How did you get on?
- Thread starter peter crabtree
- Start date
After a good start on the river, my fishing season had fizzled out. A lot of previous summer favourites were off the menu for various reasons -not fishing well, changed hands or even sold their stock, on club books I didn't renew - and when the hot weather set in I just dabbled at hit-and-miss things like fishing floaters in the evening or catching very little on an overgrown small river conveniently nearby. Dave Coster featured a place over in Lincolnshire in his diary on here, a 40 yr old commercial I'd been to a few times in winter, so I thought I'd try there. The wooded site is attractively overgrown, most pegs are shaded, and they take your money and let you get on with it. I went 4 times in the last couple of weeks.
One time, I tried to alternate fishing pole and light gear close for mixed fish, with fishing bomb and pellet 25 yds out for carp, thinking I'd get the best of both worlds. I did end up with a bunch of carp plus a net of skimmers, bream and roach, but keeping both plates spinning seemed unnecessarily hectic. And the carp misunderstood the rules and kept taking the pole-fished bait. Besides, I should have brought a bigger net.
I wondered how it would go if I just fished for the carp and I went back a few days later with just a bomb rod, 6lb line and a box of 8mm Robin Red pellets. I fed these in dribs and drabs and caught some ridiculous amount of carp - 30 or so - and, for all that I say it's not my thing, I enjoyed it. Catching them intentionally on adequate gear is a long way from cursing things accidentally caught on gear they over-power. And I did get a kick out of seeing the rod fly around on a "bite" - it's so shallow that startled fish take off at speed. I'd brought a bigger net, which helped
As far as I can tell, I had 3 lakes to myself, so I thought it a bit odd that the chap, a bit older than me, who arrived after an hour or so chose to sit quite near me, but I was fishing well out so I didn't pass comment. He came over, politely asked if I'd caught any, told me he'd picked up fishing again after decades off, and had Parkinson's. He got himself set up and in went a float a little way out. I could see it clearly, and it didn't look like moving and his sweetcorn bait wasn't working, and the carp were lined up to pull my rod in every five minutes, so I stopped fishing, went over and asked him, not intruding I hoped, if he'd like to have a look at how I was getting these carp. It was all new to him, it turned out - the pellets, the hair rig, the bomb a bit heavier than casting demanded, the self-hooking etc. He had a look at the set up, asked about how you tie this and that and what to buy to do the same thing. A quick demo let him see it working thanks to a couple of obliging carp. When he packed up, he came back and said thanks again. Sometimes you end up in unspoken competition with anglers nearby; sometimes you feel moved to offer to help, if they want it.
Still stuck for where to go, and with the river shrinking more and more in the heatwave, I went back again yesterday after lunch. This time I just took pole gear, aiming to fish the pool with crucians. They're not those big Home Counties dinner plates, these are rare East Midlands fish and a pound fish is a good one, for me at least. I picked out a lovely swim where |I could fish to left and right with 4 sections of pole
It's a perfect little spot, save for the banks being covered in guano courtesy of more than 50 of these, crash landing en masse in the pool and congregating in front of you, all honking at once.
To keep the carp at bay, I potted in bits of bait frugally. I wasn't catching like that, though, so I had to feed a bit more - 3mm pellets and casters - and that brought the swims to life. My float proved a bit light - 4 x12 - and let bits intercept, so when a hook-pull trashed the rig I replaced it with a "heavy" 4x 16 and caught proper fish from then on on a 4mm expander. I was chuffed to catch 9 crucians like this
with numerous small tench and some decent roach. I converted a couple of top kits in the close season, so today was the first time I fished with an elastic puller set up, using Matrix Slik in green. Well, I can see why they're de rigueur for commercial regulars as there's no way I'd have got half a dozen lumps like this in on my crucian gear, and I only got smashed twice.
So, the place saved the day(s) when my fishing had got a bit aimless. Thanks to Dave Coster for reminding me of it, and, as you'd think, his comments on the different pools summed them up exactly.
