How did you get on?

[no-one in particular]

I cant catch a cold these days, my worst year ever has to be. An afternoon on the pier, float fishing some luncheon meat and bread, I couldn't get any bait, and then a session luring around the piles with a artificial prawn, a rubber fish, and a jelly worm thing. Not a bite and nothing at all caught on the pier either by anyone. Quite a few fishing but why no one caught is beyond me. Some whiting, small school bass and a flounder caught yesterday but today zilch. Its baffling, the conditions were good for something!! Anyway, there you go, a nice pleasant day to sit in the sunshine and have a chat and a read, the bloke next to me was on holiday from Southend, must be desperate

 

[mikench]

What are the rd rods shown in the pic Mark?

 

[no-one in particular]

What are the rd rods shown in the pic Mark?

They are not mine Mike, I took that shot just to show the sea for anyone interested like John maybe, sea anglers always like to see the condition of the sea. These where two serious looking anglers sitting on a bench just a out of shot with some good bait and gear but, they caught zilch as well, just shows you, if it aint happening it aint happening as they say. I was using a fairly heavy test carp rod for my float and lure efforts today. I would have taken a picture of it but my gear doesn't quite make the grade, don't see why I should give everyone a good chortle but my Alvey reel wasn't on it. That's my rod in the far corner in the first shot and my gear on the bench, you can just make it out.
Funny that, a bloke came up to me and asked if I was Australian when he spotted my Alvey on the bus last time. he was from Queensland as it turns out, never been mistaken for an Australian before! I am not only a thinking angler but an international angler as well, you didn't know that

 

[103841]

Always interested Mark, thanks. Do you ever fish or pop along to Samphire Hoe?

Today with a tub of lobworms that have been in the fridge for a month I thought I’d have a go for a perch and put an early marker on the challenge board.

Fished a private estate that’s nearer to Calais than London but I can say no more. ?

Worms rigged aka Binka style.





Freelined using a bite alarm and a bobbin also inspired by Steve.



The plan didn’t work, a bit too early in the season me thinks but a couple of welcome gatecrashers made the short visit worthwhile.



The Greys Toreon Tactical Float rod is rapidly becoming my favourite rod, whether it’s a fish of 4ozs or 14lb, the rod handles them all superbly and makes me look a far better angler than I am, certainly a lot less bump offs. I have to thank a few FM members for bringing the rod to my attention and I was lucky to get one when it was both cheap and available which doesn’t look to be the case anymore.

 

[Keith M]

Had a few hours on my local stream yesterday trying to catch some Barbel, but for some reason the Barbel were not playing ball this time which was very unusual for this stretch.



I was fishing a narrow swim downstream of the better barbel swims as they were all full, but even they didn’t appear to be as productive as they usually are, I had caught a couple of near 2lb roach from this swim in the past but only the Chub were biting yesterday. I had five Chub up to just under 2lb in total after removing my hair rig and hooking my spicy meat directly onto my hook.



No doubt I might have had a Barbel or two if I had stayed into the evening once the light had started to fade but I was feeling a bit tired and hungry and decided to call it a day early.

Keith

 

[john step]

Ha Ha. Ditto. Tub of worms and bag of prawns for an early start to the perch challenge on my syndicate resy. No perch at all. They have done a runner.
Deep gin clear water and my Acy Ultra.
Had a couple of doubles and a rare (for me) tench to make up for it though. Also a sun tan and packed up just missing the rain. Result.

 

[mikench]

I’m glad you like the Toreon John. It is indeed a lovely rod to use. How many rods give pleasure and perform whether it’s a 4 oz roach or a 14lb carp.

 

[no-one in particular]

Always interested Mark, thanks. Do you ever fish or pop along to Samphire Hoe?

No I don't John, I had to look it up to remind me of it, I have passed it a few times on the train when I lived in Deal. But it is a bit far for me to go fishing now. I fished the Dover breakwater a few times, very strong current and not easy to fish but had a few cod back in the day. Some good marks were opposite Walmer castle, Kingsdown rifle range, Deal north end along the golf links and Sandwich Bay, they are probably nearer you than me now and also what they are like now I wouldn't know. And this was back in the day when there still some fish about and I had some semblance of competence

 

[christhoel]

Why on earth would you post maps of a water etc?

Rayner, you think it's funny?

Sorry to offend

 

[christhoel]

Why on earth would you post maps of a water etc?

Rayner, you think it's funny?

Got rid of it now especially for you

 

[Philip]

I have been itching to try a river for Roach as it holds some good ones but Bream have always been a problem there in the past. However a certain stretch had been producing far less of them of late so I thought I’d give it a new go.

As usual, preparation was all-important & I spent a few hours walking the stretch with a plumbing rod before settling on a spot. I started to bait the swim daily, not easy as the area is frequented by the general public so it had to be done stealthily coupled with the daily slog of bait preparation and travelling back & forth to bait. Boat traffic was also a nightmare. I had 4m of depth & was uncertain if the feed was staying put with the wash from the barges…I would soon find out.

Roach have allot of water to lose themselves in here...thats not the far bank, thats an island in the middle ...location is everything...

The day, or rather evening, of fishing came and I was full of anticipation. Arriving on dark I put out a rod for a Barbel or Carp to one side. Things started well when that rod rattled off within 30mins. It was a river Odd’un, a Common / Koi. These are sought after fish in the river, sometimes seen but rarely caught. It was probably thrown in as an unwanted pet years back to grow on in the river.

A river Carp but not the usual sort....

