S-Kippy
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And how were the Fortis in action ?
How did you get on?
- Thread starter peter crabtree
- Start date
S-Kippy
Well-known member
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Off down to Guildford with the BF yesterday. M25 up to its usual tricks which meant we arrived later than planned and for some reason the lake was very busy so swim choice was largely whatever was left. Not enough daylight now to wait the old boys out and some of them were dug in tighter than an Alabama tick.
Anyway....I got a spot that looked ok bar it's proximity to a pair of idiots who drove me nuts all evening with their hooting and hollering and beep beep beep and headtorches etc......and these were guys old enough to know better. Complete goons who seemed incapable of leaving a bait in the water longer than 5 minutes.
So....with the BF to the left and me to the right of this bloody racket I wasn't that confident of our margin tactics working and I was well surprised when my LH rod roared off after about 20 mins. Nice linear mirror of 16-12. Phil had a common of 15-7 about an hour later but by 7-45 neither of us had had another touch. It was most frustrating as I could see fish over my RH rod...tail patterns and the odd bow wave but my indicator never moved. With the pantomime next door showing no sign of abating I rang Phil and said I was giving it best at 8 o'clock. He was more than happy to follow suit.
At bang on 8 I put another dozen baits over the RH rod and started tackling down the LH rod. I was literally just reaching for the RH rod to do likewise when it finally screamed off. Common bang on 17lb.
Ordinarily I'd have been happy with two nice fish but the idiots next door really spoilt my evening. What is the matter with these people?
Used the newly purchased barrow for the first time too. Absolutely cock on and so much easier than a trolley.
Anyway....I got a spot that looked ok bar it's proximity to a pair of idiots who drove me nuts all evening with their hooting and hollering and beep beep beep and headtorches etc......and these were guys old enough to know better. Complete goons who seemed incapable of leaving a bait in the water longer than 5 minutes.
So....with the BF to the left and me to the right of this bloody racket I wasn't that confident of our margin tactics working and I was well surprised when my LH rod roared off after about 20 mins. Nice linear mirror of 16-12. Phil had a common of 15-7 about an hour later but by 7-45 neither of us had had another touch. It was most frustrating as I could see fish over my RH rod...tail patterns and the odd bow wave but my indicator never moved. With the pantomime next door showing no sign of abating I rang Phil and said I was giving it best at 8 o'clock. He was more than happy to follow suit.
At bang on 8 I put another dozen baits over the RH rod and started tackling down the LH rod. I was literally just reaching for the RH rod to do likewise when it finally screamed off. Common bang on 17lb.
Ordinarily I'd have been happy with two nice fish but the idiots next door really spoilt my evening. What is the matter with these people?
Used the newly purchased barrow for the first time too. Absolutely cock on and so much easier than a trolley.
Another Dave
Well-known member
Hi mate. They were a massive improvement on what i had been using - a pair of very dark polarised Rayban type shades. Had i used those yesterday i'd have probably eneded up in the drink!
It's sunny today so i'm keen to test the Fortis Switch to see how they fare under bright conditions, as i haven't yet given them a chance to actually, you know, switch.
Conclusion so far: best ones i've had but need further testing.
Went piking yesterday on my local lake. BLANKETY BLANK!
No luck today the pike have gone away
Its just my luck they will not play
I cast about til arms in pain
All to to no avail and all in vain
Where they went I know not where
My Savage net it remained just bare.
Who said art was dead
No luck today the pike have gone away
Its just my luck they will not play
I cast about til arms in pain
All to to no avail and all in vain
Where they went I know not where
My Savage net it remained just bare.
Who said art was dead
mikench
Well-known member
Very good John( the verse not the blank)
You are a poet and I didn't even know it!
You are a poet and I didn't even know it!
sam vimes
Well-known member
Another afternoon on a river that's still up a bit. The snag now is that it's neither up enough nor down enough. Running that horrible stewed tea colour that rarely sees good results.
Started in the same place as yesterday and struggled for an hour or so to bag four grayling. plus obligatory minnows. Decided to up sticks and head off several miles further upstream. Dropped into a very familiar spot and bagged three trout, one grayling and four parr. Do I really need to mention the bloody minnows?
Started in the same place as yesterday and struggled for an hour or so to bag four grayling. plus obligatory minnows. Decided to up sticks and head off several miles further upstream. Dropped into a very familiar spot and bagged three trout, one grayling and four parr. Do I really need to mention the bloody minnows?