One time, I tried to alternate fishing pole and light gear close for mixed fish, with fishing bomb and pellet 25 yds out for carp, thinking I'd get the best of both worlds. I did end up with a bunch of carp plus a net of skimmers, bream and roach, but keeping both plates spinning seemed unnecessarily hectic. And the carp misunderstood the rules and kept taking the pole-fished bait. Besides, I should have brought a bigger net.
I wondered how it would go if I just fished for the carp and I went back a few days later with just a bomb rod, 6lb line and a box of 8mm Robin Red pellets. I fed these in dribs and drabs and caught some ridiculous amount of carp - 30 or so - and, for all that I say it's not my thing, I enjoyed it. Catching them intentionally on adequate gear is a long way from cursing things accidentally caught on gear they over-power. And I did get a kick out of seeing the rod fly around on a "bite" - it's so shallow that startled fish take off at speed. I'd brought a bigger net, which helped
As far as I can tell, I had 3 lakes to myself, so I thought it a bit odd that the chap, a bit older than me, who arrived after an hour or so chose to sit quite near me, but I was fishing well out so I didn't pass comment. He came over, politely asked if I'd caught any, told me he'd picked up fishing again after decades off, and had Parkinson's. He got himself set up and in went a float a little way out. I could see it clearly, and it didn't look like moving and his sweetcorn bait wasn't working, and the carp were lined up to pull my rod in every five minutes, so I stopped fishing, went over and asked him, not intruding I hoped, if he'd like to have a look at how I was getting these carp. It was all new to him, it turned out - the pellets, the hair rig, the bomb a bit heavier than casting demanded, the self-hooking etc. He had a look at the set up, asked about how you tie this and that and what to buy to do the same thing. A quick demo let him see it working thanks to a couple of obliging carp. When he packed up, he came back and said thanks again. Sometimes you end up in unspoken competition with anglers nearby; sometimes you feel moved to offer to help, if they want it.
Still stuck for where to go, and with the river shrinking more and more in the heatwave, I went back again yesterday after lunch. This time I just took pole gear, aiming to fish the pool with crucians. They're not those big Home Counties dinner plates, these are rare East Midlands fish and a pound fish is a good one, for me at least. I picked out a lovely swim where |I could fish to left and right with 4 sections of pole
It's a perfect little spot, save for the banks being covered in guano courtesy of more than 50 of these, crash landing en masse in the pool and congregating in front of you, all honking at once.
To keep the carp at bay, I potted in bits of bait frugally. I wasn't catching like that, though, so I had to feed a bit more - 3mm pellets and casters - and that brought the swims to life. My float proved a bit light - 4 x12 - and let bits intercept, so when a hook-pull trashed the rig I replaced it with a "heavy" 4x 16 and caught proper fish from then on on a 4mm expander. I was chuffed to catch 9 crucians like this
with numerous small tench and some decent roach. I converted a couple of top kits in the close season, so today was the first time I fished with an elastic puller set up, using Matrix Slik in green. Well, I can see why they're de rigueur for commercial regulars as there's no way I'd have got half a dozen lumps like this in on my crucian gear, and I only got smashed twice.
So, the place saved the day(s) when my fishing had got a bit aimless. Thanks to Dave Coster for reminding me of it, and, as you'd think, his comments on the different pools summed them up exactly.
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First session on the new stretch today. I took two rods, the first a traditional Sage and Battenkill 3# and the other a 4# Sage and Orvis Czech nymphing outft for the more overgrown sections.
There was not much action on the dry patterns but a few small (breakfast sized) trout on the wets.
Czech nymphing is not my most-loved method but it did bring a few trout and 2 nice grayling, all returned to the stream, and in truth the only means of fishing some of those swims.
I think this stretch might hold a few nice surprises later in the year and being very close to home is perfect for those sessions when you only have a couple of hours to spare.
The nearest pub' (the Michelin starred one) is closed on Mondays so I met the owner of the section in her village pub' where there was a good selection of cask ales.
There is safe parking (by the church) the walking is easy and there is good bankside cover on many of the swims, so overall. definitely a "keeper" venue . . . . .
