishing. River was up a little more than last week perhaps 4-6 inches. Decided to call it a day and walking back to the car saw a swim that looked likely. I’ve had a fair few roach and perch in the summertime from that swim it’s a little slack just out of the flow maybe normally 4’ deep. Dropped my stick float with a piece of bread punched from my largest bread punch, just past my rod tip. Watched the float circle round the swim for a while, you get to know how the float behaves with the eddys etc. Something didn’t quite add up so lifted my rod tip a bit sharpish and boom something was on, gave me a good fight. Kept getting back into the flow and I was on light tackle 2lb bottom with a 16 hook. So no way was I going to take a chance. After a couple of minutes I saw a shadow, then a fish came to the top. Managed to get my net under it and out it came. Not a PB by a long way but a very enjoyable and welcome fish. Certainly one of the best chub I’ve had in a few years from this particular spot.
Was going to weigh it but it flipped on the mat and went straight back into the river!

Few photos of the river and my chub below

 

[S-Kippy]

For a change it was the Met Office that did for me today, not the M25.

Lousy forecast when I got up so I talked myself out of going....then it improved markedly for the afternoon/evening ( according to the bloody MO) so with mild temps and sw winds I thought the OBH zander might have a go...so off I went.

It was raining when I got there, it rained all afternoon and then, right as the light started to go and you need it to stay cloudy the sky cleared. Buqqer !
The water, unsurprisingly, was coloured so I reasoned a oilier, smellier bait would be best....so it was sardine and mackerel sections. I did try roach but without success. Not a touch until 4-15 as the light went then 2 proper runs ( and 2 fish) plus a pick up and drop in the next 45mins. Then the skies cleared and it went stone dead. The cloud returned about 6-15 and I thought I might stand a chance of another fish. Sure enough,just as I was about to give it best the lh rod went off but...buqqer....it dropped the bait. When that happens they sometimes come back so I left it and within a minute it went again. Landed the fish and packed up.

So...3 zander from 4 pickups albeit nothing of any great size. The 2 better fish might have scraped 4lb...the other was smaller. Still....first zander of the winter and it was nice to be doing it again even though the weather was filthy. 2 on sardine....the other on a mackerel chunk. The abortive run was on sardine too so at least my thinking about baits seemed to be correct.

The downside is that my gear is soaking wet and covered ( literally) in mud. Guess what I'll be doing for most of tomorrow.



Heres the smaller fish. I only took the pic to show the kids what a zander looks like and down there you can never be certain you'll get another one...let alone a bigger one. The zander fishing is a shadow of what it used to be like but its the only place within reasonable striking distance for me. I know they're in the Thames but where they live is bandit country...not even the BF will go there.

 

[peter crabtree]

Monday afternoon I went down to the supermarket wharf again for the big perch. Chopped worm in first via bait dropper then whole Dendra on the hook below a bobber.

First bite was a sail away followed by a spirited fight . Not a perch this time but a clonking roach

Got plagued by ruff and small perch after that, I was told by a reliable source that some perch over 3lb had been out there recently so I’ll try again another day.

Yesterday 11 codgers fished at Leighton Buzzard again but south of the town this time. Once again nice coloured water with a lazy tow fed by the nearby river Ouzel.

A soggy wet day with sunny spells. Bites from the off from roach and skimmers on pinkie whilst spraying squatts. Biggest skimmer around 2lb.
Caught loads of roach but they were small..

Came third with 6:3:0. Winner to my left had 15lb with runner up to my right 10:3:0.

 

[d.owens]

The second blank in a row, I'm on my hat trick!
Steady rain this morning did not deter me, a pint of mixed maggots bought at ten o'clock, then off to the local duck pond.
I decided to try one of my homemade reed wagglers and fished light with double maggot on a barbless size 18.
Frugal loose feeding of maggots around the float, I awaited some action.
Canada Geese and Moor hens were busy causing riots on the top left hand of the lake.
I awaited some action.
A heron sat menacingly on the top right hand of the lake.
I awaited some action.
The rain finally relented.
I awaited some action.
Then, at last, I was forced to spring into action.....and prevent a massive Husky from eating my maggots.
My little homemade float sat well in the water, the tip colour standing out admirably, but it never witnessed one bite. I changed depth, shotting, tried single, double, red and white maggots. I couldn't buy so much as a nibble.

