mikench
Well-known member
Well done indeed Mick: a super fish and your efforts were well rewarded.
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How did you get on?
- Thread starter peter crabtree
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Oh well, so much for my cunning plan for the last day! When I left home there was no frost but when I started (before dawn) on the Thames there was a very heavy frost, bloody cold. Cast a 6mm Robin Red pellet coated in paste upstream for roach and a few seconds later had a huge bite and something surged downstream, about 20 minutes later landed an immaculate common of 16lbs 10ozs. On red maggots caught a 4lb snottie and a small roach. No other bites so moved nearer home and finished off on the Kennet, caught two roach. Both the Thames and Kennet were up and pushing through but not too coloured, water temps of both rivers was 48F. Should have caught more!
barbelboi
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Nice 'Z' Mick, so much better than those snotties you like............................ 
S-Kippy
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Well done, Mick….I am entirely envious.
Just back from Bury Hill….not zandering as that’s over now until October but in the forlorn hope of an early crucian or two. Sadly….although the day was warm the water wasn’t and neither the crucian nor the tench wanted to play. A couple of cold nights haven’t helped either. Phil had a solitary crucian plus loads of Rudd and perch. I just had Rudd, perch and the only roach of the day at around 10oz. We’re 3 weeks too early I think.
Just back from Bury Hill….not zandering as that’s over now until October but in the forlorn hope of an early crucian or two. Sadly….although the day was warm the water wasn’t and neither the crucian nor the tench wanted to play. A couple of cold nights haven’t helped either. Phil had a solitary crucian plus loads of Rudd and perch. I just had Rudd, perch and the only roach of the day at around 10oz. We’re 3 weeks too early I think.
Pete Shears
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Last trip of the river season to the Wreake yesterday morning,walking across the fields just after 7am with mist hanging low over the river,no wind for a change and a clear sky - what could possibly go wrong ,a perfect morning to be out and about.
Started at the deep pool with a float with two worms in the back eddy to my left,a quiver to the right with crust on the hook.
A white egret flew by,the sun appeared, the mist faded but no bites. Went through flake,crust,worm and cheese paste on the leger and worm or flake under the float - no bites at all.Watched a red kite being chased by a crow and two buzzards circled high - time to move downstream, just the same.Back to the car and move downstream about half a mile or so.Trotting flake in a slow steady run,I had a bite,connected and felt the fish which promptly dived into an old weed bed and fell off and that was it. As it warmed up saw two more bumble bees and fifty yards or so away a pale butterfly but could not tell if it was a cabbage white,brimstone or an orange tip.
Roll on 16th June - can only be better.
Started at the deep pool with a float with two worms in the back eddy to my left,a quiver to the right with crust on the hook.
A white egret flew by,the sun appeared, the mist faded but no bites. Went through flake,crust,worm and cheese paste on the leger and worm or flake under the float - no bites at all.Watched a red kite being chased by a crow and two buzzards circled high - time to move downstream, just the same.Back to the car and move downstream about half a mile or so.Trotting flake in a slow steady run,I had a bite,connected and felt the fish which promptly dived into an old weed bed and fell off and that was it. As it warmed up saw two more bumble bees and fifty yards or so away a pale butterfly but could not tell if it was a cabbage white,brimstone or an orange tip.
Roll on 16th June - can only be better.
no-one in particular
Well-known member
A walk along the front today, got back the old sea urge a bit, warm, sunny and a calm sea; plenty of scoured out beach with all the storms. I bit of a ask round with the fish market boys and seems plaice might be the best target although I would like the sea to be a bit more stirred up for them. Morning tides this week so might give it a go if the weather stays good. Haven't had a great coarse river season, the last few chub have saved it a bit but then again, I haven't had that many sessions. Look forward to June, in the meantime a couple of plaice might go down well.
seth49
Well-known member
Back on usual fishery today, slight frost first thing, then the sun came out and warmed things up a bit, started on pole with either worm or maggots, first bite after half an hour, a tench and then a selection of silvers including roach, Ide,Skimmers, perch, three small barbel, and an F1. A total of 5 tench today which was nice.
