How did you get on?

[john step]

Lazy day hiding behind a hedge for a windbreak in a bitterly cold Easterly high on the Wolds.
I never had a bite until 2Pm then 4 fish in two hours.
3 Carp and a chub in the inflow stream.
As my clumsy phase is still in full throttle and I sat on and broke my Shakey feeder last week, today I resurrected an old Daiwa bought in the 80s.
It is still good. I can only think I bought a replacement because it has sliding reel fittings.
It will continue to be in use I think.

 

[Pete Shears]

Spotting with rain on a cold NE breeze this morning whilst walking across the fields to the upper Soar this morning.
Hood up against the wind,settled on a wide bend with a back eddy and out went the crust on the quivertip - nothing, tried flake - nothing.
Switching to worms resulted in two trout landed at 1lb 12oz & 1lb 7oz , a crayfish which fell off then more nothing - time to move.
Sticking with worm had no interest so back to crust and had two chub - 4lb and 3lb 4oz.
Moving again saw two more trout both at 1lb 4oz on crust visit the bank. A kingfisher flew past going upstream just as I was packing up.

 

[S-Kippy]

S-Kippy, sorry to see your post - maybe give the Kennet another go? It's true though the crayfish are awful; I put bits of sausage in a net bag which is tied to a piece of cord and thrown it in a bit upstream of where I fish in an attempt to lure them out of my swim - it partly helps but does not totally solve the problem unfortunately. Trotting is not a problem. I don't deliberately fish for barbel but occasionally catch them by accident when roach fishing. I had never fished the Kennet prior to 2013 so don't know of the decline - which is probably just as well!

No....I'm done with the Kennet now. All the stretches I fished for big roach are now either syndicate or lost and the barbel fishing is so different to that of the river I knew and loved. Add to that a river just seething with crayfish and its too much for me. I used to know the river pretty well but its been so long now I just dont have the energy to start over again.

Plus I've no desire to spend all day wondering if my car is still going to be there/in one piece when I get back.

 

[peterjg]

Yesterday I fished the river Blackwater. Started at dawn, had a couple of slight taps but no bites. Swapped to trotted dead maggots and caught a brown trout of about 21/2lbs. Only bite I had. The sun came out, there was a strong cold easterly wind so at midday I retreated home. Water up and fast, slightly coloured, water temperature 44F. I'll try the Thames tomorrow - no sense, no feeling!

 

[seth49]

It was a bit cold this morning, it was +1.5 when I left home when I got to the fishery it was 0 degrees C with a white frost, this was at 7am, there was a slight easterly wind blowing so I picked a swim with that behind me, and as the sun got higher it didn’t feel to bad.

The water was cold at 6 degrees C, so I just fed a small amount of chopped worm and ground bait, from my smallest pole pot, fishing for one bite at a time, without over feeding, fished a section of worm for a start, which got me a couple of small skimmers, and an Ide, changed to red maggot later and caught a tench, plus a few more roach, Ide, and skimmers plus a solitary gudgeon,it was slow but I was catching more than the other three who were fishing, after lunch the wind really started blowing, and it felt cold I was glad of my heated waistcoat today, the others packed up at 2pm and I stopped another hour for little, so called it a day, it’s supposed to be warmer on Thursday, I really hope so.

 

[mikench]

Gordon and I went fishing to a familiar venue and arrived to find a deserted venue but an extremely windy one.

Fortunately and despite the wind,it didn't feel that cold. Gordon fished the float and I elected for the feeder with a variety of pellets and maggots. The wind was persistent and featured some really strong gusts. Whilst setting up my chair blew into the water and it was a case of holding things down with bungees and strong pegs. The wind blew Gordon's brolly inside out and completely destroyed it.i lost my Greys kliplok box filled with maggots in the lake and whilst I retrieved it, the maggots were immersed in water and uncontrollable. I dicarded them. After about 6 hours of trying Gordon had just 2 fish. However that was 2 more than me. We both enjoyed the day though; good company, plenty of fresh air and a chance to chat. Just a shame about the fishing.

