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How did you get on?
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mikench
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I thought you would!
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peter crabtree
AKA Simon, 1953 - 2022 (RIP)
Our mini match was cancelled today due to a strong SW wind so I had a lie in and a leisurely morning watching old top of the pops programmes. By 2:30 I'd had enough of that so I chucked a few bits in the car and nipped down the canal.
Bomb rod, 2AA paternoster rig and a whole dendra on a size 10 flicked out into the murky depths where I saw a lot of activity the other day. Sat on a small folding stool I sat with my back to the wind and used my bucket as a rod rest.
It was very dark and gloomy and nobody about but a family of swans.
Had just 2 bites in the hour or so I sat there, both missed somehow?
Better luck tomorrow hopefully...
Bomb rod, 2AA paternoster rig and a whole dendra on a size 10 flicked out into the murky depths where I saw a lot of activity the other day. Sat on a small folding stool I sat with my back to the wind and used my bucket as a rod rest.
It was very dark and gloomy and nobody about but a family of swans.
Had just 2 bites in the hour or so I sat there, both missed somehow?
Better luck tomorrow hopefully...
B
binka
Guest
Well…
What a day I’ve had!
It wasn’t as planned either, my initial thoughts were to head off to a local mill pool late morning but having woke early and checking in on here I then wondered how I would kill the time in between. This in turn led to me considering various different fishing options and this is where it gets dangerous because I’ve done it before and introduced so many alternatives that I’ve lost the will to live whilst trying to decide and never made it out the door.
With this in mind I made up the flask, chucked the same gear as yesterday into the back of the car and headed off before dawn, arriving at a different stretch of river to yesterday, for daybreak.
The swim I initially had in mind was a no goer, it was tramming through and the strong wind would have been hitting me head on all day and so I made my mind up to travel to a different stretch but not before stopping to have a look at a swim I’ve fished in the distant past.
It’s a good fourteen feet deep on the inside slack with two rod lengths of still water before a large, slow eddy separates the slack from the main flow and the good shelter from that wind proved to be a clincher.
I settled in and rigged up the same as yesterday with a couple of slight changes, I figured I could get away with a lighter 1oz tip and as the river seemed to have run clear overnight I opted for a Drennan flouro hooklink in a lighter 4.4lb.
Otherwise it was a maggot feeder with double red on the hook, an underarm flick to three rod lengths out and just play it by ear and do the tweaks from then on.
I went through the motions and cast repeatedly for the first forty five minutes or so, a couple of very tentative pulls encouraging me on and then I had a nice, nodding bite which screamed bream and so it proved following quite a respectable display of opposition…
By way of an explanation for the unusual unhooking arrangements I was fishing on what I reckon was a good 60° slope which carried on straight into the water and the chair, with only the front legs folded out, was the only means of cobbling together a flat surface.
And check this out…
I can’t remember ever seeing tubercules on a bream at this time of the year, maybe that cold fortnight followed by a mild spell has confused them a bit?
Nevertheless that was the opening bell for a hectic two hours where I went on to take another nine of similar size…
Almost as quickly as they had switched on though, the bites stopped and after half an hour without a sniff I decided it was time for an early Christmas dinner…
Not bad for a last minute, en route, filling station sarnie.
Back to the fishing and I decided to rig up a maggot clip on a 5.14 flouro bottom and size 14 B911X but the eyed version...
This went out a few times before I had a huge stab on the tip which then dropped back bolt straight before barrelling back over and this time it was a very nice chub…
He wasn’t alone either and, interspersed with other fish, I took five in total…
Without a doubt though the icing on the (Christmas) cake was this, especially as one had eluded me under my very feet only yesterday and it was a good reminder of why I put plenty of line on my ‘pins…
If all this wasn’t enough I then took this…
And if that wasn’t enough I then had two more followed by two more bream to end the day on, I think, eleven good sized bream, five good chub and four barbel.
To top things off my new rod looks like it’s had a three winter hammering but I’m not complaining, it's had a thorough testing out!
Merry Christmas everyone, it's time now for me to catch up on a bit of what I would otherwise have been doing all day… :w
What a day I’ve had!
It wasn’t as planned either, my initial thoughts were to head off to a local mill pool late morning but having woke early and checking in on here I then wondered how I would kill the time in between. This in turn led to me considering various different fishing options and this is where it gets dangerous because I’ve done it before and introduced so many alternatives that I’ve lost the will to live whilst trying to decide and never made it out the door.
With this in mind I made up the flask, chucked the same gear as yesterday into the back of the car and headed off before dawn, arriving at a different stretch of river to yesterday, for daybreak.
The swim I initially had in mind was a no goer, it was tramming through and the strong wind would have been hitting me head on all day and so I made my mind up to travel to a different stretch but not before stopping to have a look at a swim I’ve fished in the distant past.
