This Day 25 Years Ago.

I got reading an old fishing diary I kept in my early days of angling:

11/9/1987 got home from school just before 4.00, on the bank and fishing by 4.15.
Stickfloat was the chosen tactic, 3.2lb Bayer Perlon mainline, I couldn't make out the details re hook length, I'm guessing it was either 2lb4oz or 2lb12oz Drennan Double Strength and a size 18 Drennan Carbon Chub hook.
My choice of float was a ****ie Carr 4 x no4 shot. Bait opted for was hemp, tares, casters and chopped worm.

Comments for the day were; dry bright with odd threatening cloud. The river running a little slow. Keepnet was repeatedly attacked by pike.

Catch return; a mixed bag of silvers, mainly roach to 1-08, plus dace to 8oz, gudgeon (30 to the lb), a couple of perch both 1lb and a chub of 3lb.
Total net weight in 4hrs of fishing; 42lb.

I looked at said swim earlier today and dispite the river being 8" above normal summer levels, it'd be a struggle to effectively fish a stick float - you certainly wouldn't want to hold it back, it'd leave you fishing a static bait!

Happy days (a distant memory now), I am doubtful it'd hold a dozen roach and dace combined, gudgeon are long gone, along with the pike, now though you could probably sneak a brace of chub weighing about 4 to 5lb, I suspect there may even be a couple of 1lb+ perch there.


Is it any wonder commercials are so popular, if I were in my early teens today, I know where I'd go and it sure wouldn't be the Cherwell!

Love it - great stuff.

Yes very interesting ! Got anymore ?

Great idea for a thread!.

I have checked my diaries and i have only fished on the 11th of september once (i couldnt believe it either).

Sept 11th 1983. R Thames Radcot (100 yds above Grafton lock). Club match (must have been a Sunday) fished for 6hrs.

Conditions
Very windy (R-L / downstream), cold and wet - constant drizzle all day except at end. No mention of river condition.

Method
Waggler to far bank Drennan No3 (insert waggler i think) 2.6Ib mainline 1.1Ib hooklength (Both Bayer Perlon) size 20/22 hook (no mention type). Baits used 3pts yellow maggot with about quarter pint reds mixed in, half pint hemp, quarter pint casters. Light feed except towards end going for a bonus chub.

Catch
Numbers are approx: 10 perch to 5oz, 15 roach to 5oz, 25 dace to 3oz, 25 bleak.

Catch Weight: 3Ib 14.5oz

Notes: Came 2nd (Won £7.20!!) Ist was 5Ib 15oz (3 chub), 3rd & 4th were 2Ib 12oz, 5th was 2Ib 10oz. Approx 20-25 fished

Lost one or two small perch and a couple of small dace or bleak.

So the Thames wasnt too pretty even in 1983 - but conditions were awful on that day.

I should add that if i hadnt a written record of this day there is no way i would know it ever happened - even prompted by the diary i cant remember a thing about it!.

Edit again - just realised i also fished on 11th Sept last year (insert homer smilie). Had 30Ib of brown goldfish/carp/etc etc from a small local club lake that is more like a commercial. Achieved new PB for brown goldfish of 1Ib 12oz. But its probably more fun to go back further in time on this thread!.