 

[john step]

My last chance to fish the Fosdyke before the close season due to many arrangements.
I persevered with worm for a last chuck at the perch challenge to no avail.
Only small ones and a few rudd. A pleasant warm day with sunshine for a change.
I had a free air show with the Red Arrows in the afternoon.

 

[peter crabtree]

With the canal still abysmally out of sorts I decided to give yesterday’s match a miss. Instead I opted for a match organised by Luton AC on a small, intimate day ticket venue called How end fishery. I have fished it before about 5/6 years ago and always admired the efforts of the owner in creating a great little venue. We fished on the smaller of the 2 lakes, an oval lake with a central island. I only set up my pole with one rig for the track and one for the margin.



Things started well with plenty of ide on the longer line taken on bronze maggots. Then things took a turn for the worse. Unexplainably I managed to break my No6 section! Luckily I successfully telescoped it and applied some gaffer tape to protect my hands from splinters. Then as I introduced the No 7 section to fish closer to the island i broke that too.. #@£k! This time it was not possible to telescope it so I was forced to fish at 8m for the remainder of the match. I immediately ordered 2 new sections from Daiwa, I now face a bill approaching £600!, The margin line only produced one decent roach so I discarded that. Concentrating on the 8m line I continued to catch ide. After stepping up my feeding loose maggots, casters and hemp results improved with some better fish. A barbel around 3lb, a nice Rudd and 4 tench along with more ide.

At the scales I weighed in 15:3:0 which got me 3rd place overall and an envelope…
14 fished…

 

[Ray Roberts]

The upgraded bearings came from China for my Daiwa Tatula baitcaster reel yesterday. I replaced them and serviced the reel while I was at it.

I also had a new reel to Christen. I bought a Shimano Tranx for my heavy jerk bait outfit. Just a venue to decide upon. It was a toss up between the River Eden and lake at Hever Castle or the River Rother in Kent. I have done well on both lately with only one blank on the Rother and that was a day when the river was brimming when a dead sheep floated past. Come to think of it that was the day I first Christened the Tatula.

With the idea that it’s less bother on the Rother, I set off for Wittersham. I tried the Tatula first. That worked well, the reel was noisier than with the standard bearings, the replacements were abec 7 hybrid ceramic and I knew they would be noisier. I will see how it goes, if it gets on my tits I may go back to the standard ones. It was definitely smoother though.

I tried my new reel next and it cast like a dream, very nice indeed. I clicked off two more brake blocks and it was flying I was totally impressed, I was like a kid who had found the golden ticket. Then disaster, the sickening crack as the top eight inches of my jerk bait rod snapped off. I wasn’t best pleased as the rod is only about a year old. I will drop it in to the Tackle Box on Friday and see what they can do. The lure was under the maximum casting weight so I may have given it too much welly.

Though I had been trying out the reels I had been trying to catch too. I packed up the broken rod and tried a new lure on the other rod. The water was a bit murky so I tried a bright orange shad that looked like a goldfish. Result, first cast a Jack about five or six pounds. I carried on trying a few different lures and spinner baits. I finished up with six small pike all much the same size. If I can’t get the rod fixed for free it will be a dear day, not £600 dear like Simon though. I would have cried.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[silvers]

With the canal still abysmally out of sorts I decided to give yesterday’s match a miss. Instead I opted for a match organised by Luton AC on a small, intimate day ticket venue called How end fishery. I have fished it before about 5/6 years ago and always admired the efforts of the owner in creating a great little venue. We fished on the smaller of the 2 lakes, an oval lake with a central island. I only set up my pole with one rig for the track and one for the margin.



Things started well with plenty of ide on the longer line taken on bronze maggots. Then things took a turn for the worse. Unexplainably I managed to break my No6 section! Luckily I successfully telescoped it and applied some gaffer tape to protect my hands from splinters. Then as I introduced the No 7 section to fish closer to the island i broke that too.. #@£k! This time it was not possible to telescope it so I was forced to fish at 8m for the remainder of the match. I immediately ordered 2 new sections from Daiwa, I now face a bill approaching £600!, The margin line only produced one decent roach so I discarded that. Concentrating on the 8m line I continued to catch ide. After stepping up my feeding loose maggots, casters and hemp results improved with some better fish. A barbel around 3lb, a nice Rudd and 4 tench along with more ide.

