How did you get on?

[theartist]

Looks like a sorry looking chub to me

 

[d.owens]

Looks like a sorry looking chub to me

I thought it looked like a chub but I'm fairly certain nobody would have transferred chub to our little pond.

 

[theartist]

I thought it looked like a chub but I'm fairly certain nobody would have transferred chub to our little pond.

Chub have a habit of getting everywhere, I can't recall many stillwaters where I haven't had one, granted sometimes their numbers could be minimal but they do show up, be it introduced by someone on the sly, livebait escapees or from eggs on birds feet

 

[David Gane]

Chub have a habit of getting everywhere, I can't recall many stillwaters where I haven't had one, granted sometimes their numbers could be minimal but they do show up, be it introduced by someone on the sly, livebait escapees or from eggs on birds feet

Some years ago, a friend of mine was sitting in an armchair on a Sunday afternoon in the living room on the first floor of her town-house watching the grand prix when she heard a noise from behind the armchair. She got up to have a look and found a LIVE chub jumping around on the carpet. She does not own a cat and when she went round to all of the neighbours' houses none of them had a pond. She kept the fish alive in her sink and subsequently did find a home for it, but she never got a satisfactory explanation as to where it had come from.

So yes, they do get everywhere!

 

[ian g]

Managed a couple of hours this evening on the Severn below Shrewsbury. Just a pellet feeder set up targeting barbel . Last night's heavy rain had put some more water and colour . Only bite came at 5.30 resulting in a barbel of 8.2 lb . Hope the colour drops out of the water so I can get my float rod out for a few perch .

 

[108831]

Some years ago, a friend of mine was sitting in an armchair on a Sunday afternoon in the living room on the first floor of her town-house watching the grand prix when she heard a noise from behind the armchair. She got up to have a look and found a LIVE chub jumping around on the carpet. She does not own a cat and when she went round to all of the neighbours' houses none of them had a pond. She kept the fish alive in her sink and subsequently did find a home for it, but she never got a satisfactory explanation as to where it had come from.

So yes, they do get everywhere!

I can hear x file music when reading the above,cant understand why...

 

[mikench]

I go nearly 2 months without fishing and then twice in 2 days. Today I visited my favourite venue last year. A blocked drain in an adjacent public highway had caused water levels to rise by more than 3' and many pegs were underwater and unusable. The problem was resolved in November so I decided to have a look.

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The weather improved as the day wore on and I wish I could say the same about the fishing. I caught a crucian of about a 1lb on the float early doors and didn't take a pic as I , foolishly, assumed it was going to be the first of many. It was the only one I caught on the float.

I switched to the feeder but only managed 2 skimmers which I no longer photograph. I practiced my casting and effortlessly sent a 28g feeder 60/70 yards so the rod clearly has power yet the finesse to register small skimmers. I like it and fishing will improve I'm sure. It was nice to be out though and doing again what came naturally last year.

 

[ian g]

Hi Mike is that Walford? I fished it last year , early November if I remember rightly, the whole place was sodden and not to much was caught. It looks a lot more pleasant in your photographs

 

[mikench]

Hi Ian, yes it's Warford. With the rains and the blockage it was a mess and I hate mud. The levels are back to normal but the banks are still waterlogged. It fishes really well normally and I was disappointed today but it will improve. It's a cracking water.

 

[103841]

I returned to the same spot on the river as two days ago where I had an action packed ninety minutes catching chub, dace and roach.

The only thing predictable about fishing is the unpredictable,. Decided to go with just two hours of daylight left hoping dusk might bring the roach on. It had been overcast all day and it was almost sunset when the sun decided to make an appearance giving a golden glow to the winter bare trees.



Today was totally different with not a single bite in the first hour, eventually a few dace and a solitary chublet saved the blank and I surprised myself by staying until I could no longer see the float, with the temperature dipping sharply and a full moon emerging above the rooftops it was time to head home.

