How did you get on?

[Kirky_1]

I'm staying out of it ?

I just can't see what the enjoyment would be, looks like hard work ? I've only really got back into fishing in the last year or so and to be honest I still am very unsure about what I need to do to be catching bigger fish, but I enjoy what I do and for me that's all that matters

But I can see the benefits of using a pole for match fishing

 

[peterjg]

Fished a small gravel pit yesterday morning for roach. Floatfished slightly overdepth, missed 5 slight dips of the float (micro roach?). Swapped to a size 20 hook to 0.08mm line, at last had a proper bite and caught a very pretty 5lbs 4ozs tench - I was lucky to land it because it went into some dead reed stems infront of the swim. Water still very clear, wt 50F. Dead maggots better (today) than live ones.

 

[mikench]

I went to the Spooky pool today for the first time in about 6 months. A lot of clearing up, peg maintenance and path creation has occurred since and it has improved the water.

I set up at the dam head with a specialist rod( Harrison Tryptich) on a buzzer and I fished the float with maggots.

I was in pursuit of tench but they evaded me and the other 5 anglers doing likewise. The buzzer lay comatose most of the day despite trying pellets, pellets in paste, corn and boilles. I had a mate along who proveded to be remarkably brave and wasn't perturbed by me in the slightest.

He wasn't phased at all and only disappeared when he heard another male but he was soon back.

I gave him a few maggots and corn for which he was most appreciative. How did I get on ? Well I had 38 assorted roach and perch on the float but very few needed a net and those that, with hindsight did, were swung to hand. The number made up for the solitary roach yesteray. The sun shone and it was a lovely day.

Butterflies were much in evidence but I failed to get a decent pic of any. I saw a lot of commas, Brimstones and wood fritillaries. All in all a very enjoyable day despite no tench.

 

[Steve Arnold]

We tried a different swim on a favourite stretch of the river Lot, France, today. The fish were fickle and first Alistair dropped a barbel before landing a 5 pounder. Then I had a bream of 3 pounds followed by my dropping a fish after a 20 yard run.

Finally I hooked a 6 pound barbel. Each of the three fish landed dropped the hooks in the net!

Lovely Spring afternoon by the river where temperature topped at 19c......

 

[seth49]

Another pleasant day on our fishery yesterday, the water is still very cold but it was warm in the spring sunshine, fished pole as usual for the tench and silvers, and then fished for carp in the margins later, fished two lines one over ground bait with chopped worm, and one with wetted two mm pellets, the ground bait one fished the best, did get six tench, plus Ide and skimmers, still slow though with a wait between bites, did catch four barbel as well on worm.

Just the one carp on worm later in the margins, about eight pounds and lost another, nice to be out though in this warm spell of weather, enjoyed it.

 

[mikench]

Two days running I went fishing and tôday was a very good day for both of us. The sun shone we caught fish and our plans came to fruition.

Gordon fished on the float and had over 30 assorted roach and Rudd and a carp. I managed 11 carp on the pellet feeder from about 3lb to around 6lb so nothing big but all scale perfect mirrors and common. Everyone was caught on Mainline Cell 8mm banded pellet with 6mm pellets fired over the top.

A great day Gordon in lovely surroundings and with perfect weather. I will see you in a couple of weeks for the next instalment.???

 

[S-Kippy]

First trite trip of the season today....on me tod because the BF has copped a dose of covid.

Couldnt see much point in getting there early as it was chilly first thing so arrived about 1030. More wind on the ressie than I expected and by arriving later than usual the Witney Pensioners Mafia had plotted up on all the best spots....clearly they knew the fish were packed into the sw corner and I couldnt get within half mile. Started on the windy bank but it was too awkward so moved right round to fish the bottom bank at the top of the wind....trouble was it was very,very bright and I had no ripple of any consequence so couldnt get any tension into the "bow" of the line. I had a fish fairly quickly but then suffered a series of half hearted lightning dips of the line....they just would not get hold of it properly. The Mafia were getting fish and occasionally let a few through to me but although I clearly had a few fish in front of me I had nothing like as many as the Witney Fishmongers.
I ended up with 3 fish from 4 proper takes....all on the buzzer and all fairly typical Farmoor fish of around 2-2.5 lb...the best might have scraped 2-12. Anyway,the promised afternoon cloud cover never arrived and Farmoor did what Farmoor does and switched off completely at around 2pm. I gave it 40 mins more and then packed as it was hard work and I could barely see my indicator in the sun,often a problem on that bank especially as I'd left me cap at home.

Still.....the Serge ( Blanco) was avoided and the first trite of the season caught. Weekend job....knock up some black indicators.