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At the scales I weighed in 15:3:0 which got me 3rd place overall and an envelope…
14 fished…

Ouch ouch!! Which Daiwa pole is it ? At that price I’d be looking at Esselle or alternative to out wraps on it.

 

[peterjg]

On the Thames yesterday. Struggled at first but later caught 8 roach (two gooduns), a snottie, a bleak, a gudgeon and most surprisingly a rare Thames trout of 2lbs 15oz. Also saw an otter (early morning) which popped up directly under my leger rod tops! A really enjoyable day.

 

[peter crabtree]

Ouch indeed. It’s an Airity. I will get the 2 sections repaired but will replace them at considerable cost and keep the others as spares.

 

[john step]

Crikey Simon. You must have been really off form to break 2 sections. My eyes watered at the £139 for a top 4 which was the easiest way for me when I lost my no. 4 recently.
Then there is Ray breaking his rod. There seems to be a serious bout of clumsy fever breaking out.

 

[mikench]

And none of us is immune and there are no vaccines for it. ?

 

[markcw]

Try Billy Clarke's in Sheffield.
Or do the cheaper option of sections from G50/90
Same mandrel as Arity.

Ouch indeed. It’s an Airity. I will get the 2 sections repaired but will replace them at considerable cost and keep the others as spare

Simon at £600, for the two. I would be sourcing a second good condition G50 for that price, that way you will have a full set of spare sections plus topkits .

 

[markcw]

I remember breaking a number 4 on a Shimano Aernos some years ago,
I was quoted £160 .
Then I broke the 14 metre section. I didn't bother getting a price for that.
Both sections had a £25 overwrap.

 

[peter crabtree]

Thanks for the advice Mark. But I don’t want a G50 and I don’t want to mix up sections. I want an Airity.

Luckily I‘m loaded so the cost is not a problem..

 

[flightliner]

Trent again yesterday, driving up the track to the river I saw a great egret that took of when it saw my car, last time I saw one was maybe five years ago, lovely thing!
I'm still chasing a zander and hoping this trip will see one on the bank, not had one since early january so this fourth trip its game on so to speak as the seasons nearly done.
Two rods out, both with float paternostered small roach, hopefully fluttering lifelike in the moderate currant and positioned a little downstream of a snag that could hold the fish I'm after.
I sat down at that point with hi hopes despite a wind that put a chill in the air, bites from Zeds can be quick and seconds after sitting my swinging indicater lifted so quick to my rod it was a blur!.
Never had a pike take so fast— ever!
Later a possible half dropback had me lifting the rod but the currant here is often contrary and with no resisting I thought it a false alarm..
That, in a nutshell was it.
No zed, hopes dashed again, but not downhearted as have a half chance before the season ends next week.
The great egret was by the track when I left!

 

[no-one in particular]

Tried a different bit of river today, part of my club, one big field of river. No one fishing so all to myself. Fancied a chub under that raft to my right and as it turned out I was right. Just one over 4lb, a few nibbles but no roach. The river was down and the sluice was shut so no flow, the river was practically static, they seem to feed more with a bit of flow so pleased with the one fish. Crust again just off the bottom, brown bread, float, 14 hook and 4lb line.

 

[S-Kippy]

I finally shook off the lethargy and went fishing yesterday. I had bait to use up so off to Bury Hill for my first (and last ) Zander trip of the season. Once again the MO was way off with the forecast and I spent the afternoon in blazing sun. Fortunately some cloud turned up around 4-30. At just after 5 I had my first indication with a steady run on the lh rod which produced a nice Zander of around 5lb. I thought I could be in for a good evening with a fish before dusk but it proved to be one of those frustrating sessions you get at BH when they just will not take the bait properly. I must have had 7/8 aborted pick up and drops over the next couple of hours before accepting defeat and heading home. I probably should have tried a resistance free freelined bait but I don’t like doing that as there’s a risk of deep hooking. Still….I got the Zander I went for and also got rid of my bait, some of which was less than brilliant.