How did you get on?

[john step]

Just back from a 5 night camping trip to Nth. Yorks to do a bit of fishing. RAIN YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN IT.

I had a very nice day with Sam V. on a stunning syndi lake. The tench didn't oblige me but Sam had a nice one.

I moved onto a swollen and angry looking Swale the colour of chocolate.
The barbel were much more obliging even in that soup. I had 5 to just over 8lb.

I lashed out on barbel bait. One tin of 99p Plumrose smoky bacon did the lot!!
Bargain.

Photo not the best quality as balancing on the steep slippery Swale banks is a bit daunting after my recent falling habit.

---------- Post added at 20:22 ---------- Previous post was at 19:33 ----------

Just been catching up on some of the threads. Just read the one about needing to lie. Someone quoted so many chub up to 5 when all the rest were tiny.

I would hate anyone to think I was bullsh"tting about the barbel sizes I quoted above as this photo was the smallest at shy of 5lb not the biggest. The weather and mud put me off taking any more.

Just saying

 

[thecrow]

I would hate anyone to think I was bullsh"tting about the barbel sizes I quoted above as this photo was the smallest at shy of 5lb not the biggest.

Would never happen John

---------- Post added at 20:32 ---------- Previous post was at 20:30 ----------

A very ordinary few hours on the river this afternoon, I nearly didn’t bother but the allure of hanging a worm down the nearside shelf with the long rod for a perch or two finally had me up and out.

Lots of small fish around and my dead maggot and finely chopped worm certainly attracted the eels, I had three which were all between a pound and a pound and a quarter.

I enjoyed it but can’t really say I ever felt settled and the further allure of a fridge full of cold beer saw me heading home well before I expected to be.

Nice to be out though…

:w

I knew that was your leg before I saw who's post it was

 

[Hugh Bailey]

I moved onto a swollen and angry looking Swale the colour of chocolate.
The barbel were much more obliging even in that soup. I had 5 to just over 8lb.

Hmm- that's interesting. We went for a week walking in Sam's territory just at the seasons start. We stayed at Topcliffe for the first night and I had a walk around to see how the river was (had heard a lot about Topcliffe). At that time it was well up and very, very heavily coloured (peat?). I couldn't imagine anyone catching anything so it is interesting to hear what you say.

I wonder how far up the Swale the barbel go - where we were (Langthwaite) - we walked along the Swale for a while at Reeth - I guess here it is mainly game but there were a few very good barbley swims. I would think, unless introduced, they would struggle to get above the falls at Richmond.

Beautiful country - we are going back.

 

[sam vimes]

Hmm- that's interesting. We went for a week walking in Sam's territory just at the seasons start. We stayed at Topcliffe for the first night and I had a walk around to see how the river was (had heard a lot about Topcliffe). At that time it was well up and very, very heavily coloured (peat?). I couldn't imagine anyone catching anything so it is interesting to hear what you say.

The Swale barbel are usually a bit more obliging than normal in a summer flood. Ideally, you don't want a huge flood, but three feet or so should be no issue. Others disagree, but I prefer to fish a falling river rather than a rising one. A peaty tinge isn't the end of the world until it starts looking like stewed tea when the water levels are close to normal.

I wonder how far up the Swale the barbel go - where we were (Langthwaite) - we walked along the Swale for a while at Reeth - I guess here it is mainly game but there were a few very good barbley swims. I would think, unless introduced, they would struggle to get above the falls at Richmond.

It's generally accepted that Richmond falls is the upper limit of the coarse fish. However, it's been proven that it isn't necessarily true. There are also suggestions that some fish have had a helping hand up the falls over the years. Why anyone bothered is beyond me though, the vast bulk of the river upstream is fly only anyway. I've never heard of anything other than trout, grayling, minnows and bullheads as far up as Reeth.

 

[maggot_dangler]

Managed a late afternoon on the local cut

Once the dustbin lids had naffed orft i got into one of my normal favorite places the kids had been lobbing in all sorts and were not getting as much as a slight nibble but by the time that finished the place looked like a garbadge can so bit of a clean up then to the fishing .

Took about 30 mins to get the fish biting but once they started it was fish a chuck lots of nice perch to probably just about 1lb roach just about the same size and a few rudd few snotties as well but the 6 to 8 oz type fished for just about 2 hours kept me busy .

Off to the Club pool tomorow now i have re-opened it to fishing water is still a bit low but the recent rain has helped we will see how it fishes tomorow .

PG ...

 

[tigger]

John Step.....or is it Pinocchio .


I had several very enjoyable hours out trotting a jungle stream later this afternoon. I fished the small outlet of a lake again and had lots of clonking dace and small chub up to a pound or so including some choach and a few nice ide. I used the hardy 11ft 6inch float rod again and i'm smitten with it, it's a superb little rod and great for trotting, I think it will land decent barbel if one was hooked but it feels like a cracking grayling/roach rod .

I tried to get the colour of the ides bellys in a pic but it hasn't come out really, the first pic is a hybrid/choach...

