How did you get on?

[john step]

And the continued supply of butties Pete.

Had the landing net not worked I was prepared to take a swim despite the freezing fog. After all I regularly take a swim by accident fully clothed. At least I would have had dry clothes to put on.:wh

 

[mikench]

Mad! Glad you didn't have to, I wouldn't.

 

[silvers]

I had a day on a moving canal today. I christened my new pole, a Christmas present from my sandwich maker.
I had nothing of any size but stopped counting at 40 small roach/perch and a solitary skimmer and a solitary rudd of all things. Small worm and pinkies.

So nothing memorable catch wise but there is an image I shall never forget and will probably have nightmares about.
The bank is very steep behind. This necessitated breaking the pole down into shorter pieces than usual to swing in the fish.

I went to bait the hook again and to my horror I saw a section of expensive carbon slink its way into the muddy water and disappear. The thought of what to say on my return home challenged me to say the least. ( Order a spare and lie through my teeth?)
I was preparing to strip off and go for a dip when I reasoned that the first option should be a fish about with my landing net.

Luckily after several attempts I snagged it and was able to continue fishing with a great sense of relief.

I did that once - in 1992 on a team practice session on the Cam towpath just below the A14 flyover. It's well over 8ft deep there and I wasn't going to strip off in december .... replacement section duly purchased.

 

[108831]

Not a pretty sight Alex...

 

[wetthrough]

Some brief respite from all the rain yesterday saw me on the Bridgewater about 2 miles east of Lymm. Arrived around 10am and not expecting great things but at least I was out, it's been a while. 10'6" Toreon (I've just bought a spare I like it that much), 4bb antenna expecting some wind which didn't happen, sewing thread (90p for 135 yds! 1.6lb BS) and 20s light wire spade. The water had some colour so chucked a couple of small balls of GB in the near and far shelf bottom. Single maggot didn't get me any bites so put a double on and got my first bite and fish around 12. The float barely moved, just a bit of a lift and then nothing but it was hooked.



The bites I did get were so faint I probably missed a few. They seem to be picking it up but not moving off. A couple more followed through the afternoon this being the biggest the other being somewhere between the two.



Rain was originally forecast for 2pm but that changed to 3pm during the day then it actually arrived at 2:30 so packed up before the kit got saturated feeling quite pleased with the result although a bit surprised there were no Roach about. Had a Kingfisher fishing from the trees on the far bank for a couple of hours so there must have been some small fish around.

 

[kamfishing]

Kamchatka - sea adventures

With the purchase of a fishing kayak, I dreamed of exploring new horizons in sea fishing, in part, my wishes came true, today one more thing happened.

I have long wanted to go fishing from a kayak "outside the gate", and today I visited there.

A friend kindly drove on a boat to Salvation Bay.
From there I started my fishing trip. I walked around the bay, went fishing a little in it, and deciding to eat, I had a bite ... and not just anyone, but halibut!

The fight was very furious and long, this confrontation lasted about an hour, several times I raised the fish to the surface, but each time, he found strength in himself and went to the depths. During the fighting, I managed to collect the harpoon with one hand, which I took with me, but did not prepare for combat. For the first time I rode the fish course The first two minutes were scary, then I didn’t think anymore, I just tried to get this fish. But alas ... it didn’t get to the harpoon ... I was not destined to defeat this halibut today, at the next U-turn the fish simply got off the hook ... I won’t describe how I was annoyed (I picked up the softest word in my vocabulary) ..

I have mixed feelings ... on the one hand it’s a shame, I didn’t get a trophy, on the other, it’s a sin to complain, I fought very strong fish for almost an hour! And these are truly very vivid impressions that I will remember for a lifetime.
And I gained invaluable experience!

After this fierce battle, I came to my senses .. and decided not to get hung up on this bay, went on, first to Malaya Sarannaya, and from there to Bolshaya Sarannaya, where sergey26 picked me up later. Who kept asking about my affairs on the walkie-talkie all the time, although he kept me in visual observation all the time, for which many thanks to him!







sorry for my english, transfer google translator

 

[103841]

Great report Kam!

 

[john step]

What a stunningly beautiful place to fish.

 

[xenon]

Talking of involuntary swimming trips, I once managed to kick a trudex centerpin into the grand union at tring. It was about 4 ft in the margins, but this happened in January-no way was i going in there.

 

[108831]

Been today on my local deep club lake,had 62 roach to 12ozs and 12 perch,all but two were small,they weighed 1lb 13ozs and 1lb 14 ozs,at first i thought it might have been the same fish,but the bigger one had slight scale damage on the left flank,a nice days fishing on the slider...

