Nottskev, many years ago I left a pair of expensive carp rods leaning against my car and drove 12 miles home. It was only when I was unloading my tackle that I realised! I drove back like a lunatic to find that someone had kindly lent them on a nearby tree. Very thankful and much relieved!
How did you get on?
- Thread starter peter crabtree
- Start date
Alan Whitty
Well-known member
Went back to the crucian lake, a bit better this time, had nine skimmers 12ozs-1lb, 4 bream between 2lb 8ozs-4lbs 8ozs, 3 tench between 2-3lbs and one crucian about a 1lb....waggler fished punched bread feeding mashed bread...
@Clive
Well-known member
I set off at 9am this morning for a day on the local stretch of the Vienne, only 15 minutes away. First swim was as far upstream as I could get on this stretch on the outside of a bend. About 8 foot deep in the edge shelving to over 12 foot in the deepest run about a rod length out. I fished a sliding float with 10mm soft pellet hookbait over mixed grains & pellets for an hour without a touch. I then had half an hour of the same using Frolick bait.
Second swim was about a mile walk downstream in woodland needed a bit of topiary. I had taken secateurs and a folding saw and both were required. The swim is at the start of a near bank outside bend, a dustbin swim. Another hour without a touch before moving about 100 yards downstream to just above the weir. Here the water looks liks it is pulling through at a fast walking pace. But in reality it is only the surface layer that is moving as it goes over the top of the weir. The lower depths are static. Again, nothing to pellet and Frolicks so I opened a tin of sweetcorn and fined down the hook and hook link, but that failed too.
I had the last two hours about half way down the stretch again after cutting back branches and brambles. The nearside ledge is usually good for carp up to just under 20lb, chub and roach, but not today. Other than a few bleak snatching hatching insects off the surface I never saw a fish.
On the bird front however there were sightings of tree creepers, black woodpeckers and kingfishers.
Second swim was about a mile walk downstream in woodland needed a bit of topiary. I had taken secateurs and a folding saw and both were required. The swim is at the start of a near bank outside bend, a dustbin swim. Another hour without a touch before moving about 100 yards downstream to just above the weir. Here the water looks liks it is pulling through at a fast walking pace. But in reality it is only the surface layer that is moving as it goes over the top of the weir. The lower depths are static. Again, nothing to pellet and Frolicks so I opened a tin of sweetcorn and fined down the hook and hook link, but that failed too.
I had the last two hours about half way down the stretch again after cutting back branches and brambles. The nearside ledge is usually good for carp up to just under 20lb, chub and roach, but not today. Other than a few bleak snatching hatching insects off the surface I never saw a fish.
On the bird front however there were sightings of tree creepers, black woodpeckers and kingfishers.
S-Kippy
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2006
- Messages
- 15,361
- Reaction score
- 8,099
My assault on the Aquadrome tench today failed miserably. I got my favourite spot and began by spodding out some dead maggots and hemp and fished a method feeder over the top. The coots loved it but the tench were nowhere to be seen. I think it’s still a bit early for the tench and it’s a shallow lake so the recent cold nights haven’t helped. I saw one fish show ( a carp) way out.
The coots were a right pain, mopping up my loose feed as fast as I could put it in. After a couple of liners from the coot I thought it was only a matter of time before I got one…..and I did but it came off at the net ( praise the Lord) which saved me getting cut to shreds and having to try and style. it out with the dog walkers.
Bar Captain coot I never had a touch BUT I coped with barrowing a mountain of gear halfway round the lake extraordinarily well.
The coots were a right pain, mopping up my loose feed as fast as I could put it in. After a couple of liners from the coot I thought it was only a matter of time before I got one…..and I did but it came off at the net ( praise the Lord) which saved me getting cut to shreds and having to try and style. it out with the dog walkers.
Bar Captain coot I never had a touch BUT I coped with barrowing a mountain of gear halfway round the lake extraordinarily well.
Last edited:
Ray Roberts
Well-known member
I’ve heard that it fishes better when the boat is out. Apparently it scares the coots away and puts a chop on the water.
