How did you get on?

[maggot_dangler]

Was contemplating the Severn today but put off by the low levels (and not waking until 7.00 am mg so opted for a second consecutive session on the Salwarpe. Last week's was only saved by a perch of 1.3lb in amongst six bits of chublet, rudd, perch and dace so decided to try some new swims. Off to a flyer, one cast, no bites and discovered there was a wasp nest under my feet time for a short sharp exit :wh Next peg looked promising, a decent trot on the edges of the trees on the far, well not very far, bank only downside were the wall to wall nettles which got me every time I reached for, flask, landing net, tackle box etc etc etc Couldn't buy a bite on maggot, bread or corn last week but decided that I would give them another go today (last week's remnants) and keep the worms as back-up if it got desperate. Anyone who's read my previous posts on the Salwarpe knows a landing net is not always an essential piece of tackle, ended up using it four times today which I think is a first, perch of around the pound mark and three chub over the 2lb mark, best coming in at 2.14, 2oz short of my 3lb target for the season I'll give him a month or so to put some weight on ) Apart from two small perch everything was caught on last week's maggot, if someone would like to explain that, I'd be grateful

Finished with eight chub, thirteen perch and a solitary dace, hopefully the Severn or Avon will be a little higher next week.

Hi is this the BAA section you fish on the Salwarpe got to go get another bash at that soon .

PG ...

 

[jon atkinson]

Guest ticket for the Boot Farm stretch on the Ribble near Ribchester today; I reckon it was up 3 - 4' on 'normal' & the colour reminded me of the river in Charlie & the Chocolate Factory

It wasn't busy (not surprising given the forecast) but there were precious few swims that weren't overly treacherous for a clumsy g1t like me! Eventually found one that wasn't 'too' bad & we could actually fish within about 20 yards of each other. Muddy as hell though & knowing that rain was innevitable, that was only going to get worse

Suffice to say I've had better days! one small roach avoided the blank, but that was it. Thomo faired rather better fishing boillies as opposed to my pellets / corn / maggots; a chub of about 3.5lb & 3 barbel to about 7lb was a better return than most. The weather was was just bonkers; we knew that rain was forecast, but how it can swing from lashing down to bright sunshine to lashing down in less than 10 minutes is just beyond me. Other fails were a slight gust knocking my brolly back - couldn't figure out why I couldn't re-position it 'til I got my ar*e out of my chair to find that said light gust had bent the bottom half of the pole

Also managed to slip in the mud, reached to grab some undergrowth to steady myself & ended up with a handful of nettle - still tingling even now mg:

Obviously, I'll be back...

Trust that most of the fine folk on these boards fared a little better :w

 

[PH]

Finally, I have something to add to this great thread.

I came back to the UK for eye (cataract) surgery on the 1st Sept, and had 3 days recuperation time before I had to leave again…………… so I went fishing.

I only caught a few tiddlers and a nice little common carp of about 4lb. on my first day out, and followed that up with 2 complete blanks. But it didn’t matter to me at all, it was just so nice to be beside the water and fishing.

Regards

 

[neil1970]

I managed to get out a couple of times over the weekend.
Two hours maggot feeder in a weir with a mate saw bleak, chub, perch, dace, gudgeon and bullhead.
My mate was well pleased with a 4lb brown trout as well.



I met up with another mate last night on the canal and fished from 6.30 til 8pm.
I was happy to catch a nice Perch . 1lb 10 oz.

 

[greenie62]

Nice one Neil - looks like it's one you've brought back from your harbour-fishing trips!!

 

[neil1970]

Nice one Neil - looks like it's one you've brought back from your harbour-fishing trips!!

