How did you get on?

[binka]

I met up with nottskev again yesterday for a spot of urban roaching on a local mill pool which is literally five minutes from my house and where I'd had some cracking days during the summer, some of which were written about here.

The weather proved to be a bit challenging, with bait buckets and boxes being blown away on several occasions and it was occasionally like trotting a river in the shallow, river fed dam.

I began on the maggot and waggler but with the heavy colour in the water I was itching to try bread, especially as I had prepared some mash and a couple of slices of wet bread the night before and after taking a couple of small roach I gave it an hour or two and then switched to the Warburtons.

Nothing down the edge on the inside line and that surprised me considering it's the same depth throughout.

Kev was winkling a few out though including a proper one which was well worth the effort and after I had flicked the waggler and bread onto the original maggot line I connected with a nice sailaway bite which didn't want to budge, when it eventually did it was off and heading for the other end of the mill pool with boils and small eruptions on the surface as it did so.

I had stepped up to a 2-10 bottom for the bread rig but never felt uncomfortable and then all went slack when the fish was around the halfway across point and I reeled in to find that the hook had simply pulled out.

Buqqer!

Never mind, I thought another might come along but they're not numerous or stocked and I didn't get another crack at one.

Very cold by the end of play with a very strong wind pushing down on us for almost the entire day, the occasional lull actually making it feel very pleasant indeed at times.

All in all not bad at all considering the river is currently out of order and the dam is free fishing

Thanks for the company Kev, I hope you post that roach up... :w

 

[mikench]

Despite the weather it sounds like you had an enjoyable day Steve!

I forget to mention that I started on bread yesterday with a large tub of liccy bread délicately flavoured with a spoonful of custard powder and punch on a hair!

I had one of the bream on this but that was it! I never really have much success with bread and maybe it's me and I am never confident that it is still on the hook so regularly reel in to check!

Happy new year everyone!

 

[Another Dave]

I figured the Chelmer was the nearest venue that would give me half chance.

Ooh, you must be very close to me, we should meet up someday.

 

[nottskev]

Met up with Binka at a great little water local to him – a river-fed former mill dam. I really like this type of urban fishery – like a little oasis. We set up near the outflow, and with the water coloured and the temperature up a couple of degrees, there was a chance we'd catch a couple.

We both set up little wagglers in the two-feet deep swims. I'd picked the swim next to the run-off, and it didn't take long to realise the flow picked up here like water approaching a plug-hole, so I leapfrogged to the other side of Steve, where, with a bit of fiddling about with line and tiny shot on the bottom you could hold your float still. Or, still for a bit.


Mind you, even with the float halfway stable, loose feed, thanks to the wind gusting straight at us, was unlikely to hit it, and we had to collect a few items blown down the bank behind us. At one point I hooked a fish and found my landing net had blown out of reach. A pike angler set up at the far end; after a while he seemed to be playing something in a tree above his head, but it was a murky day, and hard to tell what he was up to.

I had occasional bites, ending up with 9 or 10 fish and a decent roach; Steve caught a couple on maggot before hooking a carp on bread that tore off across the shallow dam but unfortunately slipped the hook.

I'm sure the passers by, ferrying shopping, walking dogs or, in one case, just strolling by shouting with a can of lager, thought we were crazy, but we passed an enjoyable few hours. Although it was a relief to get out of the wind at half-past three. Cheers, Steve – I'll look forward to another visit sometime.

 

[103841]

Wow, what a beautiful fish.:thumbs:

 

[mikench]

Lovely roach Kev! Just a bit bigger than my best of yesterday!:wh

 

[maggot_dangler]

Up and out before the sun today club pool . got there and Whoa wherd all that water come from 2 days ago still about 11 inches LOW today almost on the outflow level with a very predictable result for that pool fish gone back to bed .

Had 3 fish 1 small roach ( i think it was anyhow) i pukka Crucian around 2.5lbs and 1 i aint at all sure about shape of a cru colour of a cru but with 2 definate barbles like a carp that was just shy of 4.5 lbs meant to photograph it but phone was i the car ( thought it was nice and Quiet )


PG ...

 

[peter crabtree]

Club knock up today on the GUC Aylesbury arm in the town. A walk off with 14 fishing and I drew 14....
I decided to walk all the way past everyone and take the end peg.

Had 4 skimmers and some small roach on punch in the first 2 hours, things were going fine until a passer by kicked my bag then started whinging that my roller was obstructing the towpath. There was ample room and nobody else had complained but he got quite irate and told me to move it. I just shrugged and said ok. With that he threw a coffee carton at me, called me a f*****g prick and threatened to push me in...Fortunately when he walked back down an hour later there were 2 blokes talking to me and he didn't stop.