Around ten am the wind got up again and the bites eased of a bit, still catching a few but not as many as earlier when it was calm, a cold wind too, to say it was mainly from the south, fished till three pm on the pole for the silvers , then took the keep net out for a quick photo, and thought I’d have an hour or so in the margin for a carp, using prawn for bait on the top kit I use for carp with stronger elastic, had one carp a nice common of 10lbs 12oz, gave me a good scrap on the pole as well.
I see the lapwings are back now, plus a couple of buzzards, and there was a barn owl hunting a field by the fishery,
A good day today, enjoyed it.
Around ten am the wind got up again and the bites eased of a bit, still catching a few but not as many as earlier when it was calm, a cold wind too, to say it was mainly from the south, fished till three pm on the pole for the silvers , then took the keep net out for a quick photo, and thought I’d have an hour or so in the margin for a carp, using prawn for bait on the top kit I use for carp with stronger elastic, had one carp a nice common of 10lbs 12oz, gave me a good scrap on the pole as well.
I see the lapwings are back now, plus a couple of buzzards, and there was a barn owl hunting a field by the fishery,
A good day today, enjoyed it.
wetthrough
Well-known member
With temperatures set to hit 13 C yesterday I decided to have a day at Dunham fisheries. Go out to the car to load gear to find windscreen frozen - not good. Defrost windscreen and back inside to fire up hand warmers while car warms up. Decided to fish the north end of the far pool, not sure which it is but think Whiteoaks.
Decided to fish light given the conditions, 2lb to 18s which turned out to be a mistake. Had a few tiddlers just loose feeding maggots then hit something solid which decided to crash out of the surface and snap me off, I never got a chance to get it under any sort of control. And that was it for any big stuff although I did foul hook one later in the afternoon, two scales on the hook. Chap arrived later on asking around what was doing and apparently I wasn't on my own, everyone was struggling. Switched to 3.3lb to 18s after the snap off (I needn't have bothered), ended up with 19 on the clicker, a mix of small Rudd, Gudgeon and hybrids. I was hoping to use the overnight frost as an excuse but @seth49 put the mockers on that
Decided to fish light given the conditions, 2lb to 18s which turned out to be a mistake. Had a few tiddlers just loose feeding maggots then hit something solid which decided to crash out of the surface and snap me off, I never got a chance to get it under any sort of control. And that was it for any big stuff although I did foul hook one later in the afternoon, two scales on the hook. Chap arrived later on asking around what was doing and apparently I wasn't on my own, everyone was struggling. Switched to 3.3lb to 18s after the snap off (I needn't have bothered), ended up with 19 on the clicker, a mix of small Rudd, Gudgeon and hybrids. I was hoping to use the overnight frost as an excuse but @seth49 put the mockers on that
mikench
Well-known member
I hope it's better on Friday if that is where we end up Gordon but I doubt it will be.
markcw
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Had a few hours on Fritwell lodge yesterday , mainly to use up some old pellets and a couple of bags of opened groundbait,
I went on the original pool ,there was only one other angler on there , he had a few carp from about a pound to around six pound.
He had a keepnet out , I couldn't see the point ,the water is shallow from the edge to more or less all the way across.
I set up two topkits , One with white Daiwa hybrid on a side puller ,the other black microbore of which I can't remember the make.
The margin rig was a Drennan crystal dibber with a couple of shot and a 18 hook and quickstop. .This was on the black microbore topkit.
The open water swim was a 4x12 Maver float with small bulk and couple of droppers ,Line was Shimano silk shock 0.14 straight through to a 16 hok.the depth was 3'
Bait for the left margin swim was softened 2mm dynamite bait pellets over a mix of dynamite baits silver and bream ground baits .Hookbait was sweetcorn.
Bait for the right margin was dynamite baits halibut 6mm hookers of a mix of dynamite baits halibut groundbait .
The open swim at 11 metres was 2mm Fjuka yellow 2mm pellets with the silvers and bream mix ground bait and sweetcorn.
I fed a couple of large pots of bait in both margin swims .
The left one was topkit plus two along the edge, the right one was 7 metres along the bank, This was in case any hooked fish from the left margin decided to go crashing through to the right margin .
The open water swim was fed with a small pot of groundbait with a handful of Fjuka yellow and a few grains of corn .
