The Glorious 16th

[Peter Jacobs]

I would wish all river and some canal anglers the very best of luck and tight lines for the Glorious 16th June.

It has seemd a very long time in coming around, but now its here I hope your favourite river will be kind to each and everyone.

So, tight lines to all on the rivers today.

 

[dezza]

It's a pity that 16th comes on a weekend. I will be opening my river season when the mob has cleared off - next week.

 

[Mr Cholmondeley-Corker (PaSC)]

The Mob was bivvied up at Collingham since Wednesday apparently.

 

[mark brailsford 2]

The Mob was bivvied up at Collingham since Wednesday apparently.

I pity the poor souls, their pegs must be under 5ft of water by now

I had planed to go today but it's bloody awfull here in west lancs...Never mind, the river will still be there next week...and the week after

 

[dezza]

The Mob was bivvied up at Collingham since Wednesday apparently.

What a sad lot.

 

[jimmy crackedcorn]

I drove over the bridge at muskham, and saw tents and, understandably, brollies as far

---------- Post added at 08:13 ---------- Previous post was at 08:13 ----------

I drove over the bridge at muskham, and saw tents and, understandably, brollies as far as the eye could see.

 

[Mark Wintle]

I thought about it this morning; half a gale blowing when I went to get the paper, the river still up and dirty, and thought stuff it the fish can wait and I can get the decorating a bit closer to finished. The weather and river should improve early next week and I'll get out then. Now raining horizontally but the dinner is smelling good....

 

[dangermouse]

Was considering an evening session as the weather isn`t quite as bad as expected. Just took a stroll up to look at the river and the peg I was going to try. River is racing through and looks like something you`d find in Willy Wonka`s factory and the peg is completely underwater, so that`s off.

 

[maceo]

An absolute disaster.

I was up at 3am and on the bank by 4:30.

Slipped and fell in by 4:40am. I was trying to push the bankstick in for the keepnet and took one step too far.

If anyone is wondering how deep the margins are on the upper Thames, then I can tell you it's just about waist height. Had my bloody fags in my pocket too and wallet in the back pocket.

Still, not to be put off I squelched back to the car (swearing all the way), went home and got changed and was out again by 6.

The wind was beyond a joke and the river was absolutely thundering through. Tried the waggler for a while but in the flow it was just getting dragged under and on the edge of the flow it was sailing backwards or whizzing round in little circles in the eddies. Absolutely impossible. Tried 'laying on' to slow things down a bit, but the current was just too powerful and it just got dragged under.

Had to chase after my brolly when it went cartwheeling off across the field. Went to open my tin of corn and the ring pulled straight off. Then I snapped the thread bit off the head of my rod rest, leaving it inside the bank stick.

Switched onto the ledger, but the wind meant the quiver tip was almost impossible to use too.

Caught one bleak on the float and one gudgeon on the ledger.

Packed up around 10am and decided to have a scout along first the Windrush and then the Thames. Walked 2.5 miles up to Rushey lock and saw nobody. Nobody fishing, no dog walkers, no boats - nothing. There weren't even any footprints in the mud!

Walked back to Newbridge again and had a pint in the Rose Revived. A canoe thing pulled up and I was talking to the fellas in it. They said they'd come from Lechlade in about 30 minutes with the flow as it was! They'd seen nobody at all fishing.

So much for struggling to find a peg on the first day, eh?

 

[balalur]

An absolute triumph!
I was up at 3:30am and on the bank by 4:30am.I baited up a couple of swims and started ledgering with a quiver tip rod-a couple of bites but no fish...Then I started trotting using a vintage JW Youngs Trudex cetrepin reel bought two weeks ago.This was the first time in my life I was fishing with a pin and I was a bit apprehensive but it was really great!The two hours spent in the garden practising the Wallis cast proved priceless and I only tangled a couple of times .
On the first cast I was into a nice chub and could not believe how powerful it felt even if it was a small one-I could really feel the fight through the rod and reel handle-100% pure adrenaline!

Had another 4-5 fish like the one above and moved swim.On the second swim had about 10-15 fish and the I was into a "monster" dace:

After a couple of more chub I got a shy bite and when I struck I was met with such resistance I thought I was into a big one and indeed it swam into the current and put up quite a scrap before it showed himself up-a nice perch!