View attachment 7953

Home at 2 o'clock, freezing cold and muddy. Will be back out to do it all again soon!

 

[mikench]

You are in very good company so do not dismay. The weather is abysmal, fish rarely play ball but, and it's a big but, it's better than working.

 

[john step]

Did someone say it might rain today. It blooming poured all day again. Determined to get a bite or two after my debacle on Monday on the Trent, I headed to a small water on the Wolds with worm and prawns.
I was dosed up with a heat pad for my back which seems to have worked.

I had a couple of flickering tweaks on a bomb but nothing hitable. I experimented with 3 large worms for casting weight on a freeline. Bang, 5 of these at similar size about 8lb.
So much more satisfying when you have to work for bites.

View attachment 7954

 

[peterjg]

Started (just as it got light) on a very quiet, beautiful part of the K&A canal, I fish here quite often but it is just so hard, no bites so walked back to a flowing pound where the Kennet runs into the canal. I found a slack and cut out a gap in the tall nettle stalks with my machete, the spot looked good but no bites (other than pesky minnows), only had flake or dead maggots with me. Walked back to the car and drove a couple of miles to a different stretch of the K&A.
Float fished bread flake on a size 12 hook and immediately started catching. Ended up with 13 roach (mostly 10 to 14ozs) and a nice dace, though I missed a few bites and lost 2 fish which dropped off. Stayed on after dark for about an hour and caught a snotty of about 3lbs which for a few seconds fooled me into thinking it was a big roach. An enjoyable day but fed up with all the rain. Fishing again tomorrow.

 

[peter crabtree]

Having heard of a big chub being caught from a local canal swim, I decided to go down there today. I haven’t fished there for a good few years and remember catching roach on the whip and punch last visit. It’s a canalised pound with the Colne running in upstream so has a left to right flow.
The swim is on a sharp bend and features a split where the river rematerialises and forks off on the far side ...

Got down there at 9:30 having been fortunate to park quite close by. Set up a float rod with TDX reel which promptly seized up after I’d attached a waggler..I don’t know what happened but the handle just jammed then turned clunkily with a grinding sound... it was f####d!
With no spare I had to reload the barrow and trudge back down the towpath. Luckily the little cafe by the lock was open and the kind lady let me leave my gear there while I nipped home for another reel.
Unbelievably the parking space was still vacant and I was soon back and fishing. Needed a big crystal waggler taking 7BB to reach the split and an equally strong catty to ping maggots across to the target area. After a couple of hours trotting down the far bank I’d had just 2 bites, both tiny roach.
Changed to a much lighter float and fished down the middle with caster and started catching quality roach. Stuck with this until it was too dark to continue. No big roach but at this time of year I’m just pleased to get a bite..

 

[john step]

A well know swim. Haven't been there for 25 years! Used to be wall to wall gonks close in. Nice to see the photo.

 

[Neil Maidment]

Yesterday I had a much anticipated trip to the River Test as a guest of The Legend that is Dave Steuart and in the company of my good mate Graham Elliott.

Even with the Test racing to the sea we both had a shed load of fish some of which were out of season!

But the roach, dace, grayling, perch, chub and rudd all obliged for a very enjoyable days trotting.

A very special day.

 

[peter crabtree]

Had a walk around the town pit and the adjacent Colne today.

Saw just the one fishing...

Or two maybe?

 

[103841]

Nice shot!

 

[mikench]

Nice photo indeed.

 

[Hertsbloke]

First time out for a few weeks, expectations were low....

Went to Lakeside at Cublington and tried the Carp lake...

Using a small 18g hybrid feeder with groundbait/2mm pellet mix and a variety pf hook baits.

Didnt even get a knock.

Packed up at 3.30 as bloody frozen and not an ounce of life had I seen, apart from the really annoying Goose that wanted to eat all my bait....

Only just now got warmed up....

 

[mikench]

It’s reassuring that I’m not missing much.

 

[peter crabtree]

First time out for a few weeks, expectations were low....

Went to Lakeside at Cublington and tried the Carp lake...

Using a small 18g hybrid feeder with groundbait/2mm pellet mix and a variety pf hook baits.

Didnt even get a knock.

Packed up at 3.30 as bloody frozen and not an ounce of life had I seen, apart from the really annoying Goose that wanted to eat all my bait....

Only just now got warmed up....View attachment 7979

Under slightly warmer conditions you would catch on that peg. You want to cast really tight to the island for the carp..