 

[The Runner]

Usual late afternoon /evening session on the Colne at Uxbridge. Got there twenty minutes later then intended after hiding under the bridge at the Swan & Bottle to avoid a soaking from an out of nowhere storm.
Anyway, started below the weir on a deeper swim with stick and maggot, bite a chuck for a good while mainly perch but with the odd dace for about 4 to 5 lb before it dried up so usual move for the last couple of hours for a barbel. Decided on the swim at the top of the straight above the weir and ran a stick through for ten minutes for a lone dace and was about to switch to maggot feeder when heard the plop of a bomb going in upstream of me - hadn't realised there was anyone there so walked up and apologised for dropping in next to him (one of our regular barbel anglers) when we seemed to be the only two on the fishery. Moved down three or four swims, had a few runs through with stick to see what was there (a roach and a perch) but a bit too weedy to find a clear run (or for that matter to fancy my chances of landing anything decent on my float rig) so maggot feeder time, 18 B911 to 0.15. Plopped a few feederfuls behind the grassweed about 5 yards down, minnow first drop then nothing and then a few sharp little indications suggesting something lumpy was over the feed. Sure enough, a few minutes after the last little rap, tip jagged round and in. Thought it was a big chub at first as it went straight for the pennywort on the far bank but unlike a chub came out again and after a few minutes playing cheesecutters with all the grassweed in front of me...
https://postimg.org/image/im94gu55h/
9-2

Next three put ins resulted in three perch , so, as it was looking like no more lumps there, time for a pint.

 

[john step]

John Step.....or is it Pinocchio .


Oh you are awful.

 

[tigger]

It's ok John, it'll have shrunk again in the morning .

 

[sheffields12]

Had a night on one of my local fisheries Yesterday, feeder fishing using pellets for the first time! I've only ever fished using maggots, sweetcorn and meat so thought I'd give pellets and feeder a try.
Was a slow day, had 2 fish out. One nice mirror carp which was a good size, probably my best. I have no idea on weights and no scales so can't say the size but it was good for me. And typically, the missus rang me and whilst on the phone the fish was hooked. gave a good fight I had to tell her to ****** off which I don't think she appreciated :wh:wh

Second was a smaller mirror carp.

Anyway, I'm off out again tomorrow, going to a different fishery but going with the same idea of method on the pellet.

My question to you guys... What pellets would you suggest I use? Both in the feeder itself and on the band?
the feeder which is this: https://www.prestoninnovations.com/img/products/PFI/PFI_1.jpg

 

[mikench]

It's ok John, it'll have shrunk again in the morning .

I have that problem too! Must be age!

 

[tigger]

I have that problem too! Must be age!

Get some vitamins down yer neck Mike you be lying with an iron bar looking up at you every morning , put some tissue on the ground round the bog as it'll make your morning slash a little awkward mg:.

 

[The Runner]

As an antidote to last nights excitement, fished our club match at Wraysbury which was even harder than its usual match day self.
Three of the lads had been down on Wednesday and had probably about 90lb between them but the water temperature had dropped since then possibly from yesterdays rain.
Drew same peg as last time, peg 25 aka "Island Left" and set up usual array of method and cage feeders and 3AAA waggler
https://postimg.org/image/4b3eh5r4l/
Flat calm and sunny not the best conditions but plenty of fish fizzing at about 50 yards before the off, so started out there on feeder and worm/ maggot with chop and pellet in the feeder while Richard and Bob to my right did the same with method and corn. Whatever the fish were doing to make the fizz, it didn't involve feeding as they gradually drifted further and further out before disappearing completely after an hour. Two hours in and a quick ring round found that nobody had had so much as a bite, at which point my tip rattled, thought I'd missed it only to find a two inch perch on the end quickly followed by two more the same size. Bagging !
Half an hour later and Richards tip finally moved resulting in a black old bream- cue that rare thing, an action shot from a Wraysbury match...
https://postimg.org/image/p99kf8qz9/
Had had a couple of quick looks on the waggler which had been loosefeeding quite heavily and another look just after half time saw me attached to a proper eel which I got up over the weed and on the top only for it to bite me off (on 0.13 as well).
A couple of bream now from a peg in the willows on the shallow side and Paul in the far corner had a nice carp so time to stay on the tip. Which never moved again. With an hour and a bit to go put waggler out while I changed hooklengths on the feeder, straight down a hole and had a nice, if probably irrelevant now, half pound roach. Gave it another few chucks to see if it had any friends, it didn't, so last hour out again on feeder, not so much as a line bite.
Three bream for 18-2 won it with blanks either side of him, Paul's carp 9-4 for second, Richard's bream 6-7 and third and that bonus roach got me 4th with 10 oz ahead of a few microperch "weights".
That was the last match there this season, sighs of relief all round.

 

[peter crabtree]

Club match today at Molesey just upstream from Hampton court palace...
At the draw I pulled out no2 which I was informed is a long walk from the carpark. Luckily I have fished this stretch before and remember driving up and parking much closer to my peg. After a short walk I was on my peg which seemed somewhat familiar as I'd drawn it about 7 years ago on another match...
The Thames is very wide along this section but where I was we had an "Ait" in front .....