There was not much action on the dry patterns but a few small (breakfast sized) trout on the wets.
Czech nymphing is not my most-loved method but it did bring a few trout and 2 nice grayling, all returned to the stream, and in truth the only means of fishing some of those swims.
I think this stretch might hold a few nice surprises later in the year and being very close to home is perfect for those sessions when you only have a couple of hours to spare.
The nearest pub' (the Michelin starred one) is closed on Mondays so I met the owner of the section in her village pub' where there was a good selection of cask ales.
There is safe parking (by the church) the walking is easy and there is good bankside cover on many of the swims, so overall. definitely a "keeper" venue . . . . .
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mikench
Well-known member
After an absence of over two weeks and a dislike of fishing in hot sunshine Gordon and I settled for somewhere easy and we thought, offering some shade on certain pegs. It was overcast on arrival and we set up on pegs close by which looked promising.
It was pleasantly cool and we both float fished catching from the off but only swingers and mainly Rudd. As the morning progressed the sun came out and it was hot. In truth it was very warm indeed. No fish of any size could be tempted by a wide variety of baits even though carp were cruising up and down in large numbers. They were however, disinterested in our offerings. I managed a small mirror but that was it. We both had around 30 small fish and it was nice to be back fishing but it was too dammed hot for me and, I suspect for Gordon. There were very few fish caught on our lake and the other one had only one angler. Good to see you again Gordon. In hot weather I want a beer in my hand and a pool at the side rather than a rod and reel. ??
It was pleasantly cool and we both float fished catching from the off but only swingers and mainly Rudd. As the morning progressed the sun came out and it was hot. In truth it was very warm indeed. No fish of any size could be tempted by a wide variety of baits even though carp were cruising up and down in large numbers. They were however, disinterested in our offerings. I managed a small mirror but that was it. We both had around 30 small fish and it was nice to be back fishing but it was too dammed hot for me and, I suspect for Gordon. There were very few fish caught on our lake and the other one had only one angler. Good to see you again Gordon. In hot weather I want a beer in my hand and a pool at the side rather than a rod and reel. ??
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A bit of repetition with my HDYGO posts at the moment, apologies. I wish I could post some tales from the river bank but in my part of the world any river fishing is out over the summer with other forms of pleasure making fishing during daylight hours nigh on impossible. Night fishing would be ok but I'd never venture out alone in darkness.
Another short session on the estate, chose to use an elasticated pole over the usual whip with the possibility of carp venturing away from the far bank on a day without visitors. I'd gone over to the lake early this morning just to rake a few swims and remove branches, twigs and lost tackle, of which there was a fair bit. It was so quiet and serene, no anglers, no visitors and no gardeners, not the slightest breeze and with leaden skies it looked perfect for fishing, back within the hour ready to go.
I fished over the swim I had raked with nothing in the first hour, then it livened up and over the next ninety minutes had five bream, three tench and two roach, all within a few feet from my chair, surprisingly not a single annoying skimmer.
I spoke too soon, a large shoal of fry moved into the margin and I just couldn't get a bait on the deck left unmolested, a good time to call it quits.
With the estate so quiet I had a wander around the gardens, last week I captured a Peacock butterfly enjoying the seeds of a sunflower, today it was a turn of the bees.
With the gardens closed there wasn't any falconry and no raptors to nick my bait. I did however catch a glimpse of a soaring red kite, first I've seen this year, tried to get a photo but it was rubbish.
Looking over the fields to the old church I could see threatening skies, a quick dash back to the car and home.
Another short session on the estate, chose to use an elasticated pole over the usual whip with the possibility of carp venturing away from the far bank on a day without visitors. I'd gone over to the lake early this morning just to rake a few swims and remove branches, twigs and lost tackle, of which there was a fair bit. It was so quiet and serene, no anglers, no visitors and no gardeners, not the slightest breeze and with leaden skies it looked perfect for fishing, back within the hour ready to go.
I fished over the swim I had raked with nothing in the first hour, then it livened up and over the next ninety minutes had five bream, three tench and two roach, all within a few feet from my chair, surprisingly not a single annoying skimmer.