My last two sessions have been in pursuit of pike which on the waters I fish the season for the species ends on the 31st March. Last Wednesday I took my good friend as a guest to my syndicate water. I was surprised that he decided to fish maggot feeders as he normally likes to pike fish on the chosen venue. Although it turned out out to be a lovely warm day after a -4c start the bright sunny conditions were not favourable so we both blanked. Having a fair bit of deadbait left in the freezer I decided to return to the Cambridgeshire lake yesterday. After a cold grey start it turned out to be another bright sunny day. I decided to fish a mackerel tail on the bottom on one rod and a float fished sardine on the other. I finished up with 5 jacks between 4lb and 8lb I also missed 3 fish where the bait was spat out one of these felt a decent fish. The positive from yesterday is that the fish fought well and were in perfect condition. There were only two of us on the lake and it was a pleasure to be fishing on a lovely spring day in beautiful surroundings.
Attachments
-
20250324_134806.jpg
Back on the disused canal for three hours this afternoon. Low key stuff - small fish, modest catch but I really enjoyed it. When the ide wake up there'll be big catches on the sections they're in, but just now it's old school canal fishing. My swim had a wide bay opposite with a stream running out of an adjacent pool coming in. The pool is rammed with match-size carp, but I was happy to be on my end of the stream. It must have been someone's favourite swim, with a little shrine on the bank.
With about 18m of 3'6" deep water in front, I set up with a 2BB waggler and fished this at around 14m with 2lb line and a 20 on a .08 hooklength. Holding 4oz of carbon makes a nice change from a pole. I got my bait from a tackle shop I'd never been to before, and I'll definitely be back. The fluoro pinkies were much better than in my local shop, and when I asked the bloke if he had any bronze pinkies, he said no, but I'll do some for you now
I fed two swims and swapped between them. The fish didn't put much of a bend in the rod, but the fine spliced tip I fitted to it about 30 years ago kept nearly all of them on the hook
Everything was coming to life. Fish topped now and then. A buzzard circled over me. Male ducks followed the female around my swim. A frog took a rest for an hour on my keepnet. Pheasants clucked in the trees opposite. I got enough bites to keep it interesting
With about 18m of 3'6" deep water in front, I set up with a 2BB waggler and fished this at around 14m with 2lb line and a 20 on a .08 hooklength. Holding 4oz of carbon makes a nice change from a pole. I got my bait from a tackle shop I'd never been to before, and I'll definitely be back. The fluoro pinkies were much better than in my local shop, and when I asked the bloke if he had any bronze pinkies, he said no, but I'll do some for you now
I fed two swims and swapped between them. The fish didn't put much of a bend in the rod, but the fine spliced tip I fitted to it about 30 years ago kept nearly all of them on the hook
Everything was coming to life. Fish topped now and then. A buzzard circled over me. Male ducks followed the female around my swim. A frog took a rest for an hour on my keepnet. Pheasants clucked in the trees opposite. I got enough bites to keep it interesting
S-Kippy
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2006
- Messages
- 15,361
- Reaction score
- 8,099
The boat certainly aerates the water during the summer and the carp boys don’t mind because theyre mostly overnighting after the boat has gone to bed. I hate the damn thing though.Its killed my swim stone dead on more than one occasion.
seth49
Well-known member
On my syndicate water yesterday hoping for some tench, and I did catch 3 plus a chub, but it was very slow going, very few bites at all, I was fishing two lines on the pole, one at top kit plus two, and one at top kit plus three, the shorter line was the best, if you could call it that, fished garlic sausage over a bit of groundbait,
it was cold though when the northerly wind got up mid morning, and I even put the thick jacket on that I take with me but is rarely used, I packed up at 3pm as I’d had enough, home for tea and a hot shower seemed more appealing, I noticed the chap across from me with the wind behind him was catching a few so I stopped to talk to him on the way too my car, I think the tench where all shoaled up in front of him, he said he had over thirty, plus F1s, and small carp.
that swim fished well the last time I was here but I went to my favourite peg instead, won’t do that next time, I’ll be glad when it warms up more.
it was cold though when the northerly wind got up mid morning, and I even put the thick jacket on that I take with me but is rarely used, I packed up at 3pm as I’d had enough, home for tea and a hot shower seemed more appealing, I noticed the chap across from me with the wind behind him was catching a few so I stopped to talk to him on the way too my car, I think the tench where all shoaled up in front of him, he said he had over thirty, plus F1s, and small carp.
that swim fished well the last time I was here but I went to my favourite peg instead, won’t do that next time, I’ll be glad when it warms up more.