It’s a good fourteen feet deep on the inside slack with two rod lengths of still water before a large, slow eddy separates the slack from the main flow and the good shelter from that wind proved to be a clincher.
I settled in and rigged up the same as yesterday with a couple of slight changes, I figured I could get away with a lighter 1oz tip and as the river seemed to have run clear overnight I opted for a Drennan flouro hooklink in a lighter 4.4lb.
Otherwise it was a maggot feeder with double red on the hook, an underarm flick to three rod lengths out and just play it by ear and do the tweaks from then on.
I went through the motions and cast repeatedly for the first forty five minutes or so, a couple of very tentative pulls encouraging me on and then I had a nice, nodding bite which screamed bream and so it proved following quite a respectable display of opposition…
By way of an explanation for the unusual unhooking arrangements I was fishing on what I reckon was a good 60° slope which carried on straight into the water and the chair, with only the front legs folded out, was the only means of cobbling together a flat surface.
And check this out…
I can’t remember ever seeing tubercules on a bream at this time of the year, maybe that cold fortnight followed by a mild spell has confused them a bit?
Nevertheless that was the opening bell for a hectic two hours where I went on to take another nine of similar size…
Almost as quickly as they had switched on though, the bites stopped and after half an hour without a sniff I decided it was time for an early Christmas dinner…
Not bad for a last minute, en route, filling station sarnie.
Back to the fishing and I decided to rig up a maggot clip on a 5.14 flouro bottom and size 14 B911X but the eyed version...
This went out a few times before I had a huge stab on the tip which then dropped back bolt straight before barrelling back over and this time it was a very nice chub…
He wasn’t alone either and, interspersed with other fish, I took five in total…
Without a doubt though the icing on the (Christmas) cake was this, especially as one had eluded me under my very feet only yesterday and it was a good reminder of why I put plenty of line on my ‘pins…
If all this wasn’t enough I then took this…
And if that wasn’t enough I then had two more followed by two more bream to end the day on, I think, eleven good sized bream, five good chub and four barbel.
To top things off my new rod looks like it’s had a three winter hammering but I’m not complaining, it's had a thorough testing out!
Merry Christmas everyone, it's time now for me to catch up on a bit of what I would otherwise have been doing all day… :w
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I managed a session today, all be it a short one. The wind was a howling downstream one when I arrived and even though the car thermometer was reading 9 1/2 degrees it felt very cold in that wind. No sooner had I got to my spot and cast across river and on que it started to rain, not good as I hadn't taken a jacket so I had to stand there in torrential rain that was being driven by that bloody wind only wearing a thin hoody!
Anyhow after about quarter of an hour the rain had dropped off to drizzle and the wind had dropped off with it. It was at that point I got my first fish and then they kept coming, not big fish but big enough to put a bend in my rod. I finnished up with about 15 fish and then the wind picked up again and the rain started off so I hoofed off back to the wheels. Got back just in time as the skies really opened up!
I've got a couple of pic's but i'll have to get my mrs to get them off the phone.
Anyhow after about quarter of an hour the rain had dropped off to drizzle and the wind had dropped off with it. It was at that point I got my first fish and then they kept coming, not big fish but big enough to put a bend in my rod. I finnished up with about 15 fish and then the wind picked up again and the rain started off so I hoofed off back to the wheels. Got back just in time as the skies really opened up!
I've got a couple of pic's but i'll have to get my mrs to get them off the phone.
Last edited:
mikench
Well-known member
Fine examples of the noble bream Steve!
skov
Well-known member
Due to some kind of seasonal miracle I ended up unexpectedly free from wife and children on boxing day afternoon.
Not wanting to waste the opportunity I grabbed the pike rods and headed straight for my local gravel pit.
A couple of hours in one of the alarms started screaming as line tore from the bait runner. Hmm, I don't think that's a pike I thought to myself. I picked the rod up and there was nothing there. Seconds later a blooming cormorant surfaced right over where my bait was.
Glad I missed that run then!
Half an hour later my margin rod started beeping.
Definitely a pike this time. I could see the bait hanging out of the side of her mouth in the gin clear water.
She was sort of chomping on it, but I could see the single hook was on the outside of her gob. Just when I thought she was going to turn and swallow it she decided to spit it out and swim off
I stuck another bait out in the hope she'd return, but she was clearly on to me.
No more action after that, but happy I managed to get out, even if it was for a blanking.
Not wanting to waste the opportunity I grabbed the pike rods and headed straight for my local gravel pit.
A couple of hours in one of the alarms started screaming as line tore from the bait runner. Hmm, I don't think that's a pike I thought to myself. I picked the rod up and there was nothing there. Seconds later a blooming cormorant surfaced right over where my bait was.
Glad I missed that run then!
Half an hour later my margin rod started beeping.
Definitely a pike this time. I could see the bait hanging out of the side of her mouth in the gin clear water.