Thanks Greenie Yes I think they're actually part of the Goby family.
Crazy looking little thing

 

[The Runner]

Post a bit late as been looking everywhere for lead to upload pics from camera. Still can't find it so pictureless report from annual week on the Severn, from which returned on Saturday.
River was as low as we've ever seen it and very clear as well and the guys staying at the same place as us the previous week had apparently found it hard. Picked up a few odds and ends from the tackle shop and...
Day 1, Knowle Sands; gave myself a pretty long walk to a swim running into a shallows and got the week off to a good start with a little barbel around a pound first put in and a 5 pounder next. Then went quiet for a good while apart from a decent chub and a few chublets and dace on the feeder. Tried running a 4AA avon over the feeder line with pellet but only a couple of little chub. Back on the feeder and around 2 30 had another barbel quickly followed by four more in the next 45 minutes, then gone again and back to the chublets and dace knocks and bangs, hitting the occasional one. So, seven for the day, 6 for Terry, 3 for Brian, a biteless blank for Steve J and no barbel either for Steve K (who usually spends most of the day on the float with a feeder lobbed out on a baitrunner as a sleeper rod.)
Day 2; Quatford. Slightly shorter walk to the end of the first field, nice looking swim that has produced well before but after three hours and nothing but dace moved further down to some deep water. Again, two barbel very quickly and two more at intervals , all good fish around 6 to 6-8. Terry top man with 8, Brian 5, Steve K 4 and Steve J one more bite than yesterday resulting in a pound barbel.
Day 3 Brook. Brian and Steve J downstream , the rest of us up. Swim I was aiming for was already taken so ended up on some deep water above the Island with Terry just up from me. By 12 had had only a roach about 12oz so moved again further up to faster water- another two good roach, a chublet and finally what turned out to be my best barbel of the week at 7-6 . Terry ended up with two barbel and three bream which doubled our number of bream in 20 yrs of coming here, one for Steve K with some good roach on the stick; downstream had fared better with 5 for Brian and the mutinous noises the previous evening from Steve J came to a stop as he had 11. Absolute downpour as we were about to pack in made getting up the bank again interesting for those of us who hadn't bothered fitting a rope...
Day 4 Knowle Sands again; Settled about 200 yards above where I had been on Day 1. No real pattern to the day, six barbel at intervals and a good chub. Complete absence of small fish for some reason where I was. Yesterdays rain seemed to freshen the river up and fish thoughout, 12 for Steve J, 8 Brian, 6 Terry, no barbel for Steve K but a nice catch of chub up to 4-8 on his last day.
Curry Night ! Eurasia in Bridgnorth highly recommended...
Day 5 Quatford (other bank and upstream) A bit of a hard one, Terry and Brian stuck it out on the feeder for three barbel plus some good roach, and a single dace respectively. Steve J and myself decided to have a day mostly on the float; I couldn't find any quality fish at all ending up with around 10 lb of little dace , chublets and bleak before an unproductive last three hours on the feeder. Steve had a lovely catch of roach , best 1-12with 7 or 8 others over the pound and nothing under 8oz as well as 3 little barbel on big stick and 6mil pellet
Day 6 Knowle Sands again. Another 200 yards back (gradually the shorter walks were becoming more attractive...) Awkward swim under trees and having to cast sidearm which doesn't do a great deal for accuracy. Slow start and after two and a half hours had only had a pound plus roach. Was considering moving when the tip sprang back and after that caught in short bursts for the rest of the day until the 5 30 pack up ending up with 13 barbel, mostly around 5-6 lb. Had some big perch chasing the fry in a nearside slack so had a lobworm out for a while on a sleeper rod, which found me four ruffe, the first I've had here and my first anywhere for years.
Terry had 14, Steve and Brian both 8 so our best day of the week.

Heard quite a bit of doom and gloom about the Severn over the last year but the fish still seem to be there on these middle stretches. And you also hear that you can only catch late in the day; we fish "office hours" of 9ish to 5 30, never later as the pub starts beckoning...
Have definitely had to adapt a bit over recent years, now catching far better on 4 or 6 mil pellets banded on a hair to a 16 or 14 than on anything bigger, and the optimum length of hooklength seems to increase by 6 inches every year (That hill at Knowle Sands seems to get a few degrees steeper every year as well...)

Usual thanks to John, Norma and Richard at the Bulls Head. Top place.

 

[mikench]

Nice one Neil - looks like it's one you've brought back from your harbour-fishing trips!!

