''My bogey fish.''

[Derek Gibson]

I assume many will have had one. My own particular one ''was'' a large Crucian which thwarted me for several seasons, until I gave it best and moved on.

If you have one, what was it, and how successful were you?

 

[barbelboi]

During the 90's I tried for many summer seasons to 'take' a large ghostie off the top with a floater from a local gravel pit. I dread to think how much milage I clocked up on the bank searching for it and how many casts I sent in it's direction waiting for it to swim up to (and totally ignore) the bait. Then having it grabbed by other unseen carp. After about six years I suceeded in catching it using a small feeder in the depths of winter from an area of the pit that wasn't frozen......................

 

[Peter Jacobs]

Rather like yourself Derek my "bogey" fish is still a large Crucian.

I even tried the famed Marsh Farm but on a terribly hot day when not much was caught . . . . . except for "you-know-who" . . . . . he who can catch from a puddle in the road LOL

 

[flightliner]

. . . . . except for "you-know-who" . . . . . he who can catch from a puddle in the road LOL

Can I have the mans name n fone number then Peter because rite now I'm sat beside a road leading to the trent thats flooded --- I'd love to see him try!.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

Can I have the mans name n fone number then Peter because rite now I'm sat beside a road leading to the trent thats flooded --- I'd love to see him try!.

. . . if there are any fish there Mick then Neil would catch them . . . .



his nickname isn't "golden balls" for nothing . . . .

 

[john step]

Can I have the mans name n fone number then Peter because rite now I'm sat beside a road leading to the trent thats flooded --- I'd love to see him try!.

Still over the banks then? You are an optimist going there yet I fear!!
I think it must have been approaching the railway line at Winthorpe recently.

 

[Neil Maidment]

. . . if there are any fish there Mick then Neil would catch them . . . .



his nickname isn't "golden balls" for nothing . . . .

And there's me thinking you were referring to Mark W.! Many years ago when I fished with him regularly and in some matches, he could indeed catch from just about anywhere.

As for Crucians, they became a fixation for me (twice). I used to live in Yateley and just caught the back end of the Crucian peak on Summer Pit and others nearby lakes. Many evenings and dawns were spent down there and I was eventually rewarded with some lovely fish.

A few years later, having moved a bit further away, I was close to Marsh Farm, even used to walk it sometimes in my rare lunch time breaks from work, and gave it my all one "closed season". Again, eventually, had some gorgeous Crucians to over 3lbs and finally a stunning 4lber. But I did concentrate on the task for over 4 months to achieve it.

 

[dorsetandchub]

Tench. Never do any good against them. They're like Arsenal - but green.

 

[Bob Hornegold]

Zander

I fished quite a few winter seasons for Zander with Simon King, his best was 9lbs 11ozs from the Lea and mine was 9lbs 4ozs.

We went onto the Ouse and again I had Zs over 9lbs, but could never break the double.

Simon of course caught a wonderful Zander of 15lbs 5ozs from Wyboston South Lake after much effort.

I failed miserably !!

Bob

 

[Peter Jacobs]

Tench. Never do any good against them. They're like Arsenal - but green.

. . . what, you mean that . . . . . .


They are Top Of The League then?

 

[dorsetandchub]

Well, Arsenal DO usually vanish half way through the season - just not this year!!!

But, yeah, I guess so......

 

[terry m]

Eels.

I fished for them seriously back in the 70's and never had anything above 4 pounds.

 

[chub_on_the_block]

Just to be different i would say mine are big Rudd. I have never seen a fish over 2Ib and where they have been known from waters i have fished they usually died out about 10 years previously.

As a kid i got a brace that were 1Ib 8oz each in successive casts was from what is now one of the St Ives Pits. Thats as good as i have ever done since.

 

[swizzle]

Another different one, but for me it's Barbel, from the Dorset Stour or the Hampshire Avon. I do well on the Stour with the chub, the Barbel drive me insane. I always walk the bank before wetting a line, I always spot a few fish and get them to feed quite confidently, rest the swim, cast in after an hour or so and they have done a Houdini. The Avon is different, I wouldn't get a bite there if there was a famine of anglers or natural food in the river. I'm extremely surprised I still persevere with the latter, but I do nonetheless.

 

[Mark Wintle]

My bogey has always been beating my personal bests. Once I beat a personal best the 'backfill' fish often follow soon after. This season I beat my dace PB after 38 years which is my longest lasting PB but others have been similarly seemingly impossible to beat not that I really care much any more. I've forgotten what barbel look like it's so long since I caught one and tench seem very scarce this season. The terrific river roach fishing I once enjoyed has gone the way of the dodo - there are pockets of odd big fish but it's not the same.

Funnily enough when I match-fished I achieved all of my fairly realistic targets - to fish Div 1 on merit and do well in the days when it was a huge match, to win the winter league in a team (also individual wins and league winner) plus open wins, club championships and several match records.

The good thing is that I still enjoy my fishing, especially on obscure waters that are unfished and that I won't reveal to anyone. That those waters don't produce much is irrelevant; it's the challenge of fish with no names in waters with unknown potential. I have some interesting places to fish later this year though I must venture to the Thames again if the traffic problems ever let up. I think getting to know the Likely Lads has put a new perspective on my fishing; hard to explain exactly how but when the focus is on other's success your own glory takes a back seat and perhaps I'm getting tired of the 'look at me, me, me' outlook taking over fishing.

 

[Keith M]

My 'Species' bogey is the Zander. It's the only 'British' species I have yet to catch even though I have often fished waters that have held them.

My 'Method' bogey is Plug and Lure fishing; I have caught Perch on tiny Mepps spinners in the past; and caught a Pike on a sink & Drawn Spratt once but although I have all the gear, I just cannot get a Pike to take one of the many Plugs, Spoons or Rubber lures that I have accumulated.
I did once have a pike follow one of my plugs but it turned away in disgust at the last moment when it saw who was holding the rod LOL.

Keith

 

[binka]

Just to be different i would say mine are big Rudd. I have never seen a fish over 2Ib and where they have been known from waters i have fished they usually died out about 10 years previously.

As a kid i got a brace that were 1Ib 8oz each in successive casts was from what is now one of the St Ives Pits. Thats as good as i have ever done since.

Another one here for big rudd, in fact I don't ever recall catching one above a few ounces

 

[flightliner]

Flounder, I had aother one today not too far from Newark, lol.

 

[robtherake]

Not a bogey as such, but after putting in thousands of hours after Swale barbel I didn't ever get that magic double, my best being a tantalising four ounces away. I had a tug of war with a few hefty fish in a snag-pit swim that I never worked out, even saw one or two whackers come up in the water just before the line parted on a submerged obstruction; an old groyne-end, I think (or whatever their name is.) Gave up in the end, for the fishes' well being as much as my own. By that time I was using a 2.5lb test Daiwa pike rod and 15lb line and still getting done; it was just too much.

 

[wes79]

Bronze Bream from the local rivers.
Keep hearing of weights upto 8lb+ and I'm wondering if I can smell the muck spreader
I would love to see one in the flesh anywhere near that size.