How did you get on?

[greenie62]

....Next weekend the reservoir hosts the 2017 Feedermasters final so I'll be having a wander along the banks on Saturday watching how the experts do it.

Whilst you are 'bothering' the 'experts' next weekend - keep your eye open for Kenny Baxter - he's a local matchman and the Sec of Wigan &DAA - give him my regards.
He mentions his last practice on Bough Beech last weekend on his Facebook page: Kenny Baxter | Facebook

After the tale of his journey down there and back - I doubt he thinks it's the local 'Leigh'!

 

[103841]

Had all but forgotten that I was on taxi duty for the hospital run this morning and with no time to buy some bait took a spade to the garden and managed to find six lobworms, enough for an hour on the pool.

Had a couple of chub to 2lb and a couple of small but pretty perch.

Then I snagged on the bottom with my last worm oh heck it wasn't bottom but a very angry pike, must have played it for a full minute before its teeth made short work of my 4lb mono, entertaining when viewing from above looking into clear water.

Just about to pack up when the Drennan champ pulled up, no doubt he will pull out something rather large, he usually does.

 

[jon atkinson]

So Sunday was the day for me to pop my centre pin cherry; I've tried trotting a couple of times with a fixed spool, both utterly unsuccessful, once on my local drain (Alt) & once on the beautiful Yorkshire Ure. With this being my first time (on the 'pin) I thought that it should be somewhere 'special', memorable even so I drove 50 odd miles up to the Wyre on my St Helens card. Never set eyes on this stretch before but it looks oddly familiar - in fact it's just like a slightly wider version of my local river Alt mg: Essentially a featureless channel with steep, muddy cow trodden banks - any thought's I'd had of roving the bank utterly dashed - this was a case of finding a swim that I could set up in without going a**e over t*t & staying put :wh

The other downer was the field of cows behind me with only a raised pathway between them & the river bank - what is it with the dopey bovine lumps that they find us fishing types so interesting??

I was fishing single red on a #20 B640 on a 2.75lb hook length to 3.2lb Bayer main line. I started on a 4 x #4 stick which needed some persuasion to take line so I upped it to an 8 x #4 which was better but still needed nudging. Suffice to say it wasn't going as I'd envisaged; I was tripping (occasionally snagging) bottom at about 4' whilst feeding steadily but without seeing any signs of fishy activity at all

I'd got to the stage where I'd written the whole thing off as a 'practice session' [again] having seen no sign of fishy activity, but then the float dipped & having assumed that I'd snagged the bottom / another piece of weed , this time I definitely felt something on the other end - a chublet of 4oz or so meant another potential blank had been avoided, but yet again, trotting had proved hard work [so obviously I'll give it another go ]

So, having caught the 'only' fish on the stretch, I packed up & wandered back down the track to be confronted by a wall of cows I don't mind admitting that cows make me nervous; one or two - OK, but a dozen or more? I start getting James Herbert style hallucinations & when they're clearly following you... the fact that literally dozens of people had wandered past them didn't factor into the equation, they were gunning for me & I was mighty relieved to make it over the style without having been trampled.

So, an interesting day - Jury's still out on the 'pin but no doubt I'll give it another crack, but I suspect that my next outing will be in my still water comfort zone - keep the faith y'all...

 

[fishplate42]

Had all but forgotten that I was on taxi duty for the hospital run this morning and with no time to buy some bait took a spade to the garden and managed to find six lobworms, enough for an hour on the pool.

Had a couple of chub to 2lb and a couple of small but pretty perch.

Then I snagged on the bottom with my last worm oh heck it wasn't bottom but a very angry pike, must have played it for a full minute before its teeth made short work of my 4lb mono, entertaining when viewing from above looking into clear water.

Just about to pack up when the Drennan champ pulled up, no doubt he will pull out something rather large, he usually does.

Hopefully, we will be fishing off that wall tomorrow morning after making our way there from the stretch next to the Kingsmead Car Park. We only have a few hours at it on our way to visit my elderly mum for lunch at Beano's in Swalecliffe.

Ralph.

 

[mikench]

It looks a nice spot! I do like Canterbury!

 

[103841]

Hopefully, we will be fishing off that wall tomorrow morning after making our way there from the stretch next to the Kingsmead Car Park. We only have a few hours at it on our way to visit my elderly mum for lunch at Beano's in Swalecliffe.

Ralph.

Somethings happened, that car park was always virtually empty, now it's nearly full every day, must have been a closure or price increase elsewhere.

If you fancy some company let me know what time you plan to arrive, I'm planning on a few hours there myself tomorrow.

 

[fishplate42]

Somethings happened, that car park was always virtually empty, now it's nearly full every day, must have been a closure or price increase elsewhere.

If you fancy some company let me know what time you plan to arrive, I'm planning on a few hours there myself tomorrow.

