How did you get on?

[The Runner]

Back on the bike today and over the hill road to Bracadale again. Beautiful day and had the place to myself this time although could see the rope from a line of pots about thirty yards out in front of where I wanted to go. So dropped in a bit further along to fish tide two hours down and then all the way up. View out along the loch to Oronsay and Gob na h'Oa..

Set up usual rig for here, 5oz grip lead and running ledger with a 4ft tail to mackerel strip on a 2/0. Last of the ebb running quite hard, no sign of any activity until had four dogfish in the space of about 45 minutes either side of low tide. All the standard size...

And then all went quiet again until about two hours into the flood I started getting crabbed out every put in. Had seven or eight, and at least as many again fell off on the retrieve and managed one further dogfish in the middle of all the crustacean activity All red/edible crabs as well,

Think in the three years I've been here, have only had one ordinary green/shore crab.
As a result , ran out of bait an hour earlier than had intended to pack in so didn't fish right to the top of the tide. Don't think I will have missed anything though, doggies seemed to be the only fish around.
Had been a long day, so stopped for a breather on the way back at the highest point of the hill road and sat listening to a skylark for five minutes.

Chorus of skylarks accompanied me all the way along the road in the morning with at least 5 different cuckoos calling and a lone curlew- common on the shore here in winter and early spring but not many stay here to breed. A single goosander the only thing of note while fishing.

 

[John Aston]

Don't ask ...

The weather has turned benign at last and I had booked a beat on my trout river - a favourite , which is very rarely fished by other members because it's a bit tricky. Check EA river level - no rain at home the day before , river only 15miles east but hell and damnation , there's over a foot extra now, which means heavy colour .

Plan B - head west instead of east to fish a small Dales river . Wensleydale looking achingly lovely in bright sun , river a fantastic colour and flowing hard after last week's rain. Last time I'd fished it like this I'd had 20 plus trout and a thumping big grayling . Oh ****, there's another angler in the pub car park - good news is that he's fishing the main river and not my tributary . Bad news - 'but those two guys are fishing where you're going '.

Do the decent thing and offer to start half a mile up river to give them access to the best water. Walk up the river, and my spirits soar . Set up klink and dink rig and - hubris alert - expect my first fish in the first half dozen casts. 20 minutes later , miss my first take , but then get two lovely nettable wild browns in quick succession. Net is brand new Greys job- christened ! But that 100 yard long pool should have produced 5 or 6 fish at least. Hmm .

Spirits rise as I watch two greater spotted woodpeckers above me , and a pair of grey wagtails on the rocks jutting out from the river. A long, shaded pool next , but nobody at home , except one fish right at the head of the pool . Reach for net- which isn't there. One of those bloody things held on by magnet which everybody uses - except me . Never again .

Stumble upstream , see big trout rising to trickle hatch of olives . Sod it, I'll beach him . Tie on new longer leader and a CDC olive dry fly . Miss take first cast. But that was it. Other big rising trout far too deep to wade to get even near .

Fish next pool and meet lovely bloke who tells me , very politely , that I am on his private water. Map in pub wrong , obviously. Am invited to fish on , very kindly , as we have mutual friends it transpires . Fish an hour without a take and decide to hunt for net.

I don't find it of course . Now thoroughly p**** off I stamp off downstream and decide to have a few casts in lowest pool, as 3 hours or so have elapsed since the other guys fished it. Lying under a tree I tie on a heavy nymph as the water is fast and deep, Dog walker on far bank doesn't notice me ...

Splash! SPLADOOSH ! The sound a large stick makes when thrown into the river , quickly followed by the sound a black Labrador makes when jumping off a bank 3 feet above the water .

I cussed all the way home.

But isn't she gorgeous ?

 

[mikench]

She might well be but I've never met her.? That river looks picturesque though.

 

[chevin4]

Went back to the syndicate lake on Thursday in my quest for a double figure tench although another double figure Bream would be welcome. Although the weather was favourable bright with just a few light showers in the afternoon it was a case of blanking again but at least I wouldn't need to dry of all the the gear as has been the case in my last couple of trips. As I was packing up a dog on a long lead was stiffing around my Trakker bucket which I keep my groundbait pellets etc. The elderly lady owner said he was looking for sandwiches ? I said he should have been here at 1 o'clock then. Not sure if she appreciated my poor attempt at humour and proceeded on her way without further ado.

 

[108831]

I find Hugh that often my sarnies disappear early doors when the fishing is slowest,then if all goes to plan(rarely does it)I wouldn't have time to eat anyway(in my dreams,lol)...

 

[seth49]

Back on usual pond today, a lot warmer than Tuesday for a change, was nice to sit in some sunshine for once, harder fishing yesterday the carp seem to be getting into spawning mode, they were there but not feeding, just cruising around.

