How did you get on?

[103841]

A day off work, I headed to the Leeds Liverpool Canal, after taking the kids to school.

The morning was warm, but ominous clouds promised the forecasted downpours would be making an appearance. Travelling light and staying mobile was the order of the day; six foot drop shot rod, small reel loaded with 6lb braid and minimal tackle in a little bag.

I've NEVER caught using any artificial lure, today was going to be the day! I've landed a fair few jacks and little perch drop shotting lobworms since my return to fishing, but those soft plastic lures that everyone on YouTube hauls out dozens of fish on every session? Nope, not me!

Four hours of varying retrieves with numerous little lures on a micro jig head, interspersed with drop shotting around numerous swims that screamed PERCH LIVE HERE.....not a sniff of a fish!

Nice day though, ducklings, tadpoles and a hovering sparrow hawk for company. It's good to be back on the bank again.

You’re not alone, I have numerous blanks with lures, infact numerous blanks with every method. I do always try and take a few worms, they often work when plastics don’t.

If you’re going to blank, there isn’t a better way, walking along a tow path of a canal or river or in my case now the coastline in search of bass is always enjoyable even if a bit frustrating.

 

[Mark Wintle]

I've been fitting in quick two hour sessions on a pond just 10 minutes from home, fishing the pole with very light gear, no. 4 elastic, 0.10 mainline and 0.08 hooklink to a 22 barbless and catching mainly small perch, the odd decent rudd to 8oz, some good roach to 1-11 plus the odd roach x rudd to 1-14 plus eels.

Today it seems the carp wanted to play, lost the first one, landed the second and lost the last. Apart from that about 10 perch.
The carp I landed was the biggest fish I've had on the pole at 17-12 and as it was unexpected I used my cushion as a mat.

 

[peter crabtree]

Tonight I fished the 2nd of our evening matches on the Aylesbury arm on the town’s outskirts. A pretty pound with lilies all the way along the far bank. It was bloody cold though with a NW wind and fine rain in the face. In fact it was purgatory.
Small Rudd attacked every small bait presented, yes it was nice getting bites but at 25 to the pound hardly worth the effort.
After half an hour of them I made a decision.

There are some big bream in this stretch so I went **** or bust. Potted in 5 balls of gb and some chopped worm hard against the pads. Half a Dendra tipped with a maggot on a 16 red maggot hook with No13 hollow elastic through my top 2.

First put in my float moved to the side then went down, I lifted and bumped a fish. Dropped it back in and it went down again, a 4oz perch.
In a 3 hour match there’s not much time to mess around but I was so cold I nipped back to the car to get a warmer jacket. An hour and a half to go I resumed fishing, feeling more and more despondent by the minute as my float just sat motionless.
Then I heard a sickening crack, my neighbour snapped his cupping kit, as I looked back at my float it was slowly going under. I lifted into it and elastic came shooting out, at last a good fish.
I swung the pole to my left to pull it away from the pads, which is where it would have inevitably gone. It was a real fighter and I prayed it would stay on. I got it into my landing net which was a tad small and on lifting it out it promptly flipped back in and sped off again. With my heart in my mouth I guided it towards the net again and this time got it in head first.
It was a good slab of about 4lb which at the scales sealed victory for me with a total of 4:7:0
That made packing up wet gear with cold hands a lot less of a trial...
11 fished.

 

[rich66]

We had a dry spell here in Leicestershire this morning. I’d be talking about different baits on FB with a few “friends” online and the weather being like it is, I thought I’d make the most of it. Tin of sweetcorn,some pellets & 1/2 a bag of mussels. Saw me shooting out his morning at 8:30 ish.
Anyhow the swim I’d fancied from the other day was underwater seeing a nice spot the other side of the lake, reeds a moving with fish amongst them etc. I trundled myself around to the spotted swim, only to find a stream running down the path deeper than I’d dare take my walking boots through. So back round to the car for another look around and I spot a nice swim just the other side of the car park on a different lake. Liked to look of it and spent a happy few hours watching my float. Missed a bite ! Then just as a couple of anglers turned up for a chat my float sailed away. Struck into what felt like a log for a second then off we went, put my match rod right through its paces. After a few minutes up rolled a carp then off it went again like a train. Few more lunges and runs finally saw me land a new personal best
A 16lb Common. To say I’m chuffed is an understatement.
For those that like to know I fished 6lb straight through onto a size 12 hook about 2 foot over depth and all the shot at the float with just a no6 to hold my bait down. Bait was cooked mussel.

 

[john step]

I braved the rain today. Not so bad tucked under the brolly on my syndi. reservoir. The carp we stocked are growing well. I had 6 today on my 1.5lb Shakey sygma speci rods. Great fun.
Only one wasn't a double. The rain even stopped for packing up time.