I had a cuppa and a double decker chocolate bar while I waited for the swims to settle and look for signs of the water clouding up due to the fish feeding.
I kept throwing a few grains of corn and pellets in the margins and a couple of pieces of corn on the open water line.
After around 45 minutes the left margin came to life, so in went the rig baited with a grain of corn, After a couple of minutes the float wobbled and shot under . A carp of around 4lb was soon in the net, As I was playing it the open water swim clouded up. So I pinged a few grains of corn over to it while I went back into the left margin. Again the float dipped and another carp of similar size was in the net. All the while I was looking to the right margin but nothing was doing there.
I fed the left margin and went out to 11 metres with four 2mm Fjuka pellets threaded onto the hook.
The float settled and carried on going down, followed by my Dacron connector and elastic .The topkit hooped over and it was game on .Over five minutes later a carp of around 10lb graced the landing net.After using side puller and having fair amount of elastic coming out. The White Hybrid is rated 6 -10 , but I would say its more 6-8, It was the first time of using it, I think I will keep it for silvers and F1's.
I ended up taking a couple of carp from both the left margin and open swims feeding one while fishing the other.
I left the right margin after having a quick look over it with halibut pellet, nothing doing on that.
The carp I caught ranged from 2lb to 10lb,
Every time the swims seemed to go quiet I refed with a large pot of bait and let them rest .
It was an enjoyable few hours after a slow start, The sport was hectic at first then a few quiet spells before the swims came to life again .
.
I went on the original pool ,there was only one other angler on there , he had a few carp from about a pound to around six pound.
He had a keepnet out , I couldn't see the point ,the water is shallow from the edge to more or less all the way across.
I set up two topkits , One with white Daiwa hybrid on a side puller ,the other black microbore of which I can't remember the make.
The margin rig was a Drennan crystal dibber with a couple of shot and a 18 hook and quickstop. .This was on the black microbore topkit.
The open water swim was a 4x12 Maver float with small bulk and couple of droppers ,Line was Shimano silk shock 0.14 straight through to a 16 hok.the depth was 3'
Bait for the left margin swim was softened 2mm dynamite bait pellets over a mix of dynamite baits silver and bream ground baits .Hookbait was sweetcorn.
Bait for the right margin was dynamite baits halibut 6mm hookers of a mix of dynamite baits halibut groundbait .
The open swim at 11 metres was 2mm Fjuka yellow 2mm pellets with the silvers and bream mix ground bait and sweetcorn.
I fed a couple of large pots of bait in both margin swims .
The left one was topkit plus two along the edge, the right one was 7 metres along the bank, This was in case any hooked fish from the left margin decided to go crashing through to the right margin .
The open water swim was fed with a small pot of groundbait with a handful of Fjuka yellow and a few grains of corn .
I had a cuppa and a double decker chocolate bar while I waited for the swims to settle and look for signs of the water clouding up due to the fish feeding.
I kept throwing a few grains of corn and pellets in the margins and a couple of pieces of corn on the open water line.
After around 45 minutes the left margin came to life, so in went the rig baited with a grain of corn, After a couple of minutes the float wobbled and shot under . A carp of around 4lb was soon in the net, As I was playing it the open water swim clouded up. So I pinged a few grains of corn over to it while I went back into the left margin. Again the float dipped and another carp of similar size was in the net. All the while I was looking to the right margin but nothing was doing there.
I fed the left margin and went out to 11 metres with four 2mm Fjuka pellets threaded onto the hook.
The float settled and carried on going down, followed by my Dacron connector and elastic .The topkit hooped over and it was game on .Over five minutes later a carp of around 10lb graced the landing net.After using side puller and having fair amount of elastic coming out. The White Hybrid is rated 6 -10 , but I would say its more 6-8, It was the first time of using it, I think I will keep it for silvers and F1's.
I ended up taking a couple of carp from both the left margin and open swims feeding one while fishing the other.
I left the right margin after having a quick look over it with halibut pellet, nothing doing on that.
The carp I caught ranged from 2lb to 10lb,
Every time the swims seemed to go quiet I refed with a large pot of bait and let them rest .
It was an enjoyable few hours after a slow start, The sport was hectic at first then a few quiet spells before the swims came to life again .
.