Well, the plan is to be there for 07:00 - that probably means 08:00 - and work from the car park to down to the weir pool. I need to leave about midday as we're going for a slap up meal with my Mum at 90 she still enjoys a fry-up once in a while - Beano's Cafe is her choice of venue!

Once the car park becomes a no-go, it will be down the park and ride - not sure if they will be keen on rods and landing net poles on the 'ride' bus though...

Ralph.

 

[103841]

St Radiguns car park is the second option, a bit dearer but closer. I'll take the bus next year with my OAP buss pass.

 

[peter crabtree]

Yet another Tuesday old codgers match today on a canalised river Gade pound near Watford..Usual format of rod, reel and float only .Mild but gloomy first thing and extremely noisy being very close to the main route into Watford and the M25.

After the rush hour it quietened down a bit and the sun came out...

With a nice gentle tow on the water and a decent depth I set up a light stickfloat rig as a long cast wasn't necessary. Trotting down to the bridge it was chublets and small gudgeon mainly taking the single maggot. I fed loose maggots constantly hoping to draw in a better fish, a chub or big perch maybe, but it didn't happen.

My biggest fish was a roach of 3oz, a couple of small dace and loads of tiny gudgeon made up my net which registered just 2lb on the scales come the end...

My good friend Son of Meldrew won the match with 5lb+ Including a perch of 12oz which was the biggest fish caught all day...

14 fished...

 

[barbelboi]

I didn’t write up my last few sessions on the rivers/streams as they were pretty much the same as previous visits during the last month, or so. Today I decided to have a change and try for some of the crucians in a local woodland pond before the weather goes pear shaped. I believe this is my first still water visit since the rivers opened and my first to this pond since May.

Now these crues don’t appear to grow anywhere near the size I was used to before the move but they give just as much enjoyment and are very cagey .I consider a pound and a half fish a very good one for the water and a two pounder exceptional. As far as I know, according to the land owner, this pond hasn’t been stocked or fished in the 30 years of his ownership.

Red maggots have worked well on previous visits so I took some (that remained unused) as backup. Bait of the day was best of both worlds flake (aka bread) fished over depth on a bed of hemp/3mm stimswim. From previous experience I know how ‘cute’ these bu99ers can be so used a 3x No4 crystal waggler, tight to the marginal growth (approx. depth 90cm) and dotted down to ‘nothing’ in conjunction with the 14’ Ultra. 11 crues from only 3 proper bites (lifting on instinct for the rest) and about half as many bumped a split second after the lift. The roach were not really up for it today with only a couple and 4 ferals did their best to test the 2lb line..

I took a few pics as I believe the fish to be ‘pukka’ by looks and the scale count on the lateral line appears fine. Fished from 10am – 3pm.

 

[103841]

What a joy to see crucian, even better as we enter Autumn.

 

[nottskev]

The alarm rang at 6am, but when I contemplated the number of things I'd need to cram into the next hour - feeding the cats, feeding myself, boiling the soaked hemp, packing the car, putting the bins out – I cancelled the early start. I hadn't really settled on where to go, either, and that didn't make for decisive action. I quite fancied fishing for chub on the Derwent, but the fine morning and good forecast put me in the mood for something more summery. Setting off at 12 on the near 20 mile journey, I felt sure I'd get to the tench lake and find every peg taken. So it was great to find the place deserted

The fish had been finnicky, taking only small baits and feeding in little spells last time I came, so I set up with that in mind, with a long rod and pin and a tiny float, barely visible, set at dead depth. I had a pot on a few spare pole sections to feed right on the float, and fed micros and red maggots to the left and hemp and caster to the right. I never had a bite over the caster feed, but they gradually got interested in the maggots.

The tench were mostly of this stamp

And the bream like this

From time to time, roach came into the peg and took the dropping bait at half depth. The fish never went crazy, but bites kept coming, and deciphering the tiny bites and keeping the lively little tench out of the weeds on light gear makes it engrossing. By 6 pm I'd had a dozen tench, 3 bream and a dozen roach, and I was glad I'd gone there. Depending on the weather, it could prove to be the last visit this year. A friend informed me that the net ban that had been keeping me off another favourite water had been lifted, so that helps solve the question of where to catch on stillwater in water.

 

[tigger]

Kev, that rod looks like a preston Aski or whatever you call 'em lol.

 

[nottskev]

Kev, that rod looks like a preston Aski or whatever you call 'em lol.

Correct! I didn't like the metal reel fitting and duplon thingy, so I had a guy in Bolton put a proper, shorter cork handle on. I also got him to put the rings back on the other side of the blank so you don't have to look at the gaudy decals.
(Fussy? Me?) This is the 15' of the 15'/17'. It has a lovely action, supple and elastic. Not sure where the other 2' are these days. I look on this rod as my Small Tench Specialist. I only catch small ones.

