How did you get on?

[markcw]

Had a few hours on Newlands today, Plenty of carp splashing at 40 yards out near the island, also a few cruising around 25 yards out,
So out with the trusty feeder rod set up, but this time I started on a 30g inline maggot feeder,
By the time I had set feeder rod up and margin pole, a breeze had got up so I kept the waggler rod in the holdall.
I primed the margins with a handful of corn to the left and maggots to the right,
The rig for today because tthe aerators were on creating a slight flow in the margins was a .50g maver ice, shorted with a bulk of stotz and 3 droppers on 0.19 line to a size 16 B911.
I sent 7 feeder full of maggots over to near the island, as well as catapulting a few 10mm tutti fruiti boilies over them as a change of bait later on.
I had a few bream out on the maggot feeder, around 3lbs, but no carp.
In the left margin I had 3 carp between 5lb and 7lb on corn,plus a few perch, In the right margin I had silvers around 5oz and a few perch of similar size.
After a while a fine drizzle started, so seeing I was in tracksuit bottoms and tee shirt I decided to pack up. Into the margins went left over corn and maggots,
Nearly packed up , drizzle stopped, breeze stopped and sun came out. I was tempted to get waggler rod out and set up for fishing drilled pellet shallow.
But I decided to cut my losses and go home, there are always other days to go.

 

[Roger Johnson 2]

This evening’s feeder session at the bottom of the garden was the first for a while,since I’ve been occupied with exploring other parts of the river with the fly rod recently. Molly dog was very happy to see me bank fishing as she gets to mug me for treats and sniff any fish we catch! 2nd cast produced one of the larger resident bream probably near 5lb and one of the smaller barbel at 4 and a halfish, went like the clappers! Both caught on 40g open end feeder packed with 6mm halibuts and fish meal ground bait, free running on 8lb sensor, with an 8mm halibut in a band on a 1cm hair from a size 14 guru pellet waggler hook, twizzled loop hooklength of 40-50cm 8lb sensor(!), cast about 30 metres out to a crease where two currents meet, about 1.5m deep in the current low water conditions with a smooth sandy bottom. 90 minutes fished recast every 10 mins. ( one bite missed).

 

[rich66]

Messed up good a proper this morning, got out nice and early not a soul on the complex. Picked a swim and off I went. About 8am the bailiff comes round and says “there’s a match on here today” felt a right nit normally I always check but as they had a match yesterday I thought there wouldn’t be one today.
Anyway packed up a bit quick and moved to the next pool up. Turned out to be a good move I had 1 small tench, a decent fight from a carp, and 2 reasonable sized bream.
Carp came on a mussel on a leger rig, all the others where on a 6mm durable krill pellet float fished near the weeds, and about 6 foot from the end of my rod. The bream came within minutes of each other. Home by midday.

 

[108831]

Ahhhh,what a lovely tench....

 

[103841]

My quest to find my first barbel continues.
Getting serious now with a bit of pre baiting yesterday in one of the few swims on the stretch that’s got some depth and with overhanging trees there is a much smaller amount of weed to deal with.



Arrived at 5-30am and had a decent sized bream first cast followed shortly by a second.



The pre baiting seemed to be working but not for the intended and very elusive barbel. The swim died completely after the two slabs and a while later a bloody huge cormorant surfaced right in front of me, it was as shocked as me and gave flight, guess that’s why the swim went dead. By now it was approaching 9-30am and I could hear laughter and the sound of paddling in the distance, time to quit as the river started to fill with fibreglass vessels of all shapes and sizes.

Up until that point it was so peaceful other than birdsong which I never tire of all apart from one bird, you’ve heard of the roadrunner, I’ve discovered the baitrunner, a bird that can perfectly mimic the clicks of my Shimano reel, most annoying.

 

[108831]

On water like that I would have the rod just off the water,with slackish line,they really don't like lines stretched across the swim,hope you don't mind me saying,looks similar in width to the river i'm fishing,looks a bit deeper and slower mind,though looks can be decieving...

 

[seth49]

Re the bird you heard, it was probably a grasshopper warbler, it’s song is described as reeling, it sounds like the ratchet on a pin etc.

 

[103841]

Re the bird you heard, it was probably a grasshopper warbler, it’s song is described as reeling, it sounds like the ratchet on a pin etc.

just listened to one on YouTube, ain’t the bird unfortunately, the clicks are far more mechanical and slower, click....click...click...

 

[Keith M]

T

My quest to find my first barbel continues.
Getting serious now with a bit of pre baiting yesterday in one of the few swims on the stretch that’s got some depth and with overhanging trees there is a much smaller amount of weed to deal with.



Arrived at 5-30am and had a decent sized bream first cast followed shortly by a second.



The pre baiting seemed to be working but not for the intended and very elusive barbel. The swim died completely after the two slabs and a while later a bloody huge cormorant surfaced right in front of me, it was as shocked as me and gave flight, guess that’s why the swim went dead. By now it was approaching 9-30am and I could hear laughter and the sound of paddling in the distance, time to quit as the river started to fill with fibreglass vessels of all shapes and sizes.