Set up 6m whip for close in trotting and a feeder rod for chucking across to the Ait . At the all in at 10am I chucked a 30g cage feeder with GB and small worm tipped with a bronze maggot on the 16 hook. No sooner had I put the rod on the rest and boing the tip went round. A bream of about 1lb 8. Second chuck same but a much bigger slab. I started dreaming of a massive bream haul but that was it. 5 more hours alternating between whip and tip caught me a few perch, roach and a dace....



Winner had 11lb including a 7lb slab.

2nd had 8lb ... moi...

3rd 7lb....

Happy with that and £57 better off tonight:w

16 fished....



Skippy knows all about this shi..........t Inni......t....

 

[barbelboi]

Think you've got problems with traffic Simon - hardly see a car down the lanes for weeks at a time and then get stuck behind a combine harvester for half a mile before we hit a 'B' road............

 

[S-Kippy]

Skippy knows all about this shi..........t Inni......t....

Oh yes.....I most definately know all about that ! Needs a junction closure, 10 mile mystery tour diversion and a few more lorries to be a full on "Skippy" though. mg:

 

[theartist]

Skippy knows all about this shi..........t Inni......t....

You know when it goes to 40 you'll take 'just moving' Hope your winnings don't go on a fine Simon if the rozzers catch you snapping traffic " I'm doing a catch report for a fishing forum officer" won't wash

Talking of catch reports, haven't done many myself as have been off here a while (can't think why :wh) had a few with mixed results. Back on the Severn where I was after the roach again but they weren't having it on a new stretch I was trying, I did manage one of 1lb 10oz which was the only roach of the day and the rest were all chub which were on 4 or 6m pellet, was good to have a good chub day though, plus a couple of small barbel under a pound on maggot last knockings, the Severn is full of these little barbs this year which is also a good sign.

Another trip to a river called the Hiz, one which screams fish, shallow glides then deeper holes and runs between streamer weed, although despite the recent rains the river was still gin clear and I could imagine it not really running much at all a few weeks back. Having said that this river was deep enough to hold fish all year no problems, so quite why I couldn't buy a bite from anything other than minnow I couldn't say. Did manage a couple of dace and a surprise trout and another new river for the records, one with a bit of stocking could be a gem but is sadly little fished.

Another trip out a few weeks back was to the Cam, once again another river I was yet to fish, at a place called Byron's pool apparently named after the Poet used to swim there, no doubt with some fair maiden or three. How times have changed as I have never seen so many tracksuited anglers lure fishing, none of whom said hello and aside from a rucksack and the odd bucket had no gear other than a rod. This was on a club water which sells day tickets, needless to say I didn't see any bailiffs which was a shame as a lot of effort looked like it had gone in to improving the water flow and installing quality fishing platforms. There was also many kayaks going up and down the narrow course, and they weren't a cheerful bunch either. Despite all this I had a decent day as the river was choc full of dace, roach, small perch and gudgeon, no big fish showed at all.

In between had a few trips with dad to local waters, sometime you take the quality fishing for granted, I was happy to watch him catch barbel knowing I could pick off a few fish too, making sure he drunk enough water and being the worlds best tackle caddy and chauffer. Ok scratch that last one given the state of my car

 

[sheffields12]

Had a night on one of my local fisheries Yesterday, feeder fishing using pellets for the first time! I've only ever fished using maggots, sweetcorn and meat so thought I'd give pellets and feeder a try.
Was a slow day, had 2 fish out. One nice mirror carp which was a good size, probably my best. I have no idea on weights and no scales so can't say the size but it was good for me. And typically, the missus rang me and whilst on the phone the fish was hooked. gave a good fight I had to tell her to ****** off which I don't think she appreciated :wh:wh

Second was a smaller mirror carp.

Anyway, I'm off out again tomorrow, going to a different fishery but going with the same idea of method on the pellet.

My question to you guys... What pellets would you suggest I use? Both in the feeder itself and on the band?
the feeder which is this: https://www.prestoninnovations.com/img/products/PFI/PFI_1.jpg

To add to this, I went out again Yesterday. Got some pellets for the feeder and hook with some tips from the guy in the tackle shop.

Pulled out carp after carp, all very good sizes and two o my biggest catches yet since i started fishing last year.

I actually got bored of catching carp, so got my float out with some sweetcorn in order to catch some silvers. loads of bites but none were catching.

back to the feeder, had a small bream out and a few more carp.

Good day all round.

Think I need a better landing net now!

 

[mikench]

Well done! Bored with carp already!

 

[sheffields12]

I think it's nice to get one, but sometimes I just want some decent silvers!
Odd isn't it... When i was only ever catching silvers all i wanted was carp.

now I'm pulling the carp out i want silvers! :wh

Actually just remembered I had a nice little tench out early on in the day. Was pleased with that.