How did you get on?

[The Runner]

Ho hum...

 

[nottskev]

I haven't reported any outings for a couple of weeks. Not that I haven't been fishing, I've been every other day, but I've just been fishing for barbel - it really is addictive - and there's no point detailing similar sessions. Still, the two weeks went from fishing a river at the lowest I've seen to one with a couple of feet of water on and I've been in different swims perming methods from float, bomb, feeder - max 30g - and free line, so the fishing's been varied and good, with plenty to think about as the river and the weather changed. Gone are the dry banks of summer, and I'm hoping to fish the river this winter a bit more than in pervious years, so a dog spike and a length of rope are in the bag

I'm always jealous when I see pics and videos of anglers on southern rivers apparently fishing from a lawn level with the water. Yes, I've no real shortage of fishable swims, but it's frustrating to turn down fabulous ones as just too hard or dangerous to get into and out of. Not that I'm planning to take risks; with a rope, I still only fish swims fitter blokes manage without.

One little point that made me wonder - I often touch-leger. You get a lot of information through the line and get a heads up for imminent bites. But I've had two hook pulls - rare to lose barbel like that -with fish where I'd struck at determined line pulls. I don't intend to stop doing this, you definitely, imo, get a better sense of fish present in the swim and it helps you stay patient and tuned in, but it may be that there is a risk of being slightly premature or of the hook not being set as firmly as when barbel come up against the fixity of a rod in a rest.

 

[mikench]

That looks a chunky fish Kev! Did you weigh it?


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[Badgerale]

I'm always jealous when I see pics and videos of anglers on southern rivers apparently fishing from a lawn level with the water. Yes, I've no real shortage of fishable swims, but it's frustrating to turn down fabulous ones as just too hard or dangerous to get into and out of.

Not in my corner of the south east - stretches of the Sussex Ouse you need absailing gear if you want to get near the water when it's low. Some of the smaller rivers you need to bring a scythe to get through the brambles.

I'm jealous of that barbel.

 

[thames mudlarker]

I took a trip back to a small stream I had previously fished, in the hope that I would catch one of the large chub I have seen there. I took a 5ft telescopic rod (the stream is tiny) and ledgered using 2AA on a small link ledger. I cast a worm out and put the rod down to put the net head on the landing net handle, when I had a very firm knock on the rod tip. Unfortunately the brand new 3.5lb line broke. Set up the end tackle again and had a decent roach almost straight away. There’s been a thread on forum recently about dead maggots, but having tried them for the first time today (I couldn’t get to the tackle shop for live ones) they accounted for the carp of about 3lb below

View attachment 17272

A couple of other roach came to freelined worm, but alas no chub. However, a lady angler who was roving this stream appeared and showed me some photos of some chub she had caught in the same spot last week. Pictures below of the size of the stream


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River Shuttle ?
Has some surprisingly nice fish in there for such a small southeast London river

 

[Philip]

....RIver Shuttle anglers groan in dispair.

 

[Ray Roberts]

....RIver Shuttle anglers groan in dispair.

I think we are lucky there is anything alive still in there. It was polluted in June this year and the source of the pollution wasn’t discovered.

'Several hundred' fish wash up dead in River Shuttle in Bexley

Several hundred fish have been found dead in the River Shuttle in Bexley Woods, and investigators still don't know what killed them.

www.newsshopper.co.uk

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[Philip]

Thats sad to hear Ray. I knew that area quite well in times past.

 

[no-one in particular]

Just a casual catch up for interest only, not fishing myself. A recce along the pier yesterday, loads of foreigners on there lately, this is what some of them are using, wouldn't fancy a big bass or a conger eel on that. However, what with a language problem I did glean they had no bites or anything. They looked pretty sullen, who knows what they have come from. Mackerel have disappeared as well, could be the worse summer so far, a late spell for about a week in Late September and that could be it. Look at the size of these things these days, that's on the horizon about 2 miles away I would guess.

 

[markcw]

Just a casual catch up for interest only, not fishing myself. A recce along the pier yesterday, loads of foreigners on there lately, this is what some of them are using, wouldn't fancy a big bass or a conger eel on that. However, what with a language problem I did glean they had no bites or anything. They looked pretty sullen, who knows what they have come from. Mackerel have disappeared as well, could be the worse summer so far, a late spell for about a week in Late September and that could be it. Look at the size of these things these days, that's on the horizon about 2 miles away I would guess.
View attachment 17305View attachment 17306

Is that a Shimano beastmaster rod?

 

[no-one in particular]

Is that a Shimano beastmaster rod?

No, I couldn't quite see the name on the rod but it wasn't that, a name I didn't recognize, probably foreign. It was almost fly rod, good for maybe picking out blennies etc. but there are some big bass under that pier and I am sure he was after them with that lure. I couldn't see that rod handling them unless he just handlined them up, but even the line didn't look that thick and that's a difficult thing to do from maybe 30 or 40 ft.

 

[mikench]

Gordon and i deliberated briefly but decided to go to the same venue. Unfortunately our preferred pegs were taken by a guy who clearly didn't want company so we settled in on the adjacent bank with a stiff breeze blowing from our right.

Gordon plumbed up and started to catch but it was slower than last time. I set up a feeder with paste wrapped pellet and micros on the Korda feeder.

The sunrise was spoilt by cloud but it turned into a lovely day marred only by the persistent breeze and recalcitrant fish. I wanted a bend in the rod and managed a 2 mirrors just over 7lb and 8lb. Gordon wasn't to be outdone and had 1 common and a mirror of similar size.