Back to the Derwent today, where my fishing mate caught 20 grayling to my 6 on Wednesday. I'm not so competitive I cared – but I was curious that he caught his fish 2' from the bank, and I'm wanting to get up to speed on the float from a stretch I've only fished for barbel in the past. On a warm windless day, I knew I could probably catch more on the local Trent, but the Derwent has that Crabtree charm, so I put the light box on the trolley and trudged the half-mile and two stiles to this peg
Last time out on the Derwent the 15' rod was too long, so today I was armed with a 12' Shimano Diaflash, improved from standard with a home-fitted spliced tip. (It's a great rod, but with the standard hollow tip the top foot barely bends) Even then, I wasn't fishing off the rod end – I was fishing closer than that, and to see the float as it passed the bankside vegetation, I had to stand up from my box. With 4' of water a step out from the bank, I caught 20-odd of these bank-hugging grayling in the first 2 hours.
But they were a small average size, and, not surprisingly, the bankside run dried up. The back-up line I fed, down the middle, which was a bit too pacey, only produced a few small dace. Maybe these are not really 4 or 5 hour pegs, and I should move. But I felt like I'd walked enough to get there, to be honest. If only there were some chub in those far bank trees......
Last time out on the Derwent the 15' rod was too long, so today I was armed with a 12' Shimano Diaflash, improved from standard with a home-fitted spliced tip. (It's a great rod, but with the standard hollow tip the top foot barely bends) Even then, I wasn't fishing off the rod end – I was fishing closer than that, and to see the float as it passed the bankside vegetation, I had to stand up from my box. With 4' of water a step out from the bank, I caught 20-odd of these bank-hugging grayling in the first 2 hours.
But they were a small average size, and, not surprisingly, the bankside run dried up. The back-up line I fed, down the middle, which was a bit too pacey, only produced a few small dace. Maybe these are not really 4 or 5 hour pegs, and I should move. But I felt like I'd walked enough to get there, to be honest. If only there were some chub in those far bank trees......
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A courier arrived yesterday to pick up one rod and drop off a replacement (I was really looking forward to using it) but upon inspection the replacement wasn't as it should either so I can't use it as it's gonna have to go back 'n' all !
As jacked off as I was I went out anyhow. I spent several hours out trotting...well in reality I spent more than half that time walking and climbing up and down bankings. Last night had been quite cold and I think it was the first frost we've had round here so I would imagine it'll have slowed down the fishing. Todays fishing was a case of drop in a swim, have a few trots through it and once i'd had three or four trots through without a bite i'd move on to another swim. I always find if there are any chub in a swim I get one within the first couple of trots through so I don't hang about if nothing obliges pretty quick.
A couple of different swims occupants...
As jacked off as I was I went out anyhow. I spent several hours out trotting...well in reality I spent more than half that time walking and climbing up and down bankings. Last night had been quite cold and I think it was the first frost we've had round here so I would imagine it'll have slowed down the fishing. Todays fishing was a case of drop in a swim, have a few trots through it and once i'd had three or four trots through without a bite i'd move on to another swim. I always find if there are any chub in a swim I get one within the first couple of trots through so I don't hang about if nothing obliges pretty quick.
A couple of different swims occupants...
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Another Dave
Well-known member
Pike number four, a personal least, perfection in miniature.
Not convinced he was even hooked, just loved the lure that much.
Not convinced he was even hooked, just loved the lure that much.
mikench
Well-known member
Very frustrating Ian! Let's hope it's third time lucky
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Very frustrating Ian! Let's hope it's third time lucky
It is Mike. The first rod had the hook keeper holder stuck out solid as it was encased in varnish. The spigot on the middle section of the second rod isn't perfectly true and so when you assemble the rod and look down the blank it kicks out to the left, ok it's only slight but I can't see that being good news when playing a powerful fish and having the rod in full curve! Most people would probably not notice this defect but I scrutinize things and they've gott'a be right, especially when the item has cost a lot of money.
I'm gonn'a have to see what solution the shop come back with now
mg:, possibly a third time lucky or I may just ask for a refund as i'm getting a little fed up with the whole thing.
mikench
Well-known member
And you are right to do so Ian! An expensive rod has to be right for you! I would probably have not noticed it
One of the problems from buying of the internet!