Had a couple of tench first, and had a dropped run on the sleeper rod, lost another tench later, and caught a small carp, it went quiet then for a while nothing happening at all, getting line bites on the float rod, but no proper ones, finally caught a nice mirror carp about eight pounds later.

Think I’ll leave the carp alone for a bit, and concentrate on the tench and crucians, that’s if the carp will leave me alone, and the barbel might start feeding again now it’s warming up, looking warm for at least the next week, so will be more pleasant to be out.

 

[peter crabtree]

Spent 5hours yesterday and 5 today on the town pit. 2 wrap rounds on the tip, both dropped the bait.
Then it started to rain this afternoon, it was bearable but annoying. Just started thinking about going when the tip went round and stayed round. First tench of the year..

 

[103841]

I've been decorating for the best part of two weeks, first time doing my least favourite task for ten years and boy has my body aged since then, muscles I never knew existed aching like hell. Only the constantly poor weather has made the chore tolerable but with the sun shining and temps on the rise a day off for good behaviour was well overdue.

Fancied some sea air and with my local shore line suffering from the dreaded May weed I headed over to Samphire Hoe in search of my first wrasse.

I had the place to myself, not a good omen.

My garage is upside down at the moment full of paint and various decorating tools, maybe that's the reason I forgot to take an essential bag containing weights and rigs. It was my plan to float fish anyway so all was not lost but after a hour of inaction I managed to cobble together a makeshift leger rig using a string of feathers which I tipped with some squid, after ten minutes had what I believe to be a Goby, a pb as I'd never caught one before..and they bite!

The next three hours produced nothing. A pleasant excursion though, the smell of the sea far preferable to the smell of emulsion. A Spitfire constantly buzzed overhead doing a few loops for my amusement and I was also treated to the spectacle of a sun halo, difficult to capture on my phone but I think it's just visible.

On my walk back to the car park there was just one angler trying his luck for mackerel, unsuccessfully by the look of it, lack of anglers must mean the water temps still need to rise a degree or two.

 

[bullet]

First time out for ages today.
The Rivers around here are all too high for Trout, and as I actually fancied catching something I decided to give Salmon fishing a miss.
It was a toss up between Canal Tench or Reservoir Rainbows...I opted for the latter and headed to a Reservoir I've never fished before but heard good things about.
I found a nice spot in the lea of the breeze, well away from others, and a few fish were moving in the margins, so I kept low and fished a single dry fly on the 9ft 4# with 4lb tippet to keep it nice and stealthy.
I also had a 6# rigged up with a couple of Diawl Bachs.
It wasn't long before I hooked a good fish on the dry, I'd seen a few Hawthorns on the water ( about a month late) and dug one out of the fly box.
Went well on the light gear, but they've got nowhere to go so not traumatic...

The periods of surface activity were a bit sporadic, so in between I chucked out the nymphs.
Usually I'll watch the loop of the line at the end of the rod for takes when fishing nymphs slowly, but you didn't need to bother today as they were almost pulling the rod out of your hand!
A Few midges started coming off so swapped the Hawthorn for a small black Klinkhamer and a few more of the margin cruisers obliged.

So all in all, even though it's not really my sort of thing, a decent day with some good sport.
Can't wait for the Rivers to be back in shape.

 

[Pete Shears]

An early morning trip to the bigger reservoir,warm at 10C according to the car.Gentle breeze,cloud cover - should be ideal except no-one told the fish. Driving along the bank a green woodpecker flew up and a bit later two ospreys suddenly appeared and just as quickly disappeared. Playing in a skimmer of about a pound, a big swirl - pike , no a common carp around 15lb patrolling the margins. Soon scared that off by placing an anchored pink pop-up about six feet out. Ended up with six skimmers to just over a pound each and a scale perfect roach of 1lb 3oz - no tench and still haven't heard a cuckoo.

 

[john step]

Mixed bag on the sindi. res. today. On the float, I tried my new Abu 506 coffee grinder. I had to remember it doesnt have a bail arm to flick over every time I casted out!
The first day this year I could sit in a T shirt feeling warm.
There were bream, rudd, roach and perch and a chub. Where the chub came from I have no idea. Its funny how these odd fish turn up.

 

[John Aston]

Back on my favourite North York Moors river yesterday and an improvement on Thursday's omnishambles in the Dales. River perfect , nicely tinged but 18 " visibility , and flowing audibly hard. I used my 6' Shakespeare Agility #3 weight and alternated between Klink and dink and upstream nymph. Utterly sublime day , still and overcast , and getting warmer by the hour.

The water is still very cold up here, and despite a cornucopia of olives and black gnat , the fished stayed deep . But hungry - I had 32 wild browns in 3 hours, most little chaps but a couple of ten inches which required the net (my old knackered one , having lost my shiny new one on Thursday). May is the loveliest month , and I overdosed on it yesterday - myriad greens , wonderful smells and constant birdsong .