She was sort of chomping on it, but I could see the single hook was on the outside of her gob. Just when I thought she was going to turn and swallow it she decided to spit it out and swim off
I stuck another bait out in the hope she'd return, but she was clearly on to me.
No more action after that, but happy I managed to get out, even if it was for a blanking.
mikench
Well-known member
I nearly froze ! There was a biting wind and the sunshine only arrived about an hour ago! Until then i spent 5 hours or so catching nothing , not even a bite ! I started on the float with maggot and progressed to the feeder rod and a maggot feeder but still nothing! Two guys who arrived yesterday morning and pitched their bivvies( i noticed them on my walk) had had one small carp between them in 24 hours and caught nothing today!
I would have died of boredom were it not for this cheeky little chap who liked my maggots!
He was quite brazen but delightful!
Two guys who arrived yesterday morning and pitched their bivvies( i noticed them on my walk) had had one small carp between them in 24 hours and caught nothing today!I would have died of boredom were it not for this cheeky little chap who liked my maggots!
He was quite brazen but delightful!
maggot_dangler
Well-known member
Made the pool this morning to be greeted by a sheet of ice right where i had intended to fish so mashed it a few times broke it lose and the wind did the rest for me blew it to the other side of the pool suits me .
Got into the fishing a couple of medium sized carp around 5 to 7 pounds each then the dang phone rang work calling someone had their bag stolen get them in change the locks 5 lever chub great that termintaed the fishing just got in now great ...
PG ...
Got into the fishing a couple of medium sized carp around 5 to 7 pounds each then the dang phone rang work calling someone had their bag stolen get them in change the locks 5 lever chub great that termintaed the fishing just got in now great ...
PG ...
Graham Elliott 1
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Popped down to the Wye today with pike setup and maggot feeder rod.
Got frozen.
Got frozen.
mikench
Well-known member
I know the feeling! I have only just warmed up!
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I would have died of boredom were it not for this cheeky little chap who liked my maggots!
He was quite brazen but delightful!
A "cheeky little chap" ? More like a very rotund Robin!
Graham Elliott 1
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Yes Mike.
Memo to self. Better to go stir crazy indoors than fish snow melt water in truly bitterly cold wind. I gave up when I realised that I was colder than the 1oz gudgeon that felt sorry for me
Memo to self. Better to go stir crazy indoors than fish snow melt water in truly bitterly cold wind. I gave up when I realised that I was colder than the 1oz gudgeon that felt sorry for me
mikench
Well-known member
He was John but then you might be if you had eaten a dozen or so maggots I guess the human equivalent might be a dozen large bratwurst)! The fish weren't interested but he was!
edsurf
Well-known member
A year ago to the day
I caught my PB Grayling on the Frome 2.8lb, cant get near a river today , even the local millstream which is always good for dace and roach is in flood.
Not Complaining had a canny season with a couple of personal bests.
Looking forward to 2018.
I caught my PB Grayling on the Frome 2.8lb, cant get near a river today , even the local millstream which is always good for dace and roach is in flood.
Not Complaining had a canny season with a couple of personal bests.
Looking forward to 2018.
Hugh Bailey
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As predicted, my annual Wey Christmas blank took place today. For some reason I hadn't considered the rain over the previous few days & when I arrived the river was at the top of the banks. I tried a few creases but even there I was getting rubbished out every few minutes.
I moved off to the nearby canal, which was also up on level & running through very coloured. An hour or 2 of trotting maggots gave nothing so I sat it out on the lobworm by a bridge in the hope of a Perch but nothing doing.
A lovely although cold day to be out- some nice (non-fish) photos. Might possibly be able to get out again Saturday or Sunday when the conditions might be better.
I moved off to the nearby canal, which was also up on level & running through very coloured. An hour or 2 of trotting maggots gave nothing so I sat it out on the lobworm by a bridge in the hope of a Perch but nothing doing.
A lovely although cold day to be out- some nice (non-fish) photos. Might possibly be able to get out again Saturday or Sunday when the conditions might be better.
maggot_dangler
Well-known member
Thought i would give the local cut a try today .
As per usual round here as clear as tap water giving the expected result a blankety blank dont like blanks maggots worm bread not a sniff .mg:
Wont bother with the canal again now till it colours up a bit ..
PG ...
As per usual round here as clear as tap water giving the expected result a blankety blank dont like blanks maggots worm bread not a sniff .
mg: Wont bother with the canal again now till it colours up a bit ..
PG ...
Blanks seem to be feature at the moment. The pike are definitely not having it.
It wasn't worth venturing to the chocolate colour river for them.
Some mates came up here from Dan Sarf to spent time on the lake until the new year. S0d that with temperatures in the minus, double skin bivies or not
It wasn't worth venturing to the chocolate colour river for them.
Some mates came up here from Dan Sarf to spent time on the lake until the new year. S0d that with temperatures in the minus, double skin bivies or not