How did you get on?

[corixa]

He needs the practice

 

[theartist]

You will be most welcome to join us once you turn 55 Rob. We will probably need some new blood as a good percentage of the regulars are over 70 and some 80.

Cheers mate, they must call you the youth, I think your hemp guy will still be banging them out when I reach that age though, besides I would drive you guys nuts with my budget gear and heavy hooklengths, I'm just amazed I catch a few down there sometimes when I see how fine you guys go

 

[108831]

Where the hell did the 5 billion gudgeon that were in front of me on Sat get to ?

This afternoon I had a couple of hours on the Colne at Ricky on a swim that had it been on the Kennet 25 years ago people would have been fighting over. I had 2 small perch and packed up early as I didnt really want to be there and wasn't enjoying it. Phil had had a couple of chub when I left...it wouldn't surprise me if he had more.

I woke up in a strange mood today and it hasn't left me all day. I shouldn't have gone. I'm supposed to be going tomorrow too but if I wake up feeling like I did today I wont bother.

I know exactly what you mean about those feelings,ive had them quite a few times over the years and if they happen in warm weather i will spend most of my day lying on the bank watching and chatting to someone else fishing....

 

[S-Kippy]

I know exactly what you mean about those feelings,ive had them quite a few times over the years and if they happen in warm weather i will spend most of my day lying on the bank watching and chatting to someone else fishing....

Well, I did wake up feeling much the same and the forecast for where I was planning to go kept changing. I spoke to the Big Feller and he didn't want to get wet either. We toyed with a session on the GUC but, tbh, the thought of scratching around for a few bits did not appeal. In the end I realised that if I did go it would be for the sake of going and I'd probably end up walking off like I did yesterday ( the BF did get another chub after I'd gone btw).

So...I cut my losses and sorted out the " tackle corner" in the utility room instead. The forecast has changed again ( now dry) but I am in such a bad place mentally atm I honestly cannot be bothered. Half the trouble is that nowhere I fancy is fishing and I am fed up scratching around for the odd bite. I just hope this mindset fades as quickly as it came on. I went from reasonably content to a headful of worries literally overnight and I cannot fathom what triggered it.

Retirement is great bar the winters which seem interminable and mind crushingly dull. I have no enthusiasm for anything atm....not anything.

 

[108831]

You could always have a days bream fishing with Jerry,you could really comfort each other, lol,i must say ive usually been trotting for chub several times by now,but with the rivers being up and up i really have not been motivated to try,sad,because no doubt if i went and caught a couple i would be away....

 

[d.owens]

Finally got time to get some fishing in today, it feels like an eternity since last wetting a line. The weather gods smiled on me and the rain stayed away. I had a deserted pond to myself, had a bit of company from a fearless little Robin bobbing around my feet all day.

View attachment 8074

My first fishing trip of the new year, I decided to keep things really simple, given the cold weather, I was not that hopeful, just happy to be out by the water. A homemade reed float, 3 & half pound line straight through to a size 14 barbless. I had no ground bait, squeezed a chunk of bread flake onto my hook and made my first cast of 2020. Within seconds I had a nice little roach. Swiftly followed by another one. A much better start than expected!

View attachment 8075

After I began to struggle for bites I changed hook bait to a couple of grains of sweetcorn, and fed very sparingly around my float.
After my four hour stint, I had bagged 14 fish, a nice assortment of roach, various carp and three bonus tench. I also caught a decent bream that had an horrendous injury to its flank but swam away strongly.

View attachment 8076

View attachment 8077

View attachment 8078

A thoroughly enjoyable start to my angling year.

 

[markcw]

Watch this space on Saturday, Myself and Sylvanio are finally managing to get on the canal for his first go at float fishing on there. Rods ,reels floats etc all ready, collect bait on friday, And for once I will not be using a pole .

 

[hague01]

My first dip today! ( for 3 months in truth)I bought some new polaris float variations over Xmas , ie new varieties to me so went to a local club with deep water. I thought about trying the match lake but decided to check how long the polaris took to surface. Odd that a biggy say no 18 in 20' of water barely sinks before it appears but smaller ones, ie the new no 3 took nearly 5 minutes in 10'.Anyway worked fine but I blanked as I expected and a guy on the match lake had 10 carp so he had a good start to the year. Coming back to fishing on retirement after 50 years I have never got to grips with waggler fishing in deep water so a polaris is a compromise.
So nice to get out though and take advantage of a break in the weather.Being a soft southerner, I have a 10/10 rule.Wind less and temperature more!Water levels up nicely though!

 

[john step]

Change of direction today. Light lure rod and some small lures on a club lake. Nothing big just two jacks about 3lb but they were great fun on this rod that feels like a wisp of air to hold.