He also lost a much larger specimen after an epic struggle and just as I was about to net it. C'est la vie. Another lovely relaxing day which is what it is about. I had a few skimmers and small perch but only 8 fish whereas Mr Metronome had 20. Cheers Gordon and here's to next week. For an October day it felt like may. Thoroughly enjoyable.

 

[thames mudlarker]

....RIver Shuttle anglers groan in dispair.

Yep know exactly what get saying Phil, quite why is beyond me, it’s a little river where no one has had to pay a membership fee as it’s all free fishing and although there’s a variety of species in there it’s hardly gonna produce specimen fish,

simply put is just a nice little urban river if yer live local to fish for a few hrs

 

[markcw]

No, I couldn't quite see the name on the rod but it wasn't that, a name I didn't recognize, probably foreign. It was almost fly rod, good for maybe picking out blennies etc. but there are some big bass under that pier and I am sure he was after them with that lure. I couldn't see that rod handling them unless he just handlined them up, but even the line didn't look that thick and that's a difficult thing to do from maybe 30 or 40 ft.

I managed to make the name BeastMaster out on the blank but wasn't sure if it was a Shimano one.
You get lots of foreigners along Otterspool Prom on the River Mersey resting rods along the railings, the rods range from holiday type short solid fibreglass spinning rods through to feeder and float rods.
The rods are more or less bent double due to the amount of lead needed to hold bottom..
The local anglers steer clear of them.

 

[no-one in particular]

I managed to make the name BeastMaster out on the blank but wasn't sure if it was a Shimano one.
You get lots of foreigners along Otterspool Prom on the River Mersey resting rods along the railings, the rods range from holiday type short solid fibreglass spinning rods through to feeder and float rods.
The rods are more or less bent double due to the amount of lead needed to hold bottom..
The local anglers steer clear of them.

Your probably right then, well spotted, my angle wasn't very good, I am surprised this has the name beast on it, I cant imagine that but I am way out of date and time on these things. I read shimano a lot but wouldn't recognize one.

 

[Pete Shears]

Wednesday on the GUC for a few hours produced just two small perch though yesterday on the big reservoir spinning off the dam was a blank together with three other members who were deadbaiting using three rods apiece.
This morning on the canal feeder reservoir the perch were switched on chasing fry in the shallows and the weedbeds and using a white curly tail grub and a silver Mepps I managed to get 6 jacks to about 4lb and over 20 perch the biggest being about 8oz, nothing big but very entertaining.

 

[The Sogster]

Had a few hours lure fishing my local canal hoping for a decent perch or two.

Had two tiny perch follow the lures but no takes or knocks using small jointed hard lures or small rubber shads.

 

[Philip]

Yep know exactly what get saying Phil, quite why is beyond me, it’s a little river where no one has had to pay a membership fee as it’s all free fishing and although there’s a variety of species in there it’s hardly gonna produce specimen fish,

simply put is just a nice little urban river if yer live local to fish for a few hrs

Well perhaps I am old fashioned Stuart but if someone else posts about a venue I recognized and didn’t name it, I wouldn’t name it out of respect.

Even more so if I knew it was a small free bit of chalkstream in the most densly populated area of the country.

 

[Roger Johnson 2]

Quite a red letter evening at the bottom of the garden! Started fishing about 6.30pm, packed up at 7.45pm. 5 bites and 4 barbel landed. Spent more time playing fish than waiting for bites! We have guests from the UK for the first time this week, one of whom is here for grayling on the fly but I was pleased to hand over the feeder rod for a few minutes he landed this one and lost another.
October/ November are definitely THE barbel months.

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[Steve Arnold]

Quite a red letter evening at the bottom of the garden! Started fishing about 6.30pm, packed up at 7.45pm. 5 bites and 4 barbel landed. Spent more time playing fish than waiting for bites! We have guests from the UK for the first time this week, one of whom is here for grayling on the fly but I was pleased to hand over the feeder rod for a few minutes he landed this one and lost another.
October/ November are definitely THE barbel months.

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Roger, you are so right about this time of year - Autumn and the river comes back to life. It's also the predator season on the rivers so I was out yesterday to see what would take a lure.

After all the lock-downs and health problems my inflatable canoe had not been used for two years! So fishing buddy Alistair and myself launched at Cajarc and headed upriver on this fine Autumn day.....

I was using rather a light Major Craft Turrel 8-21 gr spinning rod and a big tiger striped yellow black shad on a 10 gr leadhead hook. Only one fish that took on one of my few "perfect" casts (so out of practise!) into the trees, under a cliff face.

The lure sank the full depth of 5 metres but did not clunk the rocks. Instead I felt the slightest pull and then slackness and the line was trembling - the lure had been taken on the drop!

A good fight ensued and the little rod spent most of the time doubled with the top foot buried in the river. The boat was being pulled backwards but upriver in clear water, not into the trees thank goodness!

After several minutes this creature appeared and just doubled into my net. I had left my over-size lipgrips in the car...Doh!

Alistair took the photo but has not sent me the one of the perch he caught, I will add that when he sends it.

We spent most of the afternoon checking out the depths and fish spotting on the fishfinder. I have more clues where to shore fish now and two new swims I had overlooked from the track. Different perspective from the boat, a most useful tool that fits in my car boot (deflated - of course!)

A good day in the office!