Ray Roberts
Well-known member
Due to poor health recently I have had a couple of cancelled trips, but yesterday I managed to get out for a days float fishing. My first choice water had a match. They will peg around you but it’s usually a faff to park. I decided to fish a lake I have fished in the past and had mixed results on. There were rumours of some large perch and I hsd half a dozen trips, either spinning with spinners or jelly worms and others with worm and prawns. Not one decent perch despite my best efforts.
Today I wanted to try a few different things. Firstly my new to me Abu 1044 got an airing. I paired it with a Drennan Floatmaster and it performed well. Secondly I wanted to try one of my homemade floats. Again no problem it cast well. Lastly I wanted to try some punched bread that I had added Lo-salt and aniseed powder. With that I don’t know if it helped or not. No other anglers on the lake and I caught equally well on other baits, still at least it didn’t put them off. It was bright sunshine all day but the fish felt very cold to the touch.
It’s quite a pretty lake and well cared for. Only one other angler showed up and he arrived late afternoon, he was carping at the far end. The bailiff turned up and said hello. I don’t think I have fished there and missed him except on one occasion after he had tripped at the fishery and broke his leg. The phone signal is very hit and miss, so he dragged himself halfway around the lake, into his car and then drove with a broken leg to the nearest A&E. I believe he’s about eighty, tough old boy.
This is one of the homemade floats. I was pleased with it.
No keepnet shot for me, the phone battery died halfway through the afternoon. I never usually bother with a keepnet. I finished the day with 8 rudd and 12 roach. Most were about this size, with a few bigger of each species. Best fish was the last one which took a small chunk of raw king prawn.
Today I wanted to try a few different things. Firstly my new to me Abu 1044 got an airing. I paired it with a Drennan Floatmaster and it performed well. Secondly I wanted to try one of my homemade floats. Again no problem it cast well. Lastly I wanted to try some punched bread that I had added Lo-salt and aniseed powder. With that I don’t know if it helped or not. No other anglers on the lake and I caught equally well on other baits, still at least it didn’t put them off. It was bright sunshine all day but the fish felt very cold to the touch.
It’s quite a pretty lake and well cared for. Only one other angler showed up and he arrived late afternoon, he was carping at the far end. The bailiff turned up and said hello. I don’t think I have fished there and missed him except on one occasion after he had tripped at the fishery and broke his leg. The phone signal is very hit and miss, so he dragged himself halfway around the lake, into his car and then drove with a broken leg to the nearest A&E. I believe he’s about eighty, tough old boy.
This is one of the homemade floats. I was pleased with it.
No keepnet shot for me, the phone battery died halfway through the afternoon. I never usually bother with a keepnet. I finished the day with 8 rudd and 12 roach. Most were about this size, with a few bigger of each species. Best fish was the last one which took a small chunk of raw king prawn.
Ray Roberts
Well-known member
I’m not sure whether to hone my banjo or pig squealing skills.
mikench
Well-known member
Just returned from a day on the bank with Gordon. It was very sunny and pleasantly warm and there were at least 20 odd other anglers about.
It was slow going and it seems everybody had the same kind of success. Gordon was on the float and I was on the feeder. I finished up with 4 carp with the biggest around 5lb but not a looker. Gordon had 15 fish , mainly Rudd and a nice bream. We both enjoyed the day and our pegs were close enough to allow conversation. I discarded my salopettes in the end as it was warm and I was wearing shorts underneath. We both felt at certain moments that we would catch a lot more but the fish didn’t materialise. There is always next week. Cheers Gordon.
It was slow going and it seems everybody had the same kind of success. Gordon was on the float and I was on the feeder. I finished up with 4 carp with the biggest around 5lb but not a looker. Gordon had 15 fish , mainly Rudd and a nice bream. We both enjoyed the day and our pegs were close enough to allow conversation. I discarded my salopettes in the end as it was warm and I was wearing shorts underneath. We both felt at certain moments that we would catch a lot more but the fish didn’t materialise. There is always next week. Cheers Gordon.