One of the problems from buying of the internet!
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And you are right to do so Ian! An expensive rod has to be right for you! I would probably have not noticed it
One of the problems from buying of the internet!
Your right Mike, buying online and unseen isn't always a good thing but in this case it's a large well known shop and the rods are brand spanking new so I would have thought the rods would be perfect...straight from the makers.
The shop was supposed to be phoning me back this morning but i'm not going to hold my breath, I can see me having to phone them next week. If they leave it to me to phone them back i'm going to ask for a refund and they can keep any further replacements.
The rods are made in Scotland and they say buy British as it's better build quality....well I haven't had any of these problems with rods that are made in foreign countries
mg:.
peter crabtree
AKA Simon, 1953 - 2022 (RIP)
Had a change of Saturday morning venue today, very local but I haven't fished here for years. After a cold frosty start I was expecting to struggle but the punch proved irresistible to the roach.
It was literally a bite a chuck @9m on the pole down the track until a boat came through and muddied the water. Took a while to clear and the bites returned, this pattern was repeated every time a boat came by. Can't complain though....
It was literally a bite a chuck @9m on the pole down the track until a boat came through and muddied the water. Took a while to clear and the bites returned, this pattern was repeated every time a boat came by. Can't complain though....
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lakhyaman
Well-known member
Does a session of hooked and lost fish count as a blank? There was nothing in the net or on the bank so I have recorded this evening's session as such.
It has been a long time since I last did this on my little lake. I hooked two fish and lost both. The first, hooked on my Hardy specialist float rod, powered sixty yards from my rod tip straight into the branches of a tree which had recently fallen in. Frankly it went at such a breakneck pace that I dared not clamp down on the fly reel which I was using (Scientific Angler 678) although the drag was set just short of dead stop anyway. It did the usual trick of transferring the hook to a branch and I eventually pulled for a break. The second one ( on a Hardy Supero Specimen rod and Daiwa Emcast 5500 - I am getting worse than the legendary Binka with the green rods !) beat up the lake like a fighter pilot with a new kite until eventually the hook pulled!
Did not see either fish in the dark so haven't a clue what they were other than being large.
Will try to make amends tomorrow.
All the best
Lakhyaman
It has been a long time since I last did this on my little lake. I hooked two fish and lost both. The first, hooked on my Hardy specialist float rod, powered sixty yards from my rod tip straight into the branches of a tree which had recently fallen in. Frankly it went at such a breakneck pace that I dared not clamp down on the fly reel which I was using (Scientific Angler 678) although the drag was set just short of dead stop anyway. It did the usual trick of transferring the hook to a branch and I eventually pulled for a break. The second one ( on a Hardy Supero Specimen rod and Daiwa Emcast 5500 - I am getting worse than the legendary Binka with the green rods !) beat up the lake like a fighter pilot with a new kite until eventually the hook pulled!
Did not see either fish in the dark so haven't a clue what they were other than being large.
Will try to make amends tomorrow.
All the best
Lakhyaman
stu_the_blank
Well-known member
With the forecast predicting Saturday as the last warmish day for a while, one of my mates suggested a day at the commercial we had surprisingly enjoyed a few weeks ago. Why not.
An overnight frost suggested that an early start wasn't necessary so we got down there at 8-30. Thermometer still hovering around 3 and frost on the ground. Surprisingly, there were a lot of swims occupied by overnighters, still trying to warm up!
So choice of swim a little restricted but we found adjoining swims giving us what we were looking for, Ant had a good stretch of open water in front of him and I had what I look for on heavily fished waters, a swim that was obviously not used a lot ( weeds growing over the manicured fishing area, bankside vegetation not well tended, etc ) it also had a fair length of undisturbed reed-bed to both sides and a smallish reed-bed 'island' to one side about 20 yds out.
I'd brought along my 11ft, 1.75lb through action rods, which would cope with moderate sized carp and wouldn't completely outgun any bream or tench that came along.
I decided to put out two method feeders, one against the island, and one on the edge of the reed line, both at about 20 yds range.
Cold, bright, sunny not the best so moved the chair away from the swim behind the reeds and put the kettle on to warm up.
Morning yielded just a couple of skimmers.
About midday, the cold wind noticeably warmed up and a bit of hazy cloud cover, getting better. I started to fish properly. Out went a bit of ground-bait and some loose offerings to form two lightly baited 'tables'. Bait was flavoured yellow chick peas.
First proper run resulted on a plump 8lb fully scaled mirror, follower by a few better bream in the 2 to 3 lb range and at packing up time at 5-30 (you have to be off at 6 or wait until the gate is opened again next morning) another mirror about the same size.
I thoroughly enjoyed the day, and am still a bit bewildered that a few moderate fish could have brought such a smile to my face, I think because I really didn't fancy our chances when we got there but maybe I just love being there.
By the way my mate caught a succession of small bream that started small and seemed to get smaller!:
Stu
An overnight frost suggested that an early start wasn't necessary so we got down there at 8-30. Thermometer still hovering around 3 and frost on the ground. Surprisingly, there were a lot of swims occupied by overnighters, still trying to warm up!
So choice of swim a little restricted but we found adjoining swims giving us what we were looking for, Ant had a good stretch of open water in front of him and I had what I look for on heavily fished waters, a swim that was obviously not used a lot ( weeds growing over the manicured fishing area, bankside vegetation not well tended, etc ) it also had a fair length of undisturbed reed-bed to both sides and a smallish reed-bed 'island' to one side about 20 yds out.
I'd brought along my 11ft, 1.75lb through action rods, which would cope with moderate sized carp and wouldn't completely outgun any bream or tench that came along.
I decided to put out two method feeders, one against the island, and one on the edge of the reed line, both at about 20 yds range.
Cold, bright, sunny not the best so moved the chair away from the swim behind the reeds and put the kettle on to warm up.
Morning yielded just a couple of skimmers.
About midday, the cold wind noticeably warmed up and a bit of hazy cloud cover, getting better. I started to fish properly. Out went a bit of ground-bait and some loose offerings to form two lightly baited 'tables'. Bait was flavoured yellow chick peas.
First proper run resulted on a plump 8lb fully scaled mirror, follower by a few better bream in the 2 to 3 lb range and at packing up time at 5-30 (you have to be off at 6 or wait until the gate is opened again next morning) another mirror about the same size.
I thoroughly enjoyed the day, and am still a bit bewildered that a few moderate fish could have brought such a smile to my face, I think because I really didn't fancy our chances when we got there but maybe I just love being there.
By the way my mate caught a succession of small bream that started small and seemed to get smaller!:
Stu
thecrow
Well-known member
A leisurely drive North to meet up with binka yesterday for session on a large windswept gravel pit with Perch being the target, With Steve very kindly acting as gillie for me setting up the Nash chair he has given me and the umbrella to keep the wind off I was soon settled in with my Berwick attached to a 16ft Drennan float rod that Sam has given me 6lb Maxima to 4lb fluro with one of Steves bobbers as indication, bait was worm fished dead depth.
I would like to report that we caught plenty but it wasn't to be apart from a solitary bream to Steve on his first put in, the fight from it was almost uninspiring but it wasnt that good and was soon in the net, a decent fish with a very bright red chest that reminded me of one of these
A very enjoyable day despite wind and the the lack of fish with plenty of talk and craic and its not often that you come back from a session with more tackle than you took with you (thanks again Steve and Chris ) I am looking forward to a bash at those Perch when they feeling a bit more cooperative.
I would like to report that we caught plenty but it wasn't to be apart from a solitary bream to Steve on his first put in, the fight from it was almost uninspiring but it wasnt that good and was soon in the net, a decent fish with a very bright red chest that reminded me of one of these
A very enjoyable day despite wind and the the lack of fish with plenty of talk and craic and its not often that you come back from a session with more tackle than you took with you (thanks again Steve and Chris ) I am looking forward to a bash at those Perch when they feeling a bit more cooperative.
mikench
Well-known member
There are some truly decent people on this forum Graham! Binka is good company and is an exceptional ghillie!
thecrow
Well-known member
There are some truly decent people on this forum Graham! Binka is good company and is an exceptional ghillie!
Yes there certainly are outstanding people, they are what used to be called gentlemen, if steve hadn't shown me how the chair went together with the attachments I reckon it would have been time for home before it was ready to fish from, I need a couple of practice goes at home I think but I am sure both bits of kit will see me fishing for longer and using different methods.
mikench
Well-known member
I hope so Graham and that both chair and rod provide you with pleasure and comfort for a long time to come!