I spoke too soon, a large shoal of fry moved into the margin and I just couldn't get a bait on the deck left unmolested, a good time to call it quits.
With the estate so quiet I had a wander around the gardens, last week I captured a Peacock butterfly enjoying the seeds of a sunflower, today it was a turn of the bees.
With the gardens closed there wasn't any falconry and no raptors to nick my bait. I did however catch a glimpse of a soaring red kite, first I've seen this year, tried to get a photo but it was rubbish.
Looking over the fields to the old church I could see threatening skies, a quick dash back to the car and home.
Pete Shears
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Still no tench at the local reservoir just four skimmers. Not much activity really,no perch hammering fry or pike having a go or other fish rolling.
Perhaps some rain would freshen the water and stimulate some action. However spent most of the morning watch a great white egret, common egret and herons trying not to get in each others way. An osprey turned up and sat in a treetop 200+ yards away then flew off. Half an hour later I spotted an osprey sitting on a different branch but in the same area,that flew off after about 10 minutes and later another flying over the dam end about 400 yards away - 3 different ospreys or the same one . . . .
Perhaps some rain would freshen the water and stimulate some action. However spent most of the morning watch a great white egret, common egret and herons trying not to get in each others way. An osprey turned up and sat in a treetop 200+ yards away then flew off. Half an hour later I spotted an osprey sitting on a different branch but in the same area,that flew off after about 10 minutes and later another flying over the dam end about 400 yards away - 3 different ospreys or the same one . . . .
Another Dave
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Apologies for my belated reports which will follow bit by bit. We spent a lot of time in the close season feeding bread to the dace in the very local park stretch and by June they'd been joined by some half decent roach and some very bold chub.
Here's what we're looking at:
For the first few days of the season the river always attracts some anglers that are never seen again. I think this is because it's not easy fishing so they soon get bored. I still don't find it easy, and I like it that way. I did manage an extremely quick session before work on the 16th and nabbed a nearly handsized roach, a couple of nice dace, then a maybe 6oz chub on a lure, a cheap 6g plug modified so it has a single hook with a little squid muppet over the shank, wobbles like a good 'un.
By the time the weekend arrived and the youngest could get out, the swim had been heavily fished. It was hard going but we managed a few dace.
More to follow
Here's what we're looking at:
For the first few days of the season the river always attracts some anglers that are never seen again. I think this is because it's not easy fishing so they soon get bored. I still don't find it easy, and I like it that way. I did manage an extremely quick session before work on the 16th and nabbed a nearly handsized roach, a couple of nice dace, then a maybe 6oz chub on a lure, a cheap 6g plug modified so it has a single hook with a little squid muppet over the shank, wobbles like a good 'un.
By the time the weekend arrived and the youngest could get out, the swim had been heavily fished. It was hard going but we managed a few dace.
More to follow
Alan Tyler
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I know the feeling...odd, isn't it?
S-Kippy
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I decided to have a go for the tench on Simon's " town pit" yesterday....aka The Aquadrome. No water ski boat on a Monday which is why I went....I cannot stand that bloody thing up and down all day.
Picked a swim that I've done well from in the past and spombed out a bit of bait but nothing all morning and no sign of a fish. I'd been pinging a few pellet in close over some bubbles that I wasn't sure were fish or not when a tench rolled just to the left of where I'd been feeding. Popped a bait in close and before I could set the bobbins the line was snatched out of my hand....male tench 5-8 on a 10mm tutti frutti. A while later my "out rod" went and that was a beautiful fish of 6-5.
It went quiet again for a bit before I swapped the boilie for maggots,lobbed it long and again the line was pulled out of me hand before I could set the bobbin. 5-12. I had another shortly after which was possibly the smallest I've had from there at barely 4lb.A little later the LH rod roared off again and this was a very much heavier fish....might have been a carp but I think it was a big tench. Either way it kited left,buried itself in some weed and broke the hooklink. Damn !