 

[john step]

Talking of involuntary swimming trips, I once managed to kick a trudex centerpin into the grand union at tring. It was about 4 ft in the margins, but this happened in January-no way was i going in there.

I can assure you that when you get back out and dry off you feel warm and glowing!! Shame I don't live in Herts anymore . I could have gained a Trudex.:wh

 

[john step]

Well this is a warts and all thread. Sometimes you just blank. Like today. I wet over the border into Nottinghamshire to fish a day ticket carp pit but for pike. I have seen some huge pike in there during the odd spring club match.

No pike action and the carp boys seemed to fare no better.
There are few advantages to being in your 70s but a concession ticket of £5 for two rods is one of them.

PS. I wasn't asked for my passport crossing the A1.

Only one more trip till Christmas. Happy Christmas to you all.

 

[Hertsbloke]

Blanked,,,,not even a hint of a knock.
Lakeside Cublington....

Meanwhile, my mate has a winter ticket for Pixies lake near hemel and had 5 Carp, all over 17lb.....

 

[john step]

Get yourself some worms mate???

 

[Notts Michael.]

A blanketty blank on the shortest day for me today, on a very coloured Erewash canal, would have liked to get something on the 'new' Gumtree purchase Drennan series 7 QT rod to test it, but it wasn't to be.
As I was ready to pack up, a swirl and splash near the far bank right where I had catapulted just 2 small cubes of luncheon meat an hour earlier showed that something was about, so I cast close to it, but sod's law, a narrow boat came chugging past, churning up black clouds of sediment as it went, though they did appologise as I reeled in. will give it a go again in the next few days now that there will be a few nano-seconds more daylight to enjoy each day!

 

[ian g]

I enjoy my perch fishing but the Severn isn't really playing the game at the moment , with plenty of flood water rushing through . I had an afternoon below Shrewsbury , the river was at the top of the banks so I headed down to a large slack which had produced in the past . Tried worm on one rod just in case any perch were about , 2nd rod out with pellet and a feeder, nothing doing on the worm but I soon had a barbel on the pellet rod, 7lb . I was thinking this might be one of those barbel days , overcast and mild but 2 hours without a bite put that out of my mind. I moved to another favourite peg and the same thing happened again with a better barbel 8.5lb taking the pellet almost as soon as it hit the bottom . No more action even after another move . River is falling nicely so hopefully the float rod will be out over Christmas, but it's always nice to catch

 

[john step]

With the rivers still out of sorts I am still going to my normal summer haunts to get a bite or two.
I went to a small lake to put my Christmas pressy though its paces again.
A new Browning pole. I tried all 3 elasticated tops today.

I had small roach,perch, 5 mirrors on the heaviest elastic and this cheeky chub that found its way through an inlet pipe as fry and then grew larger.

Two week old pinkies and worm. Last day before the Christmas ban!!

View attachment 8053

 

[103841]

Seems an age since I got on the river, with a slight drop in levels, a spare hour this morning and some month old maggots still wriggling in the fridge a short trip in pleasant weather was in order. Canterbury was gridlocked yesterday with shoppers, today it was very quiet and I got to the tiny town of Fordwich in good time.

The chocolate coloured river was pushing through like an express train, my reason for this spot was a nice little slack I know of right next to the bridge. Cast a stick float out and it remained almost stationary just my side of the crease, not a single bite for the hour I had, good to get out at last though.

The forecast for tomorrow Christmas day looks even better, I’d love to return for a longer session rather than face the day ahead but I’d lose a years worth of brownie points in the process, a pint or so of malnourished maggots thrown in for an early fishy Xmas buffet.

 

[Mark Wintle]

Yesterday I followed the flooded Dorset Stour up to the headwaters then had four hours on one of the Todber match ponds. There was a match on two of the ponds and although my preferred pond was free I didn't fancy the facing breeze so opted for one of the two ponds set half a mile away where it was nice and quiet. Initially I wondered whether I'd even get a bit as nothing stirred for amn hour but the swim slowly came alive to regular feeding of pellets and maggots and as the session wore on the swim became more alive with bubbles. The first fish was a 7lb carp which proved to be the biggest of the day, and I ended up with another nine between 2lbs and 6lbs, all fighting hard in clearish water on 2lb line and a match rod. Plenty of fieldfares about.

 

[john step]

A blankety blank today. Fished my deep res. with worm and pinkies. I had one of those stupid elderly moments today. I seem to be getting more and more of them.

I forgot to pack any reels. Luckily I keep a couple of old creaking jobs in the car . The one I used on the waggler rod is an old Mitchel 230 which I had for my 21st. That makes it 50 years old. Time has gone by in a flash.