I ended up reeling the Carp rod in as I became so absorbed with the Roach. As full darkness closed in I started to get allot of bites touch ledgering & eventually hooked into one..this was the moment of truth..would it be a Bream ?…a flash of silver and red fins allied my fears as a good Roach came to the net. The weed was bad and it was not easy to get a good presentation but every time I felt a good “clonk” down I had a bite. The swim was obviously full of fish so my swim choice & bait / barge worries were unfounded. I lost track of time such was my interest & ended in the early hours with 10 Roach with 6 over a pound. Importantly there were no Bream.

The 6 best Roach, all over a pound to 1.11..

To say I was happy with this start on the river would be an understatement. It also confirmed to me that my tactics are without doubt singling out the bigger Roach. Chomping at the bit to get back again !

 

[108831]

Well,after a few problems with the local council concerning my autistic son(see whinging bar stewards thread),I managed an afternoon session on the small river,stick float and maggot,got a half tidy swim which obviously someone had fished before me,anyway,after being plagued with minnow unblemished sized chublets for half an hour I started to catch some half tidy roach,ended up with 26 roach between 6/12ozs,6 decent chub 2/4lbs,5 dace 4/8oz,4 perch 4/6ozs,quite a few chublets between 4/10ozs,four barbel ruined the party,could not believe how far under and into the far bank rushes they could get,my float was five feet in,so the fish was three feet further....

 

[peterjg]

Philip, be very careful - roach are addictive! Proper fishing!

 

[108831]

Had a few hours on my local stream yesterday trying to catch some Barbel, but for some reason the Barbel were not playing ball this time which was very unusual for this stretch.



I was fishing a narrow swim downstream of the better barbel swims as they were all full, but even they didn’t appear to be as productive as they usually are, I had caught a couple of near 2lb roach from this swim in the past but only the Chub were biting yesterday. I had five Chub up to just under 2lb in total after removing my hair rig and hooking my spicy meat directly onto my hook.



No doubt I might have had a Barbel or two if I had stayed into the evening once the light had started to fade but I was feeling a bit tired and hungry and decided to call it a day early.

Keith

Ahhh,so you were around number six,shame,if I'd have known it was you I would have scared you with my ugly mug....

 

[tigger]

The rain came down heavy last night and as I expected the rivers where just too high for me to float fish them and I didn't want to leger so a change of plan was executed. I had several hours on a club water from 2pm today. Normally the carp park at this water is full to bursting but when I arrived it was quite empty, just three cars. As I walked across the field to the pools I could see that all the car owners were fishing on the older pool which meant I had the newer pool to myself. No idea how many carp I caught but it was quite a few, well over twenty fish. Last time on that water I had a bream on floating bread, today, I had another bream on floating bread!
A few pic's...



















You bored of looking at pasties yet LOL.

 

[seth49]

Another day on new fishery, fished 12 till 8 pm, dry after first couple of hours of light rain, but windy so picked a sheltered spot at the back of the island, like the way they dug this pond out, the island is only 10 metres from the top edge of the pool, so it’s a like a canal this part of the pond, and it’s nicely sheltered as well.

Neil joined us today, so there were us three, plus two more, they left about three so had the pool to ourselves from then on, put one rod out on an alarm as a sleeper, which it did, never had a bite on that one, and fished the other free lined from my chair, using either paste or mussels for bait, and loose feeding two mm pellets to attract the carp in.

First fish was a common of about 6 lbs, then had a quiet spell a nice mirror was in the swim, but not taking any baits, then another carp arrived and took the paste almost right away, gave me a real scrap did this one, first run of nearly fifty yards, and then trying to get in the bank side reeds, must have took the best part of ten minutes to land, just didn’t want to give up.

Neil came over to net it for me, a Pb ghost carp of 16 lbs 8 ozs, a cracking fish very deep body and in excellent condition, they’re doing really well, a credit to the fishery, still trying to catch a twenty, but there are at least two in here, so I’ve a chance, after some photos back to fishing, did manage to catch the mirror after a while, which weighed 13 lbs 2 ozs, nothing else after that so we started packing up at eight o clock and called it a day, was pleased with my day, enjoyed it.

 

[103841]

Notched up another three hours early this morning looking for my elusive barbel.



I caught one bream, it was a decent size of about 5lb, a nice bronze colour, not slimy and it gave a good account of itself, I still couldn’t bring myself to take a photo of it though.

Instead I captured a nice moment as a family glided gracefully through my swim.

 

[christhoel]

With kids being back at school now it was a walk to school drop them off and straight down to the canal to catch a few roach and perch was getting a fish a cast again until a inconsiderate paddle boarder went through middle of my swim !
So it was time to move so it was over to the river for maybe a trout but no to my surprise got some grayling a very first from a river that 20 years ago had no life and was polluted beyond belief!
4 grayling and a minnow in 5 casts !
This is a day to remember and the most satisfying outing for a while

 

[mikench]

Gordon and I had a plan A and so, in pursuit of that,we met up at the water of choice at 5.45am. We both had tench in mind and I was all prepared. Sadly the rains had left the car park under water and the lake was very weedy . We agreed on Plan B and set off to a familiar and popular lake.

I set up a feeder rod and after 30 minutes of zilch activity I set up a float rod. My current favourite bait of curried chick peas produced nothing. In fact I had no interest all day on the feeder. Thankfully I followed Gordon on the float and managed 50 fish but most were small . I had a good perch around 1lb and a decent Rudd.

The weather was good and we both enjoyed it. Gordon had a similar number and once again maggot was the only bait wanted.

It’s odd when fish go off thé tried and trusted. We both know this water must have big roach, Rudd and perch but so far they have eluded us . Thanks again Gordon for your company. We continue to learn and improve and one day we will get a real result.

 

[103841]

Stick your perch on the challenge board Mike, bask in the glory while you can!