View attachment 6866

View attachment 6867

 

[mikench]

Well done Pete. How do you rate your scales?

 

[peter crabtree]

Only 7 codgers fished the GUC at Boxmoor near Hemel yesterday...
As you know it was raining hard from start to finish so brollys were up

I fished waggler across to an Elderberry bush opposite with double maggot. It was just 3’ deep over there and spraying maggots via catty soon attracted a chub. It fought well for it’s size, a nice clean fish about a pound.

Then after a succession of smaller chublets another fighter took my bait. A roach/bream hybrid around 3lb. A couple more skimmers after that before it went a bit quiet for the final 2 hours.
I weighed in 4:12:0 and came 2nd, beaten by 10oz. Luckily the rain stopped as we finished at 3pm and I was scalesman.

 

[john step]

Well done Pete. How do you rate your scales?

Getting wobbly I am afraid. Lightweight but need zeroing every use. I am think of investing in a better set. Research needed.

 

[bennygesserit]

Here is an image of me looking Dozy holding a fish
Went to Furnace Mill yesterday the Company and the day was superb but the fishing was a bit hit and miss
Went with my oldest Lad
Fished the Willow pool no one else on the site at all most of the day
The staff are ace really friendly and the pools are stuffed with Fish

So much so that we got complacent
Normally , there , I would fish a pole and a t*ss pot , gradually keep fishing accurately whilst also feeding the margin
There were so many fish sign that we just vaguely lobbed a method feeder in , roughly , the same position and expected to catch fish

I know this is a million miles away from "pure" angling but I simply enjoyed being out with my Lad , outside rather than sitting at a desk , and being on the edge of the WYRE forest

So started off the night before You Tubing the Grinner knot
began with the method on a short hook link fishing , in house , banded pellet on a size 14
fish after fish after fish but all tiny carp ( well about a pound )

Switched to the pole ( a beast master ) and fished 8 M to the side dead depth on soft hookers ( always makes me laugh that phrase )
I dread the reaction to this but numerous , nuisance tench!

If had caught these on the canal I would have been over the moon but there were tons of them and not much fun on a beastmaster
few roach , skimmers , a barbel !
then some huge carp than did me in the weeds ( out of practice with the pole [lead them in like a dog with the tip in the water ] )

break for lunch .........

Method feeder in the margin I had been feeding - nothing
Method feeder in the other margin ...... BAM ! lovely fish about 8 - 10 lbs , pulled lots of line out

tench tench tench skimmer , suicidal tench , tench tench , skimmer , oh a roach !

noticed there was a fly hatch and lots of the carp kept taking them off the surface
broke up a pop up boilie and free lined it with some free offerings


First fish took all the free offerings mouthed the hook bait and p***d off
put some more in
next fish BAM ! fish on - they really go nuts when you take them off the top - nice fish at least 8 lbs

the lad did the same thing and had 2 nice fish
Just as I was packing up I did the same again - what an ugly brute ( the fish wasn't too good looking either )



The day went past in a flash , and in spite of going to the gym everyday I was knac***d and starving

What a lovely memorable day out and what a lovely fishery

Next time I will fish it with a little bit more respect

 

[d.owens]

How did I get on? A blank, that's how!
Following two night shifts I took my little girl for our promised fishing trip. We went to a local park lake, where we had caught ten crucians last week. Chose the same swim and set up full of confidence at about 7 pm.

Baited the swim with our homemade groundbait, and set about float fishing, alternating sweetcorn and bread flake, anticipating plenty of action before the darkness closed in. The only action we saw came from tiny ducklings and large geese! Not a knock all evening. Still, a very enjoyable and relaxing time was had.

 

[Another Dave]

How did I get on? A blank, that's how!
Following two night shifts I took my little girl for our promised fishing trip. We went to a local park lake, where we had caught ten crucians last week. Chose the same swim and set up full of confidence at about 7 pm.

Baited the swim with our homemade groundbait, and set about float fishing, alternating sweetcorn and bread flake, anticipating plenty of action before the darkness closed in. The only action we saw came from tiny ducklings and large geese! Not a knock all evening. Still, a very enjoyable and relaxing time was had.

I tell my kids something I learned on here - "It's called fishing, not catching". Seriously though, if you caught every time the kids wouldn't learn the value.

 

[d.owens]

I tell my kids something I learned on here - "It's called fishing, not catching". Seriously though, if you caught every time the kids wouldn't learn the value.

Very true. My little girl just loves sitting chatting at the waters edge! She was delighted to see the ducklings and was already planning our next trip at bed time and blaming my "lucky" cap for blanking this time!

 

[peter crabtree]

Last Thursday the codger who fished this peg lost a couple of lumps..