Days like these are what I live for

 

[ian g]

double post

 

[ian g]

sounds fantastic. I spent Thursday on the upper Severn spraying Giant Hogweed , not as much fun as fishing but being in a beautiful part of the world on a sunny day with good company makes you glad to be the right side of the sod

 

[theartist]

, after ten minutes had what I believe to be a Goby, a pb as I'd never caught one before..and they bite!

I think That's Blenny mate as it's got one dorsal, gobies have two this is a goby I had at Shoreham yesterday, one of only two fish as it was hard here too.

Fishing was frustrating, I had mullet all day under the rod tip drinking algae, I could have poked them they were so close, they weren't playing ball at all, lost one good fish on bread which looked like a bass and had only one bass on bread all day, this monster

I know there's a trend nowadays of putting up a photo of your seatbox in catch reports, here's my seating arrangement, read it and weep folks

Boat traffic was a bit different, love to see that thing go up the Aylesbury Arm

 

[108831]

Went yesterday on the moat at Eaton Bray,my last visit there i'm afraid,having fished there since I was a boy the latest member of the family(i've known three generations)running it has ruined its status as an alround fishery,he opened a shop selling fish and aquarium goods,so must think he knows all about fisheries,the moat used to be a great tench fishery,with odd bream,roach,pike and very occasional big crucians,over the years bream became more prominent,then the owner treated the lush weed growth,lilies,canadian pondweed,stocked carp,a few years later stocked more carp,but it continued to produce plenty of bream and tench,a year or so ago I fished there and had 16 decent bream,no tench,the owner said the tench have disappeared in the main,i've fished it twice this year,no bream,this on a lake where you caught them anywhere and everywhere,on anything,two bream we're caught on the lake,the onlyvfish caught were carp,I had heard people were moaning about catching bream,one was posting on FM last year,I heard he has netted a good proportion of the bream out,so the buzzer boys can sit in peace for their two carp a day,grrrr....My day four carp,on the float and 4lb line,4/6/9/12lbs,I weighed the biggest,boring fishing,knowing every time bubbling occured a carp was feeding,unlike the previous times....

 

[steve2]

Went yesterday on the moat at Eaton Bray,my last visit there i'm afraid,having fished there since I was a boy the latest member of the family(i've known three generations)running it has ruined its status as an alround fishery,he opened a shop selling fish and aquarium goods,so must think he knows all about fisheries,the moat used to be a great tench fishery,with odd bream,roach,pike andodd crucians,over the years bream became more prominent,then the owner treated the lush weed growth,lilies,canadian pondweed,stocked carp,a few years later stocked more carp,but it continued to produce plenty of bream and tench,a year or so ago I fished there and had 16 decent bream,no tench,the owner said the tench have disappeared in the main,i've fished it twice this year,no bream,this on a lake where you caught them anywhere and everywhere,on anything,two bream we're caught on the lake,the onlyvfish caught were carp,I had heard people were moaning about catching bream,one was posting on FM last year,I heard he has netted a good proportion of the bream out,so the buzzer boys can sit in peace for their two carp a day,grrrr....My day four carp,on the float and 4lb line,4/6/9/12lbs,I weighed the biggest,boring fishing,knowing every time bubbling occured a carp was feeding,unlike the previous times....

Just one of many ruined by over stocking of carp.
And to think anglers blame Cormorants and otters for ruining fishing we need to look a lot closer to home some times.

 

[108831]

Trouble is I can see why,this water is a true moat,surrounding an old settlement(only a meadow now),the water is generally 10-15m wide apart from one wider area 25m max,the shallowest area,the deepest water is around four feet or so,the majority is around three feet,the anglers seen there these days are mainly sitting behind buzzers with bow string tight lines,they like it because they can park directly behind their swims and set up home,two guys followed me in with their parners in tow,the first thing one did was put up a huge day shelter/bivvie,it was dry and warm and they all sat on top of the bank spooking any fish anywhere near them,then wondered why they only had one fish from four rods,doh...

 

[103841]

Thanks for clearing that up Rob, I didn't know a Blenny from a Goby, I do now, still a pb though!

 

[mikench]

Er indoors received her new phone yesterday( birthday pressie from me) and wanted to mess about with it today so I was excused. I set off to my favourite venue early doors and it was already hot at 7.30am.

Definitely a day to keep cool. I set up a feeder rod and stuck with it all day catching 6 carp around 5-6lb and a similar number of skimmers to 2lb.

This common was caught on floating bread and looks like a female ready to spawn. I really fancied floater fishing today and there were signs of fish taking off the top. This common was the only one I managed due to a combination of factors not least pesky mallard and a really persistent moorhen which appeared from nowhere whenever bread hit the surface and thought it was a good game to chase the bread as I reeled in . I was tempted to let the little barsteward grab it but decided it was easier to just forget it. I used a Harrison Triptych for this purpose and it handled the common with aplomb.

All in all an enjoyable day in the sun for the first time this year.