It then went a bit flat until teatime when a tench rolled right over my baits but I didn't get any more offers which was a bit annoying....I felt one more was on the cards.
So....I had 4 tench from 5 bites which is not a bad return from that place where a couple is much more the norm. Two biggest below
Picked a swim that I've done well from in the past and spombed out a bit of bait but nothing all morning and no sign of a fish. I'd been pinging a few pellet in close over some bubbles that I wasn't sure were fish or not when a tench rolled just to the left of where I'd been feeding. Popped a bait in close and before I could set the bobbins the line was snatched out of my hand....male tench 5-8 on a 10mm tutti frutti. A while later my "out rod" went and that was a beautiful fish of 6-5.
It went quiet again for a bit before I swapped the boilie for maggots,lobbed it long and again the line was pulled out of me hand before I could set the bobbin. 5-12. I had another shortly after which was possibly the smallest I've had from there at barely 4lb.A little later the LH rod roared off again and this was a very much heavier fish....might have been a carp but I think it was a big tench. Either way it kited left,buried itself in some weed and broke the hooklink. Damn !
It then went a bit flat until teatime when a tench rolled right over my baits but I didn't get any more offers which was a bit annoying....I felt one more was on the cards.
So....I had 4 tench from 5 bites which is not a bad return from that place where a couple is much more the norm. Two biggest below
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Apologies for my belated reports which will follow bit by bit. We spent a lot of time in the close season feeding bread to the dace in the very local park stretch and by June they'd been joined by some half decent roach and some very bold chub.
Here's what we're looking at:
For the first few days of the season the river always attracts some anglers that are never seen again. I think this is because it's not easy fishing so they soon get bored. I still don't find it easy, and I like it that way. I did manage an extremely quick session before work on the 16th and nabbed a nearly handsized roach, a couple of nice dace, then a maybe 6oz chub on a lure, a cheap 6g plug modified so it has a single hook with a little squid muppet over the shank, wobbles like a good 'un.
By the time the weekend arrived and the youngest could get out, the swim had been heavily fished. It was hard going but we managed a few dace.
More to follow
Has to be the best smile on HDYGO, she's growing up too!
markcw
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Dunham Fishery ,?
mikench
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Indeed it was . The 2 pegs to the left of the bridge.
markcw
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Thought is was, is it fishing better than copper beech on there. ?
mikench
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Not really. I often think it's me but others fare similarly. I've no idea why Mark.
flightliner
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Well, come hell or hi water I'm going in the morning Alan.
But for a couple of hours last week its been two weeks since I wet a line!
Pete Shears
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Spent a some time this morning wandering about on the GUC catching small perch on small rubber jigs, made a refreshing change from sitting behind leger rods. One 250 yd section only had around 18" of water in it - leaky lock gates, a small shoal of very nervous roach darting about.
Then it rained but a CRT bod turned up to get more water in the depleted stretch so the boat traffic could get through but this had stirred up long stretches so with the rain - time for home.
Then it rained but a CRT bod turned up to get more water in the depleted stretch so the boat traffic could get through but this had stirred up long stretches so with the rain - time for home.
I've still got no particular place to go, as the song said, so I went back to continue my commercial education. I might as well go back and see how many I can catch, I thought. It's the best part of an hour's drive, but, town traffic aside, I don't mind driving and the place is relaxing.
I ignored the crucian pool, set up for the carp and prepared to reel them in. The first lesson was don't presume. There were plenty of fish showing, but could I get a bite? I swapped the 20g bomb for a 5g, tried long and short hooklengths, swapped the pellet for a floating one and popped it up, took that off and put a float on ( who says you can't fish a float with a quiver tip rod?) and fished it shallow..... After 2 hours it looked as though I might be going home from a place that seems to have more stock than a fish farm without a bite. I won't be mentioning this to anyone, I thought.
But then. The sky darkened, the wind started up and rain spattered down and the tip flew around.
The step change in the weather seemed to send the carp down and start them mopping up the pellets they'd been ignoring, and it was back to catching a hefty carp every few minutes.
