Reflections on 2017

The tail end of last season was incredibly kind to me, and whilst I prefer to lay off angling during the old close season, when things kicked off in the summer it was a really good summer.

But since the autumn things have been slow and patchy, lack of depth to the rivers is probably a big contributor but can seem to get tuned in.

Here's hoping for some rain and a decent end to the season.

How was your fishing 2017?

Mixed to say the least. A lot less fishing due to personal circumstances.
Looking at my diary I managed 76 full days fishing which is the least for some years.
Fewer barbel and tench but more carp. I have found out about a place for the better weather where the tench are more prolific.
Roll on 2018

A pretty decent year again as far as the fishing goes, light on individual highlights but some enjoyable angling and fond memories to savour.

The last few months have been disrupted by the career change but that will alter very soon when the new annual tickets begin and I can join somewhere more local.

A new pb Perch, whilst still falling a couple of ounces shy of that elusive four, and a really rude start to the season with the Barbel are particular highlights which spring to mind.

All the changes considered, I'm looking forward to 2018 more than I've looked forward to a new year for many years.

2017 has been a good year for me. Joining the CDAA and also enjoying the privilege of fishing a private estate lake has given me many hours of pleasure and some nice fish.

Also my first full season of river fishing, been quite a challenge, the river like so many around the country suffering badly from a severe lack of rain.

The highlights have been buying a whip and catching net fulls of gorgeous Rudd but still to find a 2lb fish. Catching early morning tench on the estate but still to find a five pounder. With a lot of leg work finding the elusive chub from the gin clear Stour, nearly up to seventy now but still waiting like the tench for a five pound Specimen, finally the learning of pike fishing, a whole new dimension with some Adrenalin filled moments, still waiting for that first double.

Something I’ve only just considered whilst writing this, having not fished commies, I’ve caught just four carp this year.

From a fishing perspective it has been a good year with lots of enjoyable forays and sometimes fish! I have learnt a lot and forgotten a lot but that's age!

I plan more river fishing next year and some new venues. I keep acquiring stuff but not at the rate of S63 and Binka!

I've really enjoyed most of my fishing this year. I'm a bit of a write-off for targets, PB's etc – I don't have scales in my bag in fact. I tend to just pick the kind of fishing I fancy, go to a place I like and try to catch what's in front of me. To jog my memory, I looked back over HDYGO and found I'd been to (at least) 5 rivers, 2 canals, and more than a dozen stillwaters, used all the methods I know this side of bite alarms, given most of my tackle an airing, and caught a few of most species bar salmon and sea trout.

It wasn't all smooth going. The close season was great, with lots of tench and bream, but I caught very little in the local rivers until the Trent roach warmed up in July. Another former river favourite seems to have devolved into a game river. With one of the lakes closed and another under an inhospitable regime, I was sometimes stumped for where to go. I'd also shot myself in the foot by giving up membership of a great river club in a misguided retirement austerity drive. I'll be putting that right in the new year.

I like how there is always plenty to learn in fishing, and if I had to say what I've learnt this year, I'd say one of the mates I fish with has given me a good few examples of how you should fish the swim that's actually in front of you – as opposed to the swim you expected it to be when you first sat down. Gets deep, this fishing, doesn't it?

Joining FM was a good move, and I've enjoyed the connection and the extra dimension it adds to fishing. It has been great to meet up with some fellow anglers, Mike, Graham and Steve, and I'm looking forward to meeting up with them again, and with others. Happy Christmas to you all.

My year has been much the same as previous years, I've lost a lot more money than I've won match fishing wise and I have fished many varied venues.
I've not achieved any new PB's and haven't broken any of my previous records regarding match weights.
On the plus side however, due to the weekly old codger fixtures on the canal I've discovered some new to me venues. Being forced to use rod line and waggler on these occasions has undoubtedly improved my waggler skills no end.
I now find myself reaching for rod and line instead of my pole a lot more than before.
On reflection I haven't done as much river fishing as previously, the Thames has not seen me as often as other years nor has the Colne, this is solely due to the fact that the GUC has been so good, there are more fish in there than ever before and that's great news...
Anyway the year isn't over yet and there's more fishing to be done next week, must make use of this mild spell innit.

mikench said:

I keep acquiring stuff but not at the rate of S63 and Binka!

