How did you get on?

[The Runner]

Finally a decent days weather today, a one day break before the next lot of wind and rain hits. Most of my usual rock marks on the island would be out on Health & Safety grounds given the wind direction and strength over the last few days, others likely to be too shallow as the pollack begin to move to deeper water and in any case didn't feel like any long boggy walk ins, so decided on a trip to the mainland at Dornie.
Very light dusting of snow when left Portree, soon clearing and got to chosen spot a few hundred yards back from the castle just after 9 right at the top of the tide. In the past have done better here on the flood but always seems to be a few fish around whatever the tide. Quickly set up beachcaster with 6oz grip lead as the deep water here can run a bit, pulley rig with mackerel strip on a size 1 and gave it a lazy lob of 30 yards (any further and its a tackle graveyard and loads of boulders closer in as well). Cloudy and a bit chilly but felt really good to be out.

Didn't have to wait long, second cast had only been out about a minute when tip banged over, resulting in a small codling

and had a feeling that it might end up as a busy day. Nope....Two hours later missed another bite and shortly after that had a Poor Cod about 5 inches long but that was it. Nothing on the first hour of the flood either. Did think of fishing on into darkness but realised didn't have my headtorch and wasn't too keen on boulderhopping without it.
Still, turned into a nice sunny day around lunchtime and a lovely place to sit waiting for something to happen, even with the A87 only about 20 yards behind

Not much in the way of wildlife when fishing, just a couple of buzzards behind me and the oystercatchers looking like they are pairing up but did see an otter slide in off the rocks just before Kyle.

Back down South tomorrow night on the sleeper. There could be a report from the Colne on Sunday- more bites would be welcome.

 

[peter crabtree]

Today I returned to the river Colne in town where I lost 2 good fish last Saturday. The water level was up a few inches and very coloured. Used the same set up- Shimano 10’ forcemaster tip rod, 8lb main line, small feeder and a 14 drennan wide gape hook to 4lb trace.

Started at 2pm with double maggot and it wasn’t long before my first bite. A good fish which snapped my mainline somehow?

Set up again and another fish on, then off! Grrrr.

Another hook on and another one smashed my hooklink off!
Changed to a size 12 animal hook to 5lb trace with a bunch of maggots...

After a fair wait my tip shuddered, fish on.
This time I actually got to net it...

6:4:0 and a new pb...

Recast and a Bailliff came along, as we chatted the tip went again...
This was a better fish which stayed deep, every time I had it in close it powered away ripping line off the clutch.
Eventually I netted this barbel @ 6:12:0

Not as big as some which are in there but I’m very happy nonetheless...

 

[tigger]

Peter, now you know why I usually use 6lb sensor straight through .
Those fish wouldn't be put off by fishing straight through.

 

[The Runner]

I said more bites would be nice on the Colne on Sunday. Alternatively, two bites like that would be perfectly fine !

Proper Colne chub that, Simon, not so many big ones left lower down at Uxb these days but still the odd real lump about

 

[sylvanillo]

You know that first one is a small Bream Sylvanillo maybe a hybrid :thumbs:

Ah yes maybe. I remember this tiny fat thing caught my attention, but I put it back immediately as it had some resemblance to my mother-in-law.

 

[sylvanillo]

Hi!!

Today I was back fishing the same micro place on the canal. Again good results and good fun.
I know I should feel ashamed compared to Rich's carp and perch, or Runner's codling, or Peter's chub and barbel... but still, see I had fun!

The only downside being how stinky can those roach be!

So I had about 12 of them.

At this point, I thought I should try something different and moved to an area where I see a strange behaviour from strange fish. 5 minutes after throwing a few small balls of ground bait, I can see bubbles moving around, also I can see fish moving away if I'm doing any fast movement, they're espacing from the near bank, just 2 feets from me! And then.... nothing, can't get any bite. It doesn't matter, I'll come back!

Have a good evening!

 

[108831]

Peter, now you know why I usually use 6lb sensor straight through .
Those fish wouldn't be put off by fishing straight through.

Or fishing heavier from the get go,I understand though,the matchman in me used to have me doing that back in the day,these days if I fished a venue like Simon's 8lb main and a 7.9lb silstar hooklength would be the minimum starting point,I would like Simon to go back and start on the gear he ended with ,just to see the result,cracking fish....

 

[peter crabtree]

I've dug out some old Mustad size 14 to 6lb:3oz carp feeder hooks from my box of hundreds of packets ...
Going back down later with a beefier rod, Abu Suveran 12' feeder..

Watch this space..