There's a bit of deja vu about this post. Back to the less popular section of the old canal. I do like swims with plenty of trees and foliage - I feel a bit cheated on a bare bank
And two other differences from last time: I fished pole at 10m on this narrower stretch, and a mate came along on a mission. He's an experienced angler who's caught bigger barbel than I have, and has had a pole for decades, but never really got into it enough to master it, and so didn't really enjoy a lot of the places someone like me would include in their fishing. Anyway, he'd bought a new pole and the ticket for this club and was here to make a fresh start with the pole business and open up some new fishing opportunities.
The starting place for me is the dibber float. It's easy to shot, easy to control, can be fished shallow or overdepth and costs - here's the one I used today, a 5 no 12 model - about 10p to make.
We set up in adjacent pegs. Mate had even been to the tackle shop I mentioned last time for some of their fab pinkies, so I showed him how I was setting up, shared my simple plan, and we both got on with it. After about 45 mins I wandered over to see how it was going. About 20 roach, he told me. Wow! You've trebled what I've caught! Actually, he confessed, he'd caught 2 and spend some time in what he called f'ing about with snags, tangles etc. We troubleshooted (is that a word?) some issues, and I looked at his bait tray: a tub of big maggots and a tub of micro's. Wtf? Where's the pinkies? In my bag. Why?? This chap is no Wilf, but I remembered Clive's pal. I got out the pinkies and cattied a few in. With a couple on the hook, mate caught two roach in the next two put-ins. I left him to it.
Back in my swim, I fished groundbait and pinkies in front, and fed hemp and tares, a wild card, down the swim. I never got a bite on a tare and gave that up, but the pinkies went down better
Meanwhile, mate, who caught a few more, came down now and then to grill me on things like feeding and inducing bites. It's gratifying that anyone's actually interested in the finer points of catching small roach, but when someone is asking for a clear programme of what to do when, it can be tricky to explain that there are some general guidelines but a lot depends on what does and doesn't work on the day, and you have to suck it and see.
We both enjoyed the afternoon. Mate wrapped up a bit before me, to get some bits and pieces from the TS with a view to coming back in the morning to give it another go. I stayed another half hour and sent him a pic, saying this is your target. I won't record his answer in this family publication.
And two other differences from last time: I fished pole at 10m on this narrower stretch, and a mate came along on a mission. He's an experienced angler who's caught bigger barbel than I have, and has had a pole for decades, but never really got into it enough to master it, and so didn't really enjoy a lot of the places someone like me would include in their fishing. Anyway, he'd bought a new pole and the ticket for this club and was here to make a fresh start with the pole business and open up some new fishing opportunities.
The starting place for me is the dibber float. It's easy to shot, easy to control, can be fished shallow or overdepth and costs - here's the one I used today, a 5 no 12 model - about 10p to make.
We set up in adjacent pegs. Mate had even been to the tackle shop I mentioned last time for some of their fab pinkies, so I showed him how I was setting up, shared my simple plan, and we both got on with it. After about 45 mins I wandered over to see how it was going. About 20 roach, he told me. Wow! You've trebled what I've caught! Actually, he confessed, he'd caught 2 and spend some time in what he called f'ing about with snags, tangles etc. We troubleshooted (is that a word?) some issues, and I looked at his bait tray: a tub of big maggots and a tub of micro's. Wtf? Where's the pinkies? In my bag. Why?? This chap is no Wilf, but I remembered Clive's pal. I got out the pinkies and cattied a few in. With a couple on the hook, mate caught two roach in the next two put-ins. I left him to it.
Back in my swim, I fished groundbait and pinkies in front, and fed hemp and tares, a wild card, down the swim. I never got a bite on a tare and gave that up, but the pinkies went down better
Meanwhile, mate, who caught a few more, came down now and then to grill me on things like feeding and inducing bites. It's gratifying that anyone's actually interested in the finer points of catching small roach, but when someone is asking for a clear programme of what to do when, it can be tricky to explain that there are some general guidelines but a lot depends on what does and doesn't work on the day, and you have to suck it and see.
We both enjoyed the afternoon. Mate wrapped up a bit before me, to get some bits and pieces from the TS with a view to coming back in the morning to give it another go. I stayed another half hour and sent him a pic, saying this is your target. I won't record his answer in this family publication.
