How did you get on?

[sam vimes]

Fishing for grayling in the lower Derwent is like herding cats. They live in slacks and eddies, take the bait 18” below where you fed it, throw themselves on the hook for half an hour, then get bored and disappear.

Welcome to my world. Keep at it and you find the joys of killing your swim by overfeeding them with just a few maggots too many (usual). Not being able to keep up with the amount of feed they seem to want (rather unusual). Not actually having enough bait with you on the rare occasion that they really want some feed. Even worse is feeding that tiny bit too heavily which just attracts the attention of the swim trashing spotty hooligans. Then there are the days that you can never find a consistent line, length and depth. They randomly flit around a swim and you spend all day chasing them through the possible dimensions.

 

[nottskev]

Welcome to my world. Keep at it and you find the joys of killing your swim by overfeeding them with just a few maggots too many (usual). Not being able to keep up with the amount of feed they seem to want (rather unusual). Not actually having enough bait with you on the rare occasion that they really want some feed. Even worse is feeding that tiny bit too heavily which just attracts the attention of the swim trashing spotty hooligans. Then there are the days that you can never find a consistent line, length and depth. They randomly flit around a swim and you spend all day chasing them through the possible dimensions.

Indeed. Today a small shoal cavorted like dolphins for the 3 or 4 maggots I was throwing at the end of my keepnet. I'm surprised to hear their north-eastern cousins are similar. I'd imagined, for no good reason beyond cultural stereotypes, they'd be more like the grayling on the Dee or Dove than these Derwent fish, who make you think of those children who are artistic, sensitive and slightly bonkers. I'd have to go above Derby to find those trout, but I do sometimes - it's nice to see what your rod looks like with a big angry brownie attached.

 

[Another Dave]

Fancied a change from the soft plastics so i nipped out with a cheap chinese plug i got off amazon. Cruddy trebles removed, replaced with barbless spinner hooks.

Went to that swim where i can do an overhead cast downstream and boy does it go a long way compared to plastics. First proper cast and a chub obliged:

Both hooks held, one in the top and one in the bottom, so i'm thinking i could have got away with one.

 

[flightliner]

Out yesterday piking.
A nice local venue with an old friend who after putting out two deadbaits had a nice 16+ pike on the bank just a few minutes later.
Me on the other hand sat thro out the (lovely) day with nothing to show for my efforts.
One nice bonus however was bumping into an old angling aquintance after no contact for almost thirty years.
We exchanged phone numbers and he told me he would guest me on a highly regarded syndicate water if ever I felt like going.
Top fella !!!

 

[103841]

How did I get on? I'll tell you how, aborted session!

Visited the Kent Stour at Grove Ferry and was pleased to see the favoured swim empty, with some fresh lamprey I was hopeful of catching only my second pike. The tide was still rising but due to turn within the hour, tide falling, expectations rising!

Settled in my chair and was enjoying a mild Autumn day without the slightest hint of breeze when the phone rang. My better half had a fall and wanted me home pronto, back home in 45 minutes, kit just thrown in the back of the car.

Glad to say it looks as if she's suffered nothing worse than a few grazes and bruises, she felt bad bring bringing me away from a fishing trip, I told her I most probably would have blanked anyway.........

I might not have done though

 

[mikench]

I didn't really John but glad er indoors is ok. These kind of events put
fishing into perspective! There is always another day and another pike! The same cannot be said about the wife imo!

 

[maggot_dangler]

After much Humming and Urmmming this morning and not getting up till 09:25 i went to the easy option club pool took a few slices of Warburtons medium white and the nadfull of maggots i had left .

Decieded on peg 13 just out of reach of the viewing area and the duck feeders but room to manouver . 13 foot wychwood with a pin on it bit of a heavy flost really at 4g but did not seem to effect the results too much first 3 fish on bread to a size 14 were Chub best one going to about 1.5lb followed by a collection of snotties and Crucians Oh and on Perch still on bread .

