How did you get on?

[mikench]

I took my daughter's dog for his usual morning walk and initial impressions were that it was cold and very windy so I came in and decided I wouldn't bother fishing today. However after 30 minutes I changed my mind, filled a flask and set off. My local river which is now on a club card was reputed to be running high and surrounded by mud so I bailed out and went to my favourite water but with little optimism and even less expectations.

Early doors it was cold and windy and there was little activity on either float or feeder. By 11.00 after an hour of nothing I caught my first skimmer and ended up with 4 all on the feeder. I only had two bites on the float but both were carp with this being the biggest at around 5-6lb.

Both carp were caught on the float with an 18 to .11 hook length and with 3 red maggots on the hook. These were the first carp this year and made a welcome change from skimmers. The fields surrounding the two pools were truly waterlogged and muddy so not pleasant . However I was free, I was fishing and I enjoyed it.

 

[John Aston]

A return to the venue where I'd had a catch of big perch earlier this month. I'd had two abortive sessions - driven off by horizontal snow one day and blown off by gales another , and both were barely even fishable due to high level and colour .

I'll be frank - driving to a river to go fishing today felt absurdly frivolous , given the ghastly news from Ukraine , and when I arrived I just sat in the car for ten minutes, reflecting on an especially harrowing piece on the radio from a young woman in Kiev. I don't mind admitting I was moved to tears .

I almost felt guilty as my mood lightened on the long-ish walk to my first swim. The sun was out , the wind gentle and over the day I saw red kite , buzzard , little grebe and kingfisher. As well as the inevitable cormorant and goosander ...

Three bites- all on worm . First one was a very welcome perch of 2-13 , the second (after two moves of swim ) was a very slow bite - tweaks , little knocks over 15 seconds before a proper movement on the quivertip . That was the shortest, fattest chub I've ever seen . If it had been of normal length it would have been well over six but actually weighed 4-13. One series of lifts and drop backs on the bobbin I failed to connect with and back home in time for the news. Which I'm sure will be hideous .

 

[Pete Shears]

Out on the upper Soar this morning in the relentless wind, at least it was sunny. The level was high but had been much higher judging by the debris on the fields with a steady pace and colour.
Made my way to a wide bend where I knew there would be a big back eddy,casting giving fish some shelter.
Had a chub on the second cast at 1lb 1oz on crust followed by another at 3lb 2oz. then it was sit and wait cursing the gusty cold wind.
Eventually using two dendros I was able to tease a brown trout out at 1lb 11oz - time to move.
Tried three more swims with no luck - time to queue up for diesel on the way home.

 

[no-one in particular]

After a couple of blanks decided to give chub alley another go, almost guaranteed a chub here in the winter. Two chub 3.5lb and maybe a 4lb depending on the net weight. They fought hard, in superb condition, they always are, no one fishes here; caught on a small bit of crust off a slice of brown bread. For an hour I caught nothing on brown flake, as soon as I tried the crust two fish in quick succession; sometimes find that especially in the winter, more or less laid on about 6ft from the bank; these are very good fish for this river, average size maybe about 2lb.
Not a bad day, a bit sheltered from the wind here and the sun was out, the river was up and coloured but the water felt cold, no show from roach or any other species. I did try a lump of edam as well but nothing doing.

Peekaboo.

 

[markcw]

I ended up on the Thames at Sandford,
Leaving the tackle in the car I went over the lock bridge to check out below the lock and the lock channel.
Crossing the bridge over the back channel I disposed of some maggots I had for a few weeks, The back channel was up the banks and rushing through.
Anyway below the lock ,the river had a fair flow on it, There were 5 people dead baiting, One had caught a couple of pike, the other three had not had a bite.
The part they were fishing is sheltered from the wind due to it being low down from the walkway, The person who had the pike was in the best peg ,he had a bit of slack water in front of him .
I decided to walk further up above the lock to the lock channel this is like a slow moving wide canal, Again nothing doing there, a couple were waggler fishing and had not had anything.
So I walked back to where the people were piking, I was chatting to them explaining I was looking for somewhere decent to go spinning,
They told me above the lock channel towards the Weir and opposite the hotel is good, Below the lock when it has a slower flow, and parts of the back channel.
After a good chat and various styles of fishing on there, I bade farewell and decided to go another day,

 

[bullet]

Popped down the road for a couple of hours Chubbing, I wasn't expecting much and the wind was making float fishing very tricky.
Very pleased to end up with 4 fish for about 12lb, here are a couple, I was resting one in the net and hooked another next run through...