Alan Whitty
Well-known member
Went fishing on my club's tench lake which is fairly local to me, caught a modest tench third cast, then never had another indication, Hugh's mate Tim arrived on the far bank and showed me the way home with five tench, well done mate...
Yesterday I had to wait for a delivery, so was unsure whether I'd get out or not, but left home at 11ish, arrived at the crucian lake at 11.45am, set up in a swim I'd never fished before, bait was punched bread over 6 slices of mashed bread for feed, had a cracking session, with 12 net skimmers, 2 bream, 3 tench, two over 3lb 8ozs, 2 nice roach and six crucian thingys, the best of five was 2lbs 3ozs 8drms which I will put a picture of, the other weighed 3lbs 7ozs, which as I tried to take a picture of jumped about 6ins off the unhooking mat, bounced off the edge of my landing net and back into the water, so without being able to do a scale count won't be adding it as a PB...
P.S. Just to add, due to the uncertainty of my actually going fishing, my plans to toast my old friends life were scuppered as I didn't have time to pick up a little bottle of wine, but I looked up to the sky and said there you are Bill and held the crucians up for him to have a look...
Yesterday I had to wait for a delivery, so was unsure whether I'd get out or not, but left home at 11ish, arrived at the crucian lake at 11.45am, set up in a swim I'd never fished before, bait was punched bread over 6 slices of mashed bread for feed, had a cracking session, with 12 net skimmers, 2 bream, 3 tench, two over 3lb 8ozs, 2 nice roach and six crucian thingys, the best of five was 2lbs 3ozs 8drms which I will put a picture of, the other weighed 3lbs 7ozs, which as I tried to take a picture of jumped about 6ins off the unhooking mat, bounced off the edge of my landing net and back into the water, so without being able to do a scale count won't be adding it as a PB...
P.S. Just to add, due to the uncertainty of my actually going fishing, my plans to toast my old friends life were scuppered as I didn't have time to pick up a little bottle of wine, but I looked up to the sky and said there you are Bill and held the crucians up for him to have a look...
Last edited:
mikench
Well-known member
Well done Alan. I like your matching fleece and landing net. Very cool.
I liked the look of that lake Ray and agree with Kev. It reminded me of the bayous of Louisiana
I liked the look of that lake Ray and agree with Kev. It reminded me of the bayous of Louisiana
Alan, can I ask how you prep your bread mash feed, and how you feed it?
Alan Whitty
Well-known member
Nothing special Kev, I have a 3pt bait box full of water on my side tray, another empty one alongside, I put a slice into the water, turn it over, place it in the empty box, do four or five slices like this, by the time you have placed the last slice in and set your gear up, you will have surplus water in the bottom, gently squeeze it and pour this away, then mash it with your fingers, for this style of fishing I want it very fine, so either keep at it until nothing of consequence is visible, or use a masher, as for feeding it is messy, and not always super accurate, but to start I feed 4 small balls that I pinch out of the slop around the size of a 2 pence piece, then yesterday I fed a similar sized ball every chuck, but if it's cold and bites are at a premium, a ball around every 15 minutes is a good guide, wash your fingers in the water you use and take plenty of towels, a bit like throwing sloppy g.bait, I use guru bait punches for bread and meat, yesterday I caught well on the two largest punches, other days the smaller ones work best, or double punching is best, I press the plunger to compress the bread against my finger, it looks an almost flat 1mm disc, fish love it, on a 16/18 hook and 0.10mm hooklength...
Just to add, liquidised bread doesn't work half as well, seems to draw small roach in more...the mash feeds those off at this time of year.
Just to add, liquidised bread doesn't work half as well, seems to draw small roach in more...the mash feeds those off at this time of year.
Last edited:
Cheers, Master Chef! That's what I call an answer! I may have found a water with at least some crucians in, so I'll copying this (when it gets warmer this far north).
Alan Whitty
Well-known member
I find it doesn't work as well when warm, other fish get involved, it wasn't as warm as they forecast here yesterday, they said 15°, it was 13° for 20 minutes, I had my fleece and neck warmer on all day... I'd have a go now Kev, small amounts of pellet feed and various baits, expanders, paste, meat are my go to's in a week or two...