 

[tigger]

Correct! I didn't like the metal reel fitting and duplon thingy, so I had a guy in Bolton put a proper, shorter cork handle on. I also got him to put the rings back on the other side of the blank so you don't have to look at the gaudy decals.
(Fussy? Me?) This is the 15' of the 15'/17'. It has a lovely action, supple and elastic. Not sure where the other 2' are these days. I look on this rod as my Small Tench Specialist. I only catch small ones.

You big show off .

I can remember seeing one of those rods in the flesh on one occasion only, I remembered the gold ring liners and how they looked nice! I remember the chap using it with a pin and when he tried wallis casting he broke about three inches off the tip mg:.
I'm sure it was, or should I say it used to be a straight 15 footer until that unfortunate accident but I may be wrong. I did like the look of the rod and it shows because I recognised yours was one straight away in the pic .

 

[jimlad]

Got out for a very quick hour tonight. I entered a Drennan Facebook competition last week and ended up fluking a Drennan distance feeder rod. Two casts, one chub, the rod felt smashing.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mikench]

Not only do i recognise that lake Kev, i feel sure i have seen that tench before!

Nice bream too and i know about bream!

Sounds like it all came together on the day!

 

[seth49]

Good day yesterday, started at twelve thirty as usual, didn't get the peg I wanted from last week, another chap already in it, him and another chap had caught some nice roach and bream, so might have a go for these next week, so we went round the other side of the island, a lot drier underfoot as well.

Started of quiet one rod across to island, just one rod here as its overgrown with branches, and need to get on them quickly,if you get a bite, however apart from a few knocks on the rod tip, probably bream, but I had been feeding a few pellets in the margins, and could see there were carp coming for these, so I kept feeding these to get there confidence up.

Just after four I moved my rod into the margins, and got my first run soon after, small fish for this pond about eight pounds, nothing else till about six, when I'd a good run which came of just as I picked the rod up, caught the mirror after that,lucky with that , just about to throw some pellets in when I saw a tail pattern from a fish in the swim, stood there quietly for a minute till it took the pellet and shot off, nice deep fish of eleven pounds six, caught the last fish at dusk, nice common of twelve pounds eight, all fish in good condition and fought well, mick had two today, so five carp between us, not a bad afternoons sport.

Lovely sunny day, nice and warm, very pleasant to be out, hope we get a few more before it turns colder, saw three buzzards soaring and calling above us, a kestrel, and a very large hare which ran across the path, bad forecast for Thursday, but I might be picking my birthday present up to myself.
Good day enjoyed it.?

 

[flightliner]

A visit very local yesterday, a small pond. I was in one of those between stages , the weather was changing along with my expectations so at noon I had a float rod in my hands and a few maggots along with a few other neccesities wondering round dropping my rig into various swims around the place.
An odd tiny perch and roach fell to the gently falling bait but nothing of note.
I came up to a friend of mine and we ended up chatting, he told me to look closely at a shuttle to his left as some comorants had been active when he arrived earlier.
My ray bans (as if lol -- aldi specials ) revealed the place was black with small fish, roach and perch in the main, so, not needing to be told twice I was in like the proverbial.
Roach n perch came to hand one after the other from my slightly elevated position, little boy fishing that I always feel takes me back to such happy times as a lad.
After some thirty or so I was fully sated and sat back to chat with my friend about times and good catches of the past.
Really enjoyed myself.

 

[S-Kippy]

Having spent 40 odd years avoiding them I actually went carp fishing yesterday.

I seem to have a bit of a subliminal bucket list thing going on atm. I've caught me catfish, now I seem to have decided I need to catch a decent carp having never had one over 20lb....but having never seriously fished for them. Ho....for a club water near Guildford recommended by Big Dave.

Arrived bout 5pm just as everyone was packing up ( like BD said they would) and dropped in a swim vacated by a bloke and his missus who'd been there all day for 6 between them to about 8lb. " Nothing in close....theyre all over by the island". Well....not according to BD who proclaims that the bigger fish move into the margins in the evening to clear up the bait discarded by the day anglers. Nice overhanging tree to my left so one rod there with about 20 gobstoppers round it and the other straight out about 2 rods.

Fished till about 9-30 by which time I'd had 6 carp....5 to the bushwacker rod and one to the other. Didn't get my twenty but I was well pleased with this for a first attempt.

11-7.....12.....13-12.......15-9....17-14......and 18-8.

All fully scaled commons bar the smallest and very handsome looking fish too.I could get into this carping lark though I freely admit I doubt very much I'd have done anything like as well without being given the lowdown by Big Dave. He says my twenty is pretty well guaranteed from this place. I wonder if I'll be quite so enthusiastic about carp fishing if that happens ?

Highways Agency did me again going home....not only did they close my joining junction on the A3 but they decided to shut all bar one lane on the M25 between the A3 and M3 junction so a journey that should have taken 45-50 mins took me nearly 2 hours. Bar$tards!