Up until that point it was so peaceful other than birdsong which I never tire of all apart from one bird, you’ve heard of the roadrunner, I’ve discovered the baitrunner, a bird that can perfectly mimic the clicks of my Shimano reel, most annoying.

That Bream looks like it’s just had some eye makeup put on at a beauty salon

Keith

 

[108831]

Just for you Keith...

 

[tigger]

Just for you Keith...

I think Keith's got a hard on for that bream ?

 

[103841]

On water like that I would have the rod just off the water,with slackish line,they really don't like lines stretched across the swim,hope you don't mind me saying,looks similar in width to the river i'm fishing,looks a bit deeper and slower mind,though looks can be decieving...

thanks for the tip Alan, I shall try that next time out, Wednesday hopefully.

 

[S-Kippy]

The mojo is well and truly lost atm. Had to really drag myself out today for a few hours on the Thames at Windsor. I wanted to try something different which I did. Did it work ? Yes and no....seemed to sort out the better quality roach but maybe I'd have done just as well with my usual approach. I lost interest very quickly and went home. Really cant be bothered atm.

 

[no-one in particular]

Chasing Mullet again yesterday but I tried conventional this time, did not feel like thrashing the fly. Bread and casters on the float. The Mullet were there and just ignored everything except my float, took an interest in it, one even swam up and stuck its head out about two inches to take a closer look. The float was the same colour as most of my casters so whats wrong with them, the Mullet that is; stupid fish. Consolation prize was one small perch on the casters. I fished all depths and across the whole river, caster, bread and caster/bread cocktail which got the perch, loads of Mullet just swimming aimlessly up and down about a foot under the surface, just could not switch them on. Might have one more try in me before I give up.

 

[103841]

At the moment I have three grab and go kits ready to go at short notice, river, lake and sea all covered taking the minimum essentials. Although none are producing much I’m lucky to have a wide range of venues all close by.


Today I spent a couple of hours on the estate lake floater fishing for the carp, they weren’t having any of it, happy to take free offerings though, the wily old so and so’s.

Just nice to sit there in comfortable temperatures before the next heatwave arrives on Thursday.



Log rest

 

[seth49]

Well the weather forecast was wrong again, the rain did stop after a couple of hours, but the wind was bad all day, steady strong wind all day, with gale force gusts at times, had to take the brolly down before it wrecked it, will have to repair it later as it is, so not the nicest conditions it was cool as well.

Started later with the idea of staying while dusk, but we had had enough by seven o clock, the fish had switched off too, tried a different peg again yesterday, it was wider than most so more room to fish in, fed a few 2mm pellets as I was setting my pole up, only shallow close in, just fished a top kit, with other sections to hand if I needed them.

First fish a ten pound carp, gave a good scrap to needed to add three more sections to control it,I’m liking this middy 12/16 elastic I’m using, lots of stretch in it, and the carp don’t seem to scream off, as there not under a lot of pressure, to begin with, and then the puller kit brings them in for netting.

Finished with three carp landed, and lost one that was foul hooked in the tail, felt like a huge eel as it felt like it was swimming backwards, not many came in the swim so not to bad really.

Took the last photo out of the car window, driving away from the fishery, very obliging barn owl that waited till I took its photo.

 

[103841]

Another early morning trip to the river and another fruitless one, even with some advice from here I wasn’t able to find a barbel, I might do better finding hens teeth!

However, these trips are always enjoyable, I’ve seen all kinds of wildlife activity not seen before and this morning saw a very bizarre sight, a pike swam pass me with its head above the water facing skywards with its jaws wide open, I grabbed my phone to take a pic but I spooked it and sent it scurrying jaws firmly shut, is this common behaviour?

 

[tigger]

Another early morning trip to the river and another fruitless one, even with some advice from here I wasn’t able to find a barbel, I might do better finding hens teeth!

However, these trips are always enjoyable, I’ve seen all kinds of wildlife activity not seen before and this morning saw a very bizarre sight, a pike swam pass me with its head above the water facing skywards with its jaws wide open, I grabbed my phone to take a pic but I spooked it and sent it scurrying jaws firmly shut, is this common behaviour?

Why not try nighting it on your river?
You may find you catch some of the illusive barbel during the dark hours

 

[108831]

More likely to be successful and would at least give some confidence,my holiday starts Friday,so blanking will no doubt take place,the heat and sun will make it very hard too,oh well,sweaty walking conditions and mossies going mad in the last hour or so,bastards can bite through steel....

 

[103841]

Why not try nighting it on your river?
You may find you catch some of the illusive barbel during the dark hours

If I was younger and fitter that would be the answer. I just would’nt feel safe fishing alone anyway, plenty of yoofs out all hours looking for trouble. With all the increased activity on the river during daylight hours I suspect fish take cover and stay put til darkness.