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mikench
Well-known member
After a blank on the river and a consecutive blank on a local water I needed to catch something , anything so I paid a visit to my favourite.
The conditions above didn't last long and clouds came over and a stiff breeze developed. I alternated between the feeder rod with a pellet feeder and robin red and a float rod with maggot. My clicker indicated 19 fish with 2 carp, several skimmers and the rest gudgeon. This common was the larger of the two and around 6lb. It succumbed to an 11 mm robin red encased in robin red paste.
It was enjoyable being in the fresh air and grateful for my freedom. I didn't stay overlong as I'm going again tomorrow with Gordon. Here's hoping!?
The conditions above didn't last long and clouds came over and a stiff breeze developed. I alternated between the feeder rod with a pellet feeder and robin red and a float rod with maggot. My clicker indicated 19 fish with 2 carp, several skimmers and the rest gudgeon. This common was the larger of the two and around 6lb. It succumbed to an 11 mm robin red encased in robin red paste.
It was enjoyable being in the fresh air and grateful for my freedom. I didn't stay overlong as I'm going again tomorrow with Gordon. Here's hoping!?
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seth49
Well-known member
Different day yesterday after a good catch on Tuesday I struggled yesterday, just 2 F1s and a few skimmers was all I had too show for yesterday’s catch, it was sunny first thing after a frost, and then cloudy with a cold southeasterly wind, which wasn’t very pleasant to be out in, did lose a decent carp after playing it for a good five minutes and that was it, roll on next Tuesday when it’s supposed to be 14 degrees C.
mikench
Well-known member
Well Gordon and I met up at the fishery he went to last Monday . It's was cool but sunny and flat calm. We decided to fish from the island and chose adjacent pegs.
Gordon can be seen reclining in what was by now warm sunshine. It was slow going though on the fishing front. Gordon caught small roach and Rudd steadily but I struggled on the feeder. I only took a pic of this skimmer because I was convinced it would save a blank and be the only fish of the day.
After an hour or so a guy turned up enquired with Gordon about the fishing and set up round the corner. He had an enormous box, footrest and side tray. He put out all the roosts and rollers and finally his pole bits. He walked over to ask our help as three sections of drainpipe at the back were telescoped inside each other and would not come out. We held each end while he pulled and twisted removing one section. The other two remained stuck and, despite his best endeavours over several hours remained so. He fished it at nine meters but gave up and reverted to a waggler. No Mark Gordon and I do not want a pole ever.
We enjoyed the day and the weather which was great for humans if not the fish. Oh and I caught two nice carp on corn like the skimmer.
Gordon can be seen reclining in what was by now warm sunshine. It was slow going though on the fishing front. Gordon caught small roach and Rudd steadily but I struggled on the feeder. I only took a pic of this skimmer because I was convinced it would save a blank and be the only fish of the day.
After an hour or so a guy turned up enquired with Gordon about the fishing and set up round the corner. He had an enormous box, footrest and side tray. He put out all the roosts and rollers and finally his pole bits. He walked over to ask our help as three sections of drainpipe at the back were telescoped inside each other and would not come out. We held each end while he pulled and twisted removing one section. The other two remained stuck and, despite his best endeavours over several hours remained so. He fished it at nine meters but gave up and reverted to a waggler. No Mark Gordon and I do not want a pole ever.
We enjoyed the day and the weather which was great for humans if not the fish. Oh and I caught two nice carp on corn like the skimmer.
My fishing had gone to pot with all the health issues over winter, and I was out of touch with all the places I fish, with all my gear looking like an (expensive) (and extensive) car boot sale. Still, I tried to catch a barbel on the river on Monday. While I was nosing around different stretches, deciding where to fish, I met an old friend who urged me to get in the good swim next to him. Against my better judgement I did. Next time, I'll keep a lower profile. I got 2022's sun tan off the mark and lost one in a snag.