 

[The Runner]

Well that was a narrow escape…
In London this weekend and had intended to fish old clubs match on the Colne. But mate whose garage most of what’s left of my coarse gear is in was away .
So just took a walk round to see what was happening…
Not much. Was won with a single 4oz roach from an barbel or bust swim which as far as I know hadn’t produced a roach in a match this century….one bleak second and three minnows third.
Thought the extra water might have got the barbel feeding. Nope….

 

[no-one in particular]

Tried a part of the river system that normally holds a few roach. Chucked a smorgasbord in there, blackcurrant jam soaked sweetcorn, edam cheese dusted with Garam masala re Peterjig's suggestion and brown bread. Not a twitch. The water was cold, I was cold so didn't stay long but my fan club made a guest appearance.

 

[john step]

I could not get to my chosen venue today as the cretins had closed the road in the village on top of the Wolds. The advance warning was late and the sign just said road ahead closed. This is a main a road. The location of the closure was left to the motorist to guess as it could have been anywhere for the next 8 miles! As it happened it was a couple of hundred yards from my turn off.
Having got that off my chest I visited an alternative reservoir.
Despite the cold wind and rain I enjoyed the day behind the brolly for 37 roach 2 rudd and a perch not quite big enough to bother the perch challenge.

 

[peterjg]

Started at dawn on the K&A canal, water clearer, water temperature 43F, not a bite. At 9.30 moved to a club lake and caught three carp to 11.5lbs, a tiny rudd and three bream about 6lbs each - I was trying to catch roach! Lake WT was 45F and slightly coloured.

 

[Pete Shears]

When the early mornng drizzle had stopped,it was time for a quick visit trip to the upper Soar again. Judging from the traffic on the road just after 9am not many seem to be working from home.
Walking across the fields to the downstream end it was obvious the relentless wind was still there,settling on a wide bend with some slack water the level was over a foot down on last week and had a greeny colour instead of a muddy tinge.
First cast with legered crust and i had a chub of 1lb 11oz in the net,then nothing. Did not not matter where and changing the bait had no effect either. First trot through with flake though had another bite and landed a brownie of 1lb 10oz, then nothing - time to move.
Spent a few minutes watching a pair of kestrels locking talons and spiralling earthwards before separating,either a territorial dispute or a failed courtship manoeuvre as they went off in different directions.
Two swims later and a signal crayfish was on the bank,first one for ages and it would explain the slow pulls and sudden tugs on the quivertip.
With spots of rain in the wind - time to go.

 

[mikench]

I am clearly not as keen on fishing as you lot. The weather here today was vile.

 

[jon atkinson]

Had a session with a work mate on Sunday - we try to meet up at least a couple of times a year & generally hit the Ribble after Barbel before the close season but didn't fancy it this time with the way the weather has been, besides, he's given up his RADAC card! So we opted for a lure session at Sollom on the Rufford arm of the Leeds-Liverpool. Hard going with increasingly blustery wind, bright sunshine and chocolate couloured water, but we stuck it out for a couple of hours, Thomo on his fly rod for a blank and I managed my smallest jack of the campaign to date, not much over half a pound! We hoped that a move might improve our luck so headed out to Tarleton - a jack a piece, both about 2lb & that was as good as it got - time to retreat for a pint...

 

[mikench]

I finally shook off my cloak of lethargy around 10.30 and set off ....... for the river. Not only that but I travelled light foresaking a plethora of baits, a few rods and reels, my chair and my barrow. I packed a small Drennan rucksack and used a sort of quiver I bought in error. It's a funny looking thing made by Nash being a flat length of cushioned cloth with belt hoops aplenty. A rod and a landing net pole give it rigidity . I took a Greys Feeder rod and used a 20g black cap maggot feeder free running to a feeder bead and a 16 hook with 3 red maggots. I arrived at the river walked the length of the club stretch and settled in this spot.

I had a tree trunk to sit on when my back played up and had an enjoyable 3 hours . I managed 3 trout like this and 2 grayling.

