going a bit cabin fever

[Lord Paul of Sheffield]

So far this year I've been fish twice

bad weather has put me off if t's no ben raining it' been dam cold an then we've had the snow twice

an when it has been decent weather to fish I've had other commitments - looking forward to the better weather and to get fishing

 

[mikench]

I'll bet your scullery maids are saying:amen:to that M'Lud!!!:wh

 

[thecrow]

looking forward to the better weather and to get fishing

You and me both

 

[john step]

I think everyone feels the same. I got befuddled with the not getting out much and loosing track of things. I told someone recently I had only one jack this year. I completely forgot a few nice pike from a drain thinking it was the end of last year. Silly boy Pike.mg:

 

[steve2]

I know the feeling only been out twice this year. I have some piking penciled in Thursday and Friday.

 

[sagalout]

With house refurb commitments I have not been out once since probably october, and that was last week, lovely day I was painting one half of the new kitchen so I could move stuff into that half and start the other two thirds (I was always top of the class in maffs) when I said to Mrs Lout "If I wasn't up to me arse in alligators I'd go fishing" and he said "for fecks sake go you winging old barsteward" so I went. Fished a swim I'd never fished before (because the wild boar have turned me favourite swim into a total shyte hole).

I fished the margin against a gorse bush using the margin pole, an 8 solid elastic, 0.13 mainline, 0.10 hook link to 18 Kamasan hook with a lassoed 4mm pellet and feed a sports drink top of micros every fish thinking I would get some roach. I had 1 f1 about the 2lb mark and 7 carp between 5 and 11lb. Brilliant, went home a happy man then I saw the wife

 

[Philip]

Same for me ...hardly been out the first trip I dont think was till march due to too many other commitments. Still it keeps you keen for the next time.

I keep meaning to get more into lure angling as thats ideal for quick short sessions which is what I ted to be restricted to at the moment. Its not the most enjoyable method for me but its better than not fishing at all ....

 

[markcw]

I haven't been out since November, I have been bailiffing the waters and finding out where is fishing good, if not bailiffing been going around the tackle shops or looking at new commercial venues that my matches are booked on.

 

[Tee-Cee]

I thought about going this morning but having blanked several times recently and the fact it was very cold again overnight, I decided to give it a miss. I have the time and plenty of bait just waiting to be used and I really want to go but little point until the water warms a little and I feel I have realistic chance...

Oh yes, the point of this post; I know not everyone has the time or inclination but I have always found in worthwhile to have a walk around regular venues at this time of year as it is amazing what you can see/find when all the bankside vegetation is missing. On clear,sunny days such as today you can see down into the water and in shallow swims what is on the bottom (using polaroids), something you wouldn't necessarily do when you arrive for your session. I've even taken an old landing net handle to have poke around in the margins for snags etc. and give myself a better idea of depth variations. (I recall one swim, over a 3m margin length had a variation of more than half a metre - I didn't know that and it caught me roach and crucians!)

On one or two occasions I believe such outings have given me an edge, come the warmer months......

What I'm saying is that cabin fever can be put to good use, and walking around for an hour or so never a waste of time - it adds to your general knowledge, that's for sure! Not a fish spotting exercise per se, but more where they might be at a later date.

.................and let's face it, I'm quite sure a bit of walking would do some of us the world of good!!

Of course, one can stay with sitting at home and moping around, absolutely bored stiff....

 

[markcw]

Reading tee cees post about the margins made me think, I am going to go around a few waters with net handle, notebook and pen, but take it one step further, I am going to probe against the edge of the margins with the handle as well, to see where they have been undercut by fish grubbing around, You could be fishing a margin swim not realizing that there could be a one or fish more or less under the bank, in that case fish as tight to the bank as possible.

 

[seth49]

That reminds me still have two of the ponds on our fishery to map yet, use my DeeperSmartSonar towed behind my bait boat, really good I steer the boat, and mick writes the depths down on a hand drawn map, taking the depths of my iPhone,

Find it useful when finished, keep the first copy for a master, and print copies to take with us, I laminate these to keep them dry and clean, also mark weedbeds and other features, one pond was supposed to be twenty foot deep, in one corner it was barely ten when we checked it, pay particular notice of the margins in front of each peg, often find a hollow in the swim were it’s been fed over the years, and the fish have dug a depression with continuous feeding in the same area.

