How did you get on?

[peter crabtree]

Went to Bourne end today on the GUC, quite breezy and bright but not cold. There were many more boats moored up than usual, probably due to a lock closure in Berkhamsted. A slight tinge of colour in the water but uncomfortably clear for fishing close in.
Set up a 2BB Stillwater blue with 4 spaced out no 10’s down the line. A nice slow sinking rig and a mega sensitive fine tip on the float.


Punch on a 20 B520 to 0:06 bottom.
Casting across to the far bank moorings in about 3’ depth it was bites from the off, mainly hold ups with some snatches as the bait settled. Small roach, one after the other kept me busy.

 

[mikench]

You rarely disappoint Simon. It’s very breezy here and cold. North South divide.

 

[john step]

Simon. Was it you that scuppered the cruiser to your right?

I visited my local easy small carp water today to try my new margin pole. The pole works OK. 5 Small carp to mid singles on maggot/worm.

I have to wait until June 16th now to use the pole for what I bought it for. River tench. My theory is I may be able to play them from above to stop them bolting sideways in the weed too far.

 

[Steve Arnold]

Yesterday took a walk down my favourite stretch of the Lot. Looks like the carp anglers are appearing, rather them than me as it's still rather cold at night!

Between the floods and some river work removing fallen trees a new swim opened up about 100 yds from my favourite summer swim, might try it soon.

Today I fished a few hours at a very scenic swim, usually good for a barbel or two. Looks like the barrage had closed as there was little flow.

The weather ranged from warm sunshine to freezing, blustery sleet. But I stuck at it and finally got just one bite, never been so grateful for a bream!

Been a tough winter and spring is not quite here yet. Enough fish to keep my interest - and the scenery I cannot possibly get bored with!

 

[rubio]

Slim pickings for me on waggler and maggot. Very slim and very small. Tiny dips on the float tip, in a heavy breeze, was tricky. Shuffled shot around and tried up and down but nothing more than an ounce. Half a 10 inch lobworm got a 4" perch, and a change to bread got a 12 ozs jack!
Still there is time to hope. Just.

 

[tommos16]

A bizarre start to our Canal Carp fishing odyssey today, a 3lb Chub (one hell of a bite and rarer than rocking horse excrement in this Canal) and later saw us rescue a belly up Tench, revive it and send it on to (hopefully) live another day. Wasn't in very good nick, would be interesting if anyone knew what was up?

I caught neither, but we're classing it as a joint campaign, so I'm joining in the happiness from them both haha. Nice to see the Tench are at least just about swimming!

Sent from my VOG-L09 using Tapatalk

 

[Curt whitby]

Looks like that poor Tench has seen better days. I'll be on the T&M canal on monday nr. Middlewich after the silver fish. Will let you know how i get on. I don't expect to be seeing a Tench though.

 

[peterjg]

Peter Crabtree, sorry slightly off subject but seeing your photos I would welcome opinions: I fish canals quite often but try not to fish opposite occupied boats in case the noise/vibrations from the people aboard put the fish off feeding - are my fears needless does it make any difference?

 

[peter crabtree]

Peter, your fears are indeed needless. I’m certain fish like to sit under boats, especially in winter when the hull may afford some heat.
Look again at this picture, a bloke is on the outside of the boat sanding it quite loudly, my mate caught plenty regardless.

 

[bullet]

Them barges must be full of flies, what with all the errant maggots that get pinged over to them!

 

[peterjg]

PC, thanks for your reply and advice, I will indeed follow your advice. I am sure that I tend to over complicate my fishing.

 

[bullet]

Had a few hours on the River today, went from warm, spring weather to winter in about 5 mins then back again!
Bit high and coloured, so small feeder and bread on the tip.
The Chub were keen, and had a few with a small Roach thrown in.
Best one here...

Need to crack on and sort the fly gear out now, as well as tie a few flies, as I've done none over the winter.

 

[terry m]

Found a Slack on the Hants Avon and winkled out a couple of scraper double pike. Enjoyable but the wind was a real challenge.

Thats me done until June, for my self imposed break. All in all a decent season.

 

[Pete Shears]

A piking trip yesterday to the reservoir,hang on to your brolly day with horizontal rain and hail but still managed a pike of about 7lb on the tail end of a big sardine. Amazed at the aerobatics of crows and jackdaws in gale force winds,they just love it.
Today a trip to the Wreake on the last day of the river season,the level up and the water muddy coloured. Struggled to get a bite,went through all the baits but nothing not even a chublet, back to piking until the end of March then get the 'not catching tench' tackle sorted out.

 

[Rod McG]

Got to ask what the 'not catching tench' tackle means?
Is it like the dedicated carp anglers trying everything to not catch bream?

 

[Pete Shears]

Got to ask what the 'not catching tench' tackle means?
Is it like the dedicated carp anglers trying everything to not catch bream?

It is the tackle I have honed over the years to extract tench from the local reservoir although most of the time it catches absolutely nothing as they have never read the same tench fishing articles as I have but when it comes together it is brilliant, they fight better than most carp I have caught.

 

[Pete Shears]

This morning another piking trip to the local reservoir - 2 great white egrets prowling along the 'out of bounds' margins. The weather much more friendly than Saturday with roach topping, grebes doing the head shake and bob rituals and long tailed t*ts working the hedgerow.
Joined in the next swim by a good friend also piking and both blanking until a 7lber-ish made off with my sprat on a single hook rig.
Nothing else so time for home ready for another trip tomorrow to a different venue.

 

[Steve Arnold]

Back down to my scenic swim on the Lot this afternoon. Love fishing here and today the river had a little more flow , the hydro power station must be generating!

A 14mm Monster Crab boilie fished 30" from a 60g feeder brought several good bites. All barbel between 4.5 and 6 lbs, one good bite resulted in something taking 15 yds of line and heading towards the sunken trees, then the hook pulled! Maybe a carp?

Cold afternoon for me, it's slipped back to winter. But maybe the river is coming back to life?

 

[The Sogster]

Had my first trip of the year to a local lake. It was nice to be back on the bankside with the sun on my face and the wind at my back.
The wind was fairly gusty and made the water quite choppy. So I opted to fish a small banjo feeder in conjunction with sticky pellets and an 8mm boilie with the tip just under the surface.
Fished from about 1.30pm until about 6.00pm.
Sport was slow but I ended up with 2 skimmers about a pound each and a proper bream of about 3lb. I had one other bite, a drop back which I lifted into only to realise I had left the baitrunner on from pouring a cuppa.
I also tried the Preston MCM-B (barbless) hooks for the first time today first impressions are quite positive.

 

[rubio]

Fetched an old pole from the back of the shed to visit club lake. Using up some old maggots and struggled for a smattering of bits, roach and Rudd, which were small and finicky. Wind was uncomfortable and pole was probably not the best approach.
Will be back soon to see if anything better is moving yet.