Changed to hook to something smaller an 18 switched to maggot but just got sardine tin fillers so back to the 14 and bread to finish the short day with one more chub and a couple of Crucians , so cant complain really best part of fishing the pool this time of the year is i have it too myself almost every time (chairman's perks :wh )


PG ...

 

[theartist]

Only had time for a couple of hours bunking off work to wet a line so headed off for a morning on the local canal. Had barely enough maggots to cover the bottom of my bait tub which meant a short session no matter what. One of the homeless camps was gone from opposite my favourite perch swim so it was here I set up.

Trouble was it was fish like an idiot day for me and in all fairness I was due one the way I fish, casting too close to a snag I knew was under the water I was on my third hook by the time i'd caught anything. I had also set up where I got the odd whiff of something unpleasant but this was choked out by the woodsmoke as I was downwind of a fire somewhere. I lost yet another hook with a stupid bit of casting so it was time have lunch and pack up, by which time I realised the garden centre behind me had a wood burning stove or something and I was in the only smoky spot. I somehow managed around 40 fish, mainly roach but the big perch were conspicuous by their absence. I was thankful that I had nothing decent to net though as the handle of my landing net was an inch from some very runny dog produce. 'Fish like an idiot day' could have got much worse after all

On the way back to my house I stopped off to chat to two anglers I saw setting up earlier the other side of the bridge, only to realise it was our own Peter Crabtree and Son of Meldrew, who were having a mini match with a fine display of casting to the far bank features with their new rods, the latter was getting a good bend with chub after chub whilst I was there so hopefully PC will stage a mighty comeback as he only needs 200 gudgeon

 

[mikench]

Went out early with no particular plans save to catch something ! It rained all morning until about 1.00pm and proved to be windy but thankfully I had put my brolly up early doors and a good job I did too!

There were only 3 other anglers who were clearly mates and members of my club. One caught several carp on mussel whilst the other two blanked. One of the trio didn't have a brolly and stoically sat in the rain whilst regailing the world with profanities and acts of petulance. He broke his rod when he threw it to the ground, lost countless feeders on the island and blanked. The third member of the trio was constantly attentive to the other two including sorting out snags, helping with a landing net and generally calming the irascible one!

He declared to me that he was a novice having only started fishing a couple of years ago and he wouldn't listen to advice and didn't really like fishing! He said he was using a plummet as a weight!

There is clearly hope for me yet! I finished up with just 5 bream( what else) and I came away as my sore finger was throbbing and stiff despite my hand warmer

There is always next time!

 

[steve2]

Good day on the lures fishing for pike. Shows the value of changing lures with 6 of the fish to different lures ranging from small lucky 13 plug to a large zalt lure. All the fish caught shallow in less than 2 foot of water.

 

[103841]

I didn't really John but glad er indoors is ok. These kind of events put
fishing into perspective! There is always another day and another pike! The same cannot be said about the wife imo!

Not such good news, poor thing has fractured her wrist.

 

[peter crabtree]

Nice to see Rob today albeit briefly, sounds like he was fishing the same peg as I was on Tuesday losing hooks in the far bank snags...
Our mini match ended up being a substantial battering for me by son of Meldrew.. We fished literally 10yds apart and he landed 7 chub, some chunky perch and bits for an estimated 25lb, all I could find was my usual roach, chublets, gudgeon and perch....

I used my new 11' ultralite whilst SOM used his new 12' version. We both agreed they were perfect for canal work and they would also be suitable for small stream fishing too. I managed to slice a gash in my thumb this morning whilst preparing my sarnies, even with a waterproof plaster on it I still managed to get claret all over my pristine new cork butt sectionmg:

SoM's netful...

My not so full...

 

[theartist]

..and that's what happens when you share a swim, one catches and one feeds the fish - why do you think I take dad out so much

 

[mikench]

Not such good news, poor this has fractured her wrist.