 

[tigger]

I've dug out some old Mustad size 14 to 6lb:3oz carp feeder hooks from my box of hundreds of packets ...
Going back down later with a beefier rod, Abu Suveran 12' feeder..

Watch this space..

I use drennan super spades and animals in 14 size and they handle all comers.

Look forward to see how you go on .

 

[Hugh Bailey]

I've dug out some old Mustad size 14 to 6lb:3oz carp feeder hooks from my box of hundreds of packets ...
Going back down later with a beefier rod, Abu Suveran 12' feeder..

Watch this space..

Come on! How did it go?

 

[tigger]

Come on! How did it go?

I think he must have used stronger gear and been dragged in and drowned.
Jeremy Wade will be investigating next week !

 

[peter crabtree]

ent down again this morning and started on the upstream pegs slowly working my way down.

No bites in any of those ....

Ended up on yesterday’s peg and had a bite almost instantly...

6:3:0 and what a tail!

Once again maggot feeder and treble maggot on the hook. A second smaller barbel showed up shortly afterwards 5:11:0.
Had 3 chub later, the biggest 5:3:0

All in all a good afternoon’s fishing albeit with smaller fish..

The weekend’s looking dodgy and I’m dreading not going fishing, wtf am I going to do?

 

[108831]

I agree Simon,im chomping at the bit,my autistic son hates it when i dont go on a Saturday(routines),just cant think of anywhere safe enough....

 

[peterjg]

I fished the Thames yesterday, it was only just fishable, more in hope than with confidence. Started at first light laying-on flake in a slack next to a reedbed. No bites so moved to another bigger slack further upstream. Had to swap to a feeder rod because the wind was now too strong for the long whip. I actually had a bite and caught a small roach. Missed a bite then caught a 16oz roach. No other bites. River rising fast and brown, water temperature was 42F. No other anglers (normal) and not a single boat or canoe (bliss).

I love the Thames but it is a weird river - in the summer it can appear to be so gentle and placid almost like a big canal yet come the winter it transforms into a raging torrent; always potentially lethal!

 

[108831]

I fished the Thames yesterday, it was only just fishable, more in hope than with confidence. Started at first light laying-on flake in a slack next to a reedbed. No bites so moved to another bigger slack further upstream. Had to swap to a feeder rod because the wind was now too strong for the long whip. I actually had a bite and caught a small roach. Missed a bite then caught a 16oz roach. No other bites. River rising fast and brown, water temperature was 42F. No other anglers (normal) and not a single boat or canoe (bliss).

I love the Thames but it is a weird river - in the summer it can appear to be so gentle and placid almost like a big canal yet come the winter it transforms into a raging torrent; always potentially lethal!

Couldnt agree more Peter,the Thames in winter is unruly at best and definitely not a place to fall into,i couldnt see anyone getting out of it,the banks are awful upstream of Wallingford,maybe further down than that...

 

[Mark Wintle]

With the Dorset Stour barely within its banks and still rising it was best avoided so I had three hours on a local commercial fishing for roach. On the previous trip the owner's son had told me that an old matchfishing mate had done well feeding pellets and fishing maggots so instead of my usual just feeding maggots I fed a few pellets. It made a difference; first fish was a 2-8 bream then a succession of small roach with one of 12oz. Across from me I had a Jack in a box angler who was fishing two swims and kept standing up/sitting down, making the better roach nervous but once he'd gone I had a fine pair of roach at 1-6 and 1-5, another of 12oz and another bream pushing 3lb, all on double maggot and a 22 to 0.08.

 

[sylvanillo]

Couldnt agree more Peter,the Thames in winter is unruly at best and definitely not a place to fall into,i couldnt see anyone getting out of it,the banks are awful upstream of Wallingford,maybe further down than that...

Down around Oxford it is equally awful, today nearly as in November. My spouse is a rower, me an angler, so we both look at the river levels frequently
All backwaters/streams that are sourced by the thames normally follow the river behaviour.
A few years ago at this time of the year someone died in port meadow.
But in summer you find swimmers in that exact place, anglers complain about the lack of current....

 

[peter crabtree]

Yep...

9am

3pm.

 

[Mark Wintle]

You have to remember that Sandy Bay which is the shallow bay opposite where Peter is fishing is Oxford's equivalent of the beach in summer and was so for many decades. Years ago at wolvercote there was a short dredged section of river below the toll bridge (by Wolvercote car park) that was known as Wolvercote Bathing Place, complete with changing rooms. I once organised a works match on Medley on 31st July which that year (1997?) was a very hot day so loads of swimmers, canoes etc. But the disturbance clouded up the water and it fished very well.

 

[108831]

Yep...

9am

3pm.

Ah,the picture wasnt you out yesterday then???:wh