I fed some chopped worm up the far shelf and took a couple of small perch then bumped a skimmer off mg:

Back on the down the track rig I had a couple more skimmers and that was it.
Weighed in 4lb:2 for 4th out of 14.

Winner had 8:2, 2nd had 7:9 and 3rd 4:8.

Apart from the nutter I had a pleasant days fishing in the unseasonably mild weather.

 

[Hogweed]

Ooh, you must be very close to me, we should meet up someday.

Sounds good to me.

I live just inside the M25 in Essex. I was fishing at Little Baddow which is about a 30 min drive for me.

 

[thecrow]

Some people would start an argument with themselves

 

[Another Dave]

Sounds good to me.

I live just inside the M25 in Essex. I was fishing at Little Baddow which is about a 30 min drive for me.

Paper Mills? I used to cycle there with a seatbox on the back of my racer!

 

[Hogweed]

Paper Mills? I used to cycle there with a seatbox on the back of my racer!

Yes that's the place. It was my first time. I walked as far as the footbridge downstream and I was glad I had my waders on ;-)

 

[skov]

Well my last session of 2017 ended in a blank. Story of my year
Hopefully 2018 has some fish in store for me!

 

[Another Dave]

Yes that's the place. It was my first time. I walked as far as the footbridge downstream and I was glad I had my waders on ;-)

I take it it's still day ticket? Do give me a shout if you want some company next time.

 

[Another Dave]

Well my last session of 2017 ended in a blank. Story of my year
Hopefully 2018 has some fish in store for me!

I'm sure it does mate, i'm sure it does.

 

[peter crabtree]

I left home at 10 this morning intending to fish for roach on the top stretch of the Colne downtown, there was a queue to get in the carpark, it was absolutely rammed.
There was a fun run round the lakes and riverside and seemingly every family in town were there.
Didn't hang around and made off for another stretch where the parking was ok.
Finally arrived on a swim which looked good for a trot and set up. Only had my 15' ultralight with me which would have suited my original swim choice but not really a good choice for this one. The fish here are lumps, barbel, chub, carp and big bream live here...

With that in mind I set up with 3lb maxima straight through to a Drennan specialist size 10 hook and a 4bb Middy balsa Avon.

There was a nice crease about half way across, beyond which there was a fairly brisk flow. Stuck a big lump of flake on and chucked it to the edge of the crease in around 4' of muddy brown coloured water.

Easing the float slowly down it buried, I struck into thin air. Was it a fish I wondered? Rebaited and chucked again, this time the float travelled down a bit further before flying under, I struck again and it went solid. A spirited tussle ensued....

When it finally surfaced it was not what I expected after such a fight...

7lb on the scales, a good start ( note to self ) bring a bigger landing net next time..

The next bite I connected with had an entirely different feel to it, this fish went berserk. Was it a barbel, a chub maybe?

Nope!

During the next hour I caught 2 more slabs, one a shade over 8lb and another slightly smaller.

2 slices of bread, 3 hours, 4 fish.

Happy new year....

 

[mikench]

Bream rarely let you down ! Nice fish Simon particularly with an Ultralight!

 

[nottskev]

I tried to catch a chub on a little brook last week, but instead caught perch and a pike. I had little bait in the fridge and nowhere better in mind, so I bought a small white loaf, defrosted some liquidised bread and headed back there. This time, with a shorter, cheaper rod.

The brook was up, coloured and running off quite hard. It's a case of fishing where you can get in, as opposed to where you think fish might be lying. This swim looked promising

It's well known that chub like Ribena, so I let the flow push my float against the bottle, and laid it on there. I don't know why the float is glowing in the picture....

And 30 seconds later I was playing this chub amongst the branches and debris.

I didn't expect to get another bite in that swim anytime soon, so I moved next door, where I'd fed some bread as I walked past.

A similar-sized chub buried the float first run down, just as it was disappearing round the corner.

But that was the end of the chub action. I couldn't get another bite on bread, so I eked out the remains of a tub of worms and caught a few perch.

Not on the scale of the last visit though – they were in different places today, and perhaps not appreciating the fairly soupy water. I'll go there again, though -I'm getting to quite like the place.

 

[mikench]

Well done Kev! It looks a difficult place to fish and obviously not a looker but cracking fish! Happy new year !

 

[nottskev]

Well done Kev! It looks a difficult place to fish and obviously not a looker but cracking fish! Happy new year !

Cheers, Mike. Happy new year to you! Actually, if you discount the plastic bottles - a high water feature - it's rather lovely in its own way.