How did you get on?

[peter crabtree]

Went on the Luton AC version of my codgers matches today at Leighton buzzard on the GUC . Poles are allowed on these matches so I set mine up. For starters i cupped in chopped worm and casters and some dark fish meal gb across under a tree. About 3’ depth there.
Set up 2 more rigs for bottom of far shelf and another for close in. The only line to produce fish was the long line. Perch after perch on worm tail for the first 2 hours. Only small, but they do weigh heavy in comparison to skimmers or roach.

2 out of the 3 rigs became redundant as 2 elastics broke at the Dacron connector? Around an hour to go and it went ominously dark before chucking it down. Last half hour the sun reappeared and I changed from worm to double red maggot, still across over the chop and gb and had 3 decent skimmers before the final whistle.

Weighed in 4:9:8 which was disappointing but came 5th I think, didn’t hang around as it’s a bit of a trek getting home.

9 fished.

 

[john step]

On the Witham today. Awkward downstreamer and the river is now flowing well. Trotted with a long line on the pole. Live maggots for a change.
Plenty of small roach, perch and bleak and a few better fish. Didnt bother with a keepnet.

 

[rubio]

Extra water on and fining down a little, a moderate and steady upstream breeze; all was looking good on the river today for roach.
Happily they agreed on this occasion, greedily scoffing bread for 3 hours til nigh dark. Good uns too.

A handful over the pound, very few under 4ozs. Fantastic day.
I was already set up with a crowquill Avon which ran through sweetly a couple of rod lengths out, went under regularly. I soaked a nearly stale half loaf in the landing net and lobbed a dollop in most casts. I fed well downstream but still had small dace and chub intercepting the size 12 as I straightened out everything before letting it all run through. When it got as far as the nearside reedbed it was a decent fish. Two better chub turned the hook out in weed before I could persuade them away.
Whenever it went quiet there were obvious pike strikes. Only had one attempt to steal a hooked fish. I also had a spinning rod! Three pike got relocated. Or possibly just two. One looked suspiciously familiar.
River dropped and rose again whilst I was there. With another recent downpour it should keep fishing well for another couple of days.

 

[john step]

Stunning fish.

 

[rubio]

They're putting a smile on my face.

 

[mikench]

Either that roach was bigger than it weighed or you've got skinny legs, it looks a monster.

 

[markcw]

Either that roach was bigger than it weighed or you've got skinny legs, it looks a monster.

And that was only the 4oz one Mike

 

[mikench]

Rubio will tell the truth.

 

[Ray Roberts]

No crock of gold at the end of this rainbow.

I had about two hours on the Grand Union Canal between Top Lock and Hanwell Lock this afternoon. It looked okay but gin clear. I have been here a couple of times to look, but this was the first time I have fished it. In three visits I haven’t seen the slightest sign of fish, not so much as a rise or swirl. The only thing I caught was a tin can, it was a fine specimen if a little past it’s prime.

I was pleased with the way my new light lure rod performed and also the 1000 size Shimano reel I found in my loft the other day, which I have absolutely no recollection buying.

It certainly looks a lot better than it’s fished so far.


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[ian g]

Sounds like my lure fishing , I made the mistake of fluking a perch on my first trip but I've struggled ever since

 

[Keith M]

That shot with the rainbow in the darkening sky and rain shower is a very nice and moody shot

It’s a shame the fish didn't want to take your lure this time though

Keith

 

[Ray Roberts]

Sounds like my lure fishing , I made the mistake of fluking a perch on my first trip but I've struggled ever since

I guessed it would be hard. I’m trying the Eden in Kent next, probably tomorrow and maybe again after a work party on a club lake on Saturday.


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[rubio]

Conditions looked pretty good on my return to yesterday's swim. Level was up a foot nearly from when I left last night. It dropped again quickly after an hour and was running harder and higher for the last hour.
Three hours in-between all of that fish obligingly queued up for their bread. Starting with a small chub first run, then almost exclusively roach.
I rarely take a keepnet, even rarer that I use one. Today the curse failed!

Didn't even see any signs of pike today. And the breeze is still upstream. And no rain during the session. I almost expected a winning lottery ticket to drift into my net.
Lovely one of these too.

Do I go tomorrow? Be careless not to I think.

 

[seth49]

Back on the fishery again yesterday, Neil and mick joined me at ten am, we were the only ones there as usual, I picked my favourite corner peg, and they spaced out up the bank about four pegs apart, started on the pole as I wanted to try some new elastic I’d bought, it’s the new Preston’s Dura Slip size thirteen, got this for margin fishing as there’s no snags now, after the work we’ve done.

First of a few Ide and roach plus small perch on maggots, it’s was a nice autumn morning with warm sunshine and was very pleasant to sit out in, but it clouded up in the afternoon and started to rain, which wasn’t forecast at all, after a walk round and see how the others were doing which wasn’t much, I went back to my peg too see a carp on the few pellets I’d fed in the margin, so changed to mussel and tried for this, nothing close to me so put a couple of sections on and fished tight into the corner in about two foot of water, just feeding a few pellets.

First carp took the bait and pulled the pole round as I was looking for signs of fish nr me, like the new elastic plenty of stretch and I just let the elastic fight it, just changing direction with the pole to steer it away from the margin, got it on the puller kit after a few minutes and brought it to the net, had two more after this, was on my own now as the other two had packed up and gone home.

So still catching a few carp and it was nice to be out, plenty of bird life to, saw three big skeins of wild geese, a kestrel,jay, plenty of goldfinches, and long tail tits as well, going to try for pike next week which will be different.

 

[markcw]

How big were the carp Seth , what's the power up like with the elastic ,?

 

[seth49]

Best one about eight pounds, other two smaller, biggest one went about fifteen yards before stopping, lm liking this elastic so far, felt more in control, than with hollow elastic.

 

[markcw]

Sounds as if it's better than Drennan bungee.
I had both pink and red bungee in topkits, ideal for open water but if got taken near a snag , it was 60/40 in craps favour if you got it out, Changed over to solid elastic,
Still have 17h and 15h in topkits on other pole for margins, no problem with those.

 

[peter crabtree]

Number 4 hydro through my top kits today at Berkhamsted. Chopped worm and caster potted in, fished half a dendra on a 16 B611 at 9m. Halfway up the far shelf with an overhanging tree above.

The boat above is called Huami, rather apt as the driver was masked up...

Got gudgeoned out for the first half hour before the perch turned up. There’s some whoppers in there but they didn’t show.

Had some nice ones though ...

 

[108831]

That a hybrid in the bottom left of shot Simon,looks nice...

 

[rubio]

I returned to same spot as two previous day's but walked straight on by to the lower end. Three consecutive sessions in same place just didn't feel right, even for the short time I had.
I fed hemp whilst settling in. Just a pinch. Maybe a dozen grains at a time. Sometimes doing this for 30 minutes feels right even if only because it reinforces the habit. I get too many distractions and tangles I'm likely to forget. It's a sound discipline to foster any road.
Despite fishing like a plonker far too frequently some fish obliged. Usual suspects; roach, chub, dace. Significantly more chub today but all under 2lbs. Another wondrous couple of hours thinking somebody should try painting this.