Funny thing though. As I played the second on I wondered what had happened to the lure. I thought it had come adrift and only the hook was on the end but it turned out the lure was deeply hooked. I retrieved it with no harm to the fish but I have never had a lure taken that far down before.
It was gulped in an instant on the retrieve.

 

[mikench]

And for once I will not be using a pole .

I don't believe you. I overcame my lethargy which I thought might be terminal and went fishing today. Thanks to Gordon for persuading me to get out and I'm glad I did. We arrived at our chosen water around 8.00 am and set up in the half light. I was itching to use my new ( to me) Browning Silverlite feeder rod so set up with an Emcast reel, maggots, worms and waxworms. I thought about taking 3 sq meters of Axminster, underlay and gripper rod a la Markcw but my psychiatrist said I took too much gear as it was.

All of the above produced nothing so I switched to small gb feeder and a pellet and caught a 6-7lb common. The rod clearly felt shortchanged at such a trivial test but it was a delight to use and cast with. Gordon , on the float had a great day as I'm sure he will post with 4 carp and plenty of roach. I borrowed his Greys Toreon 10'6" float rod( a lovely rod) and caught 7 small roach on maggot. My phone played up today so no pics but I'm glad I went and managed to recall what to do. I'll be that much better next time out.

 

[hague01]

there seem to be some cheap deals on the toreons around at the moment Mike

 

[wetthrough]

Gordon , on the float had a great day as I'm sure he will post with 4 carp and plenty of roach.

Makes a change Mike. I don't usually get a look in when Mike's Delicious Diner's open! Thanks for the company, a most enjoyable day and good to be out again.

Mike:


Not quite sure about this one. Scaleless Mirror?:

 

[sam vimes]

Not quite sure about this one. Scaleless Mirror?:
View attachment 8080

Essentially, yes. Usually called a leather carp.

 

[108831]

My first dip today! ( for 3 months in truth)I bought some new polaris float variations over Xmas , ie new varieties to me so went to a local club with deep water. I thought about trying the match lake but decided to check how long the polaris took to surface. Odd that a biggy say no 18 in 20' of water barely sinks before it appears but smaller ones, ie the new no 3 took nearly 5 minutes in 10'.Anyway worked fine but I blanked as I expected and a guy on the match lake had 10 carp so he had a good start to the year. Coming back to fishing on retirement after 50 years I have never got to grips with waggler fishing in deep water so a polaris is a compromise.
So nice to get out though and take advantage of a break in the weather.Being a soft southerner, I have a 10/10 rule.Wind less and temperature more!Water levels up nicely though!

Slider is the way forward mate,watch James Robbins videos on you tube on slider fishing,boththe Cadence tv and on Shakespeare tv,they are very informative and if you did everything he says you wouldnt go far wrong,a good string to your bow too,all the best in whatever you choose...

 

[mikench]

there seem to be some cheap deals on the toreons around at the moment Mike

I know Alec and that is why I'm tempted. Gordon kindly let me have an extended play with his 10'6" Toreon and it was very nice to use. I can resist everything but temptation.

 

[markcw]

My first dip today! ( for 3 months in truth)I bought some new polaris float variations over Xmas , ie new varieties to me so went to a local club with deep water. I thought about trying the match lake but decided to check how long the polaris took to surface. Odd that a biggy say no 18 in 20' of water barely sinks before it appears but smaller ones, ie the new no 3 took nearly 5 minutes in 10'.Anyway worked fine but I blanked as I expected and a guy on the match lake had 10 carp so he had a good start to the year. Coming back to fishing on retirement after 50 years I have never got to grips with waggler fishing in deep water so a polaris is a compromise.
So nice to get out though and take advantage of a break in the weather.Being a soft southerner, I have a 10/10 rule.Wind less and temperature more!Water levels up nicely though!

You can fish shallow on deep waters, sometimes you will have better sport, just keep altering the depth until you get a bite, You could end up fishing 2' deep in 15' of water, this used to be a brilliant tactic on Lymm Dam.

 

[d.owens]

Sorry for thread diversion, this was amongst my fish from yesterday.
View attachment 8083
I think it is a grass carp? I'm no carp expert and was wondering what any of you more knowledgeable guys think. Cheers.

 

[mikench]

Not a carp but possibly an Ide.

 

[hague01]

I will have a look today! Thanks

 

[Keith M]

Sorry for thread diversion, this was amongst my fish from yesterday.
View attachment 8083
I think it is a grass carp? I'm no carp expert and was wondering what any of you more knowledgeable guys think. Cheers.

It’s definately not a Grass Carp.

For a start it’s eyes are positioned too high up to be a Grass Carp (see link below):

Grass carp - Wikipedia

Keith