 

[sam vimes]

Work is seriously cramping my angling style, but needs must. Short fruitless sessions are usually the order of things on my favourite closed season venue before the clocks go forward. I did manage to get out yesterday and surprised myself with three tench at 5lb 5oz, 5lb 10oz and 5lb 6oz. I'd have been pretty happy with just one of them.

 

[flightliner]

I was going to decorate but I went fishing instead.
Got lost, was redirected,
Finally found the big wide Yorkshire canal.
Lost time so 11—45 when I started.
Canal blue float, 3 to 2 line with a 14 hook.
Breadflake for bait in 11ft of water.
Started catching from the off, roach, chunky rudd and skimmers.
Had a visitor to see my red topped float in the shape of a big toad.
Years since I saw one.
Two bites at 2pm (ish) with two super roach/bream hybrids one went 1—15 the other was 2—8.
Very pleased to see them both.
Best brace ever.
4—30pm sun was to hot so went home!

 

[flightliner]

Here they both are. D32

 

[John Aston]

Following Sam's tench success I had a lovely day yesterday on the same water. Lift method waggler close in , and maggot/dendrobena cocktail produced 3 more tench to 5lb 4oz . Great scraps , especially as I 'd somehow managed to pack the wrong reel , the one I use for silver fish with lighter line than is ideal for tench .

Hot sun , cloudless sky and everywhere there were signs of nature waking up - a chorus of mating toads, cruising carp , squabbling wildfowl and a procession of walkers and strollers . I just might have to go again today as the weather is set to deteriorate next week .

 

[mikench]

Some lovely tench there Chris; I'm envious.?

 

[flightliner]

Just a thought but a friend suggested my two roach bream hybrids could be IDE.
Anyone here give any positive I D please??

 

[Philip]

My first impression was the first was a hybrid and second was an Ide.

I count 48 scales on the first which is too low for Ide so I would stick with Hybrid for that one.

Second photo scale count is 50 which is still low for an Ide but does look like one to me.

Mark Wintle may be along to give his opinion.

 

[peter crabtree]

I agree with Philip above. Body shape of the right hand fish swaying me too.

 

[Mark Wintle]

Both look like hybrids to me.

 

[markcw]

I had a few hours on Lodge Farm yesterday, about 25 minutes away,
I had put some fresh elastic in the topkits of my pole and I wanted to see what it performed like,
I only set 2 kits up, one rigged with Daiwa white hybrid, the other with Preston yellow 17h.
The Daiwa was for the silvers in there ,the Preston for any carp that may show.
Both kits were using 4x14 floats , the silvers rig had a Maver, 3lb mainline to a 2lb hooklength and a 18 tubertini 808 hook, this hook would do for both maggot and soft hooker pellets .
The carp rig was handmade slim float shotted with a bulk of 10 stotz and a couple of droppers.and a 4lb 16banded kaizen hook.
I started off by putting half a cupping kit pot of micros and 6mm dynamite bait pellets in the margins with a few maggots for lively attraction, the pellets and maggots were soaked in a coconut flavour oil.
The silvers line was at 11 metres and this was purely maggots.
It was one every put in on the silvers line , from eyes and find size silvers to 6oz roach and Rudd.
I started a line at 5 metres again on maggot , and this ended up one every put in but the stamp of silvers was around 4oz to 6oz.
The White hybrid was set just sight for the larger silvers, the blade size were on the surface in seconds.
I regretted not taking the Acolyte whip I had bought.
I kept topping the margins up with large balls of softened 2 mm and a few hard 6mm pellets.
After a while I put a hard pellet in the bait band on the margin rig and lowered it in.
Not a nibble , so it was back on the silvers lines for more action .
I kept priming the margins with 2mm pellets .
The next time I went ove to the margin I had changed the hooklength to a 4" n gauge and guru 14 leg hook.
On went a piece of bread folded around the hook, lowered it in and within seconds a carp had it , the elastic was out, so after about a minute of it testing the elastic ,I used the side puller to put a touch of pressure on it, Within a couple of minutes a carp of around 5lb was in the net.
I had replaced the old 17h that was in the topkit with new, and I really noticed the difference.
After that I decided to call it a day .
A very good few hours silver fishing, which was mainly what I went for instead of going on the " carp "pool where there are more carp than silvers.
I knew I could bag up on there, but with 3 carpets on it chucking feeders here and there , it was not worth it.

 

[rayner]

Don't look like Ide to me, especially the first one Mick.

 

[108831]

Both hybrids,can't see any ide in either Mick...

 

[flightliner]

Thanks everyone, I'll let my friend know of all the opinions expressed on FM!