It could have been a chub, carp, big bream who knows?
We named it the beast of Boxmoor.
So this morning I went down there and had a go.
The obvious feature is the sweet chestnut tree which hangs over.
So with double maggot on the waggler I cast as close as I dared to the hanging branches. Spraying maggots I had plenty of bites but they were mainly bleak and gudgeon. I had 2 chub but only half pounders..
After 2 hours I decided to move down to a chub flyer swim where, in a previous match, I had some bigger chub and won the match

It was a tight cast to the far bank cast here which I managed on average once in three casts. Once again I was plagued with bleak and gudgeon but did have 2 small chub, the bigger ones weren’t there today.

Looking forward to tomorrow, first day back on the Colne....

 

[mikench]

Today was my first fishing trip for a couple of weeks and I was keen to risk the weather and have a go. I went to my local day ticket water arriving and setting up by 7.00am with a feeder rod micros and meat and pellets. I had 2 common around the 10 lb mark by 7.30 and thought it was in for a field day but that was it with not even a knock for the next 6 hours. It rained on and off all morning and the heavens opened about 1.30 and I just sat it out under the brolly for over an hour! It was so boring but I was dry. The last time I fished this venue in the same peg and the same tactics I had 13 carp but today was a disappointment.

If I had known there would be action for just 30 minutes I would have been home by 8.30am and er indoors wouldn't even have known I'd gone. For the first time in a long time I feel I wasted a day.

 

[103841]

Never wasted Mike, you just don’t know what the day holds for you when you arrive, that’s why we constantly keep coming back.

 

[Pete Shears]

Early start at the local canal feeder reservoir this morning with a cool S/SW breeze.A few small fish topping and jack pike striking at fry in the weed beds.Two method feeder rods again,hoping for tench.
I was still hoping five hours later when the plastic corn rod rattled off resulting in a bream of around 5lb
being landed.Recast and off it went again - a 3lb pike.With all the mixed groundbait gone and the clouds getting ever thicker and lower,time for home - didn't need the kit washing again,that happened on Monday when I blanked as well.Still a kingfisher nearly settled on the rods,an osprey visited twice and the reed buntings seem to be accepting fishermen scattered around the banks.

 

[108831]

Having got into the new club Thursday,I went for the afternoon on Friday and had two crucians,one tench and quite a few 4-12oz roach and rudd,I lost a carp and a couple of crus coming off.
Went back yesterday had four crucians 12oz to a poundish,one that looked to be a hybrid(I don't think they have F1's in there)about 2lbs,plus roach,rudd and perch to 8ozs,talking to my mate and a few other anglers who reckon the rain we've had over the last week has killed it and as it is shallow,that sounds quite probable,especially with species like crucians and tench.

 

[peter crabtree]

I was up at 5:30 again this morning feeling euphoric..
By 7:00 I was set up and trotting a stick on the Colne..

Simple set up, 15’ match pro, 4bb stick float, 20 red maggot hook.
Single red maggot got me bites from the start.
Roach, dace, perch, gudgeon and chublets.

Around 11 I moved upstream to a deeper part, same set up. Here I tried casters and hemp.
Once again the same species but slightly bigger although not huge...

Being a public place and being a Sunday I had plenty of ‘any good mate?’ One of them however was a familiar voice, Skippy’s mate the big fellow Phil. Had a good chat about the river as he’s rejoined the club after a few years lay-off.

 

[Hugh Bailey]

Yaaay! I've been fishing!

First outing for ages - probably over a year. Was a last minute decision & ended up leaving late as bait shop didn't open until 10. Set up and fishing by 10.45 - expected there to loads of anglers as it was a Sunday and Father's day but didn't see another angler except for the bailiff. Got a decent swim but the wind was a nightmare so fished a maggot feeder with a long tail on a reasonably strong setup as there are big barbel present. Nothing for an hour :-(


I moved swims, trying about 4 or 5 - getting loads of bites / crushed maggots but not connecting with anything. In the end I waled to the far end of the fishery where there is a new section, previously unfished. There are some really nice swims here and I will probably concentrate on them now, feel sure there are some decent fish here. Still missing loads of bites but shortened up and hit a couple of very decent roach - really lovely fish of getting of 12oz or so. - blank saved.

Not sure when I will get the chance to go again but really enjoyed it. Poor picture of the best roach.

 

[Pete Shears]

Two hares lazily ambled across the field away from me this morning as I walked to the river Wreake - fantastic to hear running water again.Some of the cattle in the far corner stood up to see what I was doing and a kingfisher flashed by heading downstream downstream.Level was high but dropping looking at the stranded debris on the banks.Set a up quivertip and legered bread and had knocks and rattles almost instantly but it was very hard to hit anything resembling a bite but eventually had two chublets and worms went untouched.I was still trying to work out why a heron was standing in the middle of the cricket square in Barkby Thorpe at 5.30am.Left about 9.30 when spots of yet more rain were felt in the wind and I still haven't heard a cuckoo.