Now you may be forgiven if looking at the photos you may say to yourself:"What is he on about-those are small fish!" but let me tell you that you should try fishing with a centrepin and you'll understand how it feels...I can definitely say that I am a new pin convertmg:
An absolute triumph!
P.S. Sorry to hear about your bad day Maceo...

 

[S-Kippy]

Well done Gabriel....nothing quite beats playing a fish on a pin does it ?

I'm sorry to say that for me June 16th has lost its magic. Shame...but my own fault for fishing all year round.

 

[balalur]

Thanks Skippy!For playing fish the pin is king!I found it easy to cast with as well-maybe I'm a natural?!Also noticed that the line you use makes a BIG difference in easing the casting-I use Ultima Flo Cast line and I wholly recommend it for the pin!(it is supple yet "stiff" enough that when you get an overrun doesn't knot itself up and is very easy to untangle )
If I was so impressed catching 4 to 10 ounces fish I wonder how it feels when you catch a 10lb fish on the pin?!

 

[peter crabtree]

I had a very enjoyable but windy afternoon down the Colne.
13ft light match rod and my 35 year old Abu 501.
2bb stick float and single red maggot trotted down a 6ft deep glide.
Roach, gudgeon, skimmers and perch and two lumps which mullered my rigs and evaded capture.....

PS nice one Gabriel ( Balalur )

 

[carl allman]

Up at 4.00am and on the bank of the The River Brue near Glastonbury by 4.45am. Fished four swims for 9 Chub to 4lb 9oz and one pike about 7lb all on cheese paste and lobbys. Bit of colour still in the river but it is at normal level.
A bit windy at times but but at least the rain held off on an enjoyable day.

 

[chub_on_the_block]

I had a 12oz Rudd about 6 minutes into the season..things looking good..but then nothing after that at all. Mate lost a tench soon after. Shattered after long drive and dissapointing that we couldnt get near any of the swims we fancied, despite arriving around 6pm on the eve of opening day.

 

[stikflote]

catching a fish on a pin is no different to any other reel,its just a reel to hold line, when i was a boy you could only get centre pin reels ,and no where near what they look like now a days
catching the fish for me is what its about on a nice rod, but reels no they dont give me any kick i,ve got three pins, 11 fixed spool reels
i use now again,

but it seems the pins will now get chucked in cupboard ,they wont see a river again,

 

[red creel]

Spent the morning on a private lake after tench with my best mate.Its kind of tradition now with the pair of us to head there on the 16th.To be honest the tench are by modern values fairly average in size but that bothers neither of us.Its about the lake its history and surroundings and putting the world to rights while keeping an eye on the float tip.

A few of the more "keenie's" though in our little band of brothers were on the Kennet from midnight but have heard of nothing noteworthy yet.

 

[balalur]

but it seems the pins will now get chucked in cupboard ,they wont see a river again,

Maybe you shouldn't...looks like you forgot how it feels to catch a fish on the pin

 

[stikflote]

its exactly the same as catching on any other kind of reel,

this site seems to have an obsession with centre pin reels, a stick will go down a river a just as well on a close face reel, people on here try to make out its hard to catch on a pin in fact they have been around longer than any other type reel,
so simple to use ,

 

[chav professor]

its exactly the same as catching on any other kind of reel,

this site seems to have an obsession with centre pin reels, a stick will go down a river a just as well on a close face reel, people on here try to make out its hard to catch on a pin in fact they have been around longer than any other type reel,
so simple to use ,

I wouldn't say simpler to use..... simpler to manufacture, hence an earlier consistent design - they haven't changed much since Henry Coxon's times. Its like anything, once the skill has been mastered anything is easy.

Gabriels' impression that nothing comes close to playing a fish without having first had to negotiate a bail-arm and gears is about right. the clutch? - its your thumb or various parts of the palm of the hand depending on the size of fish, breaking strain of the line etc...

I can think of quite a few fish that I have landed that would not have seen the bank had it not been due to some unique characteristics of the pin!