Since I had bites to spare, with fish lining up, I compared different rigs and bite indication. With a 20g bomb, the deep silt meant you had to cast in, lift the lead out from where it had stuck, and trim up. The carp hooked themselves, the tip ripped round - but you had to wait, and you wondered if the splash put them off or the bomb sinking in the silt was a problem. With a tiny bomb, it went in nicely and didn't bury, but the fish didn't hook themselves, bites were harder to pick out, sometimes fish had a go at a bait then left it. Touch legering has been talked about on here; I tried that. I found if I used the light bomb, trimmed up then let a bit of slack and took a loop in my hand, I could pull the bomb and pellet along a couple of inches, prompt a bite, and get a really clear sense in my fingers of when a fish had picked up the pellet. I caught a number of carp like that, and it definitely picks up bites early and gives you that gotcha kick.
I ignored the crucian pool, set up for the carp and prepared to reel them in. The first lesson was don't presume. There were plenty of fish showing, but could I get a bite? I swapped the 20g bomb for a 5g, tried long and short hooklengths, swapped the pellet for a floating one and popped it up, took that off and put a float on ( who says you can't fish a float with a quiver tip rod?) and fished it shallow..... After 2 hours it looked as though I might be going home from a place that seems to have more stock than a fish farm without a bite. I won't be mentioning this to anyone, I thought.
But then. The sky darkened, the wind started up and rain spattered down and the tip flew around.
The step change in the weather seemed to send the carp down and start them mopping up the pellets they'd been ignoring, and it was back to catching a hefty carp every few minutes.
Since I had bites to spare, with fish lining up, I compared different rigs and bite indication. With a 20g bomb, the deep silt meant you had to cast in, lift the lead out from where it had stuck, and trim up. The carp hooked themselves, the tip ripped round - but you had to wait, and you wondered if the splash put them off or the bomb sinking in the silt was a problem. With a tiny bomb, it went in nicely and didn't bury, but the fish didn't hook themselves, bites were harder to pick out, sometimes fish had a go at a bait then left it. Touch legering has been talked about on here; I tried that. I found if I used the light bomb, trimmed up then let a bit of slack and took a loop in my hand, I could pull the bomb and pellet along a couple of inches, prompt a bite, and get a really clear sense in my fingers of when a fish had picked up the pellet. I caught a number of carp like that, and it definitely picks up bites early and gives you that gotcha kick.
Its been four and a half weeks for me Mick ...
Ended up going,left the house at 8am,arrived at the fishery at 8.30ish,went down the bank and the swim I wanted was empy,not one of the two flyers,but the next level down,I float fished bread for half the day,then pellet for the rest,had a good catch of barbel to 7 or 8lb,7 baby barbel to 12ozs,five nice chub,a common around 7lbs,7 roach to 12ozs,a dace around 10ozs,along with around 20 chublets and roughly the same gudgeon,im now completely shot,with my back aching like buggery....
Ended up going,left the house at 8am,arrived at the fishery at 8.30ish,went down the bank and the swim I wanted was empy,not one of the two flyers,but the next level down,I float fished bread for half the day,then pellet for the rest,had a good catch of barbel to 7 or 8lb,7 baby barbel to 12ozs,five nice chub,a common around 7lbs,7 roach to 12ozs,a dace around 10ozs,along with around 20 chublets and roughly the same gudgeon,im now completely shot,with my back aching like buggery....
Another Dave
Well-known member
The following Sunday (27/06/21) we had another crack at it. When we got to the swim a European guy was already fishing a few feet downstream from our spot but he was a decent chap and very friendly and was happy for us to try our luck. He was catching gudgeon on maggot. Now, Littl'un has never seen a gudgeon so she was delighted when our fellow angler let her return the next gudgeon. The dace were really hard work, they usually are until later in the summer. We managed the odd one:
We didn't have long and we do like a bit of spinning so out with the little Spinmad spinnertail. A perch obliged, daughter's first of the season:
We didn't have long and we do like a bit of spinning so out with the little Spinmad spinnertail. A perch obliged, daughter's first of the season: