How did you get on?

[tigger]

There are some truly decent people on this forum Graham! Binka is good company and is an exceptional ghillie!

I wonder how he would look in a blond wigg, mini skirt and pantyhose, tall heels and bright red lipstick .


Ooops, sorry, I misread the ghillie as "Girlie" :wh mg:

 

[The Runner]

Club match on the Slough Arm at Langley and a really frustrating day for me.
Actually it started going wrong yesterday, stripped elastic from all but one topkit, all set to replace for a run of canal matches- went to shop only to find they had nothing below a 5, Doh...
So, looks like a one topkit day, luckily the one I hadn't been due to replace was a 3.
Pegged all past the gate towards the marina and peggers reported that fish moving all along with some BIG roach on the low numbers (although these were unlikely to get caught given the water clarity) Knock up here midweek had been won with 16lb but a nasty skim on the water today wasn't going to help things.
Drew peg 5 and a quick plumb up found it a bit shallower than expected down the track and only 2ft across to the boat where could see everything on the bottom with a few roach flashing, a bit deeper on both lines to my right, The topkit was set up with a 4x10 rig, then 4 and 5m whips both with 2BB Glowtip wagglers, and waggler rod, 3BB ditto.
Started on punch over liquidised on 4m whip, two roach within a minute and two more quickly after, nice size of 2-3 oz which are the weight builders here. But then it just died, came up in the water and back down, further out on 5m whip and nothing. Ian on 4 was catching steadily but 20 to the pound fish, John on 6 getting one or two better ones and I couldn't buy a bite whatever I did. Had fed pinkie and groundbait off to both sides at 8 to 9m and finally added a 4oz hybrid on pinkie over this followed by a perch on pinkie miles away from any feed. Two hours gone, six fish and Ian admitting to 55 and everyone else I could see was catching as well. And things improved only marginally after that- eventually started to get the odd bite tight to the boat left and also over the initial feed in front but couldn't get more than one bite together anywhere and the few fish I got down the track were small.
Ended up with 22 fish for 3 -13 and second last, either side having 3-15 and 9 -9. Very frustrating as I couldn't work out any reason why I shouldn't be catching and couldn't find a way to put a run of fish together, doubly so when the average size of the fish across when I did get one was half decent by comparison (Ian's 9 -9 was 112 fish including a good skimmer)
11-6 won it, unexpectedly virtually all rudd on waggler and maggot, then roach weights of 11-4, 10-11 and 9-9.
Still, won the mystery peg tenner for the third time in 4 matches so not totally empty handed.

 

[maggot_dangler]

Never made it to a river today .

Wound up having to wait in for AMAZON to deliver something that they deliverd to the WRONG place big time quite how i will probably never work out oir know .

Still wound up on the local cut for a couple of hours Crystal clear water everywhere i tried so hard going had a few small perch and roach missed what looked like a reasonable bream the the swans helped thenselfs to my bread so i packed up and came home seemed like the best idea at the time .

See what Wednesday brings now ..


PG ...

 

[peter crabtree]

M25-M40 towards west London this morning for a club match at Kew bridge on the tidal Thames..
At 9am the tide was still coming in and it was 10:30 before it was going out so we could get down the slippy steps onto the gravel...
I drew well downstream of the road bridge and just below the railway bridge.

Upstream...



Down...



All set up and waders on...



First bite on my cage feeder with GB and worm and maggot on a 14 hook was a small eel. As I swung it in it wrapped itself around the rig, hmmmm I thought, this could be tricky as it promptly fell off back to freedom...mg:
As the first hours went by and the tide went out I was getting some fierce bites boshing the tip down but too quick to hit. There are some big roach here and I suspect they were the culprits.
It soon became apparent I was getting battered by the anglers on either side of me... Story of my life here or so it seems?



Staring up at the tip with the sun in my eyes wasn't much fun either...







2 hours to go and I finally caught a small bream but sadly that was my lot..
This is the umpteenth time I've fished this venue and I've never understood how it can be so peggy, I'm using the same rigs and bait as others but I rarely seem to have many fish in front of me???

32lb won it with backups in the 20's, biggest bream caught was 8lb:4 and the biggest roach 1lb:13...

23 fished...

 

[binka]

I wonder how he would look in a blond wigg, mini skirt and pantyhose, tall heels and bright red lipstick .


Ooops, sorry, I misread the ghillie as "Girlie" :wh mg:

 

[tigger]

Blimey Steve....you look lovely, proper classy girlie ::w

 

[lakhyaman]

Having lost the two fish I hooked last night, I dispensed with the heavy rods and reels and went with two light 11foot feeder rods, 11/2oz. Drennan method feeders, and 6lb line, in search of smaller fish that I could handle!

I chose the shallow, shaded water under the overhanging Nageshwar tree (Messua ferrea - variously the Ceylon Ironwood,the Indian Rose Chestnut or the Cobra's Saffron. In many northern Indian languages Nageshwar means Cobra Goddess!)

The Nageshwar swim. The boat was not there when I was fishing.

Please forgive the "impressionist" look of the photographs as my old iPad's camera is not much good. I only used it so that I had some form of photo to post.

The view from under the tree.

Although it was really a one rod swim I put in two. One was loaded with a pack bait of oats, sweet corn, chickpeas, red kidney beans, green peas, butter beans, and slathered with Robin Red liquid! Hook bait was some hair rigged red dyed and cured sweet corn. The other had besan (chickpea flour) wetted with Mainline pineapple syrup laced with betaine (I have had a carton of mixed liquid flavours brought out from the UK!) on the feeder with a hair rigged yellow foam "boilie" (from China) dunked in the same syrup with more hope than faith as I had never caught anything on replica baits! Both were mere feet out from the bank, lobbed out by hand as the tree prevented casting.

Did not take long before I was struggling to keep a bronze red Rohu from leaping into the branches! It tickled me pink that it came on the foam "boillie".

Rohu 8 1/2 lbs.

When the sun went below the opposite hill I moved out onto a fishing platform and the old float rod and fly reel brought out another identical Rohu.

Fishing platform, Rohu, rod and fly reel, and Mandan's hands!

I caught another two Catlas of 15 1/2 lbs each which the progressive action of the lighter rods stopped pretty well. Both were on the yellow foam "boiie"! Besan soaked with betaine laced pineapple syrup is the bees knees, l tell you!

My other rod, on which I was testing a new Shimano Sienna 2500 loaded with Fireline Smoke braid never hooked a fish despite continuous knocks on the feeder and many different hook lengths, hooks and hook baits.

I also lost a Rohu and a Catla which snagged me. Mandan, the ghillie, went out in the boat and pulled out both snags (branches broken in an earlier storm) and recovered feeders and hooks. He does not like hook, line and sinker being left in his fish. Neither do I, for that matter.

My elation, after last night's debacle, was much deflated when I went up to watch Bangladesh being absolutely thrashed by SA at T20 cricket.

Apologies for the long post.

All the best

Lakhyaman

 

[Another Dave]

Never knew such a beast existed on this earth, it's like the missing link between the carp and the chub.

Loved the impressionist pics mate.

 

[no-one in particular]

M25-M40 towards west London this morning for a club match at Kew bridge on the tidal Thames..
At 9am the tide was still coming in and it was 10:30 before it was going out so we could get down the slippy steps onto the gravel...
I drew well downstream of the road bridge and just below the railway bridge.

..

Fascinating that for me Peter or should we rename you King Canute! My playground when I was a kid, on Sundays dad worked in the Star & Garter pub on the corner of Kew Bridge itself; so spent many a day munching crisps and lemonade and a dabble now and then and never caught anything like 8lb bream and -2lb roach; in fact I cannot remember catching anything. The Thames has come on a lot it seems to me, next time I visit relatives, must give it a go. I see you were fishing the ebb but is it better tide up or tide down?

 

[peter crabtree]

Mark, we always fish the ebb as its safer and easier. As you probably know it comes in quite quickly and moving backwards on the muddy, rocky shoreline could be hazardous....If you time it right you can fish from the pathway at Strand on the green at high tide using stickfloat or waggler...
Big roach and dace love a bit of bread flake there...

 

[no-one in particular]

Mark, we always fish the ebb as its safer and easier. As you probably know it comes in quite quickly and moving backwards on the muddy, rocky shoreline could be hazardous....If you time it right you can fish from the pathway at Strand on the green at high tide using stickfloat or waggler...
Big roach and dace love a bit of bread flake there...

Thanks Peter, your right about the tide-I might be visiting relatives near Kew Christmas time, might have a recce and a dabble, hope its mild. Fancy a bit of that, roach/float/flake-not fished the Thames in a long while. Giving me the itch again.

 

[skov]

I haven't had anything to report for a while.
I started my piking about a month ago, and despite getting plenty of runs, and hooking a few fish, I've managed to lose all but one of them (and that was tiny jack that I think was just hanging onto the bait!)

Anyway, I headed out to a fen drain in the early hours of yesterday morning, hoping to end my run of bad luck.
It didn't start well... Not long after setting up I got my first take and hooked into a reasonable sized pike. It was a weird one though, rather than fighting it just sat there shaking it's head until the hook pinged out.
Half an hour later exactly the same thing happened again mg:
Other than a jack nibbling at one of my baits that was it for a few hours.

I started packing up around midday, feeling a little downhearted, when one of the floats shot off. This one put up a proper fight, punching well above it's weight. I was overjoyed when it slipped into the net!

Moments after releasing it my other rod shot off, and this one gave a really good account of itself too!

I went home after that, confidence restored, and feeling really rather pleased

 

[103841]

Went on my first pike fishing trip today. Grove Ferry was my choice of venue which has a hot swim rich with pike and perch. An early start was essential so alarm set for 5am and it was a good deal colder than when I last got up that early.

Arrived at Grove just before first light and was disappointed to find two anglers setting up in the swim I had hoped to fish . Not fancying a chuck and chance it approach having not had any takes whilst lure fishing for perch on other swims I decided to do a few hours drop shotting and then moving onto Canterbury. Hard work but managed four small perch over the course of a couple of hours, maybe poor with an incoming tide.

By 9am it was warming up a bit with bright sunshine, only a short drive to the gin clear Canterbury stretch. Roving approach with my new pike set up and wasn't long before I spotted a decent pike lurking below an overhanging tree. A gentle underarm cast put my free lined smelt bang on its nose but the smelt was immediately taken downstream in the current, what I wasn't watching was the reaction of the pike which had set chase and within a flash everything had gone solid and the next minute was the most violent few seconds I've ever spent fishing! Why do they get so angry? Thrashing around in the water and above it trying to make a bid for freedom was short lived as it was guided into my net with a sense of excitement and relief.

I used a barbless circle hook which passed the test with flying colours and it was nicely embedded in the pikes scissors and was easily removed without the need to handle the fish.

So my first attempt at pike fishing resulted in a take within 5 seconds of my first cast with a fish on the bank a minute or two later, can only go downhill from there.

Soon found out that the smelt I'd bought were no good for being cast any distance as they just ripped through the single hook, will need a fish with tougher skin or a hair rig next time out which I don't think will be far away.

8lb 6ozs, definitely a pb.

 

[itsfishingnotcatching]

After having to work Saturday morning and carry out chef's duties later when a large chunk of the family assembled for fireworks and food after Disney on ice, took the easy option of fishing the Salwarpe yesterday, where the hike to the bank is at least 20m In spite of the sunshine, there was a distinct chill in the air and the downstream wind meant constant mending of the line (went with the f/s Rarenium rather than spend hours untangling the pin). Strange fishing, long (30-40 mins) periods of inactivity followed by short periods of catching, finished with 13 Chub (two real ones of 2 & 2.5 lb respectively), 5 Perch to about 12oz, 6 small Dace and three very small gudgeon. The hunt for the "three" continues but if the dry weather continues think I'm heading for the Severn next week.

 

[fishplate42]

Went on my first pike fishing trip today. Grove Ferry was my choice of venue which has a hot swim rich with pike and perch. An early start was essential so alarm set for 5am and it was a good deal colder than when I last got up that early.

Arrived at Grove just before first light and was disappointed to find two anglers setting up in the swim I had hoped to fish . Not fancying a chuck and chance it approach having not had any takes whilst lure fishing for perch on other swims I decided to do a few hours drop shotting and then moving onto Canterbury. Hard work but managed four small perch over the course of a couple of hours, maybe poor with an incoming tide.

By 9am it was warming up a bit with bright sunshine, only a short drive to the gin clear Canterbury stretch. Roving approach with my new pike set up and wasn't long before I spotted a decent pike lurking below an overhanging tree. A gentle underarm cast put my free lined smelt bang on its nose but the smelt was immediately taken downstream in the current, what I wasn't watching was the reaction of the pike which had set chase and within a flash everything had gone solid and the next minute was the most violent few seconds I've ever spent fishing! Why do they get so angry? Thrashing around in the water and above it trying to make a bid for freedom was short lived as it was guided into my net with a sense of excitement and relief.

I'd used a barbless circle hook which passed the test with flying colours and it was nicely embedded in the pikes scissors and was easily removed without the need to handle the fish.

So my first attempt at pike fishing resulted in a take within 5 seconds of my first cast with a fish on the bank a minute or two later, can only go downhill from there.

Soon found out that the smelt I'd bought were no good for being cast any distance as they just ripped through the single hook, will need a fish with tougher skin or a hair rig next time out which I don't think will be far away.

8lb 6ozs, definitely a pb.

Great result! That is not a bad fish for a first, I bet you can't wait to get back on the river. Are you going to try Grove Ferry again? Might have to get up even earlier

 

[103841]

Yep, won't give up with GF Ralph, the first time I fished there I managed to get in the hot swim and had my best perch to date on a lure. Met a fellow CDAA member today fishing a little further upstream and he fished there Sunday with nobody else present!

I've moaned about the state of the river through Canterbury for a long time, low levels and gin clear but it does at least give a great insight into what goes on below the surface and allows you to map the terrain in your mind for when the colour does return. Great fun today finding the pike and catching it at first attempt.

 

[theartist]

I've moaned about the state of the river through Canterbury for a long time, low levels and gin clear but it does at least give a great insight into what goes on below the surface and allows you to map the terrain in your mind for when the colour does return. Great fun today finding the pike and catching it at first attempt.

It's lovely bit of river though mate and a nice pb :thumbs:, choc full of dace along there and trotting for them with a small float will also show you where the pike are holing up.

 

[barbelboi]

I took a stroll across the fields this morning to one of the streams I haven’t fished for a while armed with the old Titan2000, pin, small bag of bits some 50/50 bread and an unhooking mat to sit on. The idea was to trot flake – the target roach.

I must have covered the best part of a mile and a half for 15 roach and 3 chub. Fished from 11am – 3.30pm

 

[Alan Tyler]

Got the afternoon off to a poor start, fishing a mediocre swim badly; I could see a pod of chub moving in and out, but couldn't tempt them on gear likely to land them.
Then the call came that one of the more favoured swims had just come vacant, so off I shlepped. Petrol-splitter had just gone into THE swim, and had three barbel before I'd
re-tackled. All through daylight, nothing happened, but just after five o'clock, I had a proper bite, and nine minutes later, managed to get the net under a very cross seven-pound barbel. That was the highlight of my afternoon; there came a barbel half the size of the first, then a sickening sliding sensation as the Albright knot, which had landed the others, parted (HOW???)on a fairly modest fish, then a nice chub of about three pounds, and a poor little barbel with a kinked spine, whom I instantly regretted inconveniencing.
All took double mussel.
In spite of it being Halloween, "Caspar" the friendly ghost carp failed to pay a visit.
Petrol Splitter got nine bearded wonders.
Where have all the chublets gone?

 

[puffer_]

I took a stroll across the fields this morning to one of the streams I haven’t fished for a while armed with the old Titan2000, pin, small bag of bits some 50/50 bread and an unhooking mat to sit on. The idea was to trot flake – the target roach.

I must have covered the best part of a mile and a half for 15 roach and 3 chub. Fished from 11am – 3.30pm

That is a lovely looking stream and a great looking fish. My kind of water