I am glad they are not pike size!!!

 

[Hugh Bailey]

Not a report as such but hopefully one to come in the next day or so.

On holiday in France, staying in Orange in Provence. A walk around today showed Babel to maybe 3 or 4, loads of cub , perch a few bream and I'm sure a couple of tench - al in a river of probably 2ft max depth with most much shallower.

If I can get a permit will give it a go - not sure how to approach it - will probably link ledger corn. - it is so clear not sure what else would work - it's nit dep enough for a float.

Will get some photos tomorrow - 1 swim (predictably unfishable) is like an aquarium:-(

 

[itsfishingnotcatching]

Hi is this the BAA section you fish on the Salwarpe got to go get another bash at that soon .

This is the private stretch at Hawford Bridge Fishery Pete, opposite side of the road to the BAA section

 

[rubio]

Had a couple of damp sessions on the river. Quite happy to see a bit of rain and a slight pick up of current, and at least it's warm rain. A few nice roach were about to make it worthwhile. Plenty of bites from perch, dace and small chub too. Towards end of the days fishing some rudd showed up to add to the enjoyment. About as much fun as you get from half pint of old maggots.
Method was light waggler, size 20 to 1lb bottom in just shy of 3 foot of depth. Casting 3/4 across and trundling through just tripping the deck. 3/4 of 20 feet isn't much of a cast tho.

 

[103841]

Took my Uncle yesterday to the hospital for his latest round of chemo whilst he was being treated I took a walk along the Canterbury Stour, plenty going on with banks being strengthened, it did cross my mind "is this work necessary?" A few metres along my question was answered with the sight of a fallen tree damming the entire width of the narrow river.

However, it was very pleasing to see so many chub along the stretch in various swims giving me much optimism for the months to come as we head into colder weather.

This morning her ladyship asked if I would drive her into Canterbury for a bit of retail therapy "of course my love, spend as much there as you wish" (or words to that effect).Dropped her off and headed straight for the car park, no whip today, it's a bit of an urban jungle at present with all the rain we've had so a short 7ft stalking rod was the choice today with just a shoulder bag and net for some easy roving.

The first swim of the session

This was the first proper test of my new polarised prescription sunglasses, with the gin clear water a whole new world has opened up to me.

Being able to see deep into the depths does pose a problem for me though and one I need to address. I decided to keep the rig as tangle free as possible due to the extensive amounts of streamer weed still abundant and decided to free line a large chunk of meat into a clear spot between the streamers, it wasn't long before an inquisitive chub picked up the bait which I was watching excitedly and in that excitement struck to quick and pulled the bait out of its mouthmg:

Should move on at that point with spooked fish in the area but decided to drop the meat in again but this time obscured by the weed, within seconds the line tightened between my fingers and this time the fish was hooked, not big about 3lb ish. This time I did decide to try another swim, noticeable just how many pike were about waiting for a meal.

Over the next hour I had a further three chub from three different swims, the best going 4lb 4ozs and christening my new scales.

I did also manage one of these

I don't recall seeing as many chub along the stretch as in previous years, maybe a good Autumn/Winter to come?

My better half only spent two hours shopping, so I'm pleased to have got four fish in that time and even happier that she didn't have enough time to seriously dent the bank account.

 

[peter crabtree]

Another old codgers match today on the GUC between Hemel and Berko...
The same pound I fished last Saturday... I drew a bit further to the right of the bridge today in this rod, reel and float only match...

Having fished waggler across on both Saturday and Sunday my shoulder was feeling a bit tender so I opted to fish whip style with a pole rig on my 13' rod and swing it out underarm just over the near shelf.
This pound is renowned for it's big gudgeon and I caught a few too...

After a while I noticed fizzing in my swim, something was hoovering the bottom as the bubbles were in line, I was thinking carp or big bream on my groundbait as the roach, bleak and gudgeon seemed to disappear? Then I saw a yellowy green flash in the margin, a pike was the culprit. I hardly got another bite after that which was aggravating as I'd made a good start, bagging up with a fish a chuck. I ended up chucking the rig all over the place trying to locate some fish but only had 2 bites in the last 2 hours....
At the scales I had 2:14:8 for 4th on the day.

