A fishermens tale ( an erstwhile one perhaps)

Had a strange day today! Fishing was always planned but my mum breaking her arm yesterday threatened to cancel it until two of my sisters decided they would visit and take her to the hospital leaving me to go tomorrow instead. Free to go fishing I was at the lake at 9.00am and had the pick of the pegs. I had to choose between the wind or sun in my face and I chose the wind.

My tackle and tactics today were recommended on this forum and ultimately did not let me down. I started on the tip using the Darent Valley rod ( love it ) a baitrunner reel with some Italian mono . I tried every bait I had, pellet, maggot, worm, corn, boilies on the hook, with either a hybrid feeder or a small bomb but not a nibble. The only other fisherman had one bream and left disconsolately at around noon.

By 3.00pmI had blanked and was cold and miserable. . I then decided to use the Darent rod as a float road so added a float and a hook link with a size 14 hook and cast in the calm water 20 feet or so in front of me. I remembered I had some bread so made some 6mm punch and dipped them in Laguna'sblue cheese dressing! In the next hour I caught over a dozen small roach with several over 8oz. It was fast and furious and I missed loads of bites but felt gratified I had stayed and really enjoyed the sport. One roach was just under 12 oz and it really fought. As the light faded the fun ceased as quickly as it had begun so I packed up and came home.

So a thank you to everyone on this forum who have proffered advice in my first year of being a member; you know who you are and have contributed to me loving this hobby and really enjoying this forum. I like everything I have bought and if A certain someone from North Yorkshire continues to make great suggestions I will soon have more. I have just raised a glass of my favourite Sauvignon blank to you all and plan to repeat this a few more times!

Fishing is like advertising and only works 50% of the time; trouble is nobody knows which 50%:wh

Proves the old adage 'keep it simple'

It certainly does Peter ; KISS !!!

Very good post mikench!
What you did was to make changes when all seemed lost and you caught some decent fish - one of the most enjoyable ways of catching, in my opinion. A catch you can be proud of...........
Not a warm day anywhere in the country and you to choose to fish into the wind.....proper fishing IMHO!

I suggest you get lots of responses on FM because you ask lots of valid questions and question everything, and that will always start to come through in your fishing (IMHO)

Nice catch, though....

Well done Mike, nice to read that it's all coming together both on and off the water

Nice post Mike. Glad you caught good. I have just read your post in the pub and return your salutations with a pint ? of the amber nectar. With the greatest respect you can keep the plonk. Pete.

Good going, bud. Sounds like a plan came together, to coin a phrase. :thumbs:

Sorry to hear about your mums arm Mike hope all is well.
Good post.
Though roach have been around forever they are still the future.

Thanks everyone for your kind comments. It will be roach fishing again next week but with smaller hooks and smaller punch! It is very cold and icy here today and from Warrington south and east there is quite thick fog so motorway drivers beware!

mikench said:

Thanks everyone for your kind comments. It will be roach fishing again next week but with smaller hooks and smaller punch! It is very cold and icy here today and from Warrington south and east there is quite thick fog so motorway drivers beware!

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It is good to remember that punched bread swells a lot in water and often masks the hook point which could be why you were missing bite.
It is amazing how small a punch piece can swell up; test it out in the margin or in the sink at home.

It sould also have been very small fish nibbling at the bread and not really taking it properly.

I had a similar day today, started off with the feeder rod with maggot changed to pellet then corn nothing not a quiver, I then put a float on the feeder rod and 2 maggots on the hook,I started to get a few bites then caught a decent roach which got my new landing net wet.
I then caught several small perch throughout the day then things went quiet, later as it was getting dark the roach started biting and caught several until I could not see the float any more.
I was hoping to land a few carp as last time I went I did hook a few but the hook pulled, this time they did not seem to be feeding at all and did not see any topping, still a good day though.