 

[markcw]

Finally got out today, Went on the Oxford canal with Sylvanillo, he was wanting to float fish the canal. Anyway we met up at a local tackle shop and after introductions and purchase of bait off we went.
I thought I was travelling light with stripped down seatbox and small bag of bits and single net bag, but after parking the car and walking to the canal I realised I was wrong. After getting breath back and pouring a cuppa I set Sylvan up , pinged a few maggots in and cast over them, There was a slight tow on the canal so I had set the float a few inches over depth to slow it down. As I was setting up, his float dipped so I put my rod down ,struck into his fish as I was explaining to strike at indications and a small roach was landed.
I told him to cast as close to the tins on the far bank, this was mainly due to the way the light was on the water and it was easier to see the float on far side, I duly set myself up with trusty crystalite rod and old shimano aero match reel. After a few dodgy casts into foliage on far side I managed to land it in the water.It seemed a case of pupil doing better than teacher. It was hard going, changing depth, trying down the track and going from double maggot to single maggot, we were both on 0.10 hooklengths to 20 fine gauge hook,
We managed a few fish between us, and it was an enjoyable day,
Would I have caught more if I had used a pole against far side,? Yes ,but not that many more and only because I wasnt used to using a float rod on the canal.
The next outing could possibly be light line and sensitive tip feeder/bomb fishing on the canal using my daiwa canal wand and shakespeare wand.
Not sure if Sylvan would want to try pole fishing.
We had a good day and it was a pleasure to fish with him.
Watch this space for more outings,and maybe one could be on a commercial.

 

[sylvanillo]

It had been overcast all day and it was almost sunset when the sun decided to make an appearance giving a golden glow to the winter bare trees.

Lovely photo!

My first input into this thread (of 1443 pages!! really!?): :wave:

So today Mark & I managed to meet in Oxford. I brought myself, Mark brought himself plus a complete professional equipment for two :laser:
In fishing or other activities there's nothing better than a coach who knows!
Not sure how long for we fished but we stayed a few hours, on a stretch of the canal. Cold weather but good enough especially if that stretch compared to other more rural places where the wind can cut the ears into pieces.
So during this session, which was my very first float fishing experience, the following happened:
a) Mark caught a roach in about 2 minutes (?!), followed by a few other ones;
b) Mark caught a big roach a bit later; eace:
c) I caught my first fish (a baby roach) using a float! :cheer2:

Float fishing looks like a fine method that involves attention and knowledge more than lots of gear - I wasn't aware at all and should have tried long ago.
We finished early due to the lack of underwater willingness. :yield:
Maybe not the most productive session of all times, in terms of catches, but to me... a good one. Thank you Mark!!:applouse:

 

[sylvanillo]

Amazing Mark I posted at the same time!!! mg:

 

[mikench]

Well done the two of you. I see you met up at a Tackle shop so how many poles did you buy.

 

[ian g]

Hi Ian, yes it's Warford. With the rains and the blockage it was a mess and I hate mud. The levels are back to normal but the banks are still waterlogged. It fishes really well normally and I was disappointed today but it will improve. It's a cracking water.

I went for a bit of a social with some mates who fish the Severn , One guy had a couple of carp , I managed a few roach and a skimmer . I planned to try for perch but I think the carp would be on the worms , some good chub in there I believe.

 

[markcw]

Well done the two of you. I see you met up at a Tackle shop so how many poles did you buy.

I didnt buy any but bought 5 ready made pole rigs to go with the 10 I bought yesterday.

 

[peter crabtree]

Rob and I had another go for the elusive roach at Berkhamsted today. A slightly colder day with bright and sometimes dazzling sunshine.
Once again we were plagued with gudgeon although today’s were slightly bigger.

The roach remained fairly elusive until around 3pm when the sun started to set. A rather large pike took a fancy to my keepnet at one point and managed to get it stuck in its teeth. It thrashed around until I tried to lift the net out and it fell off.
Fishing caster laid on the far shelf I did eventually hook a bigger roach, I saw it flash as I hooked it.
Then the flipping pike grabbed it! It wallowed around for a while before it released my roach which made a dash for shelter behind my keepnet.
Alas the pike grabbed it again!
I hung on and hoped as it cruised up and down, roach in its jaws and my fragile hooklink stretching.
Once again it let go and I landed what turned out to be a 14oz roach. It’s injuries weren’t too severe but are visible in this picture of my netful...

 

[john step]

A Trent blank today on the non tidal. I looked at the levels website last night and it seemed OK. However it must have risen overnight and was a different proposition today. I had one barbel rod and one zander rod out in a back eddy to no avail.
I did see one of those vast flocks of starlings wheeling around at dusk though. I think they call it a murmur of starlings.

I think I will stick to a few local still waters for a bit.

 

[mikench]

I didnt buy any but bought 5 ready made pole rigs to go with the 10 I bought yesterday.

You really shouldn't have Mark.

 

[mikench]

. I think they call it a murmur of starlings.

A murmuration of starlings Pete. I remember learning some odd collective nouns like that and an exaltation of larks. The wonders of the English language.