I had one trout which was at least 3 times the size of the above but it shed the hook in the net and leapt out to freedom. It's fair to say I haven't caught many trout since I resumed fishing and had forgotten the fight they put up. It was very enjoyable. The grayling were small but beautiful and are the squirmiest fish I have ever tried to handle.

I packed up as a bloke with two mutts arrived and the dogs emulated a hurdler jumping over my rod and trying to eat the maggots. The owner got an earful . I could so easily have succumbed to just going to a Stillwater but glad I didn't. I'm off to the Dane tomorrow with Gordon and looking forward to it. This local river, I fished today for the first time is a new addition to my club and is rather picturesque. It is reputed to have dace, chub, roach , small barbel trout and grayling. I can vouch for two of those.

 

[seth49]

A nice day today, quite springlike it was pleasantly warm sat in the sunshine, with curlews calling overhead and the first daffodils starting to flower, just fished the pole today using either maggots or worm, worm was best, I had an F1,3 tench, and a selection of roach, Ide, and skimmers, decent size of fish too since we netted most of the small ones out.

First time out for a while due to the weather, let’s hope the weather keeps improving.

 

[bullet]

Looks a nice stretch, Mike.
Give it a go when it's a bit less coloured.

 

[barbelboi]

I had a couple of hours on one of the streams over the back fields yesterday and, due to the wind and heavy coloured flow, I decided to stick a static bait down rather than my usual preference of trotting. This involved nipping back home for a change of rod/reel then settling down in one the spots that often produces a decent size chub.

Not to be on the day and worked hard for three small chub and was pleased to get back into the warm – that was quite a chilly wind……

 

[flightliner]

Up at six am yesterday to catch a good tide on the lower Trent.
I settled in a swim on a club length that do day tickets hoping a nice pike or zander would oblige one of my two float paternostered baits of small dead roach I cleared up after a netting party on a watef near my home.
The floods had receded a lot since last week and the river had just a nice tinge of colour about it that raised my confidence..
An hour in and I have a positive take and striking had a fish on that headed for midriver but sadly it came adrift— ` ugger!
The wind. Was in my face coming from oer Lincoln and by mid afternoon it had intensified a lot and despite my being well clad it felt chilly.
Near 5pm I was fearing a blank when the same downstream rod started to bounce ans the indicator lifted accordingly, I wound down setting the hooks. Into a small jack, maybe 3lbs at best.
I like pike but very small ones can be a pain at times and awkward to unhook, unlike their big brothers and sisters.
It was getting late by then and the wind seemed even stronger so i vegan packing my gear away and at that moment a ruddy great seal popped up just downstream of my swim.
The thought of that taking my deadbait was disturbing to say the least.
Almost home the traffic snnouncements on my radio said the msin A57 was closed both ways near Lindrick golf coarse that had me turning round to avoid being to late.

 

[mikench]

It wasn't a case of sticking or twisting really but a second day on a river even in the company of Gordon, failed to deliver. We visited the Dane on a stretch I have never had any success on but I have always trotted before. Today Gordon used the float and I the same tactics as yesterday albeit with the DV rod. The day nearly didn't get going at all as the waterlogged ground, muddy track and downhill descent made parking and manoeuvring tricky. Gordon got stuck and sadly his brand new net bag had to be used under a wheel to achieve some traction. It was worse when we left following a day of incessant rain.

I had two bites which I missed on maggot. Meat, bread, pellets produced nothing. Gordon fared just as badly and so at around two we packed up in the rain. The highlight of the day was a sparrow hawk which flew right past me and alighted on a branch about twenty yards away. It , of course, flew off as soon as I tried to take a pic.

It wasn't to be but we enjoyed the effort despite the weather. We will hopefully get another trip in before the close season. Cheers Gordon and good to see you again.

 

[peterjg]

Fished the Thames yesterday from 2pm until 6.30pm (dark). The Thames was hacking through but was nicely coloured. Legered close in with two rods, one with dead maggots - caught a snotty and a dace. The other rod was baited with macaroni with a soft paste smeared on it and caught 6 decent roach all in the last hour or so. The SE wind was much stronger than forecast and it rained until about 4.30, it was bloody cold - I thoroughly enjoyed it - must be crackers!