I did a lot of cleaning and re-organising gear, and today it was a toss-up between the Old Lake - potential for good mixed catches, roach, perch, tench, and crucians, but a bit too popular - and the woodland pond - beautiful and secluded, but blanks quite possible. I went for the pond. To my surprise there was one other masochist installed, so I walked round and made his acquaintance. I set up in a swim under trees on a bank covered in daffodils - there are compensations for the hard fishing
Fishing at 11m, I fed one side with chopped worm, the other with micros and maggots, and swapped between sides, on various baits, for 4 hours, without a bite, until finally the float dipped and this chunky little barbel saved the day. I avoid carp on the pole, but I'd fitted a puller kit and hybrid elastic ( Matrix green) for just this type of thing, and it worked fine.
I couldn't get a second bite by any means, so I wandered through the woods to the next pond in the chain, a bigger, more open water. It appeared to be only 18" to 2' deep, but a few minutes observation found several big dark shapes moving around, and I liked the neglected feel - a couple of derelict stages of the sort you wouldn't stand on, and overgrown margins. I'm not usually drawn to carp fishing, but I'm going to give this place a try.
I did a lot of cleaning and re-organising gear, and today it was a toss-up between the Old Lake - potential for good mixed catches, roach, perch, tench, and crucians, but a bit too popular - and the woodland pond - beautiful and secluded, but blanks quite possible. I went for the pond. To my surprise there was one other masochist installed, so I walked round and made his acquaintance. I set up in a swim under trees on a bank covered in daffodils - there are compensations for the hard fishing
Fishing at 11m, I fed one side with chopped worm, the other with micros and maggots, and swapped between sides, on various baits, for 4 hours, without a bite, until finally the float dipped and this chunky little barbel saved the day. I avoid carp on the pole, but I'd fitted a puller kit and hybrid elastic ( Matrix green) for just this type of thing, and it worked fine.
I couldn't get a second bite by any means, so I wandered through the woods to the next pond in the chain, a bigger, more open water. It appeared to be only 18" to 2' deep, but a few minutes observation found several big dark shapes moving around, and I liked the neglected feel - a couple of derelict stages of the sort you wouldn't stand on, and overgrown margins. I'm not usually drawn to carp fishing, but I'm going to give this place a try.
no-one in particular
Well-known member
I was going to go sea fishing but decided to go to a club lake to use up some coarse bait in the fridge. never fished there before, I knew about it but never liked the look of it, the sort of water I do not like, featureless, over fished, everyone sits and looks at you or surreptitiously walks past you to check if your obeying all the rules especially as I was a stranger and they did, one bloke walked past me several times really slowly. And I caught nothing, one twitch on the rod tip as I was pouring a coffee, typical and that was about it. so that will be that for a while.
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tommos16
Well-known member
Another week, and another update. This one is a bit special for me, as it’s the one I’ve been after literally since the first day I took up fishing in October 2019.
A decent/biggish Perch! 1lb 9oz so fairly modest by all accounts, but may as well be a Great White to me.
Not the best photo, taken by a passing Mormon believe it or not, but beyond delighted to have caught it! She was a chunk
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A decent/biggish Perch! 1lb 9oz so fairly modest by all accounts, but may as well be a Great White to me.
Not the best photo, taken by a passing Mormon believe it or not, but beyond delighted to have caught it! She was a chunk
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Ray Roberts
Well-known member
Another week, and another update. This one is a bit special for me, as it’s the one I’ve been after literally since the first day I took up fishing in October 2019.
A decent/biggish Perch! 1lb 9oz so fairly modest by all accounts, but may as well be a Great White to me.
Not the best photo, taken by a passing Mormon believe it or not, but beyond delighted to have caught it! She was a chunk
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No way to speak of a young lady who was kind enough to take your photo.
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tommos16
Well-known member
Hahaha unfortunately it was a man Ray, and he weighed significantly less than me I reckon
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Lovely day in the sun hit 20° on my thermometer ?
Was nice to get some rays as I work constant night shift, ended the day on 3 Carp and 5 Roach... Was especially good as no one came near me or spoke to me all day bar one wee ned fanny who seemed to be trying to stun the fish out of the water by throwing great chunks of bait absolutely nowhere near his float that you coulda tied a boat to ?
Was nice to get some rays as I work constant night shift, ended the day on 3 Carp and 5 Roach... Was especially good as no one came near me or spoke to me all day bar one wee ned fanny who seemed to be trying to stun the fish out of the water by throwing great chunks of bait absolutely nowhere near his float that you coulda tied a boat to ?