Winner had 4:12 so no big weights today but enjoyable all the same...

10 fished..

 

[103841]

I have to ask......is there a NAL on the other side of that towel Simon?

 

[peter crabtree]

No, the other side is white with the word face written in brown ....

 

[fishplate42]

Took my Uncle yesterday to the hospital for his latest round of chemo whilst he was being treated I took a walk along the Canterbury Stour, plenty going on with banks being strengthened, it did cross my mind "is this work necessary?" A few metres along my question was answered with the sight of a fallen tree damming the entire width of the narrow river.

However, it was very pleasing to see so many chub along the stretch in various swims giving me much optimism for the months to come as we head into colder weather.

This morning her ladyship asked if I would drive her into Canterbury for a bit of retail therapy "of course my love, spend as much there as you wish" (or words to that effect).Dropped her off and headed straight for the car park, no whip today, it's a bit of an urban jungle at present with all the rain we've had so a short 7ft stalking rod was the choice today with just a shoulder bag and net for some easy roving.

The first swim of the session

This was the first proper test of my new polarised prescription sunglasses, with the gin clear water a whole new world has opened up to me.

Being able to see deep into the depths does pose a problem for me though and one I need to address. I decided to keep the rig as tangle free as possible due to the extensive amounts of streamer weed still abundant and decided to free line a large chunk of meat into a clear spot between the streamers, it wasn't long before an inquisitive chub picked up the bait which I was watching excitedly and in that excitement struck to quick and pulled the bait out of its mouthmg:

Should move on at that point with spooked fish in the area but decided to drop the meat in again but this time obscured by the weed, within seconds the line tightened between my fingers and this time the fish was hooked, not big about 3lb ish. This time I did decide to try another swim, noticeable just how many pike were about waiting for a meal.

Over the next hour I had a further three chub from three different swims, the best going 4lb 4ozs and christening my new scales.

I did also manage one of these

I don't recall seeing as many chub along the stretch as in previous years, maybe a good Autumn/Winter to come?

My better half only spent two hours shopping, so I'm pleased to have got four fish in that time and even happier that she didn't have enough time to seriously dent the bank account.

Looking good for the coming months... Is that the stretch from the car park going east, where the 'designer' swims are?

Ralph.

 

[103841]

Yes Ralph
I started at the furthest posh swim at Barton Mill catching the first chub and then making my way towards the road bridge catching chub along the way. Run out of time so didn't make the weir.

 

[mikench]

Another old codgers match today on the GUC between Hemel and Berko...
The same pound I fished last Saturday... I drew a bit further to the right of the bridge today in this rod, reel and float only match...

Having fished waggler across on both Saturday and Sunday my shoulder was feeling a bit tender so I opted to fish whip style with a pole rig on my 13' rod and swing it out underarm just over the near shelf.
This pound is renowned for it's big gudgeon and I caught a few too...

After a while I noticed fizzing in my swim, something was hoovering the bottom as the bubbles were in line, I was thinking carp or big bream on my groundbait as the roach, bleak and gudgeon seemed to disappear? Then I saw a yellowy green flash in the margin, a pike was the culprit. I hardly got another bite after that which was aggravating as I'd made a good start, bagging up with a fish a chuck. I ended up chucking the rig all over the place trying to locate some fish but only had 2 bites in the last 2 hours....
At the scales I had 2:14:8 for 4th on the day.

Winner had 4:12 so no big weights today but enjoyable all the same...

10 fished..

Like the logo Simon!

 

[fishplate42]

Yes Ralph
I started at the furthest posh swim at Barton Mill catching the first chub and then making my way towards the road bridge catching chub along the way. Run out of time so didn't make the weir.

I must get back down there. Have they finished the bridge at Barton Mill yet?

Ralph.

 

[103841]

I must get back down there. Have they finished the bridge at Barton Mill yet?

Ralph.

Yes Ralph.