 

[nottskev]

By nursing all the afflictions and picking my times, I've managed to fish half a dozen times in the past month. I was luckier than some, in that. Now, just as the outside world is turning more hospitable, I'm having to treat an eye problem for several weeks. Inflammation, a side effect of a kind of rheumatoid arthritic condition, needs steroid drops and, for a few days, drops that dilate the pupil and relax the eye "muscle". You get a massive overdose of light - the sun is dazzling today - and you can't get small things, like a dotted float, in focus. I should be ok once I can knock off the dilating drops; right now I feel like I've done enough tackle tidying and hook tying, so I'm prepared to consider anything. Drop shotting.... method feeder......

 

[wetthrough]

That reminds me still have two of the ponds on our fishery to map yet, use my DeeperSmartSonar towed behind my bait boat, really good I steer the boat, and mick writes the depths down on a hand drawn map, taking the depths of my iPhone,

I thought the Deeper could do all that for you without having to manually record depths?

 

[ben10]

I haven't been for the best part of 7 months now. Bought a new house that I've ended up ripping apart and completely starting again and when you're doing all the work yourself it takes an incredible amount of time. I need to finish it so I have time to fish amongst other things, but if I think sod it and go fishing the I won't finish it. It's hard when you've got the bug but life gets in the way! Hoping to have finished in time for the new season so I can spend time hitting the bank hard without feeling bad for not working on the house! Sometimes I wish I just lived in a tent on the bank!

 

[Jim Crosskey 2]

I was lucky to have some fairly productive short sessions on the river between Christmas time and the close... though I never managed to get any of the larger chub I know exist there. My lad - he's 11 in a couple of weeks - has properly got the fishing bug now, and he DID catch a big chub this winter, 6lb 7oz... and he's now begging me to go after the carp in our local club lake every weekend. Looks like he might get his wish this weekend.

Other than that, I tend to keep my mind focused on trips I know I will be making.... I have a fishing weekend with three mates at the end of April that should be fun (if it warms up a bit!) along with a river wye trip at the end of June. The thought of some pleasant fishing in warmer weather is enough to sustain me for a few weeks....

 

[seth49]

I thought the Deeper could do all that for you without having to manually record depths?

Mine is one of the older models, which works of Bluetooth, you can get a map with it, but it’s just contour lines and colours, I prefer to do it the way we we do,
It’s a lot easier to read, and you have the depth there to read in front of you.
It’s a good bit of kit though, find it useful.

 

[mikench]

days, drops that dilate the pupil and relax the eye "muscle".

Take your prescription with you Kev!!! :wh

 

[maggot_dangler]

Yep .
Think i can just about claim twice as well and here it is almost the END of March , I would normally have been out at leat once a week but this winter has been a real killer for some reason .

Just have not felt good at all even work has been a chore at times lets hjope for some better weather to come Except for this Sunday as i cant fish that one either due to other comiments ( Radio Rally @ Wythall) need some bits and pieces and with maplins going T**s up it the next best place ...


PG ...

 

[Another Dave]

right now I feel like I've done enough tackle tidying and hook tying, so I'm prepared to consider anything. Drop shotting.... method feeder......

Steady on, let's keep things in perspective.

 

[markcw]

That reminds me still have two of the ponds on our fishery to map yet, use my DeeperSmartSonar towed behind my bait boat, really good I steer the boat, and mick writes the depths down on a hand drawn map, taking the depths of my iPhone,

Find it useful when finished, keep the first copy for a master, and print copies to take with us, I laminate these to keep them dry and clean, also mark weedbeds and other features, one pond was supposed to be twenty foot deep, in one corner it was barely ten when we checked it, pay particular notice of the margins in front of each peg, often find a hollow in the swim were it’s been fed over the years, and the fish have dug a depression with continuous feeding in the same area.

Seth, are matches or keepnets allowed on the water where you check the margins in front of the pegs, ?
If so the depressions may possibly have been caused by people bringing the keepnet in and it is going over the bottom of the pool,The reason I mention this is because one match I was in on a commercial, I got an expensive topkit snagged on an island 16 metres away, I had plumbed the margins either side of my keepnets and had around 3' of water, so I stripped down to boxer shorts to do a water spaniel act, lowered myself in in between my keepnets and the water came up to my chest and I am 5' 10", !!! anyway I swam/paddled across to far side , retrieved topkit and swam/paddled back and managed to get out at side of keepnets,