How did you get on?

[Hertsbloke]

Thanks Peter, I was following your earlier recommendation of this spot.... I was literally 12/14 inches off the island.

Its obviously a good spot, as although not visible in the pic, I think I counted 7 different wagglers stuck in that tree !

 

[peterjg]

Hertsbloke, I used to fish there sometimes before I moved to Hampshire. There are some nice roach in there, had them to 1lb 11oz but I am sure there are much bigger ones in there. Also lots of 2lb plus perch, best method gudgeon livebait.

 

[no-one in particular]

Not fishing at the moment, not too well, blood pressure all over the place but getting a walk in which is good so this is just to keep me interested.
A few hardy souls on the pier, everyone complaining about the whiting however, I saw two come up and they were a bit bigger than normal but still undersized. Some reported big bass have come up from under the pier a couple of weeks ago in the rough sea but it’s been very calm for a few days. One or two small plaice and flounders coming up but not many. The little cod run back in October has petered out it seems. This has been the way for years, a little glimpse of promise and then nothing.
Sun coming right over the beach-

 

[peter crabtree]

11 codgers fished today at Bulbourne near Tring on the GUC.
A cloudy and chilly start followed by hazy sunshine as the morning wore on.

During the first 2 hours I fished single squat on a Sensas size 24 hook to 0:6 bottom. Just 2 tiny perch in the net..
A few boats came through and coloured the water a bit but still no bites. A second rod with waggler and pinkie across to the far shelf also produced nothing.

At quarter to 3 with 15 minutes left I had a proper bite on pinkie down the track, a welcome roach.
Had 3 more with minutes to spare and weighed in 0:8:0 for second. First had a skimmer + bits for 1:9:8. I beat third placed codger by 0:0:4dr...

 

[Hertsbloke]

Thats just by the Grand Junction pub isnt it ?

 

[peter crabtree]

Yes, that's it.....

 

[flightliner]

I set off this morning hoping for a chub or to from my Trent tributary.
A bucket of bread mash and a few slices of semi stale bread for hookbait along with some cubes of luncheon meat that I forgot to take from the fridge (doh) was all I felt was needed.
On arrival it was plain to see just how much land had been inundated by the recant flooding.
I was in no great haste to start and took my time in deciding my chosen swim, a short bottleneck that widened out quite markedly where my plan was feed the mash along it in the hope it would draw any chub up and into it where my flake bait would hopefully be more easily encountered than in the wider river below.
I eventually made my cast after some thirty minutes of feeding tiny pieces of mash upstream and within the hour my tip lurches over in dramatic fashion and after a pretty difficult struggle where the fish tried it's best to snag itself in marginal reed it went into my net and on weighing pulled the scale needle round to 4-6.
A good fish for the venue and nice to see after my recant lean spell.
I sat until dark and never added another fish but no matter, always another day!

 

[john step]

Reading the posts from Flight and PC it tallies with my experiences this week. Utter useless. A rare and complete blank in fact with not a single bite or twitch. I presume its the sudden frosts after the mild spell.

 

[flightliner]

Never mind Peter, we'll see and hear of lots being caught at the Lincoln do later this month from our mutual friend and star of the show.

 

[rich66]

This was the view I was greeted with this morning, I wasn’t expecting that ! Anyway not to be put off I used my landing net & handle to break open a swim.
Spent a few hours warming myself in the winter sun, only thing missing was a few fish !
Managed to feed a few birds and an obliging little mouse. I’ll try again next week but think I’ll bring my dead baiting rod see if the pike are feeding.

 

[steve2]

I’ll try again next week but think I’ll bring my dead baiting rod see if the pike are feeding.

Worst time of year for Pike try the Summer.

 

[sam vimes]

For one reason or another, I'm struggling a bit for motivation. I actually got up at a sensible time with the intention of going to a day ticket still water. By midday I was still slobbing about, slurping coffee, listening to the radio and mooching around the www. By 1330, I was still at home but decided that I really had to get my backside into gear. However, as it was so late, I wasn't going far.

The first trot through produced an optimism boosting grayling. It was downhill thereafter. Eventually managed a second grayling after losing two lunatic trout and a grayling. Ended up moving swims just to tempt one more grayling before knocking it on the head. Back in the comfy chair with a nice warm brew by 1600.

Pleased I went, but not so much with the fishing. I won't be forcing myself out of the door for a while. I hate winter.

 

[Another Dave]

A session scratching a few small rudd and a roach from a part of the pond that wasn't iced over. A loud splash as a kingfisher on the far bank took the plunge through the icy surface. Some local youths rustling around behind me retrieving some contraband. And a very loud bang when the MOD detonated a WWII bomb in the park. No bites after that.

 

[peterjg]

A session scratching a few small rudd and a roach from a part of the pond that wasn't iced over. A loud splash as a kingfisher on the far bank took the plunge through the icy surface. Some local youths rustling around behind me retrieving some contraband. And a very loud bang when the MOD detonated a WWII bomb in the park. No bites after that.

Another Dave, bloody hell! A quiet, peaceful fishing trip then?!

 

[Another Dave]

Aye. I don't think the bomb was viable because they dug a hole, put it in and blew it up and it didn't make a crater.

 

[103841]

So when you changed from the float to the bomb, you meant it literally.

 

[peter crabtree]

It was 5 degrees when I arrived at the supermarket in town, in the wind on the wharf behind more like 3 degrees so I hoped I’d get some precious moments.... Set up regrdless and slowly froze as I watched a motionless float for 2 hours. Used a rod I haven’t used for ages which I bought 25 years ago for the canal, a 12’ Silstar Ian Heaps light line match.
Eventually I had a bite on double red maggot, a 6oz roach, then another, a perch.

The water was so clear I could see the leaves on the bottom in front of me. I didn’t expect to catch roach but had a few more as the light faded.
This one fought like a Trojan...

 

[103841]

Well done Simon, you’re catching when many aren’t, including me too wimpish to get out there.

 

[john step]

A day on the canal. Very coloured. A dry day however. Lots and lots of bites .Nothing big just fun with perch and roach. Plus two bonuses.
The first was this little tommy ruffe. I have not had one of these for perhaps 20 or 30 years. Smashing little fellow.
The second was a free air show from the Red Arrows practising overhead.

All the fish were on a pole and worm ....Mikench :wh

View attachment 7996

 

[mikench]

I will not be persuaded , ever.