Click to expand...

I'll be taking my foot off the pedal and giving the wallet time to breath in 2018, give you time to catch up Mike.

That's the idea anyway, rarely goes to plan.

I would say that 2017 as far as fishing goes would rank as my worst year since starting fishing back in the 1950. Mainly due to the fact I lost interest and found other things to do. I would say I spent more time ballroom dancing than fishing.
The first 6 months were tied up with helping buy my sons house and his wedding. The wedding day was a day I will never forget.
I haven’t fished my local rivers this due to low water levels and they are still at summer level or below. Almost all my fishing when I do go out is now a few hours on lures.

Will I be out more in 2018, January is already nearly booked full of non fishing days. I hope I will find time if not I can see me packing up for a while.

Caught more two pound roach than I could have ever imagined. Plus fished a few new rivers I think I look back at every season with fondness, when I take dad out it becomes more hard work but at the same time more cherished. Once again its all been a jolly good laugh.

2017 has been a good year for me. Retirement has meant Ive been able to get out more and do justice to some new club waters. Caught a shedload of decent tench and some lovely crucians and then had a brief but highly enjoyable and quite successful dabble at carping.Its gone off a bit now but that's largely my fault as I've not quite worked my perch waters out yet and I've not had a single trip after the OBH zander yet.

My car is off the road currently and has been for sometime which makes it very hard to get out given that the back up is Mrs S's Yaris. OK for popping about but no good for an angler.

Once I get my car back [if I ever do] then I can get going again but right now what with Christmas and no car my enthusiasm is pretty well rock bottom. I have never,ever needed to get out simply so I can say that I have.

Pretty average really, did up my carp pb by a pound and a half, still after my first twenty pounder, plenty of bream,roach and Rudd, just a couple of tench, and a few crucians.

Next year will be my fourth year of retirement, really enjoying it now, and it will be my fourth season on this fishery I joined when i retired, getting to know it now, with regard to swims and methods,

Only fished the river once, for grayling and chub last winter, and just a few outings for trout on a reservoir, don’t regret giving up my salmon fishing at all, don’t miss it a bit.

Hope to do a bit more on the river this year, haven’t caught any river barbel for a while, be nice to get a few more, whilst I’m still able, hope the weather is better next year, it was very wet this year, lost a few days because of this, my fishery doesn’t fish well after heavy rain.

I've done a lot of roach fishing this year yet seem to have killed a flock of robins as I haven't had one over a pound since Feb 2016! Lots of river roach and enjoyable sport on fine gear with hemp and tares or bread but worrying signs that many stretches are all but devoid of decent ones with tiny pockets of better ones on a handful of stretches - just three or four years ago the same swims were producing catches that included several over a pound on a regular basis; similar story on the dace and grayling, with cormorants having a lot to answer for. I haven't done much still water fishing but what little I've done has been similarly poor on the roach front

That aside, last winter was a struggle with angina from late Jan turning into a heart attack by mid Feb then a month's driving ban (from the heart attack) only allowing the last couple of days (both poor) on the river. The close season was mainly taken with sorting out a new kitchen.

Apart from my dismal roach fishing I seem to have occasionally conjured up the odd decent bonus fish - one of the best barbel I've ever had (whilst chub fishing), double-figure pike (2) on 0.09mm nylon(?) landed in 20 seconds - mainly a pain in the butt, plus one or two lovely perch, tench, chub and bream.

Quite where I go from here is uncertain. I had a different club membership on top of the usual ones this season but not sure I'll bother with that one again so may try a different one in 2018 to get on some waters that I haven't fished for quite a while.

Had some interesting fishing in places not fished much caught some nice fish as well in the process but boy has it been an EXPENSIVE year must rest the plastic and the wallet next year .