Sorry to hear that John! You will just have to be more attentive than usual!

 

[nottskev]

Went out early with no particular plans save to catch something ! It rained all morning until about 1.00pm and proved to be windy but thankfully I had put my brolly up early doors and a good job I did too!

There were only 3 other anglers who were clearly mates and members of my club. One caught several carp on mussel whilst the other two blanked. One of the trio didn't have a brolly and stoically sat in the rain whilst regailing the world with profanities and acts of petulance. He broke his rod when he threw it to the ground, lost countless feeders on the island and blanked. The third member of the trio was constantly attentive to the other two including sorting out snags, helping with a landing net and generally calming the irascible one!

He declared to me that he was a novice having only started fishing a couple of years ago and he wouldn't listen to advice and didn't really like fishing! He said he was using a plummet as a weight!

There is clearly hope for me yet! I finished up with just 5 bream( what else) and I came away as my sore finger was throbbing and stiff despite my hand warmer

There is always next time!

Well, at least your tolerance and equanimity are in in good working order!

There are some anglers with the most unobtrusive presence. And some who could mither a nest of rats, as I heard it put in North Wales.

 

[mikench]

On this occasion Kev! His antics amused on a dull and dreary day!

 

[john step]

Went to my local lake. I had 3 jacks on sink and draw roach and a 7lb on lamprey.
Moved swims and had this 14lb + on pop up rudd

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Then at dusk this 17lb+ on pop up lamprey.

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I discovered that robins like tiny pieces of lamprey. Greedy little so and so waited here to be fed

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Packing up my unhooking mat and weigh sling had frozen to each other.
Cold night ahead I guess.

 

[sam vimes]

Helped with the stocking of a few fish early in the afternoon. Was left with an hour or so to waste a few maggots on the river. Only just worth the effort with one grayling and a couple of parr. It would have been so much better if I'd managed to avoid a very long range release of another grayling. They definitely aren't really having it at the moment.

 

[barbelboi]

Just back from meeting up with my son back in the Colne valley where he still lives. The idea was to fish one of our favourite gravel pits for roach, a 17 acre water that I had fished since the early 60’s. The only difference now is that there are some very large carp and the tench are somewhat bigger (if you can locate them).

There are also some quite large roach present, well over 2lbs from previous visits but, the wind picked up for a while (roughing up the surface), and adversely affected the presentation for these shy biters. We did end up with a fair few around this size and a bonus winter crue just short of the magic ‘4’. Fished from 11am – 3pm - caster over hemp.

 

[S-Kippy]

Just back from another crack at the perch. This time both the swims I fancied were vacant so I stuck the BF in the one I fished last week and I fished the one I wanted to last week but couldn't. He couldnt then accuse me of hogging the best spots !

Got going about 1230 and it wasn't until well past 3 that either of us had anything remotely resembling a bite. It was my turn to go first....a perch of about 1-4 on a prawn. Shortly after Phil had a similar sized fish on worm.....and that was it until gone 5 and full dark. I was away first....a fish of similar size to my first then Phil chipped in with one a bit bigger and followed it up with an official food taster. About half five Phil had a nice fish which he guessed at about 1-12 and almost immediately I was away on the LH rod....the first indication I'd had on that rod all day. This was clearly a better fish and it was all going terribly well until the hook dropped out. It wasn't a massive fish but I guessed it at well over 2 pound and I was gutted having worked so hard for it.

The wind then picked up,it turned rather chilly and began to spit with rain. I was more than happy to agree to Phil's suggestion that we gave it best.

I'm still not sure about this place. The whole lake hasn't been fishing well for about 3 weeks so it would be unfair to dismiss it too soon. There is one more area I want to try but I'm beginning to think that the perch there don't go that big and I'm not going to put a load of effort in if that's the case. There are bigger perch nearer home in places I need to try.

Still enjoyed it but it's not terribly thrilling....a bit too much like zandering at OBH in miniature and every bit as frustrating.