I want to try to get to NewZealand in 2019 so i got to save some serious wonga we will see ... :wh hno:.


PG ...

john step said:

Mixed to say the least. A lot less fishing due to personal circumstances.
Looking at my diary I managed 76 full days fishing which is the least for some years.
Fewer barbel and tench but more carp. I have found out about a place for the better weather where the tench are more prolific.
Roll on 2018

Click to expand...

John I have a tip of a couple of cotswold gravel pits for tench which going to give a go next spring. Getting a bit fed up of only catching carp . Even when change bait they Hoover up everything!

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

Not a good year accident/health wise for myself and the family(which is documented,so won't go into it again),fishing wise,three 2lb plus roach,barbel to over 12,bream over 9,chub over 5 and tench the same,that in amongst the periods where I was unable to fish is quite acceptable,as if we have any choice...

associatedmatt said:

John I have a tip of a couple of cotswold gravel pits for tench which going to give a go next spring. Getting a bit fed up of only catching carp . Even when change bait they Hoover up everything!

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

Click to expand...

The lack of tench was not from trying. On my syndicate water I had two all summer. That was average according to the catches of other members.

One year they were in abundance, the next disappeared. Various theories have been put forward from theft, predation and chemical drift from farm land.

At the same time the prolific weed has gone which my reasoning points to chemical drift. However its only the tench. The carp are still unaffected as are the roach and rudd.

This last week we have introduced quite an investment of small tench from a breeder. I just hope it was a one off and these will be OK.

The best New Year present I could have is that those missing tench are still hidden in the prodigious depths of this res. and they will miraculously re appear come the spring.

Not holding my breath though.

john step said:

The lack of tench was not from trying. On my syndicate water I had two all summer. That was average according to the catches of other members.

One year they were in abundance, the next disappeared. Various theories have been put forward from theft, predation and chemical drift from farm land.

At the same time the prolific weed has gone which my reasoning points to chemical drift. However its only the tench. The carp are still unaffected as are the roach and rudd.

This last week we have introduced quite an investment of small tench from a breeder. I just hope it was a one off and these will be OK.

The best New Year present I could have is that those missing tench are still hidden in the prodigious depths of this res. and they will miraculously re appear come the spring.

Not holding my breath though.

Click to expand...

I have seen waters where tench fishing can be poor then a year or so later they switch on and come out alot more . Must be conditions or how there feeling at the time etc .

May I ask what type of fishing you do for tench on pits? Ones near me had been either semi bolt set up or feeder on feeder rods or Avon rods

But then on another small club lake waggler fished over depth works well

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

I joined a syndicate to fish an estate lake this year, had a few tench, best I remember nine in one morning session. Had a few blank tench days too, a few of the members say it's definitely not fishing as well as in previous years.

My year has been the usual mix of highs and lows but perhaps the biggest change for me (and surprise) is that for the first time in around twenty five years I have'nt caught a single Barbel. All down to circumstances I suppose as my usual plans were diverted by an old venue that began to turn up some really nice roach, so nice that I stayed longer than I intended, very rewarding tho.
My Tench and Breaming was surprisingly unproductive and really hard but a few into double figures made the effort worth while . Come the early autumn a shift gave me about the best roach I,m ever likely to catch bar one I had a few years ago but it ended my late summer /early autumn chapter.
From then on I concentrated on the little used river Trent--- well, little used from a hemp n tare for roach perspective , a decision that I had no regrets over as things conditions wise seemed perfect most times out that produced some super catches of my favourite fish,super days that in some respect eclipsed everything fishing wise that had gone beforehand!
Year ending and a couple of evenings out local for a chub have been great fun with good company.
No regrets , a good , very interesting year of angling diversity that I hope to continue in the new year starting on a water near John Step with a loaf of Warburtons followed-- hopefully with a pike outing invite to a lincolnshire water that is so exclusive even if isaac walton applied for a day he would be rebuffed.
To cap things off however my application to join another club would be nice if it were to be accepted.